Court Opinion

ID: 9450380
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 16:44:00.707033+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:16.515309
License: Public Domain

WILBUR K. MILLER, Circuit Judge
(concurring).
I join in the foregoing opinion because I think the Sellers case requires reversal. I dissented in that case and still think it is wrong, but I am bound to follow it.
WRIGHT, Circuit Judge
(concurring).
I agree that the conviction should be reversed. In the interest of brevity, I shall simply state my reasons seriatim.
1. The trial court denied a defense motion that defendant be tried as a juvenile without holding a hearing to determine the legal and factual basis for the motion. 11 D.C.Code § 914 (1961); Franklin v. United States, 117 U.S.App. D.C. 331, 336, 330 F.2d 205, 210 (1964); Pee v. United States, 107 U.S.App.D.C. 47, 50-52, 274 F.2d 556, 559-561 (1959).
2. The trial court refused to ask the jurors on voir dire examination whether they would place more credence in the testimony of a law enforcement officer, merely because he is an officer, than in the testimony of any other witness. Sellers v. United States, 106 U.S.App.D.C. 209, 271 F.2d 475 (1959).
3. The trial court permitted for impeachment purposes, over objection, the use of alleged statements made by the appellant, a juvenile, while in the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court. Harling v. United States, 111 U.S.App.D.C. 174, 295 F.2d 161 (1961).
4. The Government was permitted, over objection, to bring out for impeachment purposes that a juvenile defense witness had been committed by the Juvenile Court to the National Training School for Boys on another charge. Pee v. United States, supra.
5. The trial court denied a defense motion for production of a report filed by a police officer who testified for the Government. Such reports are producible under the Jencks Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3500. Clancy v. United States, 365 U.S. 312, 81 S.Ct. 645, 5 L.Ed.2d 574 (1961); Campbell v. United States, 365 U.S. 85, 92-99, 81 S.Ct. 421, 5 L.Ed.2d 428 (1961).
6. The trial court refused on request to give a missing witness instruction relating to the absence of the prosecuting witness. Graves v. United States, 150 U.S. 118, 121, 14 S.Ct. 40, 37 L.Ed. 1021 (1893); Billeci v. United States, 87 U.S.App.D.C. 274, 278-279, 184 F.2d 394, 398-399, 24 A.L.R.2d 881 (1950).
The above enumeration of error is sufficient in my judgment to require a new trial.