Opinion ID: 316137
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the federal premeditated murder conviction

Text: 106 Appellant attacked this conviction claiming that application of the D.C. statute-- which requires a defendant to establish his plea of insanity by a preponderance of the evidence-- to federal offenses tried in this jurisdiction is a denial of equal protection because in every other federal trial the prosecution must prove sanity beyond a reasonable doubt. 38 Acknowledging the power of this argument, the court vacates the federal murder conviction for the reason given in Hooper that 'it better serves the general interest of the administration of justice if the court limits its resources to the determination of those questions and cases that must be decided, especially in light of the ever-mounting docket that besets this and other appellate courts.' 432 F.2d at 606. Hooper states, however, that a conviction raising a difficult issue should be vacated only when 'no present public interest or need is furthered' by resolution of the issue. The issue that triggered the use of the Hooper doctrine in this case is whether the D.C. burden of proof statute can be applied to federal offenses. That issue is bound to recur frequently. By postponing its resolution, and thereby allowing application of the D.C. statute governing burden of proof to trials in our federal district court, we undercut both justice and efficiency. Since many convictions will be secured under this questionable statute, there will be strong incentive for upholding it in order to avoid reversals; and, if wholesale reversals are ultimately required, we will suffer the burden of many time-consuming retrials. The simple fact-- which again appears to elude the court-- is that when the constitutionality of a statute of general application is called into question, justice and fairness require an expeditious resolution. 107 Hooperizing appellant's federal murder conviction can perhaps be viewed as indicative of a strong, albeit misguided, commitment to judicial restraint. That same restraint, however, is not evidenced in other parts of the opinion. Appellant also challenged his grand and petit juries, claiming in part that 'young people' were inadequately represented in violation of the federal jury selection statute. 39 Although the court denies this claim because it was not timely raised in the trial court, it proceeds to expound its view that 'young persons' should not be considered a cognizable group for jury composition, and concludes: 108 We have thought it useful to discuss problems presented by appellant's thesis even though, in view of the lack of timely objection, we do not decide this matter on the merits. (Court's opinion at 1150.) 109 The court reached out for this issue on an admittedly 'inadequate record,' and despite the lack of controlling precedent in this jurisdiction and a decision of a Sister Circuit holding 'youth' to be a cognizable class for jury selection as a matter of constitutional law. 40 110 Thus, contrary to Hooper, and on an issue that was clearly not before it, the court devoted its 'time and energies to the research, and opinion writing, incident to appropriate determination of an issue not governed by controlling precedent.' 432 F.2d at 606.