EFTA00186748.pdf
Extracted Text (OCR)
LI-A'TO
EFTA00186748
United States District Court
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
TO:
CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS
Clerk of Court and Comptroller
15th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Palm Beach County Courthouse
205 North Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
SUBPOENA TO TESTIFY
BEFORE GRAND JURY
FGJ 05-02(WPB)-FriJNo. OLY-17
SUBPOENA FOR:
PERSON
DOCUMENTS OR OBJECT[S]
YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to appear and testify before the Grand Jury of the United States District
Court at the place, date and time specified below.
PLACE:
Palm Beach County Courthouse
Juvenile Courts Building
205 N. Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
(Temporary location for the United States District Courthouse, West Palm Beach)
ROOM:
Room 4-A
DATE AND TIME:
August 18, 2006
9:00am
YOU ARE ALSO COMMANDED to bring with you the following document(s) or object(s):
Tapes or transcripts of any and all proceedings before the Grand Jury on Wednesday, July 19, 2006,
referring or relating to Jeffrey Epstein and/or
, including but not limited to witness
testimony, statements made by any member of the State Attorney's Office, and instructions given by any
member of the State Attorney's Office.
Please coordi
of this subpoena and confirm the date and time of our a earance with
Special Agent
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Telephone:
Please see additional information on reverse
This subpoena shall remain in effect until you are granted leave to depart by the court or by an officer acting on behalf
of the court.
CLERIC
*If not applicable, entcr "none."
v
To Ix used ern ciAO110
This subpoena is issued upon application
DATE:
September 6, 2006
Name Address and Phone Number of Assistant U.S. Attorney
FORM ORD-227
EFTA00186749
JAN.86
RETURN OF SERVICE'
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BY SERVER
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TITLE A.0/
STATEMENT OF SERVICE FEES
TRAVEL
SERVICES
TOTAL
DECLARATION OF SERVICE=
I declare under penally of perjury under the
Statement of Service Fees is true and correct.
Executed on 674 /00
laws of the United States of America that the foregoing information contained in the Return of Service and
/
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Si
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U
DATE
u
Address of Server
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1.As to who may serve a subpoena and the manner of its service see Rule 17(d). Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, or
Rule 45(c), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
2."Fees and mileage need not be tendered to the witness upon service of a subpoena issued on behalf of the United
States or an officer or agency thereof (Rule 45(c), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; Rule 17(d), Federal Rules of Criminal
Procedure) or on behalf of certain indigent parties and criminal defendants who are unable to pay such costs (28 USC
1825, Rule 17(b) Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure)"
EFTA00186750
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Southern District of Florida
500 South Australian Ave., Suite 400
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
DELIVERY BY FACSIMILE
Denise Coffman, Esq.
Counsel to the Clerk of Court and Comptroller
15th Judicial Circuit of Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
Re:
Federal Grand Jury Subpoena
Dear Ms. Coffman:
September 6, 2006
Thank you for your agreement to accept service of the attached subpoena by facsimile. As
I discussed with Kim Collins, the Clerk of Court is the custodian of the transcripts' of the state grand
jury proceedings. Ms. Collins asked me to inform you that the transcripts are kept in the Circuit's
Criminal Department. Florida Statute Sections 905.17(1) and 905.27 discuss the disclosure of state
grand jury transcripts. Pursuant to those statutes, a transcript can be released upon an order of "a
court." The statutes do not require that the order be issued by the Palm Beach County Court.
I have attached two cases regarding the procedures for obtaining state grand jury transcripts
for use in federal grand jury investigations. The cases that I have enclosed suggest that the
appropriate way is to issue a federal grand jury subpoena to the party currently in possession of the
tapes and/or transcripts of the proceedings. The cases that I have enclosed both involve orders issued
by a federal court that compel the production of the transcripts.
If the Clerk of Court feels that she cannot comply with the grand jury subpoena absent an
order from the United States District Court compelling the production, then you must file a motion
to quash the grand July subpoena before the United States District Judge who empaneled the federal
grand jury. Alternatively, if you like, you can state in writing your inability to produce the transcript
absent a court order, and I can proceed before the United States District Judge by filing a motion to
'I do not know whether the grand jury proceedings have yet been transcribed. The enclosed
subpoena calls for the tapes or the transcripts. If you would prefer to produce the tapes to be
transcribed by one of our grand jury stenographers, that would satisfy the subpoena. If the Clerk of
Court would prefer to have one of the state court stenographers do the transcription, production of
the transcripts also would suffice.
EFTA00186751
DENISE COFFMAN, ESQ.
SEPTEMBER 6, 2006
PAGE 2
compel with a proposed order for the United States District Judge to sign. If you prefer to file your
own motion, I can assist in notifying the Court of the motion, which should be filed ex parte and
under seal in accordance with Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e)(5) and (6).
The subpoena calls for the production of the tape(s) or transcripts by September 15, 2006.
If you need any additional time, please let me know.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call me. Thank you for your
assistance.
Sincerely,
R. Alexander Acosta
United States Attorney
By:
cc:
Special Agent
F.B.I.
Assistant United States Attorney
EFTA00186752
United States District Court
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
TO:
CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS
SUBPOENA TO TESTIFY
Clerk of Court and Comptroller
15th Judicial Circuit of Florida
BEFORE GRAND JURY
Palm Beach County Courthouse
FGJ 05-02(WPB)-Fri./No. OLY-17
205 North Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
SUBPOENA FOR:
ri
PERSON
DOCUMENTS OR OBJECT( SI
YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to appear and testify before the Grand Jury of the United States District
Court at the place, date and time specified below.
