Opinion ID: 309617
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Proof of Interstate Movement of the Money Orders

Text: 8 The jury could reasonably have found the money orders identified in Counts I through VIII were genuine American Express money orders distributed by American Express to Sears, Roebuck & Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The money orders were discovered to be missing from that store sometime in early October 1970, and they were forged and cashed in Wisconsin in October 1970. The defendants argue that, assuming the Government has sufficiently tied them to these encashments, still they should have been acquitted because the Government did not present evidence from which a jury could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that these very money orders in fact moved in interstate commerce. It is clear that such proof is necessary to sustain defendant's convictions. Gilinsky v. United States, 368 F.2d 487 (9th Cir. 1966). For its proof, the Government relied solely upon the documents themselves and the markings thereon. On the face of each money order was printed American Express Company agrees to pay at 65 Broadway, New York, N.Y., the sum of. . . . On the back of each was printed AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE PAYMENT OR CHARGE BACK THIS MONEY ORDER IF IT IS RAISED, ALTERED OR STOLEN OR IF ANY SIGNATURE IS OMITTED OR FORGED. Also on the back of the orders was stamped PRESENTED FOR AMEXCO N.Y. PAYMENT. Defendants argue that this real evidence is insufficient to support an inference of interstate movement of these money orders and that, in any event, these markings are inadmissible hearsay. 9 We are persuaded that the markings, any one of which might not be sufficient standing alone, taken together are sufficient to support a reasonable inference of interstate movement. The documents speak for themselves. The second quoted statement above shows that American Express Company decides whether to pay on money orders written on its paper. The first quoted statement shows that this decision is made in New York City. The third quoted statement reflects that these particular money orders were presented in New York for that decision. 10 Directly on point is United States v. Nelson, 273 F.2d 459 (7th Cir. 1960). In that case, the court, in considering a related issue, commented upon the use and meaning of documents and markings similar to those here at issue. 11 Each of the money orders bears the printed legend: American Express Company, New York, New York, agrees to transmit and pay. In our opinion this clearly indicated that the securities were payable at the American Express Company, in New York, New York. . . .The money orders are each stamped Paid, with an appropriate date inserted, AMEXCO, N.Y. . . . The documents speak for themselves. They show that they were in fact paid at the American Express Company in New York, as abbreviated: AMEXCO, N.Y., or MEXCO, N.Y. Id. at 460-461. 12 In short, the court held that the documents, without oral elaboration, had discernible meaning in their own right, namely, that payment was to be made, and in fact was made, in New York. While it is true that the court referred to expert testimony of an American Express agent regarding the stamp on the back, the court in interpreting the words on the front relied solely upon the printed words. In light of this interpretation, there is no reason to suspect that the court meant anything less than what it said about the stamped words, which is that they speak for themselves. In the similar case of United States v. Mustin, 369 F.2d 626 (7th Cir. 1966), this court, in holding that a check and a photostat thereof by an out-of-state bank supported an inference of interstate movement, described such expert testimony as proper but cumulative. See also United States v. Cordo, 186 F.2d 144, 146 (2d Cir.), cert. den., Minkoff v. United States, 340 U.S. 952, 71 S.Ct. 572, 95 L.Ed. 686 (1951) (charge of theft from interstate commerce). The court said, The asserted lack of evidence to prove the interstate character of the goods when stolen fails in the light of the proof that the cartons and bales were each plainly labelled with the names of the North Carolina consignor and the New York consignee. See also United States v. Crawford, 195 F.2d 472, 474 (3d Cir. 1952) (Labelling on the cartons adequately proved interstate character of the shipment). Cf. United States v. Palumbo, 317 F.2d 607 (2d Cir. 1963) (value of goods stolen proven by amount inserted on invoice). 