Court Opinion

ID: 9477352
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 06:21:12.706962+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:45:50.034919
License: Public Domain

WELLFORD, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent because, in the words of Fed.R.Crim.P. 6(e)(3)(E), I believe the district court in which the grand jury sat could “reasonably obtain sufficient knowledge of the proceeding to determine whether disclosure is proper.” The district judge involved was certainly no stranger to these proceedings, and defendants themselves had sought grand jury information from that judge.
I would affirm after analyzing the criteria to be used in cases of this kind as set out in Douglas Oil v. Petrol Stops Northwest, 441 U.S. 211, 99 S.Ct. 1667, 60 L.Ed. 2d 156 (1979). See also In re Grand Jury Proceedings, 800 F.2d 1293 (4th Cir.1986) and United States v. John Doe, 481 U.S. —, 107 S.Ct. 1656, 95 L.Ed.2d 94 (1987). The need for grand jury secrecy is substantially reduced under the circumstances of this case. Finally, I believe it is unnecessary to involve further delay by a remand to another court.