Court Opinion

ID: 9642121
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 17:48:54.874594+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:54:03.410734
License: Public Domain

STONE, Circuit Judge.
I concur with the results reached and with the expressions in the opinion of Judge TRIEBER; however, there are two matters which I desire to touch upon.
The first of these is that rulings of the trial court on motions for new trial, except as founded upon newly discovered evidence, are not subject to review in United States courts. [24,25] The second relates to the challenge respecting the use of a memorandum by the witness Ybarra while she was testifying. Counsel for accused objected, because they were not permitted to inspect this memorandum. I think they had such right. I am equally certain that, in this instance, no prejudice resulted from such denial of inspection. These offenses were committed on July 23d. All that took place before that date referred to the development of the situation in so far as securing the confidence of the accused. The acquaintance of Miss Ybarra with Taylor began on July 8th, at his drug store. Thereafter, she went to the store every day up to July 23d, except July 11th, 12th and 18th. The memorandum was used to refresh her recollection as to whether certain matters occurred upon the 21st or the 22d of July, as to which dates she was confused somewhat. The record is clear that it was mainly, if not entirely, for this sole purpose that she used the memorandum. The use of the memorandum was brief and it was soon laid aside at the request of counsel for the government. Also, it is clear, from the grueling cross-examination by two separate counsel for different defendants that the various occurrences within the space of these two days (July 21st and 22d) were clear in her memory. It was not important upon which of these two days any of these occurrences happened. Therefore, the use of the memorandum was not material and a refusal of inspection thereof was harmless error. The testimony leading up to the use of the memorandum was as follows:
“Q. And when did you return to the drug store again, Miss Ybarra? A. He told us to come back the next day.
“Q. That is on the 21st? A. On the 21st.
“Q. And did you go back the next day? A. We did.
“Q. That is, both you and Staley? A. Yes.
“Q. Who was present the next day when you returned ? A. Mr. Taylor.
“Q. Mr. Taylor — did you have any conversation with Taylor at that-time? A. Yes. He told us— I was talking with him on the sale of the ten ounces, and he said he had talked to his partner in regards to this.
“Mr. Erknk Rader: How is that?
“A. (continuing): He had talked to his partner in regard to this 10 ounces and he said he could get it for him and he also told Mr. Staley that he could get him more than that, and he would advise him to get a safety deposit box down in the bank and keep the five ounces that was being shipped in to him from New York in that; then he would have it all of the time, and would not have to fool with the bootleggers; just take out an amount fora short while, and he would not have to fool with the bootleggers.
“Q. Do you recall any other conversation that took place on this date, Miss Ybarra ? A. Yes; I am a bit confused between the 21st and 22d.
“Mr. Jas. Rader: She can certainly talk louder than that, if your honor please.
“The Court: Please speak more distinctly; you may refer to any memorandum you have.
“The Witness: Thank you.
“Mr. Jas. Rader: If the court please, we object to her referring to any memorandum, unless we are permitted to inspect the memorandum and cross-examine her from it.
“The Court: Any witness is entitled to refresh his memory from memoranda.
“Mr. Jas. Rader: And we ask the court for permission to examine the memorandum and question her from it.
“Mr. Madison: We are not offering the memorandum in evidence, and until we do counsel has no right to inspect it.
“The Court: Well, you will not be permitted to examine the memorandum now, but you will later, or it will be passed upon when that times comes.
“Mr. Jas. Rader: I call the attention of the court to the fact that we have the right to confront the witness; if she is testifying from that book we want the book in evidence—
“The Court: Are you making an objection?
“Mr. Jas. Rader: We ask the court for permission to examine the memorandum, if she is going to testify from that.
“The Court: Permission is denied.
“Mr. Jas. Rader: Defendants except.
“To which action, order and ruling of the court the defendants, and each of them, then and there at the time duly excepted and still except.”
The use of the memorandum then followed:
*819“The Court: Proceed.
“A. (continuing): I visited the store July 21st, accompanied by Mr. Staley at 2 p. m. Mr. Taylor was out, and Mr. Harris said, ‘Bill wants to see you/ and he went to the ’phone to call Mr. Taylor; he said he would call him. Mr. Harris advised us that it would be best for us to buy — that it would be well for us to buy — five ounces that were coming in to us; take them; that it was good stuff; no danger of it being bootleg stuff; he said that he and Mr. Taylor took no chances in getting inferior narcotic drugs, because the government made it very hard on the big fellows, and was sending them to the penitentiary—
“Q. (interrupting): Who was speaking at that time? A. Mr. Harris.
“Q. That was the defendant Harris? A. Yes.'
