Opposition Brief — In re Alker
Supreme Court brief1962
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Questions presented... ...................-.-.-
x | CITATIONS
Cases:
os Bracey v. United States, 142 F. 2d 85, certiorari
denied, 322 U.S. 762...................-
~ »: Bryant v. United States, 257 Fed. 378.._.___-
« Carlisi v. New York, 233 U.S. 51--...--_.__-
| __ Deli Paoli v. United States, 352 U.S. 232... -
e. Emspak v. United States, 349 U.S. 190... .__-
2. Fitts v. United States, 284 F. 2d 108....____-
» 2. Garland, Ex parte, 4 Wall. 333...........__-
-¢. Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60__._____-
» Lawn v. United States, 355 U.S. 339__.______-
e: Opper v. United States, 348 U.S. 84.....____-
¢: Rex v. Rookwood, 90 Eng. Repr. 1277.._____-
“Richards v. United States, 192 F. 2d 602,
ny certiorari denied, 342 U.S. 946... ______-
Smith v. U nited States, 236 F. 2d 260, certiorari
denied, 352 U. So
Sse tuktsvsceaeuduuéudes<auvedcaacce
Oon nN = =
Cases—Continued
United States v. 1,960 Acres of Land, etc., 54 F. py,
16
16
12
‘ 4 16
United States v. Weinberg, 226 F. 2d 161,
certiorari denied, 350 U.S. 933 10
United States v. Wilson, 7 Pet. 150 12
Vedin v. McConnell, 22 F. 2d 753 12
Wallamet R. T. Co. v. Oregon S. N. Co., Fed.
Cas. No. 17,106, 29 Fed. Cas. 88
Statutes:
Act of June 30, 1906, 34 Stat. 316, 5 U.S.C.
18 U.S.C. 371
26 U.S.C.:
30 A.L.R. 2d 893-897
2 Hale, Pleas of the Crown, 278
McCormick, Evidence, Sec. 43
3 Wigmore, Evidence, Sec. 980(3)
— -.
Gu the Supreme Court of the United States
OcrToBER TERM, 1962
No. 461
HooPer ENLOE DENTON ET AL., PETITIONERS
Vv.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ON PETITION FOR A WRIT OF OPRTIORARI TO THE UNITED
STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT
BRIEF FOR THE UNITED STATES IN OPPOSITION
OPINION BELOW
The opinion of the court of appeals (Pet. App.
3-7) is not yet reported.
JURISDICTION
The judgment of the court of appeals was entered
on August 29, 1962 (R. 809-811; Pet. App. 1-2, 3).
The petition for a writ of certiorari was filed on
September 26, 1962. The jurisdiction of this Court
is invoked under 28 U.S.C. 1254(1).
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
1. Whether the evidence was sufficient to support
the convictions of petitioners Phillips and Webb for
(1)
2
violation of the Internal Revenue laws relating to
liquor.
2. Whether various rulings on the evidence were
proper.
3. Whether the trial court properly denied motions
to suppress testimonial evidence challenged by peti-
tioners on the ground that it was obtained by deceit.
4. Whether the trial court properly charged the
jury on the defense of entrapment.
5. Whether the convictions were void because an
attorney from the Internal Revenue Service assisted
the Assistant United States Attorney at the trial.
STATUTE INVOLVED
Section 507 of Title 28 of the United States Code
provides in pertinent part:
(a) Except as otherwise provided by law,
it shall be the duty of each United States
attorney, within his district, to:
(1) Prosecute for all offenses against the
United States;
* * ~ *
STATEMENT
A twelve-count indictment returned in the United
States District Court for the Eastern District of Ten-
nessee charged the petitioners and two others with
conspiracy and various substantive offenses relating
to the manufacture, concealment and sale of untaxed
whiskey, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371 and 26 U.S.C.
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3
5205(a) (2), 5605(a), 5691(a) and 7206(4) (R. 7-13).
Before trial, petitioners Denton and Webb moved to
suppress testimonial evidence to be given by govern-
ment agents on the ground that such evidence had
been obtained through use of fraud and deception
amounting to an unlawful trespass (R. 18-19, 21).
The motions were denied after a hearing (R. 22, 230-
231, 242). Following a trial by jury, Denton was
found guilty as charged on six counts. Phillips and
Webb were found guilty on two substantive counts
and were acquitted on the conspiracy count (R. 791).