PLACE:
Palm Beach County Courthouse
Juvenile Courts Building
205 N. Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
(Temporary location for the United States District Courthouse, West Palm Beach)
ROOM:
Room 4-A
DATE AND TIME:
August 18, 2006
9:00am
YOU ARE ALSO COMMANDED to bring with you the following document(s) or object(s):
Tapes or transcripts of any and all proceedings before the Grand Jury on Wednesday, July 19, 2006,
referring or relating to Jeffrey Epstein and/or
, including but not limited to witness
testimony, statements made by any member of the State Attorney's Office, and instructions given by any
member of the State Attorney's Office.
Please coordinate your compliance of this subpoena and confirm the date and time of our appearance with
Special Agent
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Telephone:
Please see additional information on reverse
This subpoena shall remain in effect until you are granted leave to depart by the court or by an officer acting on behalf
of the court.
CLERK
(BY) DEPUTY CLERK
DATE:
September 6, 2006
This subpoena is issued upon application
of the niter! States of America
*If not applicable, enter 'none.'
Name, Address and Phone Number of Assistant U.S. Attorney
West Palm Beach, FL 33401-6235
Tel:
Fax:
FORM ORD-227
To k
,cd in No of AO :0
EFTA00186753
832 F.24 554
832 F.2d 554, 24 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 275
(Cite as: 832 F.2d 554)
H
United States Court of Appeals,
Eleventh Circuit.
In re GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS--Subpoena to
State Attorney's Office.
Thomas H. Greene, Dawson A. McQuaig, Jake
Godbold, Don McClure, Intervenors-
Appellants.
Nos. 87-3228, 87-3412--87-3414, and 87-3472.
Oct. 26, 1987.
Rehearing and Rehearing En Banc Denied Dec. 10,
1987.
Persons whose state grand jury testimony had been
subpoenaed by a federal grand jury appealed from
order of the United States District Court for the
Middle District of Florida, Nos. MISC-J-86-183-14,
MISC-J-86.183. 4, Susan H. Black, J., which
denied motions to suppress subpoenas.
The Court
of Appeals, Tjoflat, Circuit Judge, held that: (1)
appellants could appeal denial of the motions to the
extent that they asserted a privilege, but (2) Florida
statute imposing secrecy on grand jury does not
create evidentiary privilege.
Affirmed in part and dismissed in part.
West Headnotes
[1] Criminal Law €'1023(3)
110k1023(3)
Grand jury proceeding is not a "civil action" for
purposes of statute permitting interlocutory appeals
in civil actions with respect to controlling questions
of law. 28 U.S.C.A. § 1292(b).
[2) Criminal Law C1023(3)
110k1023(3)
Persons whose state grand jury testimony had been
subpoenaed by federal grand jury could appeal the
denial of their motions to quash the subpoenas to
the extent that they asserted a privilege as to the
material, but could not raise issues of procedural
violations or federal-state comity on appeal.
[3] Criminal Law €1023(3)
110k1023(3)
When party has been subpoenaed to testify or
produce records for grand jury and third-party
merely fears that privileged material may be
disclosed along with other, nonprivilegcd material.
Page 1
the case is not ripe for appellate review until the
subpoenaed party has actually been asked to reveal
specific material covered by the assertive privilege.
[4] Grand Jury C36.9(2)
193k36.9(2)
Federal common-law presumption of grand jury
secrecy cannot be asserted in the form of a privilege
by those seeking to prevent disclosure to a federal
grand jury 9f their state grand jury testimony.
Fed.Rules Cr.Proc.Rule 6(e), 18 U.S.C.A.
[5] Grand Jury C=41.10
193k41.10
[5] Witnesses €=•184(1)
410k184(1)
Florida statute imposing secrecy on grand jury
proceedings
does
not
create
an
evidentiary
privilege.
West's F.S.A. § 905.27:
Fed.Rules
Evid.Rule 501, 28 U.S.C.A.
*555 Lamar Winegeart, III, Arnold, Stratford &
Booth, Jacksonville, Fla., for Greene.
Elizabeth L. White, Sheppard & White, William
Sheppard, Jacksonville, Fla., for McQuaig.
Lacy Mahon, Jr., Jacksonville, Ha., for appellants.
Robert W. Merkle, Ctirtis S. Fallgatter, M. Alan
Ceballos, Asst. U.S. Attys., U.S. Attorney's
Office, Jacksonville, Ha., for appellee.
Appeals from the United States District Court for
the Middle District of Florida.
Before TJOFLAT and
KRAVITCH, Circuit
Judges, and TUTTLE, Senior Circuit Judge.
TJOFLAT, Circuit Judge:
Appellants appeal from an order of the district
court denying their motion to quash a federal grand
jury subpoena directing a state prosecutor to
produce transcripts of their testimony before a state
grand jury. We affirm.
1.
In 1985, the State Attorney's Office for the Fourth
Judicial Circuit of the State of Florida initiated a
grand jury investigation into allegations of improper
0 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
EFTA00186754
832 F.2d 554
(Cite as: 832 F.2d 554, *555)
influence peddling by certain public officials of the
City of Jacksonville.
