Opposition Brief — Hobson v. United States
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Nos. 84-1148, 84-1164, and 84-1493 We
Phitheetemernt= STEVAS,
In the Supreme Court of the Rni Tes
OCTOBER TERM, 4984
RUSSELL Hosson, III, PETITIONER
Vv.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
PATRICK C. WALDROP, PETITIONER
Vv.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MANUEL ERIC VILLANUEVA, PETITIONER
Vv.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ON PETITIONS FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO
THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR
THE ELEVENTH CiRCUIT
BRIEF FOR THE UNITED STATES IN OPPOSITION
Rex E. L&E
Solicitor General
STEPHEN S. TROTT
Assistant Attorney General
KATHRYN A. OBERLY
Assistant to the Solicitor General
SIDNEY M. GLAZER
Attorney
Department of Justice
Washington, D.C. 20530
(202) 633-2217
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
1. Whether marijuana offenses may serve as predicate
offenses for prosecutions under the Racketeer Influenced
and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. 1962.
2. Whether two or more offenses arising out of the same
criminal episode satisfy the predicate act requirement of the
RICO statute.
3. Whether the jury instructions were sufficient to ensure
that petitioner Waldrop would not be convicted on the
RICO charges in the indictment unless the jury found the
existence of an enterprise and the commission of multiple
enterprise-related offenses.
4. Whether the court of appeals correctly sustained the
validity of two amendments to a wiretap authorization
issued by a state judge.
5. Whether petitioner Hobson was deprived of due pro-
cess because the court of appeals’ review of his sufficiency
claim allegedly was based upon inaccurate factual state-
ments in the government’s brief.
6. Whether a pre-trial order disqualifying petitioner
Hobson’s original counsel because the anticipated trial tes-
timony of two government witnesses was likely to implicate
the lawyer in some of the charges in the indictment became
erroneous when the implicating evidence was not adduced
at trial.
(I)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ETS pee che Ga neh bbs 66s cteecanncecsseces l
SE Sti ccc edkcancekdeenacseceecennescs 2
SEE CEULONG C0 05k KEG EEE A Ss 0d ccedeeeeieccces 2
PEE ROGER EC EGK Ec eS eed ceceuneceWeecerdccece 9
PE dh ch ieaGedtiGee cen babcceccccecaccces 25
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Cases:
Alexander v. Harris, 595 F.2d 87 ............. 18
Gustafson v. United States, cert. denied,
No. 84-482 (Jan. 21, 1985) ........... eee eees 9
Harman v. Forssenius, 380 U.S. 528 .......... 17
Hostetter v. Idlewild Bon Voyage Liquor Corp.,
ee cA eee nckensesacecios 17
Jeffers v. United States, 432 U.S. 137 .......... 3
Lehman Brothers v. Schein, 416 U.S. 386 ...... 17
Turner v. United States, 396 U.S. 398 ......... 21
United States v. Anderson, 626 F.2¢ 1358,
Se I RE, ED Aca wccccccsescccse 15
United States v. Bledsoe, 674 F.2d 647 ...... .
United States v. Cagnina, 697 F.2d 915,
cert. denied, 464 U.S. 856.0... icc ccc cecess 15
United States v. Corbin, 734 F.2d 643 ......... 21
United States v. Harvey, 560 F. Supp.
DE DUAR GERACE Cin wewEs Ge ces e ca ceueces 18
IV
Page
Cases—Continued:
United States v. Hobson, 672 F.2d 825,
A 24
United States v. Lemm, 680 F.24 1193,
cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1110 ........... 14, 15, 16
United States v. Lovasco, 431 U.S. 783 ........ 24
United States v. Mazzei, 700 F.2d 85,
ee i a eeewes 15
United States v. Parness, 503 F.2d 430,
— ee fo ke re 12
United States v. Pepe, 747 F.2d 632 ........... 12
United States v. Phillips, 664 F.2d 971,
art. Gee, Gr We BED co cccccccccccccce: 12
United States v. Salvitti, 451 F. Supp.
Ss ee oe en i ccctuccs 12
United States v. Smith, 726 F.2d 852 .......... 18
United States v. Turkette, 452 U.S.
ridlelch 6 die ccna nein bh bbe ue del 11, 14, 15
United States v. Weatherspoon, 581 F.2d
a a 12
Statutes and rule:
Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and
Control Act of 1970, 21 U.S.C.
Se MUL. habcuuansecdasbansseccecscces 10, 11
Infant Formula Act of 1980, Pub. L.
No. 96-359, 94 Stat. 1190 et seg. ............ il
Page
Statutes and rule—Continued:
Racketeer Infiuenced and Corrupt Organizations
Act, 18 U.S.C. 1961 et seq. :
18 U.S.C. 1961(1M(D) .... 2... ee eee eee 9,12
BS U.S.C, ISGIGS) nc cnccccccccccccccccese 1]
18 U.S.C. 1961 note (Pub. L.
No. 91-452, § 904(a), 84
BE, OE SR b ea nh ic ccccccoccencccsses 10
Pe Gs SUE Acchnccecvcccccccccesccese 2
Se lie SEED de cceccecccccccecccceses 9
Be Wiis CED ecnceccceucecscscossces 10
Ee GRR Km doceecccccecacccoececesess 2, 10
Be CUED Recccciccccccecesedoucocecseces 2
Be as EE. Ret sccccnccecenccosscoccoseconce 2
Be Win WE Se cccuscdcccewrccccsecesecesecs 2
Be Ts UE: Kcccccccccowvesesccccccessseese 2
Pe A, a BD cccccccdccdccoteuecces 18
Miscellaneous:
126 Cong. Rec. 11791 (1980) ............e0ees 1
S. Rep. 91-617, 9ist Cong., Ist Sess.
PRD 6.06 6d009600004650566n6 00 ceecnsccees 12
U.S. Dep't of Justice, United States Attorneys’
Manual (Mar. 1984) .......cccceescccccces 13
In the Supreme Court of the Hnited States
OcTOBER TERM, 1984
No. 84-1148
Russe_t Hopson, II], PETITIONER
Vv.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
No. 84-1164
PaTRICK C. WALDROP, PETITIONER
Vv.
