Court Opinion

ID: 9446832
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 22:19:25.043371+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:47.869648
License: Public Domain

HASTINGS, Circuit Judge
(concurring in part and dissenting in part).
I am in complete accord with and concur in that part of the majority opinion *457affirming “the judgment insofar as it adjudged defendant guilty.”
However, I find myself in disagreement with that part of the majority opinion remanding the cause to the district court “with instructions that it perform the functions imposed upon it under the Probation Act,” and I respectfully dissent therefrom.
After quoting part of a statement made by the trial court in response to defendant’s request for probation, the majority holds that the court arbitrarily refused to consider defendant’s application for probation. The effect of the remandment is to require the trial court to again receive and act upon the application for probation and in so doing to give consideration to factors other than defendant’s election to plead not guilty and stand trial. I do not believe that the record in this case justifies such a remandment.
The record shows that the defendant waived a jury trial, did not introduce any evidence in his own defense and was found guilty of knowing possession of goods stolen from an interstate shipment under Section 659 of Title 18 U. S.C.A. Following the verdict of guilty as charged, the following colloquy was had:
“The Court: * * * I will hear you in mitigation. Anything you care to say first before the defendant speaks?
“Mr. Evins [defendant’s counsel]: No.
“The Court: Anything from the Government. Is there a prior criminal record ?
“Mr. Grady [Government counsel] : No prior criminal record. Are you interested in the value of all this merchandise?
“The Court: I think it has been stipulated it is above the value of one hundred dollars. That is all I am concerned with. Have you anything on this defendant as to his record? Have we any FBI fingerprint record?
“Mr. Evins: There are no prior convictions, your Honor.
“The Court: There are none?
“Mr. Grady: No, I apparently left them in my office by mistake, [sic]
“The Court: Very well. Anything the defendant cares to say? Anything you want to say on behalf of the defendant?
“Mr. Evins: I would like to make a motion for a presentence investiga* tion.
“The Court: No, I ordinarily don’t do that when I hear the evidence in the case. I ordinarily do where there is no prior record. Where the defendant stands trial it is well-known in this Court I proceed to sentence immediately after the trial. I will hear anything you care to say as to his family situation and his background and his prior history.”
[Thereupon, defendant testified as to his residence, marriage, family, employment and that he had never served any time in any penal institution.]
“The Court: Any questions of the defendant?
“Mr. Grady: No.
“The Court: Is there anything you want to say before the imposition of sentence?
“Mr. Evins: Yes, Judge. I would like to say this, that you have heard the evidence that we have offered here in mitigation and in view of the fact that this defendant has no previous record of any kind and that in view of the further fact that he is married and he has a family and he is living with his wife, supporting his family, and he has a good job out of which he is supporting his family, I feel that justice could be served in this case if the Court sees fit to put him on probation for a period of time, and I am asking the Court to show him some leniency and consideration because of those facts, because of his family and be*458cause of the fact he just got a newborn baby and as I understand it, he is the main and only support of that family.
“1 am asking the Court at this time if he wouldn’t consider granting probation.-
“The Court: Those are the facts that the defendant should have considered prior jib committing the offense.
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“The Court: In view of the fact that the trial was expedited by waiving a jury and by stipulation of the various items that expedited the proof I make the sentence less : than I otherwise would. It is, how- : ever a serious crime, and it is a case for the imposition of a sentence, either on a plea of guilty or on a trial. Had there been a plea of guilty in this case probably probation might have been considered under certain terms, but you are all well aware of the standing policy here that once a defendant stands trial that element of grace is removed from the consideration of the Court in the imposition of sentence.
“Taking into consideration the various factors that you have referred to — and that I have referred to, I make the sentence less than I otherwise would, but a sentence must be imposed.
“On the judgment of guilty heretofore rendered the defendant is sentenced to the custody of the Attorney . General of the United States to be incarcerated in a penitentiary of the United States for a term of three years.” (Emphasis added.)
The Probation Act, 18 U.S.C.A. § 3651, quoted in pertinent part in the majority opinion, provides that the trial court, “when satisfied that the ends of justice and the best interest of the public as well as the defendant will be served thereby, may * * * place the defendant on probation * * (Emphasis added.) Thus, when the trial court is satisfied that these requirements are met it may, in its discretion, grant probation. A fair reading of the quoted portions of the record as above set out indicates to me that the court was not satisfied that the ends of justice and the best interests of the public and the defendant would be served by admitting defendant to probation in this case. I cannot in good conscience find any such gross abuse of discretion here that would justify the action taken by the majority.
No ease has been brought to our attention wherein a court of appellate review has ever set aside an order refusing to grant probation. In this case defendant’s counsel moved for a presentence investigation which motion the court denied; and, after hearing defendant in person and by counsel in mitigation, the court made “the sentence less than I otherwise would.” The only thing left undone was to order a presentence investigation. The court had before it all factors relating to defendant personally in the light most favorable to defendant, having heard defendant and his counsel in person. It also had full knowledge of the nature of the offense. The motion was received and acted upon unfavorably. To hold that, under the circumstances, it is mandatory for a trial court to go further and order a presentence investigation and then “act upon” the application for probation reads into the Probation Act a requirement I do not find there. Assuming that, conceivably, in some case, there might be certain extreme circumstances amounting to a manifest abuse of discretion, I hold to the view that this is not such a case.
I would affirm the judgment in its entirety.