LAW.coLAW.co

James GORNICK, Appellant, v. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee

United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit1963-07-15No. No. 7301
320 F.2d 325

Summary

Holding. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying severance, and the evidence was sufficient to sustain the assault conviction where the defendant pointed a loaded revolver at a federal officer and demanded he drive the vehicle. The judgment is affirmed.

James Gornick was indicted on two counts: escape from a federal prison farm and assault with a deadly weapon against a federal officer. He was acquitted on the escape charge but convicted of assault. The assault occurred when prison officers found Gornick outside the prison grounds and attempted to return him. During the return trip, Gornick obtained one officer's pistol and pointed it at the other officer while demanding he continue driving. The officer instead stopped the car and drew his own weapon, causing Gornick to surrender the pistol.

Gornick appealed, challenging the trial court's denial of his motion for separate trials on the two counts, arguing insufficient evidence supported the assault conviction because the government failed to prove the victim experienced fear or apprehension. He also challenged the jury instructions and the admission of certain testimony. The appellate court rejected these arguments, finding no abuse of discretion in denying severance, sufficient evidence of assault based on Gornick pointing a loaded revolver at the officer, proper jury instructions, and appropriate handling of the witness testimony.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether trial court abused discretion in denying severance of two counts charged in same indictment
  • Whether evidence was sufficient to prove assault when defendant pointed loaded revolver at officer
  • Whether assault requires proof that victim experienced fear or apprehension
  • Admissibility of FBI agent's testimony regarding statements made by defendant

Procedural posture

Gornick appealed his conviction on Count II (assault with a deadly weapon) following jury trial, challenging the denial of severance, sufficiency of evidence, jury instructions, and admission of testimony.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

SETH, Circuit Judge.

The appellant was indicted upon two counts, the first count for an escape from the Honor Farm of the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 751, and the second count for assaulting with a deadly weapon a federal employee while in the performance of his official duties, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111. Appellant moved for separate trials on each of the two counts of the indictment and the motion was denied. The case was tried before a jury and the appellant was found not guilty on Count I and guilty on Count II. Appellant filed a motion for a new trial on Count II which was denied.

The record shows that the appellant had been convicted in 1957 upon a plea of guilty to bank robbery and was being confined at the time in question at the Honor Farm of the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. On the night of June 9, 1961, the officials at the Honor Farm found that the appellant was not in the dormitory as required and began a search for him. Two prison officers found the appellant walking along a highway in the vicinity of, and in the direction of the Honor Farm. When they approached him they ordered him to enter the car and he did so. As they were returning to the prison in the car, one of the officers noticed that the appellant had a knife in his hand and a scuffle ensued during which the officer was disarmed and the appellant pointed the officer’s pistol at the other officer who was driving the car and demanded that he “drive on.” The driver however stopped the car and pointed his own pistol at the appellant, and told him to “lay the pistol down.” The appellant did so, and he was returned and placed in confinement.

The appellant on this appeal urges that the trial court abused its discretion in not granting a severance and in not providing a separate trial for each of the two counts. He further urges that the trial court was in error in denying his motion for a judgment of acquittal because there was insufficient evidence to establish the elements of the offense of assault in that fear and apprehension on the part of the victim are material elements of the crime, and there was no evidence of such fear and apprehension. Further errors are urged in the charge and in the trial court’s failure to grant appellant’s motion to suppress certain testimony.

Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provides that offenses may be charged in the same indictment if the acts or transactions are “connected together.” The matter of motions for severance is covered by Rule 14 which provides in part that if it appears that a defendant or the government is prejudiced by the joinder of offenses, the court may order an election or separate trials. Both the parties concede that the granting of separate trials or severance is a matter of discretion for the trial court. The action of the trial court will not be reversed except for clear abuse of discretion. Dauer v. United States, 189 F.2d 343 (10th. Cir.); Dennis v. United States, 302 F.2d 5 (10th Cir.). We do not believe that there has been any showing of prejudice to the appellant by the refusal to grant separate trials on each of the counts. As indicated above, appellant was found not guilty on the first count and guilty on the second. This court in Latses v. United States, 45 F.2d 949 (10th Cir.), in considering an alleged misjoinder of counts stated that the ordinary rule is that an acquittal on one misjoined count cures the misjoinder. The same holding is found in Beaux-Arts Dresses v. United States, 9 F.2d 531 (2d Cir.), where the court said that the result is the same as if the accused had been convicted upon an indictment with but one count. The same holding is found in Morris v. United States, 12 F.2d 727 (9th Cir.), and Weinhandler v. United States, 20 F.2d 359 (2d Cir.).

The appellant next contends that it was error not to grant his motion for judgment of acquittal and his motion for acquittal notwithstanding the verdict. The later motion was made in conjunction with a motion for new trial. The contention is that the evidence was not sufficient to sustain the verdict for the reason that it was not shown that the officer against whom the alleged assault was made was put in fear of bodily harm. The record shows that the accused pointed a loaded revolver he had just taken from another officer at the victim and told him to drive on. The record shows that the officers customarily kept their revolvers loaded. Appellant cites Ladner v. United States, 358 U.S. 169, 79 S.Ct. 209, 3 L.Ed.2d 199, but in that case the question was whether the accused intended to inflict harm. The evidence was sufficient to support the verdict on this point and the jury was properly instructed on the elements of assault.

The appellant complains of the instructions given to the jury concerning possible bias of witnesses and thé effect of coercion and compulsion in the commission of a crime. We have examined the instructions on these points and under the facts developed during trial, the jury was given adequate guidance and we find no error.

Appellant moved unsuccessfully to suppress the testimony and evidence presented by an F.B.I. agent concerning statements made by the accused. The appellant testified that he gave him the “story” and there is no evidence that it was not so voluntarily given. There is no error in the use of memoranda by this witness when testifying. This is a matter in the discretion of the trial court. The trial court carefully and thoroughly examined this matter, and he observed the witness. There was no abuse of discretion.

Affirmed.