United States v. Decator
United States v. Decator
Opinion of the Court
Defendants Kittrell Bernard Decator (“De-cator”) and Craig Lamont Scott (“Scott”) have been indicted for one count of bank robbery, one count of attempted bank robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm in the course of a violent crime.
The factual background of this case is as follows: Defendants Decator, Scott and Jonathan Mark Jones
On March 15, 1995, the government filed an ex parte motion to extend the deadline until May 5, 1995 for seeking a new indictment. On March 16, 1995, this Court granted that motion. On May 4, 1995, a Grand Jury for the District of Maryland issued a new indictment, which charged defendants Decator and Scott and defendant Keith E.
Trial with regard to the aforementioned May 4, 1995 indictment is scheduled to commence October 2, 1995 for defendant Scott and in November, 1995 for defendant Decator. Defendant Decator and defendant Scott have filed motions to dismiss the indictment, including a motion to dismiss on the grounds of violation of the Double Jeopardy Clause. After an on-the-record hearing on August 24, 1995, this Court denied those motions, and defendants Decator and Scott thereafter filed notices of appeal from this Court’s said denial. In subsequent, on-the-record conferences with this Court, counsel for defendants Decator and Scott have stated their contention that this Court must await disposition of their appeal before commencing trial.
I
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, the federal courts of appeal have appellate jurisdiction “from all final decisions of the district courts of the United States.” “Finality of judgment has been required as a predicate for federal appellate jurisdiction.” Abney v. United States, 431 U.S. 651, 656, 97 S.Ct. 2034, 2038, 52 L.Ed.2d 651 (1977). “Adherence to this rule of finality has been particularly stringent in criminal prosecutions because ‘the delays and disruptions attendant upon intermediate appeal,’ which the rule is designed to avoid, ‘are especially inimical to the effective and fair administration of the criminal law.’ ” Id. at 657, 97 S.Ct. at 2039 (quoting DiBella v. United States, 369 U.S. 121, 126, 82 S.Ct. 654, 658, 7 L.Ed.2d 614 (1962)).
Courts have established a few, limited exceptions to this rule of finality. In Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan Corp., 337 U.S. 541, 69 S.Ct. 1221, 93 L.Ed. 1528 (1949), the Supreme Court first announced the “collateral order” exception. Writing for the Court, Justice Jackson said that appellate review was proper in the “small class” of cases “which finally determine claims of rights separable from, and collateral to, rights asserted in the action, too important to be denied review and too independent of the cause itself to require that appellate consideration be deferred until the whole case is adjudicated.” Id. at 546, 69 S.Ct. at 1226.
Since Cohen, courts have applied the “collateral order” exception in a few, limited contexts. As defendants correctly note,
Later decisions, however, have consistently said that where a double jeopardy claim is frivolous, the district court retains jurisdiction over the case. United States v. Leppo, 634 F.2d 101, 104-05 (3rd Cir. 1980); United States v. Dunbar, 611 F.2d 985, 988 (5th Cir. 1980); U.S. v. LaMere, 951 F.2d 1106, 1108-09 (9th Cir. 1991); U.S. v. Millan, 4 F.3d 1038, 1044 (2nd Cir. 1993), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 114 S.Ct. 1375, 128 L.Ed.2d 51 (1994); U.S. v. Brown, 926 F.2d 779, 781 (8th Cir. 1991); U.S. v. Farmer, 923 F.2d 1557, 1565 (11th Cir. 1991).
The Head opinion also suggested that a stay of trial is not appropriate where the defendant’s double jeopardy claims are frivo
Head established a two-pronged test for determining whether a double jeopardy claim is frivolous. According to Judge Phillips’ opinion:
‘frivolousness’ in the Abney sense must embrace both the perception that a claim that is manifestly ‘double jeopardy in substantive content is wholly lacking in merit, and a perception that a claim advanced as one of ‘double jeopardy is manifestly not that in substantive content.
Id. at 1204-05.
In the instant case, the defendants’ double jeopardy claims are frivolous under the Head definition. Even if defendants’ claims meet double jeopardy standards in substantive content, they are wholly lacking in merit.