On October 6, 1961, Denton was sentenced to concur-
rent terms of imprisonment of five years on three
counts, and to lesser concurrent terms on the remain-
ing three counts; Phillips was sentenced to concurrent
terms of imprisonment of one year on two counts, the
* Specifically, the indictment charged that Denton, Phillips,
Webb, Costner and Sutton conspired to transport and sell un-
taxed whiskey, to carry on the business of wholesale and retail
liquor dealers without having paid the special tax therefor, to
defeat and evade taxes due the United States on distilled
spirits, and to remove and conceal goods with the intent to
defraud the United States of taxes (count 1). The indictment
also charged that Denton (5 counts), Phillips (2 counts), Webb
(2 counts), Costner (5 counts) and Sutton (3 counts) possessed
and sold untaxed whiskey, removed and concealed whiskey with
the intent to defeat the assessment and collection of taxes, and
carried on the business of wholesale liquor dealers without hav-
ing paid the special tax therefor (counts 2-9) (R. 7-13).
Three counts (counts 10-12), together with two overt acts on
the conspiracy count (overt acts 9 and 10), were dismissed on
the government’s motion before trial (R. 244).
*Two co-defendants, Lonzo Sutton and Albert Costner, were
found guilty on three and six counts, respectively (R. 791).
4
sentence to commence at the expiration of a sentence
which he was then serving; and Webb was placed on
probation for five years on two counts (R. 24-25, 26-
27, 28-29). The convictions were affirmed on appeal
(R. 809-811; Pet. App. 1-2, 3-7).
The pertinent facts may be summarized as follows:
1. The chief government witnesses were Alcohol and
Tobacco Tax Investigator Artha Bryant and one
John Prevatte who operated in undercover capacities
in Cocke County, Tennessee, during the period
covered by the indictment. Prevatte was a paid
informer for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division
and had been employed in that capacity at varying
intervals from about December 1958 down to the date
of the trial (R. 247, 308-309, 343, 372, 416-417, 430,
462, 464, 493). Prevatte’s compensation included
subsistence pay of $10.00 per day, together with a
prospect of receiving “rewards” for work in connec-
tion with the apprehension of major liquor violators
(R. 308-309, 344-346, 372, 417, 427-428, 431, 432).
In early July 1960, Prevatte was given a list of
“major violators” of the Internal Revenue Laws
relating to liquor in the Cocke County section of
Tennessee (R. 311, 313, 373, 490; see R. 431-432).
Petitioner Denton and co-defendant Albert Costner
were included on that list.
Prevatte and Bryant went to the Cosby section
of Cocke County to “play it by ear”—to be seen,
make contacts and meet people (R. 319). Prevatte
subsequently met a convict friend, one Swan Owenby
(R. 374). Owenby had ‘“‘gotten the word out’’ that
Prevatte was a large liquor dealer, and that Bryant
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5
was Prevatte’s driver (R. 319). With assistance from
Qwenby, Bryant and Prevatte purchased 15 cases of
moonshine whiskey from Costner in late July 1960
(R. 248-254, 312, 327, 374-376, 379, 388).
During July and August 1960, Prevatte frequented
the tavern of Scott Denton, brother of petitioner
Denton (R. 388-389), and told Scott that he was
interested in renting a place of business in the area
(R. 436, 459-460). When apprised that petitioner
Denton was having a business establishment built in
the area, Prevatte told Scott that he would be in-
terested in renting that establishment (R. 333).
On August 26, 1960, Scott introduced Prevatte to
petitioner Denton (R. 388, 390-391, 472). Prevatte
had a “genuine interest” in renting Denton’s pro-
posed business establishment in order “to establish
himself,’”’ and discussions concerning liquor were inci-
dental to this purpose (R. 323-327, 470-471). When
apprised that the building under eonstruction would
not be ready for rental until October or November
1960, Scott told Denton. that Prevatte wanted to
haul a few loads of whiskey until such time as he
could find a place of business (R. 329-330, 339, 390).
Prevatte said that he had a man to do the actual haul-
ing of whiskey for him (R. 393). After some discus-
sion on the subject, petitioner Denton agreed to sell
whiskey to Prevatte for $17.00 per case (R. 395).