Uni tTep STATES OF AMERICA
No. 84-1403
MANUEL Eric VILLANUEVA, PETITIONER
v.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ON PETITIONS FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO
THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR
THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
BRIEF FOR THE UNITED STATES IN OPPOSITION
OPINION BELOW
The opinion of the courts of appeals (Pet. App. 1-50)! is
reported at 742 F.2d 1335.
“Pet. App.” refers to the appendix to the petition in No. 84-1148
unless otherwise indicated.
(1)
|
>
JURISDICTION
The judgment of the court of appeals was entered on
October |, 1984. Petitions for rehearing filed by each peti-
tioner were denied on December 6, 1984 (84-1148 Pet. App.
51-52; 84-1164 Pet. App. Cl-C2; 84-1403 Pet. App. 51-52).
The petition for a writ of certiorari in No. 84-1148 was filed
on Januar, 16, 1985, the petition in No. 84-1164 was filed
on January 17, 1985, and the petition in No. 84-1403 was
filed on March 5, 1985.* The jurisdiction of this Court is
invoked under 28 U.S.C. 1254(1).
STATEMENT
Following a jury trial in the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Florida, petitioners were con-
victed of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and
Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) (Count |); the com-
pleted RICO substantive offense (Count 2); conspiracy to
import marijuana (Count 3); importation of marijuana
(Count 4 (Hobson and Waldrop only)); conspiracy to pos-
sess marijuana with intent to distribute (Count 5); posses-
sion of marijuana with intent to distribute (Count 8 as to
Villanueva, Count 9 as to Waldrop, and Count 10 as to
Waldrop and Hobson); and engaging in a continuing crimi-
nal enterprise (Count 25 as to Villanueva), in violation of 18
U.S.C. 1962 and 21 U.S.C. 963, 952, 846, 841 and 848.
Petitioner Hobson was sentenced to consecutive terms of
imprisonment for each count on which he was convicted
totalling 35 years; he also was fined a total of $110,000 on
Counts | through 5 and Count 10. Petitioner Waldrop was
sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment for each
count on which he was convicted totalling 40 years; he also
was fined various sums on each count, totalling $125,000.
2On January 19, 1985, Justice Powell extended the time for the filing
of petitioner Villanueva's petition for a writ of certiorari (No. 84-1403)
to and including March 6, 1985.
3
Petitioner Villanueva's consecutive sentences totalled 60
years’ imprisonment, and his cumulative fines amounted to
$220,000. In addition, each petitioner was given two-year
special parole term. The court of appeals affirmed the con-
victions of Hobson and Waldrop in all respects. In light of
the affirmance of his continuing criminal enterprise convic-
tion, Villanueva’s convictions for conspiracy to import
marijuana and conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent
to distribute (Counts 3 and 5) were vacated on double
jeopardy grounds (see Jeffers v. United States, 432 U.S.
137 (1977)). Villanueva’s convictions on all other counts
were affirmed.
The evidence showed that in late 1977 Villanueva and
co-defendants Jose Acosta and Antonio Bascaro were
operating a large marijuana importation organization in
southern Florida (38 R. 148-150). In the latter part of that
year, Clyde (“Bill”) Cobb became a member of the organi-
zation, assuming responsibility for storing the marijuana
after importation and distributing the marijuana to whole-
salers (38 R. 150). Before that year’s end, Cobb recruited his
brother-in-law, Dan Abbey, to keep track of the organiza-
tion’s accounts (40 R. 10). Abbey estimated that during the
time of his participation in the enterprise approximately
750,000 to 1.5 million pounds of marijuana had been
imported and distributed, generating proceeds in excess of
$175,000,000 (40 R. 66-67).
In December 1977, the enterprise moved its operations to
northern Florida (38 R. 150-151; 40 R. 10-11). A farm
suitable for storing marijuana was located near Cottondale,
Florida (38 R. 150). Cobb made a cash down payment of
$180,000 to buy the farm, using funds belonging to Acosta
and Bascaro and delivered to him by petitioner Villanueva
(38 R. 152-153). Shortly thereafter, more than 40,000
*“R.” refers to the 50-volume record on appeal.
\
,
4
pounds of marijuana that had been carried aboard a con-
verted shrimper, the Tanila, was transferred to the farm (40
R. 10-12). Villanueva was among those supervising the
offloading (40 R. 11). Within two or three days, several
buyers, including Waldrop and Hobson, arrived at the farm
to purchase quantities of the cargo (38 R. 154). On this
occasion, Waldrop bought 10,000 pounds (40 R. 14). After
the entire load had been distributed, Abbey collected the
moneys due from the buyers; in turn, he made periodic trips
to Acosta’s house in the Miami area, where he turned the
payments over to Villanueva (40 R. 15-i6). The total
amount delivered for the Tanila load was between $8 and $9
million (40 R. 15).
In January 1978 another vessel, the Navigator, arrived at
a clandestine offloading site near Fort Walton Beach (40 R.
18-19), and 40,000-45,000 pounds of marijuana were off-
loaded in the presence of Villanueva and other supervisors
(38 R. 150; 40 R. 19-20). The cargo was transported to the
Cottondale farm, weighed and stored there (34 R. 134-135;
40 R. 20), and subsequently distributed to customers,
including Wa:irop and Hobson (34 R. 135-136; 38 R. 157-
158). Following distribution, Abbey once again made the
rounds of the buyers to secure payment. He then proceeded
periodically to Acosta’s home to hand over the receipts to
either Acosta or Villanueva. The total amount collected was
about the same as for the Tanila load—$8 or $9 million. 40
R. 20-21.
After a third load of marijuana had been stored at the
Cottondale farm and distributed to customers from that
site, the leaders of the trafficking enterprise became-con-
cerned that the neighbors were suspicious of activities at the
farm. Accordingly, they purchased a fishing camp on the
Aucilla River in the Florida panhandle and a farm in Madi-
son County to serve as new offloading and storage sites. 38
R. 160-163. In mid-March a load of marijuana arrived at
5
the fishing camp by vessel, and the cargo was successfully
transferred to the Madison County farm, from which it was
distributed without incident (38 R. 162). As before, Abbey
collected millions of dollars from the buyers of this ship-
ment and turned the proceeds over to Villanueva (40 R. 49).
In late March or early April another vessel, the Miss Too
Nicey, reached the fishing camp (36 R. 139-140; 38 R. 163).
