71 N.Y.S. 893 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1901
Lead Opinion
The defendant was indicted by the grand jury of the county of Wayne charging him with an “ attempt to improperly influence ” one Abram Weed “ as a member of the grand jury, theretofore summoned * * * in * * * a certain criminal action then pending on complaint of one Michael Abert accusing one Dwight S. Chamberlain of the crime o'f assault in the third degree” which was about to be presented to the said grand jury. Said Chamberlain was a personal and political friend of the defendant and the latter apparently regarded the criminal proceedings pending against him actuated by spite. Abram Weed and the defendant had long-known each other and the former had been drawn as a member of the grand jury orf Wayne county which body was to convene on the 7th day of February, 1898, and the defendant'had read the name among the list of grand jurors published in a newspaper. .On the thirtieth of January Mr. Weed, while in the village of Clyde in that county, was accosted on the street by the defendant with the remark that he wished to liave a “little talk” with him. The defendant added that he noticed he had been drawn as a grand juror, and, as the weather was cold, suggested that they go into a store near by. They did so, the defendant buying the cigars for the two, and, as the store was somewhat crowded, they went into a storeroom in the rear part of the building. Weed, in his narration of what then occurred, testified : “ He spoke again of the cemetery case, and said Dr. Chamberlain — there is a sort of a spite, he says, against Dr. Chamberlain, and it is a case that will probably come up before the next grand jury, and he says, there is nothing in it; such a case, he says, it seems to me should not come before the grand jury, simply makes expense for the county. * * * But further than that, he said, he says the parties connected with it —he used the term disreputable — I can’t tell how, and then spoke of a woman that was simply a prostitute. As I said, there was not a name mentioned there with the exception of Dr. Chamberlain’s. When he spoke of a woman as a prostitute, I think he said she was some woman connected with that affair.”
The defendant did not contradict the substance of this conversation. It is, therefore, undisputed that he did ask Weed, knowing he was a grand juror, to go into the store, and that his only motive was to talk with him concerning the case against Dr. Chamberlain,
The deiinition of the crime of embracery given in section 75 of the Penal Code reads as follows: “ A person who influences or attempts to influence improperly,'a juror in a civil or criminal action or jmoceeding, or one drawn or summoned to attend as such a juror * * * in respect to his verdict * *' * or decision in any ■cause or matter pending, or about to be brought before him,.in any •case, * * * is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
To- support the charge under this section it is not necessary that a proffer of money or other consideration be tendered to the juror improperly approached to influence his decision. The unlawful attempt is the gist of the action, and it was for the jury to construe the intent of the defendant in endeavoring to persuade, the juror that there was no merit in the charge against Dr. Chamberlain. The verdict is well supported -by the evidence and we see no reason for disturbing the judgment of conviction on the merits.
The indictment alleges that at the time of the commission of the said crime the attempt to influence improperly was made upon “said Abram Weed as a member of, the grand, jury, theretofore summoned,” arid later in the indictment is found the following: “ He, the ■ said William J. Glen, then and there well knowing that the said Abram Weed had been theretofore drawn and summoned as such grand juror as aforesaid * "x' *,” etc.
Weed had not then been formally “summoned” as a grand juror although his name had been drawn from the jury box and published in the list. The contention of the defendant is that the indictment does not aver that Weed-had been drawn as a member of the grand jury and as. he had not been summoned the variance of the proof from the indictment is substantial. Hnder the liberal construction now given to an indictment (Code Grim. Proc. § 285; People v. Clements, 107 N. Y. 205) the defect does not amount to a fatal variance. The evidence -without objection showed that at the time- of the conversation with Weed.the latter was in
In construing a similar criticism to an indictment, and disagreeing with the opinion in the same case in the court below, and which is cited on the brief of the appellant’s counsel, the Court of Appeals in People v. Clements (107 N. Y. supra), after alluding to the •objection urged against the indictment that it did not allege that the statements were in fact untrue, “ but only that the defendant well knew them to be untrue,” say (at p. 210): “A pleading is •deemed to allege what can by fair and reasonable intendment. be implied from the facts stated, and a general demurrer for insufficiency was not Sustainable on the ground that the facts were argumentatively or otherwise imperfectly or informally stated. The •objection to this indictment, if there be any, was that the falsity of the statements sworn to was only argumentatively alleged ; but that it was fairly, and even necessarily, to be implied from the facts ■stated is very clear. The objection goes only to the form of the allegation.”