II
Defendants first contend that the government is barred from prosecuting them in connection with the May 4, 1995 indictment because the government has already tried and convicted both defendants on the June 8, 1995 bank robbery charges.
Defendants’ said claim lacks merit. The Supreme Court has said that “[i]f successive impulses are separately given, even though all unite in swelling a common stream of action, separate indictments lie.” Blockbur-ger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 302, 52 S.Ct. 180, 181, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932) (quoting Whart.Crim.Law, 11th ed. § 34). The September 23, 1993 robbery, the June 6, 1994 attempt, and the June 8,1995 robbery are all separate acts arising from separate impulses. Prosecution for one incident does not bar prosecution for another, separate incident. As to the conspiracy count, United States v. Felix, 503 U.S. 378, 112 S.Ct. 1377, 118 L.Ed.2d 25 (1992), is directly controlling. In Felix, the Supreme Court said that the government can prosecute a conspiracy count even after a conviction for the underlying substantive offense. Although some of the proof may overlap — for example, if the government attempts to link the same weapons to the defendants — the defendants have no non-frivolous claim that double jeopardy therefore bars the later counts.
Ill
Defendants next contend that because the government moved to dismiss the original indictment and then sought reindictment after the March 15, 1995 deadline, the second indictment must be dismissed. As a question of due process or fundamental fairness, this motion perhaps is not frivolous, but as a double jeopardy question, it is. The Supreme Court has clearly said that, in a jury trial, jeopardy does not attach until after the jury has been sworn in or empaneled. United States v. Martin Linen Supply Co., 430 U.S. 564, 569, 97 S.Ct. 1349, 1353, 51 L.Ed.2d 642 (1977). Here, the jury which had been sworn in at the time of the dismissal was considering only the charges surrounding the June 8, 1995 robbery. The charges related to the September 23, 1993 robbery and the June 6, 1994 attempt had previously been severed, on defendants’ motion. Thus, jeopardy had not attached for the charges currently at issue, i.e., the charges severed before the trial began.
As a question of due process and fundamental fairness, the defendants claims are not frivolous. The parties claim that the government has admitted that it had insufficient evidence to maintain the original indict
Furthermore, in any event, denial of motions for dismissal of charges, based upon unreasonable government conduct, does not permit interlocutory review. Courts have consistently held that a dismissal without prejudice is appealable only after conviction. Parr v. United States, 351 U.S. 513, 518-19, 76 S.Ct. 912, 916, 100 L.Ed. 1377 (1956); United States v. Lanham, 631 F.2d 356, 357-58 (4th Cir. 1980).
IV
For the foregoing reasons, this Court concludes that the defendants’ double jeopardy claims are frivolous and therefore holds that this Court retains jurisdiction to proceed with trial as scheduled.
. Defendants originally were scheduled to be tried together. However, in open court on September 19, 1995, this Court severed the trials of Defendants Scott and Bryant from the trial of Defendant Decator.
. The charges against Jonathan Mark Jones were severed from those against defendants Decator and Scott. Mr. Jones was tried and convicted separately.
. See defendant Decator's August 22, 1994, Motion for Severance of Offenses, United States v. Decator (No. 94-0281) (“Decator I”); defendant Scott's August 24, 1994, Motion for Severance of Defendants and Severance of Counts, Decator I (No. 94-0281).
. See government's September 9, 1994 Consolidated Response to Defendants’ Pretrial Motions at 16, Decator I (No. 94-0281).
. Decator I trial transcript for November 9, 1994 at 436.
. Defendant Bryant is scheduled to be tried on October 2, 1995. He is not a party to the motions at issue here.
. See defendants Decator and Scott's September 12, 1995 brief at 3-6.
.In some cases, courts have held that, to retain jurisdiction, the district court must issue written findings that the double jeopardy claims are frivolous. See, e.g., Dunbar, 611 F.2d at 988; Leppo, 634 F.2d at 105. Although the Fourth Circuit has not explicitly established such a requirement, this Court makes those findings herein.
. See defendant Decator’s July 6, 1995 Motion to Dismiss the Indictment as Violative of Double Jeopardy Clause and supporting memorandum (later adopted by defendant Scott).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- UNITED STATES v. Kittrell DECATOR
- Status
- Published