In the presence of Acosta, Bascaro, and Villanueva, the
vessel’s 73,000-pound cargo of marijuana was offloaded
and trucked to the Madison County farm (36 R. 140-141,
144; 38 R. 163). There, the weighing and storage was con-
ducted in the presence of Villanueva, Bascaro, and Thomas
Alexander (36 R. 141). Shortly thereafter, Hobson and an
associate came to the farm in an 18-wheel truck to take
25,000 pounds of marijuana. Hobson revealed to Alex-
ander that he and Waldrop were partners. 36 R. 141-143;
40 R. 55.
The use of the Madison County farm as a storage facility
lasted only about one month. During that period, state law
enforcement officers became suspicious of the activities
occurring at the farm and commenced surveillance (31 R.
68-70). When Alexander and others detected the surveil-
lance, the leaders of the enterprise decided to find a new
storage facility (36 R. 145).
In April 1978 the enterprise rented a warehouse in Talla-
hassee, and the 6,000 pounds of marijuana remaining at the
Madison County farm were transferred to the warehouse
(36 R. 146-147). That warehouse proved to be too small to
store an expected double load—80,000 pounds of mari-
juana. Consequently, the enterprise leased a second ware-
house in Tallahassee. GX 10; 31 R. 148-150. On two con-
secutive evenings in late April, boatloads of marijuana were
offloaded at the fishing camp and trucked to the larger
warehouse in Tallahassee (36 R. 147; 38 R. 168-169). Wal-
drop visited the warehouse and set aside 40,000 pounds for
6
pickup iater that week (40 R. 53). Before Waldrop could
make his pickup, however, state law enforcement officers
entered the warehouse, seized 70,293 pounds of marijuana,
and arrested six individuals (31 R. 74-79, 93, 151; 36 R. 148;
—— 40 R. 52-53). The officers also seized detailed records of
|
amounts received, amounts distributed, and money owed
by a number of individuals. Listed among the debtors were
“Pat” (Waldrop) and “Russ” (Hobson) (31 R. 85-89).
While the officers were inspecting the warehouse, Wal-
drop arrived there in a rented car. He was stopped and
questioned by a police officer, and he consented to a search
of a briefcase in his car. Inside the briefcase the officer
found a notebook and loose sheets, all of which contained
records of marijuana transactions. 31 R. 79-81. Some of the
items (GX 7) were duplicates of records kept by Abbey for
Acosta and Villanueva (GX 145; 40 R. 44-46). Although the
records were se.zed, Waldrop was released (31 R. 89-90). He
telephoned Cobb and reported the loss of the records (38 R.
170). 7
Because of the loss of the large Tallahassee warehouse,
the need for a new storage site again arose. That need
became urgent when Cobb learned that 150,000 pounds of
marijuana already were en route to Florida (38 R. 175). A
member of the enterprise located a tobacco barn deemed
suitable for use as a storage facility near the town of Quincy
in Gadsden County, Florida (ibid.).
Three vessels were involved in the 150,000 pound deliv-
ery. The first was successfully offloaded, after which the
marijuana was transferred to the Quincy barn (38 R. 175).
The other two vessels were sent out to sea for a few more
days because the offloaders could not handle them imme-
diately (38 R. 175-176). While at sea, those vessels were
boarded by Coast Guard officers, and their cargo of mari-
juana was seized (31 R. 238-240; 34 R. 4-6; 38 R. 175-176).
On July 21, 1978, local officers, armed with a warrant,
7
searched the Quincy barn and seized numerous bales of
marijuana and drug paraphernalia (31 R. 253-255).
Thereafter, a meeting was held at Cobb’s home in south-
ern Florida to discuss moving the enterprise to Georgia (38
R. 177-178). Among the participants in the discussions were
Cobb, Acosta, Bascaro, and Villanueva (38 R. 178-179).
Arrangements were made to use Morgan’s Boat Dock in
Savannah (33 R. 22-25; 34 R. 154). On November 24, 1978,
the Sea Star arrived there with a cargo of marijuana weigh-
ing 40,224 pounds (32 R. 32-37). Federal law enforcement
officers intercepted the vessel and seized its cargo (32 R.
31-35).
Shortly thereafter, Cobb decided to engage in a new
venture (39 R. 44-47). Instead of using boats, Cobb decided
to attempt to smuggle marijuana by airplane (38 R. 186). In
mid-January 1979, pursuant to Cobb’s plan, James Mc-
Donnell flew a DC-3 airplane to Colombia, took on a cargo
of marijuana, and flew back to Fort Lauderdale. The
plane and its cargo were seized by federal and local law
enforcement agents at the Fort Lauderdale airport. 32 R.
127, 151-154.
Two weeks later, McDonnell agreed to make a second
attempt to smuggle marijuana by aircraft (32 R. 156-157).
Waldrop had made a down payment of $1,500,000 to
Abbey, and he and Hobson consequently expected to
receive a substantial part of the planeload of marijuana (38
R. 187; 40 R. 55). Waldrop and Hobson pressured Cobb to
produce the marijuana or return the $1,500,000 (38 R.
220-223). On February 13, 1979, McDonnell and two others
flew to Colombia in a Lockheed Constellation and obtained
25,795 pounds of marijuana (32 R. 140, 160-161). Trucks
furnished by Waldrop and Hobson were readied to meet the
airplane at a clandestine site to take possession of most of
the Constellation’s cargo (39 R. 10-12). On the return flight,
8
however, fog and engine problems prevented the Constella-
tion from landing at the clandestine site (32 R. 163-166).
McDonnell finally landed at an airport in Panama City in
the early morning hours of February 14 (32 R. 166). Fed-
eral agents arrested the crew members and seized the mari-
juana (32 R. 132-140, 167; 38 R. 187-188). Several hours
after the Constellation was supposed to have arrived at the
pre-arranged site, Hobson telephoned Cobb to ask what
had happened (39 R. 18).
At the same time that Cobb was planning the airplane
smuggling ventures, he met with Acosta, Bascaro, and Vil-
lanueva to discuss a second attempt to bring a boatload of
marijuana into Savannah (38 R. 186, 188). In March 1979 a
vessel with 40,000 pounds of marijuana reached Savannah,
but it was detected there by law enforcement officers (38
R. 188-191). After that loss, the principals decided once
again to use the Aucilla River fishing camp as their offload-
ing site (38 R. 191). In April 1979, two boatloads of mari-
juana were successfully offloaded there (38 R. 193). After
distribution to buyers, Abbey made his rounds and then
transferred between $15 and $18 million to Villanueva or
another individual acting in his stead (40 R. 56-57).