Witnesses appearing before
the slate grand jury included the four appellants in
this case:
Jake Godbold. then the mayor of
Jacksonville, Don McClure, Godbold's chief
administrative aide, Dawson McQuaig, a former
general counsel for the city, and Thomas Greene, a
practicing attorney and an associate of Godbold's.
Each of these witnesses appeared and testified
voluntarily.
No criminal charges resulted from the state grand
jury investigation. In August 1985, however, the
state grand jury issued a report that identified
several instances in •556 which "political favors and
game-playing for friends" had infected the City's
process of awarding contracts for professional
services.
Godbold, McClure, McQuaig, and
Greene each waived his right under Fla.Stat. §
905.28(1) (1985) to suppress the report.
The
report, however, did not contain the substance of
their testimony.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors had initiated a
federal grand jury investigation into substantially
the same matters investigated by the state grand
jury.
Godbold, McQuaig, McClure, and Greene
each indicated that he would assert the fifth
amendment if subpoenaed to testify before the
federal grand jury.
Relying on the disclosure
provisions of FIa.Stat. § 905.27(1)(c) (1985), [PNI]
the United States in August 1985 petitioned a state
judge to order the State Attorney to turn over to the
federal grand jury the appellants' state grand jury
testimony.
The United States made no factual
submission in support of its petition.
The state
judge refused to enter the order, characterizing the
effort to obtain the testimony as a "fishing
expedition."
FNI. Under this provision, a court may order
disclosure of grand jury testimony for the purpose
of "(flurthering justice."
In October 1986, the federal grand jury issued a
subpoena duces tecum ordering the State Attorney
to produce appellants' state grand jury testimony.
The State Attorney moved the federal district court
to quash the subpoena, arguing that disclosure of
grand jury transcripts was unlawful under Florida
law, that the United States had not demonstrated
sufficient need for the transcripts, and that comity
required the district court to honor the state court's
Page 2
ruling against disclosure.
Greene and McQuaig
then moved the court to permit them to intervene
pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 24 and to file similar
motions to quash. In his motion to intervene,
McQuaig asserted that prior to testifying before the
state grand jury, he had received assurances from
the State Attorney that Florida law prohibited any
disclosure of his grand jury testimony. Greene did
not allege in his motion that he had received similar
assurances, but stated that he was entitled to
intervene because "state grand jury proceedings
[are] secret and confidential by virtue of the
provisions of Chapter 905 of the Florida Statutes."
The district court granted the motions to intervene,
and subsequently permitted Godbold and McClure
to intervene as well. (FN2]
FN2. Godbold and McClure also based their
motions to intervene on the Florida grand jury
secrecy requirement.
The substance of the
privilege that appellants assert is discussed in Part
HI, infra.
In November 1986, the district court entered an
order inviting the United States to make an ex parte
factual submission showing why. it needed the state
grand jury transcripts. The government declined to
accept the invitation and made no submission. The
court then entered an order granting the motions to .
quash.
Applying the balancing test set forth in
Douglas Oil Co. v. Petrol Stops Northwest, 441
U.S. 211, 99 S.Ct. 1667, 60 L.Ed.2d 156 (1979),
the court found that the government had failed to
establish a sufficient need for the testimony.
Twenty-eight days after the court granted the
motions to quash, the United States filed a "Motion
for Reconsideration of Opinion and Order" along
with an ex parte affidavit identifying facts
supporting the grand jury's need for the testimony.
The district court questioned the procedural
correctness of the government's motion for
reconsideration, and stated that under ordinary
circumstances it would not consider the motion. In
the court's view, however, denial of the motion
would not prevent the United States from obtaining
the testimony:
the United States could simply
reissue the subpoena and defeat any motion to quash
on the strength of the information contained in the
ex pane affidavit.
The court concluded that the
most efficient solution was to consider the newly
submitted information in the context of the
government's motion for reconsideration.
After
© 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
EFTA00186755
832 F.2d 554
(Cite as: 832 F.2d 554, •556)
considering the new information in camera, the
district court entered an amended order in which it
reversed its original order denying the motion to
quash.
The district court certified its amended
order for interlocutory 957 appeal pursuant to 28
U.S.C. § 1292(b) (1982 & Supp. II 1984), and this
court granted permission to appeal. The four
intervenors appealed, although the State Attorney
did not.
Appellants make two arguments before this court.
First, they argue that die government's motion for
reconsideration was untimely and that the district
court therefore had no authority to hear it.
According to appellants, the applicable time limit
for
the motion
was
the
ten-day limit of
Ped.R.Civ.P. 59(e), not, as
the government
contends, the thirty-day limit of 18 U.S.C. § 3731
(1982 & Supp. ll 1984). Second, appellants argue
that the district court's amended order was in error
for the following reasons: (1) the government had
failed to demonstrate
a sufficient need for
appellants' grand jury testimony, and (2) comity
required the court to give greater deference to the
state
judge's
decision
against
releasing
the .
testimony.
Because of the nature of our ruling
today, we do not reach the merits of these
arguments.
II.
We first address the threshold issue whether we
have jurisdiction to hear this appeal. Although this
court granted the intervenors permission to appeal
pursuant to section 1292(6), we must of course
dismiss the appeal if we are without jurisdiction.
See Robinson v. Tanner, 798 F.2d 1378, 1379 (11th
Cir.1986), cert. denied, 481 U.S. 1039, 107 S.Ct.
