Paul J. Richard v. United States, 315 F.2d 331, 1st Cir. (1963)

315 F.
2d 331
63-1 USTC P 9376
Paul J. RICHARD, Defendant, Appellant,

v.
UNITED STATES of America, Appellee.
No. 6061.
United States Court of Appeals First Circuit.

March 29, 1963.
Frederick Bernays Wiener, Washington, D.C., with whom Archie Smith

and Edward M. Botelle, Westerly, R.I., were on brief, for appellant.
Norman Sepenuk, Attorney, Department of Justice, with whom Louis F.
Oberdorfer, Asst. Atty. Gen., Lee A. Jackson and Joseph M. Howard,
Attorneys, Department of Justice, and Raymond J. Pettine, U.S. Atty.,
were on brief, for appellee.
Before HARTIGAN and ALDRICH, Circuit Judges, and GIGNOUX,
District judge.
ALDRICH, Circuit Judge.
The defendant was convicted by a jury of falsifying his income tax returns.
Apart from one matter not pressed at the argument his complaints on this
appeal are to the admission of a stenographic transcript of what might be
loosely termed a deposition, voluntarily given by him to the Internal Revenue
Service, described by counsel as bobtailed, and to the denial of motions for a
mistrial and for a new trial because of the publication, during trial, of certain
newspaper articles.
The case was tried upon the net worth theory. The defendant makes no claim
that the evidence did not warrant a conviction if his deposition was properly
admitted.1 The transcript was duly authenticated, and there is no suggestion of
duress or overreaching so far as the merits are concerned. In fact the defendant
was represented by counsel throughout the taking. The sole objection pressed is
that in a number of places there are notations indicating that something was
said off the record, and in some instances there is a purported short summary,
authorship not shown, of the subject matter of the off-the-record discussion,
which had apparently included statements by the defendant. The government
initially offered to black these matters out, but the defendant replied that this
would not 'help the situation. * * * The document on its face * * * is not
admissible.' He explained his objection to be that the deposition was
undeniably incomplete. The court having overruled that objection, nothing
more was said by the defendant about the government's offer to black out 'all
off-the-record comments' and the document was introduced unmarred.
3
It is, of course, normally true that, upon objection, a party must offer the entire
material portions of a statement. It would be a misconstruction to apply that
principle here. There was no showing that any material part of the deposition
had not been transcribed. The implication 'on its face' is just the opposite. The
natural assumption is that the parties went off the record for something
considered to be immaterial. And, indeed, when, at the end of the deposition,
defendant was asked if he had anything he wanted to add for the record, he
replied he had not. If this is a 'bob-tailed' transcript, the defendant is seeking to
use a properly severed tail to wag the dog.
It may further be noted that at the outset of his deposition the defendant
acknowledged that he understood that the answers 'may be used * * * against
you should the investigation result in a trial.' He made no objection to the offthe-record procedure at the time. We find it surprising that under these
circumstances he should think he could do so now.
The interpolations or interpretations of the off-the-record discussions present a