The defendant had produced on the trial several witnesses to vouch for his previous good character. In commenting - upon this testimony the trial judge instructed the jury: “The object of that, gentlemen, is to raise in your mind this question; it doesn’t prove that lie didn’t commit this crime, because it is unfortunately too ■common an occurrence that a man of previous good character is led ■astray; but it brings home to you this question, and in that light you are to consider it, as to whether or not it is likely that a man of his standing, a man of his position, a man of his reputation, would be likely to commit a crime, would likely jeopardize the fruit and ■success which a long life of uprightness, integrity and industry had brought him.”
This instruction was not sufficiently favorable to the defendant. (People v. Hughson, 154 N Y. 153, 164; People v. Elliott, 163
. While we might order a new trial by reason of this erroneous-instruction without an exception (Code Crim. Proc. § 527), as suggested by the counsel for the appellant, justice does not require ns to exercise that power. The defendant was convicted of a misdemeanor, but the offense is one which strikes at the integrity of our judicial system, and the proofs fully warranted the verdict of the jury. He is an intelligent man of experience, was ably defended by skillful counsel, the trial was fairly conducted, and there is no occasion for us to be lenient .to him in the way suggested, inasmuch .as the conclusion reached by the jury is- a just one from the evidence.
When the trial was moved in the County Court, a motion was made in behalf of the defendant to dismiss the indictment, based upon affidavits which were presented to the court. These affidavits show that during a Trial Term of the Supreme Court of Wayne county, the grand jury were considering the charge against Dr. Chamberlain, which was the subject of defendant’s alleged attempt improperly to influence the juror Weed. The justice presiding at the term learned of this attempt and alleged kindred efforts of other persons, and calling the grand jury before him, gave them instrnc-' tions and read affidavits to them. One of these was the affidavit of the juror Weed, which contained the substance of the facts subse- . quently testified to by him upon the trial of this action. ■ The- affidavit of another grand juror was also read by the justice presiding to - that body, tending to show the exercise of improper influence upon him in said Chamberlain matter, and also another affidavit of like import was. read; that the presiding justice commented with some severity upon this alleged endeavor to tamper with the jurors, and read to them section 75 of the Penal Code, defining the crime of embracery, and among other things, said: “ If what is charged in these affidavits shall be proven before your body, then it will be your duty to find a bill of indictment for this misdemeanor against the persons who are guilty.”
Many affidavits were read in the County. Court on the motion to dis
There is much contrariety of judicial authority as to the right to dismiss an indictment upon this ground or to review upon appeal an •order refusing to do so. Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure provides that “ The indictment must be set aside by the court in which the defendant is arraigned, and upon his motion, in either of the following cases, but in no other.”
The two cases specified relate, first, to the form of the indictment, and second, where a person has been present during the session of the grand jury “ while the charge embraced in the indictment was under consideration.” The right to appeal is not a constitutional •one, but relates wholly to the procedure, and is, therefore, within the control of the Legislature. (People v. Dunn, 157 N. Y. 528, 539; People v. Petrea, 92 id. 128.)
Following along this line it has been, held that the cases in which an indictment can be dismissed having been prescribed, no other •can be read into the section. (People v. Petrea, 92 N. Y. 145, supra; People v. Rutherford, 47 App. Div. 209.)
Additional force is given to this restrictive interpretation by the ■.amendment of the section in 1897 (Chap. 427), interpolating the words, “ but in no other,” indicating an intention on the part of the Legislature to limit the grounds of the motion to those embodied in this section of the Code. (Cases last cited; People v. O'Connor, 31 Misc. Rep. 668; People v. Willis, 23 id. 568.)
There is much very eminent judicial authority in conflict with this position. (People v. Molineux, 27 Misc. Rep. 80; People v. Clark, 8 N. Y. Crim. Rep. 169; People v. Brickner, 15 N. Y. Supp. 528; People v. Vaughan, 19 Misc. Rep. 298; People v. Thomas, 32 id. 170.)