No further activity occurred until early 1981. Then, the
Miss Sunbury was sent from Key West to obtain a load of
marijuana (38 R. 194-195). Carrying 23,460 pounds of mari-
juana, the Miss Sunbury reached the Aucilla River fishing
camp without detection (32 R. 210-211; 38 R. 195); how-
ever, it was sent back to sea without having been emptied of
its cargo because Villanueva, after performing a quasi-
religious ritual, had determined that the time for offloading
W iS not satisfactory (38 R. 195). On February 26, 1981,
Customs officers boarded the Miss Sunbury and seized its
cargo of marijuana (32 R. 207, 211).
i aicaiiinaniaaleneeene ane
9
ARGUMENT
1. The sole argument common to all three petitions (and
the only issue raised by petitioner Villanueva) is he con-
tention that petitioners’ large scale marijuana trafficking
scheme does not constitute “racketeering activity” within
the meaning of RICO, 18 U.S.C. 1961(1)(D). The court of
appeals’ conclusion to the contrary is correct and does not
conflict with any decision of this Court or of any other court
of appeals. Further review of the issue is therefore un-
warranted.
The RICO statute, 18 U.S.C. 1962(c), makes it unlawful
for any person associated with an enterprise engaged in
interstate commerce to participate in the conduct of the
affairs of the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering
activity. “Racketeering activity” is defined under 18 U.S.C.
1961(1)(D) to include certain state felonies and enumerated
violations of federal criminal laws, including “the felonious
manufacture, importation, receiving, concealment, buying,
selling, or otherwise dealing in narcotics or other dangerous
drugs, punishable under any law of the United States.”
Petitioners contend that the absence of any explicit mention
of marijuana in this definition signifies an intent on the part
of Congress to exclude marijuana violations from the class
of offenses that may form the basis for a conviction under
RICO. Petitioners therefore claim that their RICO convic-
tions, which were premised solely upon involvement in
marijuana trafficking, must be reversed.
As petitioner Waldrop notes (84-1164 Pet. 28), the same
issue was raised in Gustafson v. United States, cert. denied,
No. 84-482 (Jan. 21, 1985). We are furnishing petitioners’
counsel with copies of our brief in opposition in Gustafson;
that brief fully responds to most of petitioners’ contentions.
As we noted in that brief (at 5), it appears that Congress
deliberately deleted a specific reference to “marijuana” that
had appeared in early drafts of the RICO legislation
10
because marijuana was encompassed within the phrase
“other dangerous drugs” that was added to the bill that
Congress enacted into law. Consequently, the earlier refer-
ences to marijuana became surplusage. Moreover, the
express legislative mandate that the RICO statute “shall be
liberaliy construed to effectuate its remedial purposes” con-
tradicts the narrow interpretation advanced by petitioners.
Pub. L. No. 91-452, § 904(a), 84 Stat. 947, 18 U.S.C. 1961
note; see 84-482 Br. in Opp. at 6-7. Certainly, the purposes
of the RICO statute are furthered by applying it to offenses
relating to the sort of massive marijuana trafficking enter-
prise involved in this case.
Petitioner Hobson makes one additional argument on
the marijuana issue. He contends (84-1148 Pet. 11) that the
enactment in 1980 of an amendment to 21 U.S.C. 841
increasing the penalties for large-scale marijuana traffick-
ing was deemed necessary by Congress because at that time
—ten years after the passage of RICO—Congress was con-
cerned that the penalties for trafficking in marijuana were
inadequate. Hobson argues that if Congress had believed
that dealing in marijuana was encompassed within the
RICO statute, which carries a maximum prison term of 20
years and a fine of up to $25,000 upon conviction (18 U.S.C.
1963(a)), it would not have been concerned about the fact
that the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Con-
trol Act of 1970, 21 U.S.C. 801 et seq., limited the prison
term for a convicted marijuana violator to five years, no
matter how much marijuana was involved in the case. In
Hobson’s view, therefore, the 1980 amendment to 21 U.S.C.
841 was the result of Congress’s belief that the 20-year
RICO penalty did not apply to marijuana cases.
However, as Hobson readily admits (84-1148 Pet. 11),
Congress made no mention of RICO coverage when it
increased the penalties for trafficking in marijuana. The
legislative history shows that the increased penalties were
ll
passed as an amendment to the Infant Formula Act of 1980,
Pub. L. No. 96-359, 94 Stat. 1190 et seg., and that the sole
purpose of the amendment was to correct what Congress
believed to have been an oversight in the enactment of the
Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of
) 1970, 21 U.S.C. 801 et seg. As Representative Carter stated,
“Mr. Speaker, in 1970, I was a member of the Commerce
, Committee when it passed the Controlled Substances Act.
Unfortunately, we did not make the penalties for mari-
huana as strict as they should have been.” 126 Cong. Rec.
11791 (1980).
Moreover, when the amendment was enacted in 1980, the
courts of appeals were in conflict as to whether RICO
applied to purely illegal enterprises such as the one in which
petitioners were involved. Until this Court resolved the
question in United States v. Turkette, 452 U.S. 576 (1981),
the practical use of the RICO statute to prosecute mari-
juana traffickers was uncertain for reasons quite apart from
the issue presented here. Finally, the 1980 amendment to
Section 841 substantially increased the fine for large-scale
marijuana offenses (from $15,000 to $125,000) to a level far
in excess of the fine that could be imposed under RICO, and
also provided for the cumulation of prison sentences in
excess of RICO’s maximum in the case of a series of mari-
juana violations. In these circumstances, Congress’s deci-
sic-n in 1980 to increase the penalties for trafficking in more
tun 1,000 pounds of marijuana cannot be taken as any
reflection upon the legislative intent ten years prior thereto
regarding the propriety of including marijuana as a “dan-
gerous drug” encompassed by RICO.