13 Defendant cites the recent decision in United States v. Coleman, Case No. 68-CR-33 (E.D.Wis., July 30, 1968) (oral opinion). That case is distinguishable, however, as being a bench trial in which the judge was sitting as trier of fact and in that capacity found the Government's evidence insufficient. In the instant case, the jury was the fact finder, and it found the evidence sufficient. Our function on appeal is not to make our own findings of fact, but to determine whether there was sufficient evidence in the record to support the fact finder's conclusion, and in this case there was. 14 Defendant Rogers, in addition to making an argument of logical insufficiency, now complains that the markings quoted above are inadmissible hearsay. However, at trial he made no such specific objection, 1 as was done in Crawford, supra, 195 F.2d at 475 n. 4, nor did he otherwise seek to limit the purposes for which the money orders were admitted, such as was done in United States v. Whitlow, 339 F.2d 975, 980 (7th Cir. 1964). Moreover, the Government did not lead him to believe that further evidence would be forthcoming on the question of interstate movement of the documents. Hence, Rogers has waived his hearsay objection. Diaz v. United States, 223 U.S. 442, 450, 32 S.Ct. 250, 252, 56 L.Ed. 500 (1912); Gibson v. Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co., 246 F.2d 834, 836 (7th Cir.) (relying upon Diaz), cert. den., 355 U.S. 897, 78 S.Ct. 270, 2 L.Ed.2d 193 (1957); American Rubber Products Corp. v. NLRB, 214 F.2d 47, 51-52 (7th Cir. 1954) (relying upon Diaz); United States v. Rosenberg, 195 F.2d 583, 596 (2d Cir.), cert. den., 344 U.S. 838, 73 S.Ct. 20, 97 L.Ed. 652 (1952).II. Handwriting Exemplars 15 After indictment, but before trial, the Government sought a court order requiring that defendant Rogers execute examples of his handwriting. The court so ordered, and Rogers agreed to give examples in any form except the names and addresses used on the forged documents. The Government then moved in open court, with supporting affidavits, that Rogers be compelled to execute exemplars in the form objected to by Rogers. The court so ordered and Rogers complied. Rogers then sought an order suppressing use of those exemplars at trial, which motion the court denied. Apparently Rogers did not renew his objection when the exemplars were used at trial, although he reasserts the claim on appeal. Defendant by his actions has not waived his right to raise on appeal his pretrial objection. Whitlow, supra. 16 Rogers does not appear to argue that no exemplar constitutionally could be required of him, and it is clear that such argument could not succeed. No question of right to counsel is raised in this case, and a general Fifth Amendment attack is answered by the Supreme Court's ruling in Gilbert v. California, 388 U.S. 263, 266-267, 87 S.Ct. 1951, 1953, 18 L.Ed.2d 1178 (1967): [A] mere handwriting exemplar, in contrast to the content of what is written, like the voice or body itself, is an identifying physical characteristic outside [the Fifth Amendment's] protection. As for Fourth Amendment rights, the Supreme Court has recently held that handwriting exemplars taken alone are outside the scope of the Fourth Amendment's protection because a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy regarding his handwriting. United States v. Mara, 410 U.S. 19, 93 S.Ct. 774, 35 L.Ed.2d 99 (1973), rev'g, 454 F.2d 580 (7th Cir. 1971). See also United States v. Dionisio, 410 U.S. 1, 93 S.Ct. 764, 35 L.Ed.2d 67 (1973), rev'g in part, aff'g in part, 442 F.2d 276 (7th Cir. 1971). 2 Moreover, there is no suggestion in the record that the exemplars were the fruit of an independently illegal seizure such as that in Davis v. Mississppi, 394 U.S. 721, 89 S.Ct. 1394, 22 L.Ed.2d 676 (1969). 17 The appellant's argument that it was error for the trial court to require that exemplars be in the form of allegedly forged words also has been answered by the Supreme Court and is without merit. In Dionisio, the defendant was ordered by the district court to give a voice exemplar in the exact words of a telephone conversation taped by the Government. The Court found this constitutional, stating: 18 It has long been held that the compelled display of identifiable physical characteristics infringes no interest protected by the privilege against compulsory self-incrimination. . . . [T]he prohibition of compelling a man in a criminal court to be witness against himself is a prohibition of the use of physical or moral compulsion to extort communications from him, not an exclusion of his body as evidence when it may be material.