1979, 95 L.Ed.2d 819 (1987).
Under section 1292(6), a district court may certify
for appeal a non-final order entered in a civil action
if the court is of the opinion that the order "involves
a controlling question of law as to which there is
substantial ground for difference of opinion" and
that resolution of the question "may materially
advance the ultimate termination of the litigation."
By its terms, section 1292(b) applies only to orders
in civil actions, and has no application to appeals in
criminal cases.
See United States v. Doucet, 461
F.2d 1095 (5th Cir.1972); United States v. Lowe,
433 F.2d 349 (5th Cir.1970). Therefore, we have
no jurisdiction to hear this appeal pursuant to
section 1292(b) unless the district court's order
Page 3
denying the motion to quash can be considered an
order entered in a "civil action."
[1] We hold that a grand jury proceeding is not a
"civil action" for purposes of section 1292(b). Just
in terms of the plain meaning of words, it seems
self-evident that an order denying a motion to quash
a subpoena issued by a grand jury investigating
possible criminal violations is not part of a "civil
action."
We base our conclusion on more than a
mechanical labeling of the proceedings below,
however.
By expressly limiting section 1292(b)'s
application to "controlling questionts] of law" in
"civil" cases, Congress clearly indicated its intent
not to disturb well-established precedent forbidding
piecemeal review of grand jury proceedings.
In
Cobbledick v. United States, 309 U.S. 323. 60
S.Ct. 540, 84 L.Ed. 783 (1940), decided eighteen
years before Congress enacted section 1292(b), the
Supreme Court held that a district court's denial of
a motion to quash a grand jury subpoena was not an
appealable final decision within the meaning of the
predecessor section of 28 U.S.C. § 1291 (1982).
Noting that the Constitution itself makes the grand
jury pan of the criminal process, the Court
concluded that "[i]t is no less important to safeguard
against undue interruption the inquiry instituted by a
grand jury than to protect from delay the progress
of the trial after an indictment has been found." Id.
at 327, 60 S.Ct. at 542; see also Di Bella v. United
States, 369 U.S. 121, 124, 82 S.Ct. 654, 656-57, 7
L.Ed.2d 614 (1962) ("This insistence on finality and
prohibition of piecemeal review discourage undue
litigiousness and leaden-footed administration of
justice, particularly damaging to the conduct of
criminal cases.").
Although Cobbledick was based on the principle of
finality found in section 1291, that same principle
finds expression in section 1292(b). We are unable
to
conclude
that
Congress,
by
authorizing
permissive interlocutory appeals of "controlling
question[s] of law" in "civil" actions, intended to
undermine the strong policy against permitting
appellate
interruption of grand
jury
•558
proceedings. Accord In re April 1977 Grand Jury
Subpoenas, 584 P.2d 1366, 1369 (6th Cir.1978)
("[Section 1292(b)
limits interim review of 'a
controlling question of law' to civil cases only and,
therefore, should not be read to allow interlocutory
review of grand jury proceedings."), cert. denied,
440 U.S. 934, 99 S.Ct. 1277, 59 L.Ed.2d 492
(1979).
Ci 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
EFTA00186756
832 F.2d 554
(Cite as: 832 F.2d 554, •558)
[2] We next examine whether there is a separate
basis for appellate jurisdiction in this case.
As we
have already indicated, orders denying motions to
quash grand jury subpoenas are ordinarily not
appealable final orders under section 1291.
The
subpoenaed party can obtain review by refusing to
comply with the subpoena and then contesting a
contempt citation, which is immediately appealable.
See United Stares v. Ryan, 402 U.S. 530, 532-33,
91 S.Ct. 1580, 1582, 29 L.Ed.2d 85 (1971). The
contempt mute for obtaining review, however, is
not open to a third party who claims a privilege of
nondisclosure with respect to materials in the
custody of the subpoenaed party.
In such a case,
the putative privilege-holder has no power to
compel the subpoenaed party to incur a contempt
citation.
And the subpoenaed party, unless he has
either a particularly close relationship to the putative
privilege-holder
or
a
personal
interest
in
nondisclosure of the material, is unlikely to risk a
contempt citation simply to vindicate the rights of
the third party. In this situation, the order denying
the motion to quash is indeed final with respect to
the putative privilege-holder, for any prejudice he
suffers as a result of disclosure will remain forever
unredressed unless appeal is permitted.
Accordingly, this circuit follows the so-called
Perlman exception to the general rule prohibiting
interlocutory appeal of orders denying motions to
quash grand jury subpoenas. See In re Grand Jury
Proceedings (Thist), 689 F.2d 1351 (11th Cir.1982)
; In re Grand Jury Proceedings (Fine), 641 F.2d
199 (5th Cir. Unit A Mar. 1981);
cf.
In re
International Horizons, Inc., 689 F.2d 996 (11th
• Cir.I982)
(discovery
order
in
bankruptcy
proceedings).
This exception, derived from
Perlman v. United States, 247 U.S. 7, 38 S.Ct.
417, 62 L.Ed. 950 (1918), and confirmed in United
States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683, 691, 94 S.Ct. 3090,
3099, 41 L.Ed.2d 1039 (1974), permits an order
denying a motion to quash to be "considered final as
to the injured third party who is otherwise
powerless to prevent the revelation."
Fine, 641
F.2d at 202.
[3] The circumstances supporting application of the
Perlman exception are present in this case.