2. The RICO statute, 18 U.S.C. 1961(5), requires the
government to prove that the defendant committed at least
two “predicate acts” of racketeering activity. Petitioner
Hobson alleges (84-1148 Pet. 12-15) that because both of
the predicate offenses of which he was convicted arose out
ial
12
of the same criminal transaction, i.e., the Constellation
episode, he did not engage in a “pattern” of racketeering
activity as required by RICO. Hobson’s attempt to limit
RICO coverage to separate transactions finds no judicial
support; indeed, every court that has considered Hobson’s
argument has rejected it. E.g., United States v. Pepe, 747
F.2d 632, 661-663 (11th Cir. 1984); United States v. Phil-
lips, 664 F.2d 971, 1039 (Sth Cir. 1981), cert. denied, 457
U.S. 1136(1982); United States v. Weatherspoon, 581 F.2d
595, 601-602 (7th Cir. 1978); United States v. Parness, 503
F.2d 430, 441-442 (2d Cir. 1974), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1105
(1975); United States v. Salvitti, 451 F. Supp. 195, 199-200
(E.D. Pa. 1978), aff'd, 588 F.2d 824 (3d Cir. 1978) (Table).
These decisions are supported by the plain language of
the statute. RICO defines racketeering activity in terms of
felonious offenses, not transactions. 18 U.S.C. 1961(1)(D).
Hobson does not contend that he did not commit two
separate felonies, and nothing in the statutory language
requires that the two offenses constituting the RICO predi-
cates be premised upon two separate and distinct criminal
transactions. Moreover, nothing contained in Hobson's
excerpt (84-1148 Pet. 13) of S. Rep. 91-617, 91st Cong., Ist
Sess. 158 (1969), discussing the meaning of “pattern of
racketeering activity,” conflicts with the unanimous view of
the courts that two criminal offenses may comprise the
requisite pattern even though they are part of the same
ongoing criminal episode. Accordingly, further review of
this issue is not warranted.‘
‘Hobson also argues (84-1148 Pet. 14) that the Department of Justice
guidelines in effect at the time he was indicted proscribed the bringing of
a RICO indictment based upon a pattern of racketcering activity grow-
ing out of a single criminal episode or transaction. As Hobson acknowil-
edges, however, the guidelines do not confer any rights upon defend-
ants. The preface to the Department's RICO guidelines always has
provided that they are for internal guidance only and that they “are not
intended to, do not, and may not be relied upon to create any rights,
13
3. a. Petitioner Waldrop contends that his RICO con-
victions were improperly premised on a single predicate act.
In fact, three predicate acts supported Waldrop’s convic-
tion on the RICO counts—two offenses related to the Con-
stellation episode and one related to the Tallahassee ware-
house. Nevertheless, Waldrop argues (84-1164 Pet. 11-17)
that his RICO convictions cannot stand because the Con-
stellation episode was a separate endeavor of Cobb’s that
was wholly unrelated to the activities of the RICO enter-
prise. Waldrop contends that the district court failed to give
the jury proper instructions on the concept of a RICO
enterprise, thereby erroneously allowing the jury to con-
sider the Constellation episode as enterprise-related.
The court of appeals correctly rejected Waldrop’s attack
on the jury instructions (Pet. App. 43-44). Contrary to
Waldrop’s contention (84-1164 Pet. 16 (emphasis added)),
the instructions given by the district court did not permit the
jury to conclude that “amy criminal activity related to the
importation of marijuana by any of the persons charged in
the indictment” was sufficient “to link that defendant ines-
capably to a racketeering enterprise.” On the contrary, the
district court instructed the jury that the government had to
prove beyond a reasonable doubt that “the [predicate]
offenses were connected with each other by some common
scheme, plan or motive so as to constitute a pattern, and not
merely a series of disconnected acts.” Pet. App. 43 (empha-
sis in Original).
In addition, as the court of appeals determined (Pet. App.
45), there was ample evidence to connect the Constellation
episode with the marijuana trafficking RICO enterprise
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by any party in any matter
civil or ciminal.” U.S. Dep't of Justice, United States Attorneys’
Manual § 9-110.200 (Mar. 1984). Furthermore, the guidelines do not
place any limitations on otherwise lawful litigative prerogatives of the
Department of Justice. /bid.
Ee
14
even though some key members of the enterprise did not
actively participate in that venture. Among those enterprise
participants who did were Cobb, Hobson, Waldrop, co-
defendants Manuel James, Clifford Wentworth, and John
M. Araneo, and unindicted co-conspirators (and govern-
ment witnesses) Carlton Reeves and James Sellers. Indeed,
the only differences between the Constellation scheme and
the other ventures of the enterprise were the use of an
airplane instead of a vessel and the exclusion of Acosta,
Bascaro, Villanueva, and another co-defendant, Gustavo °
Fernandez, from the initial planning and proposed sharing
of profits. These distinctions did not make the Constella-
tion episode a wholly distinct activity. The time frame coin-
cided with the life of the enterprise, the goal was the same as
that of the enterprise, the statute violated was the same as
the one customarily violated by the enterprise, there was a
continuity in the pattern of roles, and the geographical area
was identical to that in which the enterprise otherwise oper-
ated. See United States v. Lemm, 680 F.2d 1193, 1199 (8th
Cir. 1982), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1110 (1983). The fact that
Cobb, rather than Acosta, Bascaro, or Villanueva, orches-
trated the venture and considered it separate from the
enterprise's affairs did not necessarily make it so (see 84-
1164 Pet. 14).
b. Waldrop also urges this Court to use his case as a
vehicle to resolve an alleged conflict between the Eighth
Circuit and other courts of appeals involving the manner in
which the “enterprise” element in a RICO prosecution need
be proved (84-1164 Pet. 18-26). The issue arose after United
States v. Turkette, 452 U.S. 576 (1981), where this Court,
in holding that RICO applies to wholly illegitimate as well
as legitimate enterprises, stated (id. at 583) that the enter-
prise “is an entity separate and apart from the pattern of
activity in which it engages.” Relying on this language, the
Eighth Circuit has held that a RICO enterprise must possess
an ascertainable structure “distinct from that inherent in the
15
conduct of a pattern of racketeering.” United States v. |
Lemm, 680 F.2d at 1198. See also United States v. Bledsoe,
674 F.2d 647, 665 (8th Cir. 1982); United States v. Ander-
son, 626 F.2d 1358, 1372 (8th Cir. 1980), cert. denied, 450
U.S. 912 (1981).