At about 12:30 a.m. on August 29, 1960, Bryant and
Prevatte went to Denton’s house and parked a govern-
ment automobile in the back yard area (R. 395-396).
Prevatte introduced Bryant as his driver (R. 474).
After some conversation concerning liquor, Denton
6
told Prevatte and Bryant that he was taking a
**chance”’ on them, and that if he got into any trouble
over the proposed liquor sale, he would kill someone
(R. 263, 264, 397).
Early the next morning, Prevatte told Denton to
put 25 cases of whiskey in the automobile (R. 401).
Denton said that Prevatte and Bryant could not go
to the “stash,”’ and that he would send a boy to load
the automobile (R. 264). Shortly thereafter, Denton
went outside and said something, after which someone
drove off in an automobile (R. 265). At about this
time, petitioner Phillips was standing in the back
porch area of Denton’s house. Denton told Phillips
to be ready to clean the mud off the automobile when
the boy returned with the whiskey (R. 266). When
Denton, in the presence of Prevatte, Bryant and Phil-
lips, said that the ATU had “cut a lot of stills’’ in the
area, and that he had just purchased a still for $205,
Phillips inquired “if it wasn’t $270.00 that it cost’
(R. 270). Denton said that $65 was for the “worm”
(R. 270).
At about 9:15 a.m., Webb drove up in the govern-
ment automobile, and Denton, Phillips, Prevatte and
Bryant went outside (R. 274, 349-350, 402). Webb,
a son-in-law of Denton, said that he did not believe
the automobile “sat down too much considering it had
seventeen cases in the trunk compartment and eight
in the back seat’? (R. 275, 403). At the direction of
Denton, however, Webb, accompanied by Phillips,
drove the automobile to Costner’s house, which was a
short distance away, for some air (R. 276-277, 353-
354, 404). In the meantime, Prevatte paid Denton
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7
$425 for the whiskey out of government funds (R.
411). Prevatte and Bryant then drove to Costner’s
residence in another automobile, where they helped
Webb and Phillips put air in the tires and air lifts
of the loaded automobile (R. 279, 353-354, 406).
Phillips remarked that he wished he had all the whis-
key he helped load (R. 278). Bryant and Prevatte
drove to the vicinity of Greenville where they turned
over the whiskey to ATU agents (R. 281-282, 407,
482-483).
Eight days later, on September 6, 1960, at about
6:00 a.m., Bryant and Prevatte drove up to Denton’s
residence and parked a government automobile. Den-
ton met them, and asked if they had had extra springs
put on the car, and said that he had made plans to
have a man put some extra springs under the auto-
mobile to help support the load (R. 282-283). Pre-
vatte said that they wanted to pick up the whiskey and
leave that day because a holiday weekend was coming
up and their customers were out of whiskey (R. 284,
409). After Denton had purchased a large quantity
of paper bags for Prevatte (to be used in wrapping
the individual half-gallon jars of whiskey), Prevatte
paid Denton $425 from government funds (R. 287,
290, 299, 410-411). Denton told the two men that they
should pick up the whiskey at Costner’s house.
Shortly after Prevatte and Bryant arrived at Cost-
ner’s house, Denton entered that house and tested the
whiskey with a hydrometer (R. 296, 414). The auto-
mobile was loaded with 25 cases of whiskey which
Prevatte and Bryant later turned over to ATU agents
(R. 415-416, 483).
663140—62——2
Petitioners did not have a wholesale liquor dealer
tax stamp, and the liquor sold to Prevatte and Bryant
was untaxed (R. 481-483). After the apprehension
of the petitioners and their co-defendants, the Alco-
hol and Tobacco Tax Division paid Prevatte rewards
of $800 for work in connection with Denton and $100
for work in connection with Costner (R. 346; see R.
493).
2. Webb testified that he drove the government
automobile from Denton’s residence on August 29,
1960; that “something” in the back seat area of the
automobile was covered with a blanket but he did not
know what it was (R. 590-594). He later pumped
some air in the tires and “springs” of the automobile
(R. 595-596, 598). Phillips admitted that he assisted
Webb and others in pumping air into the tires of the
government automobile on August 29, 1960, but denied
knowledge of what was under the blanket in the auto-
mobile on that date (R. 566, 573, 578-579). Denton
testified that he had nothing to do with any whiskey
during the periods in question (R. 689, 700, 705-706,
711). He admitted that he obtained a quantity of
paper bags for Prevatte on September 6, 1960, and
that he went to Costner’s house later that day where,
at the request of Prevatte and Bryant, he tested some
whiskey (R. 691-692, 695-696, 721-722). He denied
any interest in the whiskey at Costner’s house (R.
