Court Opinion

ID: 9453582
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 18:17:57.301396+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:43.209710
License: Public Domain

LUMBARD, Chief Judge
(concurring) :
I concur in affirming the denial of the writ of habeas corpus because I find no merit to Rosado’s argument that he is in State custody in violation of federal law.
The transcript of the hearing in the district court shows that Rosado is in state custody for refusing to answer questions before a Nassau County grand jury concerning the contents of telephone conversations to which he was a party. Since the District Attorney concededly obtained knowledge of these conversations and their contents pursuant to § 813-a of the New York Code of Criminal Procedure, and but for these wiretaps would not have asked the questions which Rosado has refused to answer, Rosado argues that he would be committing the federal crime of aiding and abetting the disclosure of wiretap information if he were to answer the questions which were put to him.
However, Rosado in answering the questions could not be guilty of aiding and abetting the commission of a federal crime. In order to aid and abet another to commit a crime, it is necessary that one “in some sort associate himself with the venture, that he participate in it as something that he wishes to bring about, that he seek by his action to make it succeed.” United States v. Peoni, 100 F.2d 401, 402 (2 Cir. 1938). Nye & Nis-sen v. United States, 336 U.S. 613, 619, 69 S.Ct. 766, 93 L.Ed. 919 (1949); United States v. Manna, 353 F.2d 191, 192 (2 Cir. 1965). It is clear to me that a reluctant witness before a grand jury who testifies under the threat of punishment for contempt as to the contents of telephone conversations to which he was a party is not a willing participant in an alleged scheme to violate § 605 so as to be an aider and abettor of the scheme. Furthermore, the majority opinion ably *143explains why we would not interfere with a grand jury’s power to compel a witness to testify in a situation such as this.
Since Rosado does not claim that he is in custody in violation of his constitutional rights and we do not find that he is in custody in violation of the laws of the United States, I concur in affirming the district court’s decision denying the petition.