In these cases the right to dismiss on other grounds than the two
It is unnecessary here to attempt any reconciliation of these two-sets of cases. Suffice it to say that the present case is distinguishable from those last cited. In every one of those cases, so far as I have been able to discover, illegal evidence had been presented to-the grand jury, and the motion to dismiss the indictment was. . founded upon that ground. The Code of Criminal Procedure . (§ 256) provides that “ The grand jury can receive none but legal evidence.”
A person accused of the commission of a crime is accordingly. • guaranteed that illegal evidence cannot be resorted to in the presentment of his case to the grand jury, and if there is any invasion of his right in this regard, he must be entitled in some manner to obtain judicial condemnation of the infraction. It would be a burlesque to embody the requirement in the Code if no redress -were-' afforded a defendant for its violation. The complaint made by the defendant involves- no transgression of any of the legal rights-accorded, by the Constitution- or the Code.- In this particular lies, the plain line of demarcation between this case and those- in which the defendant was permitted to move to dismiss the indictment.. Section 218 requires the court to charge the grand jury. It -requires that lie read to them certain sections of the Criminal Code, or furnish to them a copy of the same, and then provides: “ And must give them such information as it may deem proper as to the ' nature of their duties, and any charges and crimes returned to the court or likely to come before the grand jury.” The subject-matter of his charge and the manner of presenting it to the grand jury-rests in his discretion. If he desires to read to them affidavits showing that a crime has probably been committed, and the facts pertaining to it, that mode of procedure is open to him. The exercise of that discretion, in my judgment, is not subject to review. If, however, it can be reviewed at all,- assuredly not unless.it has been grossly abused to the prejudice of the defendant.
The affidavits which were read to the grand jury are not in the record. Mr. Weed’s affidavit recites the substance of what was con
The error, if any, in the instruction above quoted to the grand jury is unimportant. The authenticity of it depends upon affidavits, and it has never received the sanction of the judge who uttered it. The many cases cited by the -appellant’s counsel, purporting to relate to a direction of this kind, are where the instruction was on the trial when an entirely different rule obtains.
The judgment of conviction should be affirmed.
All concurred, except McLennan, J., who dissented in an opinion.
Dissenting Opinion
We think the evidence in this case was not sufficient to support a verdict of guilty. '
The defendant was indicted for the crime of “ embracery,” for having influenced or attempted to influence the action of one Weed, who at the time had been drawn, but had not been summoned, as a grand juror, in respect to a charge against one Chamberlain, which it was supposed would be investigated by a grand jury of which Weed was to be a member.
The evidence interpreted most unfavorably to the defendant is to the effect that on the 5th day of February, 1898, a few days before the grand jury was to convene, the defendant, who had been looking for him, met Weed upon one of the streets of the village of Clyde; that the defendant said : “ Hello, Weed; I understand you are a grand juror; I want to have a little talk with you; you have probably heard of the cemetery case.” The defendant then spoke of its being cold, and in fact it was an unpleasant day, and Weed then said, “ Let us go into Mr. Sand’s store.” They went to a room in the back part of the store, the door of which remained open, and
This is substantially all the conversation that was had'in-regard to the case, or in respect to the grand jury. Nothing was said as to what Weed should dó or what he should not do, or what the defendant desired in the premises. Weed, who was the only witness called by the People who testified as to what occurred, said he never suspected that the' defendant was attempting to influence his action as a grand juror in any manner whatever, and that the conversation did not have any influence upon him; that it did not last to exceed five minutes, and possibly not to exceed two, and that after that they talked about other things. He said he never thought of the conversation until he was asked in the grand jury room by the district attorney if any one. had talked to him about the case. Weed testified: “ He (the defendant) didn’t dwell at all upon this Chamberlain case, or go into the facts of it; he did not undertake to tell me how the thing had happened; * * * he did not say anything to me directly as-to whether he wished I would do this one of the other thing with the case, and at the time of the conversation I was not impressed in any way that he was trying to influence my action by what he said. * * * Q. Did y.ou regard it as a talk calculated to draw your attention' to the case and have you look at it carefully ? A. That was just my opinion exactly. Q. That you thought he wanted to call your attention to it? A. Tes; the little I did think of it. * * * Q. At that time you didn’t get the impression that he wanted you to act apart from your own conscientious convictions on hearing the testi mony in the case? * * * A. No. * A * Q. But whether he said it was a case that shouldn’t go .before the grand jury, do you recollect about that ? A. No; I don’t. * A * Whether he said directly that he didn’t think it was a case that properly should go before the grand jury 1'won’t say; this assertion that he made that it was a matter of spite is the single sentence that 1 recollect distinctly. * * * Q. Did'he say anything: in that. conversation
It cannot be pretended that the defendant in fact influenced the action of Weed as a grand juror in the slightest degree. Weed testified that he did not, and there is no fact or circumstance disclosed by the evidence which in any manner contradicts his statement. It does not even appear that Weed did not vote for the indictment against Dr. Chamberlain, which was in fact found by that grand jury. The petit jury then must have found that the defendant “ attempted ” to influence Weed. Does the evidence support such a finding ?