699).
At the conclusion of the case, the court overruled
motions for acquittal on grounds of entrapment and
insufficiency of evidence (R. 743-744).
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9
ARGUMENT
1, There is no merit to the contention of petitioners
Phillips and Webb (Pet. 15-16) that the evidence is
insufficient to support their convictions. Webb ad-
mitted that he drove the car which carried the whiskey
and both Webb and Phillips helped in putting air in
the tires and air lifts. The jury could properly find
that these acts were done with knowledge and intent
to assist in the possession, sale and transfer of untaxed
whiskey, as charged in count five.’ Webb’s knowledge
was shown by the statement that he did not believe
that the car sat too low considering the fact that there
were 17 cases in the trunk and eight cases in the back
seat area. Phillips’ knowledge was shown by his re-
marks as to the cost of the still (see infra, pp. 9-10)
and his statement that he wished he had all the whis-
key he helped load (R. 278).
2. Petitioners objections to various items of evi-
dence (Pet. 13-15) were properly denied.
a. Testimony concerning the purchase of a distil-
lery.—At the trial, Bryant testified that on August 29,
1960, Denton remarked to him that the ATU had “cut
a lot of stills” in the area, and that he had purchased a
solid copper still for $205 (R. 269-270). At that
point, Phillips, who was nearby, asked Denton “‘if it
wasn’t $270.00 that it cost,” to which Denton replied
that the cost was $205, and that $65 was for the
*Since petitioners Phillips and Webb received equal concur-
rent sentences on counts 5 and 6—the only counts on which
they were convicted—their convictions may be sustained by
showing that the evidence supported the convictions on count 5.
See Lawn v. United States, 355 U.S. 839, 359; Roviaro v. United
States, 353 U.S. 53, 59, fn. 6; Emspak v. United States, 349 US.
190, 195, fn. 9.
10
“worm” of the still (R. 270). Objection to this
testimony was overruled.
These admissions not only tended to show the
element of criminal intent on the part of Denton
and Phillips as to the various counts of the indict-
ment, but tended to establish the existence of the
general conspiracy to deal in illicit liquor and their
connection therewith. The evidence, therefore, was
admissible. See United States v. Weinberg, 226 F.
2d 161, 172 (C.A. 3), certiorari denied, 350 U.S. 933;
Smith v. United States, 236 F. 2d 260, 267-268 (C.A.
8), certiorari denied, 352 U.S. 909; Bracey v. United
States, 142 F. 2d 85, 87-88 (C.A.D.C.), certiorari
denied, 322 U.S. 762, and cases cited; Tandberg-
Hanssen v. United States, 284 F. 2d 331, 333 (C.A.
10) ; Fitts v. United States, 284 F. 2d 108, 110 (C.A.
10).
b. The cross-examination of Prevatte—Over objec-
tions of government counsel, the court permitted
counsel for the petitioners to cross-examine Prevatte
as to his activities in North Carolina subsequent to
September 6, 1960 (after the conspiracy was alleged
to have ended and after the last purchase of whiskey
had been made), concerning his activities in Ten-
nessee in 1961, and into his relationship with some
young women at Scott Denton’s tavern (R. 442-444,
445, 451-458). Prevatte testified fully as to his rela-
tionship with the ATU in the instant case, including
the matter of compensation. He admitted that he
had worked as an informer for the ATU in North
Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Prevatte
said that he had made certain untruthful statements
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ll
to Denton in the past (R. 449-450). When defense
counsel asked. Prevatte whether he saw “anything
wrong with telling a man a falsehood in order to get
him arrested?” the court sustained an objection by
government counsel (R. 450). Ata later point in the
cross-examination, the court refused to permit counsel
to examine Prevatte as to his activities in Kentucky
on matters which were then under investigation by
authorities there (R. 466-469).
Petitioners contend (Pet. 13-14) that the district
court erred in so limiting the cross-examination
beeause the areas sought to be covered bore upon the
credibility of Prevatte. These minor limitations in
the very liberal scope allowed for cross-examination
were, however, well within the permissible discretion
of the trial judge. Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S.