Other courts of appeals have rejected the Eighth Circuit's
analysis of Turkette. E.g., United States v. Mazzei, 700
F.2d 85, 89 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 461 U.S. 945 (1983);
United States v. Cagnina, 697 F.2d 915, 921 (11th Cir.),
cert. denied, 464 U.S. 856 (1983). While these decisions
recognize (as did the court below (Pet. App. 43)) that
Turkette requires the government to prove both the exist-
ence of an “enterprise” and a “pattern of racketeering activ-
ity,” they also recognize that Turkette does not require
separate and independent proof of the two elements. E.g.,
Mazzei, 700 F.2d at 89. Indeed, the Court expressly stated
in Turkette that the proof used to establish the enterprise
element “may in particular cases coalesce” with the proof
offered to establish the pattern of racketeering activity. 452
U.S. at 583. Were this not the case, Turkette’s holding that
an enterprise may include a group of individuals associated
for wholly illegitimate purposes would be effectively
negated. Thus, the enterprise element in a RICO prosecu-
tion may be proved, as it was in this case, by showing that an
ongoing associatior of individuals who shared a common
purpose acted together to commit a series of racketeering
acts.
In any event, Waldrop has not demonstrated that the
Eighth Circuit would have reversed his RICO convictions
in this case. In Lemm, that court affirmed the RICO convic-
tions of three defendants who participated in an insurance
fraud scheme involving 17 arson fires. The court found (680
F.2d at 1201) that the government had established the exist-
ence of a RICO enterprise with a distinct, ascertainable
structure because the proof showed not only that the
16
defendants had committed the predicate acts of mail fraud
but also that they had engaged in “legitimate purchases and
repairs of property.” Likewise here, the Eighth Circuit's
requirement was satisfied because, in addition to the predi-
cate acts of marijuana trafficking, the enterprise made legit-
imate purchases of farms and a fishing camp. Although the
properties were used only to store marijuana for very brief
periods, the enterprise did not immediately dispose of them
after their usefulness as storage facilities had ended. Like
Lemm, therefore, this case involved the use of the RICO
statute as a weapon against “organized criminal activity”
and not against a “sporadic and temporary criminal alliance
to commit one of the enumerated RICO crimes” (680 F.2d
at 1201). Because it is thus unlikely that the outcome of this
prosecution turned on the jurisdictio.. in which it was
brought, the case does not provide a proper vehicle for
resolving a conflict among the circuits.
4. Petitioners Hobson and Waldrop claim (84-1148 Pet.
15-20; 84-1164 Pet. 26-28) that the court of appeals erred in
upholding the validity of two amendments to a state wiretap
authorization. The amendments were necessitated by the
fact that Cobb, the target of the electronic surveillance,
changed his telephone numbers after the issuing court had
approved the initial wiretap application (Pet. App. 5, 11). In
each of the two applications for authorization to amend the
wiretap order to allow surveillance of the new telephone
numbers, the affiant attached a copy of the original order,
incorporated it by specific reference, and explained why it
needed to be amended (id. at 11).
‘The defendants in Lemrm purchased property to be burned. One of
the defendants also “act{ed] as a private contractor and repair{ed] the
fire damage in order to obtain a larger portion of the insurance pro-
ceeds.” 680 F.2d at 1197.
17
Hobson and Waldrop argue that the Florida courts
would not have approved the amendments because prior
state court decisions have held that, when amendments are
necessitated by a change of address during the authorized
period of wiretapping, .. application to amend must con-
tain a full explanation as to why normal investigative tech-
niques would be unworkable and may not simply incorpo-
rate a previous application by reference (84-1148 Pet. 18-20;
84-1164 Pet. 27). This claim was addressed in full by the
court of appeals (Pet. App. 13-14). The court agreed that
Florida law was controlling, but it rejected Hobson's and
Waldrop’s contention that the state courts would have dis-
approved the applications for amendments involved in this
case. The court of appeals explained that the distinction
between this case and the state intermediate appellate court
decisions cited by Hobson and Waldrop lay in the fact that
here only the telephone number, and not the residence, was
changed and that such a change “could not conceivably
have affected the efficacy of alternative investigative tech-
niques.” /d. at 14.
Petitioners’ argument that the court of appeals misinter-
preted Florida law by drawing a distinction between this
case and the Florida decisions upon which they rely pres-
ents no substantial federal question.’ In any event, it is
*Hobson and Waldrop allege that the court of appeals should have
certified the question to the Florida courts rather than answer it.
Although certification was a possible course, it was not mandatory.
Where, as here, the request to certify was not made until petitions for
rehearing were filed, no issue of constitutional dimension was involved,
the lawsuit already had been protracted, and the court of appeals
obviously believed that it could resolve the issue with available research
materials already at hand, its determination should not be disturbed
simply because the certification procedure existed but was not used.
Lehman Brothers v. Schein, 416 U.S. 386, 392-395 (1974) (Rehnquist,
J., concurring); Harman v. Forssenius, 380 U.S. 528, 534-536 (1965),
Hostetter v. Idlewild Bon Voyage Liquor Corp., 377 U.S. 324, 328-329
(1964). If the rule were otherwise, federal courts could never resolve
questions of state law without resort to available certification
procedures.
ieee
18
adequately answered in the opinion of the court of appeals.’
Moreover, nothing in the opinion below conflicts with
United States v. Smith, 726 F.2d 852 (1st Cir. 1984) (en
banc). Initially, we note that the court in Smith never dis-
cussed technical amendments such as those involved in this
case; rather, the opinion dealt with the state law procedures
for obtaining initial wiretap authorizations, renewals of
those authorizations, and substantive amendments permit-
ting the interception of calls involving persons other than
those named in the initial authorizations. In any event, the
legal analysis employed by the court below is fully consist-
ent with Smith. As here, the First Circuit in Smith looked to
state law in upholding the validity of state wiretaps. The
court concluded that the procedures employed by Massa-
chusetts for authorizing applications and amendments vio-
lated neither federal law aor the state wiretap statute as
7In a variation on the argument that the applications for the amend-
ments did not comply with Florida law, Hobson also alleges (84-1148
Pet. 15-16) that the affiant, a state law enforcement officer, was not
authorized to seek the amendments because the Florida wiretap statute
allows only the Governor, the Attorney General, or a State Atiorney to
apply for a wiretap order. Hobson does not cite any authority for the
proposition that simple amendments such as the ones involved here are
encompassed within this statutory authorization requirement. More-
over, neither the federal nor the Florida statute contemplates that the
high officials authorized to make applications for wiretaps must pre-
pare each one personally and present it to the issuing judge. Alexander
v. Harris, 595 F.2d 87, 89 (2d Cir. 1979); United State: v. Harvey, 560
F. Supp. 1040, 1078 (S.D. Fla. 1982). Because none o/ the defendants
raised this issue at trial, thereby in any event forfeiting their right to
have it considered now (Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b)), the record does not
indicate whether the affiant had the permission of the State Attorney to
seek the amendments.