It appears that at the time Weed was a man sixty-seven years of age, and had resided in the county of Wayne, three miles from the village of Clyde, during that entire time; he was a farmer, a man of good character, of prominence in the county, and had known the defendant personally for about thirty-five years. Whenever they met, which was very frequently, it was their habit to stop and talk. Mr. Weed had learned from the newspapers precisely what the defendant informed him, to wit, that Dr. Chamberlain’s case was coming before the grand jury. He had read about the cemetery case and Dr. Chamberlain’s connection with it. He was a man of education, a man accustomed to read a great deal; had frequently acted as a grand and petit juror; had been assessor of his town for two or three terms, a road commissioner and a candidate for member of assembly. It clearly appears that Mr. Weed was a substantial citizen, a man with views of his own, and a man who would not be likely to be influenced by casual remarks of the character made to him by the defendant.
It also appears that the defendant at the time was sixty-one years of age. He had lived in the county over forty years; was a man of large acquaintance; had been sheriff of the county, and, as appears by the evidence of a large number of witnesses, his reputation and standing in the community was good. Weed testified, as we have seen, that it never entered his mind that the defendant was attempting to influence his action as a grand juror or in respect to Dr. Chamberlain’s case; that he had no thought of such a thing;
The jury by their verdict have found, notwithstanding the testimony of the two pai'ticipants in that conversation, that such was the purpose of the defendant,, and that he did make such an attempt.
■ We think the language used, construed most unfavorably to the defendant, when considered in connection with all the circumstances, was not sufficient to overcome the positive testimony of the defendant that he did not attempt to influence the action of Weed, especially when taken in connection with the fact that Weed himself swears that it was not of such a character as led him to mistrust that the defendant intended or was seeking to exercise any influence over him.
The fair interpretation of the language used by the defendant is: Weed, the cemetery case is coming before the grand jury; there is a good deal of spite against Dr. Chamberlain; investigate the case carefully, for the county ought not to be put to the expense of investigating cases brought simply for spite. That is the interpretation put upon the language by Weed,- as testified to by him; that was the meaning intended by the defendant, as testified to by him in effect. The People urge, notwithstanding, that the language shows the defendant was attempting to influence the action of Weed, although they must admit that the attempt: was so feeble, if made, that Weed did not know it or. mistrust it.
If such casual conversation had with a “ juror,” “ arbitrator ” or “ referee,” under the circumstances' disclosed by the evidence in this case, may be made the basis of a criminal prosecution, the courts of this State from now on need never lack for business,, and a very large number of citizens heretofore supposed to be law-abiding, have been or are liable to criminal prosecution.
What constitutes the crime of “ embracery,” which is defined by section 75 of the Penal Code, has seldom been considered by the courts of this country. So far as I have been able to discover, in only two cases has ia person been put upon trial for that offense in the United States. (State v. Sales, 2 Nev. 269; State v. Brown, 95 N. C. 685.)
This is probably due to the fact stated in McClain on Criminal Law
The offense was described by Blackstone as “ an attempt to influence a jury corruptly to one side by promises, persuasions, entreaties, money, entertainments and the like.” (4 Black. Com. 140.)
In 1 Hawkins’ Pleas of Crown (Chap. 27, subd. 8, § 1) it is said: “ It seems clear that any attempt whatsoever to corrupt or influence or instruct a jury, or any way to incline them to be_ more favourable to the one side than to the other, by money, promises, letters, threats or persuasions, except only by the strength of the evidence and the arguments of the counsel in open court at the trial of the cause, is a proper act of embracery, whether the jurors on whom such attempt is made give any verdict or not, or whether the verdict given be true or false.”