60, 83.
¢. The cross-examination of petitioner Denton as to
a felony for which he had been pardoned.—At the
trial, the court permitted the Assistant United States
Attorney, over objection of defense counsel, to ask
Denton whether he had been convicted in 1936 of
second-degree murder (R. 732-734). Denton ad-
mitted the date of the conviction and said that it had
been reduced to voluntary manslaughter, and that he
had subsequently received a pardon from the gov-
ernor (R. 734).
Petitioner Denton contends (Pet. 14-15) that in
view of the pardon, the prosecutor’s inquiry, was im-
proper. The short answer, however, is that a pardon
merely relieves a person of the penal and civil rights
consequences of a conviction of crime; it does not wipe
12
out the fact of conviction. In accordance with this
principle, the uniform rule in federal, state and Eng-
lish courts is that the credibility of witnesses may be
impeached by showing a prior conviction of felony
notwithstanding the fact that a full and unconditional
pardon had been granted. Richards v. United States,
192 F. 2d 602, 605-608 (C.A. D.C.), certiorari denied,
342 U.S. 946; Vedin v. McConnell, 22 F. 2d 753, 754
(C.A. 9); Bryant v. United States, 257 Fed. 378, 383
(C.A. 5); Wallamet R. T. Co. v. Oregon S. N. Co.,
Fed. Cas. No. 17,106, 29 Fed. Cas. 88, 90 (D. Ore.)
(1876) ; United States v. Jones, Fed, Case No. 15,493,
26 Fed. Cas. 644, 648 (C.C. D. N.Y.) (1824) ; see eases
collected in 30 A. L. R. 2d 893-897; Rea. v. Rookwood,
90 Eng. Repr. 1277 (1696); 2 Hale, Pleas of the
Crown, 278 (1847); See 3 Wigmore, Evidence, Sec.
380(3); MeCormick Evidence, Sec. 43 at p. 91. In
Carlisi v. New York, 233 U.S. 51, this Court recognized
that a presidential pardon did not wipe out the fact
of conviction in holding that such a pardon did not
prevent a state from imposing increased punishment
as a second offender based on the conviction for which
the pardon had been granted.*
* United States v. Wilson, 7 Pet. 150, and Ex parte Garland,
4 Wall. 333, on which petitioner relies, are not to the contrary.
In the Wilson case, this Court merely held that federal courts
could not. take judicial notice of presidential pardons, that such
pardons would have to be pleaded or specifically brought before
the courts. The statement in Garland on which petitioners rely
was made in the context of a situation where the Court found
that Congress was endeavoring to impose additional punish-
ment for the pardoned act. Garland was cited to the Court in
Carlisi v. New York, supra.
13
In this case, moreover, the court was careful to in-
struct the jury throughout the trial that evidence of
prior convictions could be used by them only on the
issue of credibility—not as evidence of guilt on the
charges in the indictment (R. 546-547, 583, 600, 733,
735). The jury is presumed to have followed these
instructions. Opper v. United States, 348 U.S. 84,
95; Delli Paoli v. United States, 352 U.S. 232, 242,
3, Petitioners contend (Pet. 7-8) that the district
court erred in refusing to suppress the testimony of
Prevatte and Bryant regarding their contacts with
the petitioners, In other words, they argue that the
court should, as a matter of law, have found that the
conduct of the government agents amounted to en-
trapment, It is, however, well established that gov-
ernment agents may resort to a ruse to uncover
criminals so long as they do not induce an unwilling
or innocent person to commit a crime. Sherman vy.
United States, 356 U.S. 369, 372-374; Sorrells vy.
United States, 287 U.S. 435, 441-442, 451. There is
nothing in the record to indicate that government
agents implanted in the minds of the petitioners the
disposition to commit the instant offenses or that the
criminal conduct was produced by the “creative activ-
ity” of those agents. The ease with which the sales
Were effected shows that petitioners were already in
the illegal liquor business when the government agents
appeared on the scene. The issue of entrapment was
properly left for the jury to decide.