Relying on the Florida grand jury secrecy
requirement, appellants in essence assert a privilege
of nondisclosure.
The material with respect to
which they assert the privilege--transcripts of their
state grand jury testimony—is in the custody of the
Page 4
State Attorney.
The State Attorney has indicated
his intention to produce the transcripts.
In light of
these circumstances, the order denying the motion
to quash is a final order as far as appellants are
concerned.
We therefore have jurisdiction to hear
their appeal. [FN3]
F143. We note that the only material sought from
the subpoenaed party in this case is material that
falls squarely within the privilege asserted by the
third parties.
This is not a case, then, where a
party has been subpoenaed to testify or produce
records and a third party merely fears that
privileged material may be disclosed along with
other, nonprivileged material.
In the latter
situation, the case is not ripe for appellate review
until the subpoenaed party has actually been asked
to reveal specific material covered by the asserted
privilege. See In re Grand Jury Proceedings (Doe
), 831 P.2d 222 (11th Cir.1987).
III.
In deciding that the narrow Perlman exception
applies in this case, we have also necessarily
defined the scope of the matters properly before us
for review.
Appellants raise several objections to
disclosure, including procedural objections and
objections based on comity considerations and the
need to protect the integrity of the Florida grand
jury system.
However, the only matter that the
Perinian exception gives us jurisdiction to review is
the appellants' claim of privilege to prevent
disclosure of their state grand jury testimony.
*559 The rationale of the Perhnan exception
extends only to appeals based on privileges personal
to the third party seeking review: if the subpoenaed
party has a direct or primary interest in the right or
privilege in question, the concerns giving rise to the
Perlman exception simply are not present.
Here,
to the extent that their objections to disclosure are
based on concerns relating to comity and the
integrity of the Florida grand jury, appellants
cannot argue that the subpoenaed party had no
interest in seeking to vindicate their derivative
rights.
Indeed, the subpoenaed party--the State of
Florida as represented by the State Attorney-- had
as its primary interest the protection of its grand
jury system. Accordingly, the Perlman exception
does not give us jurisdiction to review the
appellants' arguments concerning comity and the
need to preserve the integrity of the Florida grand
jury. [FN4]
Nor does it give us jurisdiction to
review their procedural arguments.
Thus, we do
not pass upon the district court's disposition of
O 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
EFTA00186757
832 F.2d 554
Page 5
(Cite as: 832 F.2d 554,'559)
those matters and we turn to appellants' claims of
privilege.
FN4. We should emphasize that this discussion
relates only to appellants' right to appal under the
Perlman exception.
It does not relate to their
standing to raise these claims before the district
court.
The appellants' motions to intervene in the district
court proceedings reveal the nature of the privilege
they assert.
Appellant McQuaig's motion stated
that "[p]rior to appearing before the [state] Grand
Jury, Mr. McQuaig was advised by the State
Attorney that pursuant to Section 905.27, Fla.Stat.
(1985): a) none of the testimony he provided to the
Grand Jury was disclosable under the law; and b)
any disclosure of said testimony was a crime."
Appellant Green's motion stated that The) state
grand jury proceedings were secret and confidential
by virtue of the provisions of Chapter 905 of the
Florida Statutes."
Appellant Godbold's motion
stated that "testimony was provided with the
understanding on the part of Jake Godbold that
pursuant to § 905.27 of the Florida Statutes, his
testimony would not and could not be disclosed
under the law."
Finally, appellant McClure's
motion stated that "[t]he substantial interest of Don
McClure is equal to or greater than that of the two
other parties previously allowed to intervene."
In essence, then, appellants derive the privilege
they assert from the Florida statutory grand jury
secrecy requirement.
The statute imposing that
requirement provides as follows:
(I) A grand juror, state attorney, assistant state
attorney, reporter, stenographer, interpreter, or
any other person appearing before the grand jury
shall not disclose the testimony of a witness
examined before the grand jury or other evidence
received by it except when required by a court to
disclose the testimony for the purpose of:
(a) Ascertaining whether it is consistent with the
testimony given by the witness before the court;
(b) Determining whether the witness is guilty of
perjury; or
(c) Furthering justice.
Fla.Stat. § 905.27 (1985). [FINS]
FNS. The remainder of section 905.27 provides as
follows:
(2) It is unlawful for any person knowingly to
publish,
broadcast,
disclose,
divulge,
or
communicate to any other person, or knowingly to
cause or permit to be published, broadcast,
disclosed, divulged, or communicated to any other
person, in any manner whatsoever, any testimony
of a witness examined before the grand jury, or the
content, gist, or import thereof, except when such
testimony is or has been disclosed in a court
proceeding. When a court orders the disclosure of
such testimony pursuant to subsection (I) for use in
a criminal case, it may be disclosed to the
prosecuting attorney of the court in which such
criminal case is pending, and by him to his
assistants, legal associates, and employees, and to
the defendant and his attorney, and by the latter to
his legal associates and employees.
When such
disclosure is ordered by a court pursuant to
subsection (I) for use in a civil case, it may be
disclosed to all parties to the case and to their
attorneys and by the latter to their legal associates
and employees.
However, the grand jury
testimony afforded such persons by the court can
only be used in the defense or prosecution of the
civil or criminal case and for no other purpose
whatsoever.