Substantially the same definition was adopted in Gibbs v. Dewey (5 Cow. 503), although the case was an action for slander.
These definitions do not aid in determining the meaning óf section 75 of the Penal Code, or in defining what precise acts constitute the offense, so that we are brought back to the question: Within the language of the section is the evidence in this case sufficient to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant improperly attempted to influence the juror Weed in respect to his action as a juror ?
For the reasons above indicated we think it fails to establish beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant’s guilt:
In my opinion the justice presiding at the Trial Term of the Supreme Court, at which the indictment against the defendant was found, committed error when charging the grand jury by reading to them the affidavits referred to in the record before us; that the motion made on behalf of the defendant to dismiss the indictment upon that ground was properly made and should have been granted, and that its denial presents such error as to require a reversal of the judgment of conviction.
If reversible error was thus committed by the learned presiding
By the affidavits in the record it appears, conclusively and without contradiction, that in charging the grand jury in respect to the crime charged in the indictment, having called them before him for that purpose, the learned trial justice, after calling attention to the nature of the charge which they were to investigate, and the law defining the offense and applicable thereto, read to them three affidavits, one made: by Abram Weed, a member of the grand jury,- and two others made by Harvey Watson and Charles Powers respectively, in which the affiants purported to state in detail the facts constituting the offense charged in the indictment to have been committed by the defendant, and substantially all the facts relied upon by the People to prove the offense.
Abram S. Weed, one of the affiants,- was sworn before the grand jury, but what he testified to there does not appear, and so. far as appears the affiants Watson and Powers were not sworn before the grand jury at all. The learned justice, at the close of his charge, and after reading the affidavits referred to, stated to the grand jury: 41 If what is charged in these affidavits shall be -proven before your body, then it will be your duty to find a bill of indictment for this misdemeanor against the persons who are guilty of it.”
The jury were thereupon directed to return to the jury room for deliberation, and thereafter the indictment in question was found. During such deliberation they must have, had in their minds the sworn statements of the three affiants who, so far as appears, were not sworn before'the grand jury, and were not subjected to cross-examination or other tests to ascertain whether the statements'made by them in the affidavits were true or false, and it cannot be said that those statements, which were given emphasis by being read by ■the court, did not materially influence the grand jury’s action.
So far as 1 have been able to discover, this precise question has not been passed upon and decided by the .courts of this State. It is said in Thompson and Merriam on Juries (§ 599): “ The grand jury have a right, at all reasonable times during the discharge of their duties, to apply either to the court or to the prosecuting attorney for advice. But this advice must be restricted to matters of law. Neither the court nor this officer can say to the jury that the facts as shown by the evidence are sufficient to authorize them to find a bill.”
This was precisely what was said by the trial justice in the case at bar. He said : “ If. what is charged in these affidavits shall be proven before your body, then it will be your duty to find a bill of indictment for this misdemeanor against the persons who are guilty of it.” (People v. Flack, 125 N. Y. 324; People v. Helmer, 154 id. 596, 601.)
In this case evidence, the precise facts which constituted the alleged offense, purported to be stated in affidavits obtained expa/rte, which were read to the jury, and in such manner as to lead them to give weight to the statements contained therein, without having
If such rule shall receive the. sanction of the courts, it will be unnecessary in many cases for the prosecuting attorney to submit more than a scintilla of evidence to the grand jury in the regular way, because the convincing evidence, and that which will influence the finding of the bill of indictment, may be supplied by affidavits of prominent persons, or those perchance who. may be influential with members of the grand jury, and read by the presiding judge as a part of his charge, respecting a particular crime which he directs to be investigated.
We think such rule ought not to prevail. If it was error to read the affidavits in question, It is no answer to defendant’s motion to say that he did not show that it did harm.
In People v. Helmer (supra) the head note is as follows: “ Where the charge to the jury is erroneous, the verdict must be set aside, unless it is apparent that the error did net and could not have affected the verdict; and it is not for the defendant to show how he was injured by it, but it rests with the prosecution to show that no possible injury could have arisen from the error.”
We think the judgment should be reversed.
Judgment and conviction affirmed, and proceeding remitted to the clerk of Wayne county pursuant to section 547 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