4. In its instructions on entrapment the court
distinguished between lawful and unlawful entrap-
ment. It said that the law forbids a conviction
14
wherever there is an unlawful entrapment which the
court defined as “[w]here a person has no previous
intent or purpose in violating the law but is induced
or persuaded by law enforcement officers to commit
a crime” (R. 775). It charged that the petitioners
should be acquitted if the jury found that they had
no previous intent to commit any offense, but did so
only because persuaded by some agent of the govern-
ment. The court defined lawful entrapment as that
conduct of government agents which provides people
who already possess the readiness and willingness to
break the law a favorable opportunity to do so (R.
775-776).
These instructions leave no room for petitioners’
complaint (Pet. 12) that the court erred in refusing
to charge the jury that the function of law-enforce-
ment officials is not the manufacture of crime, and
that entrapment occurs when the criminal conduct
is the product of the creative activity of law-enforce-
ment officials. In distinguishing between permissible
and impermissible conduct on the part of government
agents in this area, the court adequately covered the
substance of the requested instructions. The claim
(Pet. 12-13) that the court erred in refusing to charge
the jury that the petitioners should be acquitted if
they found “that the police authorities * * * first
suggested the commission of the criminal act to the
defendants or lured the defendants into committing
such criminal act’’ is devoid of merit. The fact that
law-enforcement officials ‘‘first suggested’’ a par-
ticular sale does not, ipso facto, constitute entrap-
ment. See Masciale v. United States, 356 U.S. 386,
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—
15 ”
where the court held there was no entrapment as a
matter of law although the government agent, from
the start, stated that he was interested in buying
narcotics. ae
5. Before the trial commenced, the Assistant
United States Attorney in charge of the case intro-
duced to the court William P. Crewe, Assistant
Regional Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service,
and requested and received permission to have Mr.
Crewe “serve as counsel” (R. 44). No objections to
the presence of Mr. Crewe were made either at this
time or during the trial. During the trial, Mr. Crewe
examined two government witnesses, made one objec-
tion and delivered the opening argument to the jury
(R. 422, 480, 482, 798).
Petitioners’ contend (Pet. 9-10) that the district
court lacked jurisdiction to proceed to judgment be-
cause Mr. Crewe was not qualified by the required oath
of office to prosecute for the government. The short
answer, however, is that Mr. Crewe did not conduct
the prosecution or impinge upon the duty of the
United States Attorney to “prosecute * * * offenses
against the United States.” 28 U.S.C. 507, supra.
The prosecution was brought in the name of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of
Tennessee (R. 13, 40). The record shows that As-
sistant United States Attorney Cecil D. Meek was
present at all stages of the trial and directed the prose-
cution, including the pretrial proceedings, to its con-
clusion. The assistance rendered by Mr. Crewe—
limited to the direct examination of two rather incon-
sequential government witnesses and to the delivery
16
of a brief opening argument to the jury—did not di-
vest the United States Attorney of control of the case
or oust the district court of jurisdiction.’
CONCLUSION
For the reasons set forth, it is respectfully sub-
mitted that the petition for a writ of certiorari should
be denied.
ARCHIBALD Cox,
Solicitor General.
HERBERT J. MILLER, Jr.,
Assistant Attorney General.
BEATRICE ROSENBERG,
RicHarp W. ScHMUDE,
Attorneys.
OcTOBER 1962.
* Petitioners’ reliance upon United States v. Huston, 28 F. 2d
451 (N.D. Ohio), United States v. Virginia-Carolina Chemical
Co., 163 Fed. 66 (M.D. Tenn.) and United States v. 1,960 Acres
of Land, etc., 54 F. Supp. 867 (S.D. Cal.) is misplaced. In
Huston, the district court dismissed the indictment on the
ground that a special assistant to the Attorney General con-
ducted grand jury proceedings in a district to which his special
commission from the Attorney General did not apply. In Vir-
ginia-Carolina Chemical Co., the district court dismissed an in-
dictment on the ground that a special assistant to the United
States Attorney had conducted grand jury proceedings when
there existed no statutory authority for such conduct (7.e., prior
to the enactment of the Act of June 30, 1906, 34 Stat. 316, 5
U.S.C. 310, which confers such authority). In 1,960 Acres of
Land, etc., the district court determined that it had no juris-
diction to entertain a land condemnation case brought by 4
special assistant to the Attorney General on the ground that
only a United States Attorney, under the applicable statute,
could bring such a suit on behalf of the United States, and that,
in any event, the special assistant to the Attorney General had
no authority to re-delegate to other special assistants any
authority to proceed with the lawsuit.
U.S, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1962
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