(3) Nothing in this section shall affect the attorney-
client relationship. A client shall have the right to
communicate to his attorney any testimony given
by the client to the grand jury, any matters
involving the client discussed in the client's
presence before the grand jury, and any evidence
involving the client received by or proffered to the
grand jury in the client's presence.
(4) Persons convicted of violating this section shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree,
punishable as provided in s. 775.083, or by fine
not exceeding $5,000, or both.
(5) A violation of this section shall constitute
criminal contempt of court.
[4] Federal Rule of Evidence 501 provides that
privileges in federal court proceedings "4'560 shall
be governed by the principles of the common law as
they may be interpreted by the courts of the United
States in the light of reason and experience." The
privilege appellants assert, as stated in their motions
to intervene, is based solely on state law. (17N6]
We acknowledge that some federal courts have
recognized state law evidentiary privileges in
particular cases when to do so would not
substantially burden federal policies.
See, e.g.,
Lora v. Board of Education, 74 F.R.D. 565, 576
(E.D.N.Y.); cf. ACLU v. Finch, 638 F.2d 1336,
1342-45 (5th Cir. Unit A Mar. 1981).
FN6. In their briefs, appellants suggest that the
privilege they assert has an independent basis in the
federal common law presumption of grand jury
secrecy.
That presumption, which is codified in
C 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
EFTA00186758
832 F.2d 554
(Cite as: 832 F.24 554, *560)
Fed.R.Crim.P. 6(e), relates to disclosure of federal
grand jury records. It cannot be asserted in the
form of a privilege by appellants, who seek to
prevent disclosure of their ante grand jury
testimony.
[5] We need not apply any such balancing test
here, however, because we find that the privilege
asserted by appellants is without a basis in Florida
law. We fmd no evidence that the Florida courts
derive an evidentiary privilege from Fla.Stat. §
905.27.
Indeed, the Florida Supreme Court has
noted that
[t]he
rule of secrecy
concerning
matters
transpiring in the grand jury room is not designed
for the protection of witnesses before the grand
jury, but for that of the grand jurors, and in
furtherance of the public justice.
A witness
before the grand jury has no privilege of having
his testimony there treated as a confidential
communication....
State ex rel. Brown v. Dewell, 167 So. 687, 690
(Fla.1936).
Florida case law directly construing
section 905.27
fails to provide a contrary
interpretation of the relationship between the
secrecy requirement and the rights of grand jury
witnesses. [FN7] Accordingly, we conclude that
Page 6
appellants have no privilege of nondisclosure under
state law. A federal court will not selectively reach
into a state code and fashion evidentiary privileges
merely to suit the purposes of the parties before it.
Fb17. Some Florida cases refer to the "privilege"
of a grand jury witness, but only with reference to
the general principle under Florida law that a
witness' testimony in a judicial proceeding cannot
be used as the basis of a defamation action. See,
e.g.,
State
v.
Tinett, Ill
So.2d
716
(Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1959).
Iv.
In light of our conclusion that appellants have no
privilege of nondisclosure under state law, we
affirm the district court's order denying their
motion to quash.
Because we must observe the
limitations on our appellate jurisdiction discussed
above, we dismiss their appeal to the extent that it is
based on other objections to disclosure.
AFFIRMED in part; DISMISSED in part.
832 F.2d 554, 24 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 275
END OF DOCUMENT
O 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
EFTA00186759
824 F.Supp. 330
824 F.Supp. 330
(Cite as: 824 F.Supp. 330)
C
United States District Court,
W.D. New York.
In the Matter of Subpoena Duces Tecum Directed to
the Honorable Kevin M.
DILLON, District Attorney of Erie County.
Civ. No. 92-13A.
Feb. 20, 1992.
State district attorney moved to quash subpoena
duces lecum issued by federal grand jury seeking
production of state grand jury records as part of
investigation into whether police officers violated
federal criminal civil rights statute when making
arrests.
The District Court, Arcata, I., held that
federal grand jury was entitled to transcripts and
tapes
of
state
grand jury
testimony
of
uncooperating police officers.
Motion to quash denied.
West Headnotes
[1] Grand Jury C=25
193k25
Grand jury is to be afforded wide latitude in
conducting its investigation.
[2] Grand Jury C=36.4(2)
193k36.4(2)
Federal
grand jury
subpoena
may
not
be
unreasonable or oppressive, it may not violate
constitutional, common law or statutory privilege.
Fed.Rules Cr.Proc.Rule 17(c), 18 U.S.C.A.
[3] Grand Jury C=36.9(2)
193k36.9(2)
Federal grand jury subpoenas are presumed to be
reasonable and party seeking to quash subpoena
bears burden of showing that compliance would be
unreasonable
or
oppressive.
Fed.Rules
Cr.Proc.Rule I7(c), 18 U.S.C.A.
[4] Grand Jury C=36.4(2)
193 k36.4(2)
Federal grand jury was entitled to subpoena
transcripts and tapes of state grand jury testimony of
police officers as part of investigation to determine
whether officers violated federal criminal civil
rights laws during or after arrests;
disputed
testimony was relevant and necessary to federal
page n
grand jury investigation after police officers refused
to cooperate, subpoena was definite and did not call
for
production of unreasonable
amount
of
documents, United States had strong interest in
insuring just enforcement of its criminal laws, and
privacy limitations on federal grand jury documents
limited potential harm from disclosure. Fed.Rules
Cr.Proc.Rules
6(e),
17,
18
U.S.C.A.;
N.Y.McKinney's CPL § 190.25, subd. 4.