different situation. If, however, the defendant had a separate objection to these
insertions, he should have accepted the government's offer of excision. Again,
the defendant is patently too late.
The facts with relation to the requested mistrial are these. The trial lasted six
days, the government producing, as part of its case, some twenty-nine
witnesses. One of these, a Mr. Wynhoff, having identified himself as a resident
of Florida, testified that the defendant had paid him $3,000 for a certain horse.
This figure entered into the government's net worth calculations. Wynhoff's
direct testimony was not protracted. There was no cross. That evening a local
newspaper published an item to the effect that bringing Wynhoff from Florida
had cost the government $315.52 for thirteen words, or '$24.27 per word.'2
Although the article placed no special emphasis on it, it stated that the
government was 'compelled to summon Mr. Wynhoff when the defense refused
to stipulate the $3,000 figure.' The following morning the defendant moved for
a mistrial. In denying the motion the court stated it assumed that the jurors had
seen the article. The court did not suggest examining the jurors, individually or
collectively, as to whether, if they had seen it, they had been influenced. Nor
did the defendant at any time request such an examination.
7
Thereafter, in its charge, the court instructed the jury that the case should be
decided 'solely on the evidence that has been presented here in this courtroom,'
and that if any jurors had read any newspaper articles they should 'disregard
them completely.'3 In addition, the court gave the customary charge that the
burden was on the government to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and
that no inferences should be drawn against the defendant for failure to take the
stand.
Following the verdict the defendant moved for a new trial. Accompanying the
motion was an affidavit to the effect that two jurors, although they had not seen
the article in question, had seen another of like tenor the following morning,
and that one recalled (nine days after trial) that it dealt with the cost to the
government of summoning a witness from Florida. There was no indication that
either juror remembered the defendant's refusal to stipulate. In denying this
motion the court stated that the evidence to support the verdict was
'overwhelming,' and that no 'conscientious and intelligent' jury could have
reached any other result. Before us defendant does not challenge this
characterization; nor is there anything contradictory thereto in his record
appendix.
The daily newspaper is one of the facts of life. We do not, of course, disagree
with the defendant that some publications may be so prejudicial that the court
should at least volunteer to interrogate the jury, 3 1/2 or should even grant a
mistrial out of hand. Colorful judicial observations quoted by the defendant
about the impossibility of eradicating skunks, or of obliterating elephants,
however, do not become apposite until it is determined that such zoological
phenomena have been introduced. The jury, knowing that the witness came
from Florida, already appreciated that his testimony involved expense.4 There
was nothing startling about the particular amount. The only new fact brought to
the jury's attention was the defendant's refusal to stipulate.
10
The defendant, of course, was not obliged to stipulate. Even though disclosure
or comment5 was improper, viewing this case as a whole we cannot quarrel
with the district court's decision that these publications, relating to one of
twenty-nine witnesses, did not prejudice the jury so as materially to increase the
likelihood of a finding of guilt. Particularly is this so where the substantive
evidence of guilt is 'overwhelming.' United States v. Tramaglino, 2 Cir., 1952,

197 F.2d 928, cert. den. 344 U.S. 864, 73 S.Ct. 105, 97 L.Ed. 670; Williams v.
United States, 4 Cir., 1954, 218 F.2d 276; United States v. Lee, 7 Cir., 1939,
107 F.2d 522, cert. den. 309 U.S. 659, 60 S.Ct. 513, 84 L.Ed. 1008; McFarland
v. United States, 1945, 80 U.S.App.D.C. 196, 150 F.2d 593; cert. den. 326 U.S.
788, 66 S.Ct. 472, 90 L.Ed. 478.
11
Judgment will be entered affirming the judgment of the District Court.
The government argues, persuasively, that there was ample evidence without
the deposition, but for the purposes of this appeal we will accept defendant's
position that it was an essential part of the government's case
The total figure was right, but the division was wrong, as Wynhoff used
seventeen words
The government, quite properly, says that such an instruction should not
identify an offending article. However, we might suggest that it is often
desirable to instruct a jury of the unfairness of considering newspaper articles
because, by the very circumstance that they are not in evidence, there is no
opportunity of contradicting their accuracy or otherwise explaining them away
3A As to the defendant's own duty, see cases collected in Commonwealth v.
Crehan, 3/26/63, Mass., 188 N.E.2d 923.
Comment about the cost of prosecution is not irremediable error. Windisch v.

United States, 5 Cir., 1961, 295 F.2d 531; Calico v. Commonwealth, 1911, 145
Ky. 641, 140 S.W. 1036; McDonald v. State, 1927, 193 Wis. 204 212 N.W.
635
The articles not only revealed the defendant's refusal to stipulate, but gave the
source as the United States Attorney. The defendant accordingly argues that we
should view them in a more serious light. Without passing upon such a
principle, we point out that at the trial defendant's counsel expressly disclaimed
'blaming (the United States Attorney) for this appearing in here. Of course, he
has no control over these things.' The motion for new trial, likewise, placed no
blame on the United States Attorney. The defendant now argues that he must
have been responsible. We will not consider on appeal what was disclaimed
below. We may add that it seems quite apparent from the record that the United
States Attorney was perturbed by, rather than the instigator of, the publications

Paul J. Richard v. United States, 315 F.2d 331, 1st Cir. (1963)

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315 F.

Paul J. RICHARD, Defendant, Appellant,

United States Court of Appeals First Circuit.

Frederick Bernays Wiener, Washington, D.C., with whom Archie Smith

The interpolations or interpretations of the off-the-record discussions present a

evidence of guilt is 'overwhelming.' United States v. Tramaglino, 2 Cir., 1952,

Judgment will be entered affirming the judgment of the District Court.

Comment about the cost of prosecution is not irremediable error. Windisch v.

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