Court Opinion

ID: 9755108
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 20:25:18.700146+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:02.752552
License: Public Domain

William J.
Brennan, Jr, J. (dissenting). I would reverse the conviction and remand for a new trial. I think there was error in the charge to the jury, and also in the failure of the trial judge to grant a new trial on the ground that the verdict was against the weight of the evidence.
The defendant was not guilty of the offenses charged unless the proofs supported a finding beyond a reasonable doubt that if he swore falsely the false swearing was willful. The jury might accept the testimony of the witness Page as true and reject the defendant’s denials as untrue, but defendant was nevertheless not to be convicted unless the jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant’s untruths were willful lies. Yet the trial judge charged the jury that the guilt or innocence of the defendant depended upon “which witness are you willing to believe,” that is, as between Page and the defendant. I find nothing whatever elsewhere in the charge which tempers this flat and plain instruction, clearly erroneous and fraught with patent prejudice to the defendant. In substance, the jury was told that the guilt of the defendant was established if they concluded that Page was to be believed. The only correct instruction was that guilt could be found, even if Page was believed, only if defendant swore falsely before the grand jury and did so willfully.
The issues under the third count were whether defendant willfully swore falsely in denying categorically before the grand jury, as he did when he took the stand at his trial, that he had ever received any money from Page for any purpose, or had ever discussed with Page the receipt of moneys by an officer of the State Police for protection pur*568poses, or had ever had a conversation with Page concerning the operation of a floating crap game in Burlington County.
The single issue under the fourth count was whether he willfully swore falsely in his categorical denial that he knew one Joseph Girgenti.
The only evidence adduced by the State to support the charges was the testimony of Page. Although a conviction for the crime of false swearing may rest upon the testimony of a single state witness who says that the defendant did or said the things which the defendant under oath denies he did or said, certainly on a motion to set aside a verdict of guilt as against the weight of the evidence it should clearly appear that the testimony of the single witness had such quality that it was not wholly unreasonable for 12 jurors to believe it. I do not suggest that a verdict of guilt should be upset merely because the trial judge may not believe the witness, but only that the trial judge should not hesitate to upset the verdict if the testimony has such a hollow ring that the jury’s reliance upon it to support its verdict strikes him as so unreasonable as to justify the conclusion that the jury was not impartial, hut that the verdict was the product of bias, passion or prejudice. By that test I think the trial judge here erred in not setting aside this verdict of conviction.
Page out of his own mouth convicted himself as a shady character not averse to lying in even unimportant matters, given to the use of an alias, and living by his wits. He and the defendant were brought up in the same locality and had known one another most of their lives. Page was arrested January 31, 1952 in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, on a charge of issuing bad checks. At his request a Hamilton police officer permitted him to telephone the defendant for help in arranging bail. Defendant refused the help and, according to the police officer, Page said to defendant, “O. K., you son-of-a- . . ., I’ll fix you. I’ll get even.” Page admitted telephoning defendant from Hamilton Township, but denied making the remarks attributed to him by the officer. I find it highly significant that it was less than three weeks *569later that Page executed an affidavit which was published in the Florence Township Post on February 22 stating that he wished “to denounce” “public officials” for violating their public trust. The gist of the affidavit, as the Post summarized it, was that Page “accuses certain law enforcement officials of having accepted graft from members of the county gambling fraternity.” Page named names, charging high county officers then in office with having received sums ranging from $300 to $1,000 weekly for protection of a gambling operation at Maple Shade. Maple Shade is not in Mansfield Township where defendant was magistrate, but is some miles removed. Yet Page’s affidavit charged defendant with receiving $1,600 weekly for protecting the Maple Shade game, 60% more than the amounts allegedly received by any of the other officials named whose positions of authority were in fact county wide. Neither Page nor the State made any attempt to show at the trial how defendant was in a position, official or political, to provide the protection allegedly bought from him, not for protection of gambling in Mansfield Township, because it is not charged that games were carried on there, but at other places in Burlington County distant from Mansfield Township. Page’s testimony on this point is illuminating:
”Q. What did Mr. Haines have to do with the operation oí a game in some township outside of the township in which he lived? A. I don’t know what he would have to do outside of Mansfield Township, but he was known as being the boss of Burlington County as far as anything like this concerns.
Q. AVell, who told you anything like that? A. AArell it was known throughout the syndicate and by himself.
Q. Who was it told you that he was the boss of Burlington County? A. I said of operating crap games or anything like that, for getting an OK and things like that, such as that.
Q. Well, I will come back to my question. AArho told you that? A. Who told me?
Q. Xes. A. Well, if you want an OK to do anything, you used to have to go to him to get it.
Q. My question is, who told you that he was the boss of Burlington County so far as anything that you have mentioned? A. AArell, I don’t know who told me. I went to him to get OK’s for myself. Is that enough?”
*570The suspicion that Page included defendant in his charges out of spite for defendant’s refusal to help him is heightened by the evidence that defendant, not a lawyer, but a caretaker of a farm which was formerly a brickyard where he had worked, enjoyed an excellent reputation according to character witnesses who testified for him. The witnesses were neighbors, dairy farmers, a lawyer who is the present acting magistrate, and local and township officials. It is significant that the Attorney-General made no attempt to press any of these witnesses as to adverse matters bearing upon defendant’s reputation as a "law-abiding citizen” to which they all testified.
My study of the record persuades me that Page’s testimony so far lacks the ring of truth as to make wholly unreasonable the jury’s reliance upon it as establishing defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. I think that in the circumstances the trial judge should have set aside the verdict as contrary to the weight of the evidence.
For affirmance — Chief Justice Vanderbilt, and Justices Wachenfeld, Burling and Jacobs — 4.
For reversal — Justices Hehee, Olipi-iant and Brennan— 3.