State v. O'Leary
State v. O'Leary
Opinion of the Court
The information contains two charges against the defendants: (1) that they were sentenced to a term in the house of correction on conviction by a jury in the United States district court for the Eastern district of Wisconsin of the crime of conspiracy to bribe, and (2) that in procuring for the preparation of a bill of exceptions for use on appeal from the judgment of conviction a transcript of the evidence taken upon the trial of the case wherein they were so convicted and sentenced, they tried to induce the court reporter who took the testimony upon the trial to insert evidence given by the defendant O’Leary upon a former trial in lieu of his testimony given upon the trial whereon he was convicted, and to note exceptions to adverse rulings not taken upon the trial, which the reporter refused to do; that after the reporter had furnished a transcript of the evidence upon their said trial they changed the reporter’s transcript by inserting therein portions of the testimony given by
After argument of the case to this court, the court remanded the cases (207 Wis. 297, 241 N. W. 621) to the referee to permit the receipt of evidence to show that “the facts which formed the basis of their conviction are not true,” without passing upon or in any way mentioning the second count of the information, which charged them with attempt to falsify the record in the appellate court.
The case is now before us for disposition upon the second count and the whole record respecting the facts which formed the basis of the conviction charged in the first count.
Respecting the matters involved in the second count, the referee found specifically that all the allegations therein made are true and that the defendants’ acts therein involved were done at the suggestion of an experienced attorney of the Chicago bar. He further finds that the defendants were not familiar with the federal practice; that they were without means to procure competent counsel; that they realized that their imprisonment was imminent, and were under great mental strain; and that they disclaimed any ulterior or fraudulent motive in their said acts.
Upon the re-reference a vast amount of evidence was received. The referee found that the facts which formed the basis of the conviction in the conspiracy case were not disproved and recommends permanent disbarment of both defendants. We are of opinion that the referee’s findings of fact are in all respects amply supported by the record.
Perhaps some of the evidentiary facts which may have been considered as proved on the conspiracy trial may be considered as disproved on the re-reference, but when it comes down to the ultimate facts constituting the basis of conviction they have not been disproved. These facts are that the defendants conspired together, arrived at a common understanding or agreement that O’Leary, who was a regional adjudication officer of the Veterans’ Bureau at Milwaukee, should allow a soldier’s claim pending before the Bureau; that Sullivan would get the soldier, one Morrell, to turn over to him one-half of the amount recovered for his supposed services in getting the allowance; and that Sullivan would turn over to O’Leary one-half the amount he received from Morrell. Much ado is made in the defendants’ briefs that some of the testimony of witnesses upon the conspiracy trial was incorrect as to details, and that the allowance by O’Leary was proper and made in due course. But if agreement or understanding as above stated was arrived at between the defendants, it becomes entirely immaterial in these proceedings just how it was arrived at or which party made the suggestion or at just what period preceding the allowance by O’Leary the understanding was reached. It is not essential to constitute these facts that the allowance of the claim by O’Leary constituted a fraud against the United States government, or that the claim was approved by O’Leary secretly or with undue haste, which were apparently urged upon the criminal trial as facts proved therein, and which it is now argued and which it may be conceded the defendants have disproved on the re-reference.
What is the proof as to the existence of the facts stated? In the first place we have the conviction. That is presump
There is direct conflict between Koelzer and Bancroft and the defendants as to promises of immunity to O’Leary if he
The referee expressly finds that the defendants made to Koelzer the statements above recited, and in effect that their testimony was false where it conflicted with that of Bancroft, Koelzer, and Longfellow; that O’Leary’s confession was not made under duress, and that his clairp that “he became dizzy and things turned black before his eyes” when he signed is false. He expressly finds that O’Leary stated to Koelzer that the statements in his affidavit were correct. The referee expressed the opinion that the testimony taken before him “does not even tend to show that the facts which formed the basis for” their conviction are not true, and that the fact that the defendants contradicted the testimony of Bancroft, Koelzer, and Longfellow aggravates the. case against them.
The acts of the defendants above stated, those involved under count 2 of the information as well as those involved under count 1, show moral turpitude and lack of morality and moral perceptions.
As to count 2, the defendants urge their inexperience and their ignorance of federal practice and their reliance upon advice of an experienced lawyer. This does not much detract from their culpability. Their conduct was a deliberate and sustained.attempt to perpetrate,a fraud upon the appellate and the trial courts. They either knew this, or they are entirely lacking in moral perception. The misconduct involved under this count, if it stood alone, would doubtless call for no more than disciplinary measure; but taken in connection with the misconduct involved under count 1, it is of
As to count 1, the conduct of the defendants denotes the same defects of moral character that this court so strongly denounced in State v. Barto, 202 Wis. 329, 232 N. W. 553. Here as there, there is no acknowledgment of wrongdoing, no sense of shame, no repentance. The defendants come into court asking the court to take their mere denials as of greater weight than the mass of incriminating testimony and undisputed circumstantial evidence contained in the record. They denounce as a perjurer every one who in any way contradicts their testimony, and accuse of official misconduct every officer who had to do with prosecuting them for their misconduct. O’Leary’s personal appearance and bearing and his personal insistence upon his constitutional privilege .against self-incrimination when called as a witness in thé federal court, clearly show him not to be the weakling his claims respecting the making of his confession would make him out to be. His conflicting affidavits and his conflicting statements concerning his relations with Sullivan, depict him as disregardful of the truth and willing to say or do whatever at the moment seems likely to get him out of difficulty or work to his advantage. It is urged that O’Leary’s confession is not admissible against Sullivan, and this, strictly speaking, is doubtless correct, although it is plain that if O’Leary is guilty of the conspiracy of which he was convicted Sullivan is also guilty.. But if the conspiracy were considered as disproved against Sullivan, he would stand in but little if any more favorable position before the court. Upon his own claim he procured from an irresponsible vagabond $1,200 to hold as trustee for the vagabond’s benefit and immediately converted nearly one-half of the amount to his own use in violation of his obligation as trustee. Whether his conversion of the $550 constituted embezzlement, we need not consider. His ignorance of his obliga
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State v. O'Leary, Defendant State v. Sullivan
- Status
- Published