Opinion ID: 375743
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Prejudicial Preindictment Publicity

Text: 60 Buzzi's final challenge focuses on the allegedly prejudicial effect on the grand jury of publicity concerning Lloyd, Carr in the Boston area. Buzzi argues that the publication of derogatory information about Lloyd, Carr prior to and during the grand jury's deliberations was so pervasive that the district court erred in denying his motion to dismiss the indictment. 61 It is true that the sensational activities of Lloyd, Carr precipitated extensive critical comment in the press in New England and the Eastern seaboard. Because of the possible effect of that publicity on the defendants' right to a fair trial, venue was transferred to Springfield, Massachusetts, and the trial of Alan Abrahams, a/k/a James Carr, the President of Lloyd, Carr, was severed from appellants' and transferred to Arizona. In effect, Buzzi contends that publicity so intense as to require a change of venue must have prejudiced the grand jury. 62 The rule in this circuit is that an indictment will not be dismissed on the grounds of prejudicial preindictment publicity unless it can be shown that the jury failed in its sworn duty to act with impartiality. Gorin v. United States, 313 F.2d 641, 645 (1st Cir. 1963), cert. denied, 379 U.S. 971, 85 S.Ct. 669, 13 L.Ed.2d 563 (1965). Gorin was decided prior to the adoption of the inherently prejudicial standard of Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333, 352-55, 86 S.Ct. 1507, 1516-1518, 16 L.Ed.2d 600 (1966). Sheppard establishes that, in some circumstances, publicity concerning a case may be so extensive and intense that no inquiry need be made as to the actual effect of the publicity on the petit jury. Prejudice is assumed; it need not be established. If prejudice is assumed as to petit juries, it may also be assumed as to grand juries. However, it does not follow that the remedy for possible exposure to inherently prejudicial publicity should be the same for grand juries as for petit juries. The different treatment of grand and petit juries which may have been exposed to inherently prejudicial publicity is premised, of course, on the theory that the taint of a grand jury will be purged by the deliberations of an untainted petit jury. As noted in Silverthorne v. United States, 400 F.2d 627, 634 (9th Cir. 1968), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 1022, 91 S.Ct. 585, 27 L.Ed.2d 633 (1971), 63 the grand jury deliberates and indicts, as an accusing body, on the standard of reasonable probability that a crime has been committed by some person. It is not a trial body. United States v. Atlantic Comm'n Co., 45 F.Supp. 187, 192 (E.D.N.C.1942). The quantum of evidence necessary to indict is not as great as that necessary to convict. If a grand jury is prejudiced by outside sources when in fact there is insufficient evidence to indict, the greatest safeguard to the liberty of the accused is the petit jury and the rules governing its determination of a defendant's guilt or innocence. And, if impartiality among the petit jurors is wanting, the cure is reversal by the appellate courts. 64 Since there is no contention here of a publicity prejudiced petit jury, we need proceed no further. 65 Affirmed.