[5] Grand Jury C=136.3(1)
193k36.3(1)
[5] States (S=18.63
360k18.63
State statutes which preclude disclosure of state
grand jury records to general public cannot be used
to prevent federal grand juries from obtaining
records through subpoena.
[6] Grand Jury O=36.4(1)
193k36.4(1)
Custodian of records, who is proper party for
service of federal grand jury subpoena, is person or
entity who is in actual possession of documents at
time subpoena is issued. N.Y.McKinney's CPL §
190.25, subd. 4.
[7] Grand Jury <i >41.10
193k41.10
Basic purposes of New York grand jury secrecy
laws are: to prevent accused from escaping before
being indicted;
to prevent tampering with
witnesses; and to protect accused person who is not
indicted
from
unwarranted
exposure.
N.Y.McKinney's CPL § 190.25, subd. 4.
[8] Witnesses C=184(1)
410k184(1)
Evidentiary
privileges
protect
confidential
communications
between
persons
in
special
relationships from disclosure and are generally
disfavored in that privileges impede search for
truth.
[9] Grand Jury C=,36.3(2)
193k36.3(2)
When faced with claim that grand jury should be
denied evidence because of privilege, reviewing
court must weigh potential harm from disclosure
against benefits of disclosure.
2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
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824 F.Supp. 330
Page 12
(Cite as: 824 F.Supp. 330, •331)
*331 John J. DeFranks, J. Michael Marion, Asst.
Erie County Dist. Attys. (Kevin Dillon, Eric
County Dist. Atty., of counsel), Buffalo, NY.
Russell P. Buscaglia, Asst. U.S. Atty. (Dennis C.
Vacco, U.S. Atty., W.D.N.Y., of counsel),
Buffalo, NY.
DECISION AND ORDER
ARCARA, District Judge.
Presently before the Court is a motion to quash a
subpoena duces team pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P.
17, filed by Kevin M. Dillon, District Attorney for
Erie County, New York.
The District Attorney's
motion seeks an order from this Court quashing a
federal grand jury subpoena for state grand jury
records. The parties were given an opportunity to
brief and argue their respective positions.
After
reviewing the submissions of the parties and hearing
argument from counsel, the Court denies the
District Attorney's motion to quash the subpoena.
BACKGROUND
A federal grand jury investigation is currently
being conducted regarding an incident which
occurred on March 8, 1990 in the Main Place Mall,
Buffalo, New York, involving the arrest of Mark
Aiken and Steven Johnson by officers of the Buffalo
Police Department.
Specifically, a federal grand
jury is investigating allegations that certain officers
of the Buffalo Police Department violated federal
criminal civil rights laws during and after the arrest
of Mr. Aiken and Mr. Johnson. (FN1)
FNI. The background and focus of the federal
grand jury investigation is set forth in greater detail
in an in cantera submission of facts surrounding
the federal grand jury investigation submitted by
the United States.
The District Attorney's Office prosecuted Mr.
Aiken and Mr. Johnson on numerous state
misdemeanor charges arising from this incident.
During the state trial, only two of the six or more
officers who were either involved in or witnessed
the
incident
in
question
actually
testified.
Consequently, the state trial shed little light on the
officers' versions of the allegations that are the
focus
of
the
federal
criminal
civil
rights
investigation.
Following the conclusion of the state trial, the
District Attorney's Office presented the case to an
Erie County grand jury that considered whether the
officers' actions during and after the arrest of Mr.
Aiken and Mr. Johnson constituted violations of
state law.
The United States, which was then
conducting •332 its own investigation, delayed
taking any action in the matter in order to prevent
interference with the state investigation.
The Erie
County grand jury declined to return criminal
charges against any of the police officers.
As a
result, the-state investigation into the police officers'
conduct concluded in approximately November,
1990.
When the District Attorney's Office concluded its
investigation, the United States conducted an
independent review of the matter and concluded that
a federal grand jury investigation was warranted.
After further investigation, evidence was presented
to a federal grand jury in October, 1991.
The United States claims that the federal grand jury
investigation has reached a logjam because of the
refusal of the police officers to cooperate with the
Federal
Bureau
of
Investigation
("FBI").
Moreover, none of the officers who are most
seriously implicated in the investigation submitted
any written reports regarding the alleged incident,
nor did most of the officers who were present and
should have witnessed the incident.
Thus, the
United States argues that reviewing the transcripts
and tapes of the state grand jury testimony of the
police officers is the only way that it will be able to
learn the officers' versions of what happened.
The United States initially attempted to obtain the
state grand jury material through informal means.
When these efforts failed, a grand jury subpoena
was issued to the District Attorney's Office on
October 25, 1991 for the production •of the grand
jury transcripts or tapes of all witnesses who
testified in this matter before the Erie County grand
jury.
At the request of the District Attorney's
Office, the return date was delayed until January 8,
1992, in an effort to facilitate the resolution of this
matter.
When further efforts to resolve the matter failed,
the District Attorney filed the present motion to
quash, raising four objections to the production of
the state grand jury material.
First, the District
Attorney
argues
that
compliance
would
be
2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
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824 F.Supp. 330
(Cite as: 824 F.Supp. 330, '332)
unreasonable because it would force him to violate
state law relating to grand jury secrecy.
