Court Opinion

ID: 9455536
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 19:25:20.61086+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:34:38.146155
License: Public Domain

KILKENNY, Circuit Judge
(concurring and dissenting).
I concur in the majority opinion only to the extent that 21 U.S.C. § 176a, aside from the presumption, is not constitutionally invalid. Otherwise, I join in what has been written by Judge Trask, and joined by Judge Carter.
Moreover, I would add another ground for affirmance. Implicit in Leary, as I analyze that case, is a clear cut indication that the result would have been different had it not been for the fact that a valid objection had been taken in the trial court. I quote from the opinion:
“It is true that petitioner did not object to the jury instructions on the basis of the presumption’s alleged unconstitutionality. However, he did rely u/pon that ground in his previous motion for a directed verdict at the close of the prosecution’s case, and urged it again in his subsequent motion for a new trial. Both motions were denied. * * * In these circumstances, we conclude that the question is properly before us. * * *” 395 U.S. p. 32, 89 S.Ct. p. 1546 (Emphasis supplied.)
Here, as distinguished from Leary, the appellant failed to note an objection or exception of any kind to the presumption instruction, or otherwise challenge the validity of the statutory presumption. Rule 52(b), F.R.Crim.P., permits, but does not require, the Court of Appeals to recognize plain error. A discretion is lodged in the appellate court. On Lee v. United States, 343 U.S. 747, 749-750 n. 3, 72 S.Ct. 967, 96 L.Ed. 1270 (1952). Although the substantive law enunciated in On Lee has been under attack in recent years, its legal principles have thus far withstood the onslaught. Garrett v. United States, 382 F.2d 768, 772 (9th Cir. 1967); Lopez v. United States, 373 U.S. 427, 83 S.Ct. 1381, 10 L.Ed.2d 462 (1963). Moreover, On Lee’s construction of Rule 52(b) has not *62been overruled or eroded. United States v. Miller, 316 F.2d 81 (6th Cir. 1963), cert. denied 375 U.S. 935, 84 S.Ct. 335, 11 L.Ed.2d 267, rehearing denied 375 U. S. 989, 84 S.Ct. 520, 11 L.Ed.2d 476. Worthy v. United States, 409 F.2d 1105, 1110 (D.C. Cir. 1968); United States v. Dolleris, 408 F.2d 918, 920 (6th Cir. 1969), cert. denied 395 U.S. 943, 89 S.Ct. 2014, 23 L.Ed.2d 461; Alexander v. United States, 390 F.2d 101, 103 (5th Cir. 1968). Rule 52(b) should be used only in unusual and extraordinary situations to prevent a miscarriage of justice or to preserve the integrity of the judicial proceedings. Herzog v. United States, 235 F.2d 664, 666 (9th Cir. 1956), cert. denied 352 U.S. 844, 77 S.Ct. 54, 1 L.Ed.2d 59; Reisman v. United States, 409 F.2d 789, 791 (9th Cir. 1969).
The majority recognizes the rule that a claim of error is waived, unless a proper objection is taken in the trial court. Rule 30, F.R.Crim.P. Lopez v. United States, 373 U.S. 427, 83 S.Ct. 1381, 10 L.Ed.2d 462 (1963). The rule, it is argued, should not be employed in this case for the reason that the appellant was faced with a “solid wall” * of authority in this and other circuits sustaining the validity of the presumption. The answer to this argument is that, in fact, a proper objection was made in Leary. Logically, it seems to me, the “solid wall” argument should be used in favor of the Government, rather than appellant. A great many marihuana cases are now on appeal from the Southern and Central Districts of California, the District of Arizona and other Districts in the Circuit. No doubt, the presumption instruction was used in a large number of those cases. I venture a fairly educated guess that challenges to the presumption instruction, in the trial courts, would be on the minimal side. On the record before us, where the appellant’s guilt is evident, we should exercise our discretion against the employment of Rule 52(b).
Kohatsu v. United States, 351 F.2d 898 (9th Cir. 1965), cert. denied, 384 U. S. 1011, 86 S.Ct. 1915, 16 L.Ed.2d 1017 (1966); United States v. Lopez, 414 F. 2d 272 (2d Cir. 1969), and United States ex rel. West v. LaVallee, 335 F.2d 230 (2d Cir. 1964), cited by the majority, are not to the contrary. Implicit in each of those cases is the well established dogma that the appellate court may recognize plain error in the trial court. Those decisions are totally devoid of language which would indicate it would be an abuse of our discretion to refuse to apply the plain error rule on a record such as here presented. This is not a case such as Screws v. United States, 325 U. S. 91, 65 S.Ct. 1031, 89 L.Ed. 1495 (1945), where the trial court failed to submit to the jury the essential elements of the only offense on which a conviction could rest. Clearly, it would be an abuse of discretion not to employ Rule 52(b) in that factual atmosphere.
I would affirm.

 I am not sure that the .wall is as stout as the majority would have us believe. It seems to me that Judges Jertberg, Barnes and Koelseh, in Erwing v. United States, 323 F.2d 674 (9th Cir. 1963), a cocaine case, rather clearly forecast the result in Leary. Less than three weeks after Er-wing, Judge Duniway, joined by Judges Orr and Hamley, in Costello v. United States, 324 F.2d 260 (9th Cir. 1963), a marihuana case cited by the majority, refused to pass on the constitutionality of the § 176a presumption on the record before them. Without question, the constitutionality of the section, as applied to marihuana, was left open in Costello.