*In an appendix to its opinion, the court in Smith listed all the
applications, renewais, and amendments involved in the case (726 F.2d
at 868). The appendix shows five initial applications, five renewals, and
14 sanendments. Nearly all of the amendments were for the purpose of
naming additional conversants. Only one amendment related to a
change in telephone number, and the court’s opinion nowhere discusses
what procedures, if any, were required to obtain that amendment.
19
interpreted by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachu-
setts.? Waldrop’s allegation of aconflict between Smith and
this case rests upon the erroneous premise that the court
below confined its analysis to a “cursory treatment of Flor-
ida law” and “disregard[ed]” the fact that Florida law gov-
erned the validity of the applications (84-1164 Pet. 28). The
opinion below demonstrates that the court did no such
thing.
5. Petitioner Hobson argued in the court below (Pet.
App. 35-39) that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his
conviction on any of the six counts on which he was con-
victed. In this Court, he contends (84-1148 Pet. 21-27) that
factual misrepresentations in the government’s brief de-
prived him of due process of law because the court of
appeals, in rejecting his sufficiency argument, “apparently
chose to rely on the government’s assertions” in its brief
(id. at 24-25). This claim lacks merit.
At the outset, we acknowledge that the government's
154-page brief in the court of appeals contained one clear
factual error. See page 22, infra. Moreover, we agree with
Hobson that, upon discovery of this inadvertent mistake,
the better course would have been for the government to
advise the court of appeals of the error by letter or other
supplemental pleading.'® As for the other “misrepresenta-
tions” that Hobson attributes to the government (see pages
The fact that the First Circuit in Smith looked to an opinion of the
Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts for guidance in interpreting
the state wiretap statute does not demonstrate the existence of a con-
flict. The Massachusetts state court opinion was directly on point,
whereas there are no controlling decisions of the Florida Supreme
Court. As we have already shown, however, the absence of dei-itive
state court precedent in Florida did not preclude the court of appeals
from resolving the state law issue itself (see note 6, supra).
While we agree with Hobson that the government should have
corrected the error in its brief, we take issue with his assertion (84-1148
Pet. 25) that the error was other than inadvertent. The record in this
20
22-23, infra), our review of the record convinces us that the
most that can be said is that the government’s brief may
have summarized the evidence against Hobson with less
than complete precision. In fact, however, it appears to us
that the “errors” alleged by Hobson—with the one excep-
tion noted—actually amount to nothing more than aggres-
sive advocacy that Hobson has chosen, with equal or
greater aggressiveness, to characterize as “horrendous mis-
statement[s]” (84-1148 Pet. 22). In any event, it is clear, as
we demonstrate below, that Hobson could not have suf-
fered any prejudice regardless of how one characterizes the
government’s brief and that the record evidence amply sup-
ports his convictions.
Contrary to the entire premise of Hobson’s argument, the
court of appeals’ opinion shows that it did not simply adopt
the factual assertions in the government’s brief. In uncom-
mon fashion, the opinion below contains its own record
citations for the facts relied upon by the court in rejecting
Hobson’s sufficiency claim (Pet. App. 35-36). The inclusion
of these references demonstrates that the court did not
ignore the contentions made in Hobson’s reply brief and at
oral argument that there were misstatements in the govern-
ment’s brief. Accordingly, there is no basis for concluding
that the court below abdicated its duty to make an inde-
pendent examination of the record in light of the conten-
tions advanced by the parties.
More importantly, the facts recited by the court of
appeals (Pet. App. 35-36) are supported by the record. The
record shows that petitioners Hobson and Waldrop were
partners (36 R. 141-143; 40 R. 55); that Waldrop was one of
multi-defendant case is massive, and the facts pertaining to each indi-
vidual defendant are scattered throughout that record. In these circum-
stances, inadvertent errors, while regrettable, are certainly under-
standable.
21
the “best buyers” that the marijuana enterprise had (40 R.
55); and that Hobson and Waldrop dealt with the enter-
prise’s accountant in connection with marijuana transac-
tions on 25 or 30 occasions (40 R. 61-62). The record also
shows that Waldrop, acting with Hobson and another indi-
vidual, made a $1,500,000 advance payment for a shipment
of marijuana by airplane; that Hobson subsequently told
co-conspirator Bill Cobb that Cobb should either return the
money or deliver the marijuana (38 R. 186-187, 220-223; 40
R. 54-55; GX 126); and that trucks furnished by Waldrop
and Hobson came to the clandestine landing site in Florida
where the Constellation was scheduled to arrive (39 R.
10-12). The record also shows the presence of both Hobson
and Waldrop at various of the organization’s stash houses.
Specifically, both acquired marijuana at the Cottondale
farm (38 R. 154); Waldrop stacked some of the marijuana at
the Tallahassee warehouse (40 R. 53); and Hobson came to
the farm in Madison County in an 18-wheel truck in order
to acquire 25,000 pounds of marijuana (36 R. 142; 40 R. 55).
These facts from tue record fully support the court of
appeals’ conclusion that, “[{iJn light of the massive quanti-
ties of marijuana involved, the frequency with which Wal-
drop and Hobson had occasion to deal with the other
members of the enterprise, the fact that Hobson, Waldrop
and Cobb were described as the principal organizers of the
Constellation episode * * *, and the presence of both Hob-
son and Waldrop at various of the organization’s stash
houses on numerous occasions” (Pet. App. 39), the jury was
warranted in finding that Hobson knew the marijuana was
imported. See United States v. Corbin, 734 F.2d 643, 652-
653 (11th Cir. 1984). See also Turner v. United States, 396
U.S. 398, 416 n.29 (1970). These facts also support the court
of appeals’ conclusion that Hobson and Waldrop were
more than “mere purchasers” and that the evidence was
more than sufficient to show that they joined a conspiracy
with the other co-defendants (Pet. App. 38).