“Q. All right, proceed. A. Where did I leave off? (The previous answer read by the reporter.)
“A. (continuing): To the penitentiary, and should they sell inferior stuff somebody might put up a squawk and get them into trouble. In a short while Mr. Taylor arrived and said he had made arrangements with his partner and another fellow to make the delivery and was to meet him and arrange for it.
“Mr. Marks: Your honor, I desire to call the court’s attention to the fact and to have the record show that this witness is testifying from the black memorandum book which she holds in her hand. She is and has been answering questions by reference to the book each time a question is asked her. I desire to object on behalf of all of the defendants on the ground that she is not refreshing her recollection but is making direct answers from matter written in the book she holds. She hears the question, and then refers to the book and recites from it.
“The Court: Well, you must not read from any memorandum.
“Mr. Marks: The witness ought to be reprimanded, and we request the privilege of using the book for cross-examination.
- “The Court: You may refresh your recollection, however, from any memorandum you have.
“Mr. Marks: The jury has seen every instance; she looks at the memorandum every few words. The defendants have a right to be confronted by the witness who testifies against them, and in this instance it is the book and not this witness on thé stand. We renew our request for the book.
“The Court: The request will be denied.
“Mr. Marks: All of the defendants exr cept.
“To which action, order and ruling of the court the defendants, and each of them, then and there at the time duly excepted and still except.
“Mr. Roney: Miss Ybarra, will you just lay aside your note book. I believe you can recall the facts. Now let’s proceed to the next time. Go ahead and finish the conversation as you recall it.”
The brief use of this memorandum is further emphasized by an extract from the cross-examination, when counsel was asking about occurrences on July 13th, as follows:
“Q. Miss Ybarra, now, since this matter has been challenged to your attention, what are the facts about the visit or visits of July 13th ? A. Since you have refreshed my memory, Mr. Marks, I remember of having talked to both Mr. Taylor and Mr. Harris on July 13, 1925.
“Q. On two separate visits ? A. Yes.
“Q. Yes? A. Yes; I remember now.
“Q. Yes; did this memorandum which you had yesterday have any information on that matter? A. I presume it did.
“Q. The memorandum that I am referring to, Miss Ybarra, is the one you had in your lap, the little black book that you opened, and as I saw you once in a while, which I did, and which you did do as I understood, refer to; that is the book you have in mind as having this information in it? A. I have some notes in my memorandum book, Mr. Marks.
“Q. And is that the book you refreshed your recollection from? A. No; when you yourself read the questions and answers I remembered.
“Q. But I said that, whatever information you have given, your memorandum book is supposed to have it, concerning the meeting of July 13th? A. T have it—
“Q. (interrupting): Will you answer that yes or no; does it have the meeting of July 13th? A. Yes.
“Q. Yes; and you don’t have the memorandum book to-day before you, do you? A. No; I was not permitted to use it.
“Q. And you are not referring to the cross-examination going on now, or that has gone on before, go on this morning, are you; you are not referring to it? A. No, Mr. Marks.
‘■‘Q. Yes; and you- did have it on a part of your direct examination, and refer to it frequently, did you not? A. No; there was a tiny space of time that I tried to use it.
“Q. A tiny space of time? A. I consider it so.”
Again, in cross-examination, when she was being asked as to the visits to the store on July 21st, the following:
“Q. Give us, approximately, Miss Ybarra, *820morning or afternoon, or was there but one visit, or was there any visit?
“Mr. Madison: I would just like permission to ask the witness a question as to whether she would like to refer to her memorandum, for the purpose of fixing these things, and, if so, that she be permitted to do so.
“The Court: The court has already said that she is permitted, and also any other witness, to use any memorandum that she has.
“Mr. Madison: I would like the witness to understand that she has that right.
“The Witness: I did not bring my memorandum. You did not want me to see it yesterday.
“Q. (by Mr. Marks): I did not? The court said you could do so. A. That gentleman (indicating).”
On cross-examination, it was developed that the witness had, after leaving the stand overnight and during the cross-examination, looked at her memorandum, but this was solely to verify, in her own mind, the accuracy of testimony, already given on cross-examination, as to what time of day she had first gone to the store on the 23d. This testimony was already in the record and had been the subject of cross-examination and there is no change therein after she had consulted her memorandum off the stand. In short, that use of the memorandum was after the testimony had been given without such aid, was not for the purpose of affecting her testimony, and did not do so. Therefore, it seems clear that the only testimony of this witness which was affected by use of the memorandum was as above first stated. No possible prejudice could have resulted from the denial of inspection in so far as this right existed here.
VAN VALKENBURGH, Circuit Judge, concurs in the main and in the concurring opinion above.