22
Nor is it plausible to contend that the court of appeals’
rejection of Hobson’s sufficiency claim could have been
premised upon government-induced inaccuracies. The state-
ment of facts in the government’s brief consisted of 31 pages
with appropriate record references, and Hobson does not
claim that there were any errors in that lengthy statement.
Rather, his claim is directed to statements on pages 137 and
139 of the government’s brief, made in response to Hob-
son’s argument that the evidence was insufficient to sustain
his convictions on Counts 3 and 4.
On page 139 of the government’s brief, the government
erroneously stated that Count 4 related to the Tanila boat-
load. We acknowledge that Count 4 charged Hobson with
importing marijuana aboard the Constellation aircraft
rather than the 7anila. But the court of appeals recognized
this obvious mistake and placed no reliance on it; the court’s
opinion correctly states that “Hobson and Waldrop’s con-
victions arose out of their involvement in two smuggling
ventures: the “Tallahassee warehouse’ and ‘Constellation’
episodes” (Pet. App. 35). What Hobson characterizes as a
“false statement, pure and simple” (84-1148 Pet. 24) thus
played no role whatsoever in the affirmance of his convic-
tion on Count 4.
Hobson also challenges (84-1148 Pet. 22) the govern-
ment’s characterization of the evidence to support his con-
_viction on Count 3 (conspiracy to import marijuana) by
attacking certain statements made on page 137 of the
government’s brief. There, referring to the various mari-
juana storage sites used by the enterprise, the government
stated that “middlemen such as Hobson and Waldrop stood
by awaiting the completion of the counting and weighing,
after which they immediately removed sizable portions of
the massive loads” (ibid.). The brief continued by stating,
with reference to Hobson and Waldrop, that “[t]hey were
not mere customers. Their constant readiness to take charge
of large quantities of marijuana at whichever storage site
23
they had been directed to demonstrates that they played a
substantial role in the importation activities” (id. at 137-138
(footnote omitted)).!!
Hobson apparently objects to the representations that he
and Waldrop were “standing by” and that they were “con-
stantly ready” to purchase large quantities of marijuana
(84-1148 Pet. 22). Hobson’s objections on this score amount
to little more than semantic quibbles. A more precise argu-
ment demonstrating that Hobson and Waldrop were not
just mere customers and that they were ready to buy large
quantities of marijuana would have noted that both of them
visited the organization’s stash houses, that Waldrop had
stacked marijuana at the Tallahassee warehouse where
''The full paragraphs from which petitioner quotes read as follows
(Appellee Br. 137-138 (citations and footnote omitted)):
In this case the government proved that conspirators other than
Waldrop and Hobson brought marijuana from outside the United
States to various locations in Florida and Georgia. The importa-
tion venture did not end at the shore, since the marijuana was
immediately destined for an internal location. The internal desti-
nation points were storage sites such as different farms or a
warehouse in Tallahassee. Theze, middlemen such as Hobson and
Waldrop stood by awaiting the completion of the counting and
weighing, after which they immediately removed sizable portions
of the massive loads.
From the evidence of presence at the storage sites at a delivery
time the jury could fairly conclude that Waldrop and Hobson
were trusted members of the enterprise and the’ they knew of the
delivery plans in advance. From the frequency of their involve-
ment the jury also could infer that Waldrop and Hobson knew of
the scope of the delivery activity. They were not mere customers.
Their constant readiness to take charge of large quantities of
marijuana at whichever storage site they had been directed to
demonstrates that they played a substantial role in the importa-
tion activities by providing assurances that the importation would
be successful and by minimizing the risk of loss to the importers, a
risk that increased with each moment that the marijuana
remained in storage. In fact, on one occasion they paid $1,500,000
in advance for a part of the Constellation load.
24
40,000 pounds had been set aside for him, and that Hobson
had picked up 25,000 pounds in a huge truck. See pages 4-6,
supra. That they were not mere customers is further demon-
strated by their advance payment of $1,500,000 for mari-
juana, an action that clearly facilitated the importation of
marijuana in the Constellation aircraft.'
In short, there is no reason to remand the sufficiency
question “for reconsideration in light of an accurate state-
ment of facts” (84-1148 Pet. 27).
6. Petitioner Hobson claims (84-1148 Pet. 27-29) that
government misrepresentations caused the district court to
disqualify his original counsel, thereby depriving him of
representation by counsel of his choice. Because Hobson
failed to raise this issue in the court of appeals, it should not
be considered by this Court. See, e.g., United States v.
Lovasco, 431 U.S. 783, 788 n.7 (1977). In any event, nothing
in the record supports a claim of prosecutorial misrepresen-
tation that caused the trial judge to be “misled” (84-1148
Pet. 28) when he issued a pretrial order disqualifying Hob-
son’s first counsel based on the fact that the testimony of
two governme.t witnesses might have implicated that law-
yer in the mar‘juana trafficking scheme. The decision to
disqualify the lawyer was premised upon sworn affidavits of
the two witnesses. Hobson unsuccessfully challenged the
disqualification order prior to trial. United States v. Hob-
son, 672 F.2d 825 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 906
(1982). The court of appeals’ opinion in that case sets forth
the facts contained in the witnesses’ affidavits (672 F.2d at
826); those facts leave no room to doubt the correctness of
the district court’s ruling. The lawyer’s alleged involvement
in the drug trafficking scheme was substantial, and his
'2Hobson’s claim (84-1148 Pet. 23) that he had no knowledge of
“specific delivery plans” is refuted by the trucks he and Waldrop
brought to the planned landing site of the Constellation (39 R. 10-12).
25
representation of Hobson was frought with the potential for
a serious conflict of interest. The fact that the witnesses
ultimately presented their testimony without referring to
the misconduct of the disqualified lawyer did not belie the
allegations contained in their affidavits. Moreover, filing
the motion to disqualify Hobson’s original counsel was the
only prudent action available to the government prior to
trial since it could not know for certain whether the testi-
mony would prove necessary or, even if not necessary,
might come out at trial inadvertently. The fact that neither
event occurred has no bearing on the propriety of the
government's motion when filed or the district court’s rul-
ing when made.
CONCLUSION
The petitions for a writ of certiorari should be denied.
Respecfully submitted.
Rex E. L&E
Solicitor General
STEPHEN S. TROTT
Assistant Attorney General
KATHRYN A. OBERLY
Assistant to the Solicitor General
SIDNEY M. GLAZER
Attorney
May 1985
DOJ-i9as-05
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.