Second,
he argues that the subpoena was served upon the
wrong party. Third, the District Attorney contends
that compliance would be unreasonable because it
would violate policies of comity. Finally, he
contends that the subpoenaed grand jury records are
privileged.
DISCUSSION
(1][2][3] It is well-established that a federal grand
jury is to be afforded wide latitude in conducting its
investigation.
See United States V. R. Enters.,
Inc., 498 U.S. 292, 297-98, Ill S.Ct. 722, 726,
112 L.Ed.2d 795 (1991);
Milted States v.
Calandra, 414 U.S. 338, 94 S.Ct. 613, 38 L.Ed.2d
561 (1974).
"A grand jury investigation 'is not
fully carried out until every available clue has been
run down and all witnesses examined in every
proper way to fmd if a crime has been committed.'
" Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665, 701, 92
S.Ct. 2646, 2667, 33 L.Ed.2d 626 (1972) (quoting
United States v. Stone, 429 P.2d 138, 140 (2d
Cir.1970)); In re Grand Jury Subpoena for the
Prod. of Certain New York State Sales Tax Records,
382 F.Supp. 1205, 1206 (W.D.N.Y.1974) (quoting
Stone, 429 F.2d at 140).
In accordance with its
broad mandate to investigate possible criminal
activity, a federal grand jury has few limitations
placed on its subpoena powers. R. Enters., 498
U.S. at 297-98, Ill S.Ct. at 726. "A grand jury
'may compel the production of evidence or the
testimony of witnesses as it considers appropriate,
and its operation generally is unrestrained by the
technical procedural and evidentiary rules governing
the conduct of criminal trials.' "
Id. (quoting
Calandra, 414 U.S. at 343, 94 S.Ct. at 617). The
only restrictions that have been placed upon the
grand jury concern reasonableness and privileges.
A grand jury subpoena may not be unreasonable or
oppressive, and it may not violate a constitutional,
common law or statutory privilege. Branzburg, 408
U.S. at 688, 92 S.Ct. at 2660; Fed.R.Crim.P.
17(c).
Grand jury subpoenas are presumed to be
reasonable and the party seeking to quash the
subpoena bears the burden of showing that
compliance would be unreasonable or oppressive.
R. Enters., 498 U.S. at 300-02, l ll S.Ct. at 728.
*333 In this case, the District Attorney contends
that compliance with the subpoena would be
unreasonable.
In order to meet his heavy burden
of showing that compliance with the subpoena
Page 13
would be unreasonable or oppressive, the District
Attorney must prove that (I) "there is no reasonable
possibility that the category of materials the
Government seeks will produce information relevant
to the general subject of the grand jury's
investigation;" or (2) the subpoena is too indefinite;
or (3) compliance would be overly burdensome. Id.
After applying these tests to the instant case, the
Court finds that the District Attorney is unable to
rebut the presumption that the federal grand jury
subpoena is reasonable.
(41 Regarding the relevancy question, the United
States has set forth in some detail, both in its motion
papers and in its in camera submission, the reasons
underlying the need for the state grand jury records.
The United States has been unable to obtain the
information contained in the grand jury records
from other sources because the police officers have
been unwilling to cooperate with the investigation.
Accordingly, the Court fords that the statements of
the police officers and other witnesses who testified
before the state grand jury are relevant and
necessary to the federal grand jury investigation.
It does not appear that the District Attorney
challenges the subpoena as being too indefinite or
overly burdensome.
The Court notes that the
subpoena is discreet and calls for the production of
specific material stemming from a particular state
grand jury investigation.
Thus, the subpoena is
sufficiently definite.
Further, the subpoena does
not call for the production of an unreasonable
amount of documents.
Consequently, producing
the requested material would require minimal effort
on the part of the District Attorney's Office and
therefore would not be overly burdensome.
The District Attorney argues that compliance with
the subpoena would be unreasonable because it
would place him in a position where he would be
violating state law provisions relating to grand jury
secrecy.
Specifically, the District Attorney argues
that N.Y.Crim.Proc.Law § 190.25, subd. 4,
requires that state grand jury materials be kept
secret and therefore prohibits him from turning over
the subpoenaed grand jury records to the United
States. He contends that the only way the United
States can gain access to these materials is to file a
motion
in
state
court
pursuant
to
N.Y.Crim.Proc.Law § 190.25, subd. 4.
The
Court finds this argument without merit.
C 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
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824 F.Supp. 330
(Cite as: 824 F.Supp. 330, *333)
(5) Federal courts have consistently held that state
statutes which preclude disclosure of records to the
general public cannot be used to prevent federal
grand juries from obtaining the records through a
subpoena.
The cases of In re Grand Jwy
Subpoena for New York State Income Tax Records,
468 F.Supp. 575 (N.D.N.Y.), appeal dismissed,
607 F.2d 566 (2d Cir.1979), and In re Grand Jury
Subpoena for the Prod. of Certain New York State
Sales
Tax
Records,
382
F.Supp.
1205
(W.D.N.Y.1974), are particularly relevant to the
case at hand. Both cases involved federal grand
jury subpoenas issued to officials of the New York
State Department of Taxation for the production of
certain tax records. The petitioners moved to quash
the subpoenas on the grounds that compliance
would be in violation of certain secrecy provisions
of New York State tax laws.
These laws are very
similar to N.Y.Crim.Proc.Law § 190.25, subd. 4,
which the District Attorney relies on in his motion.
The courts in these cases explicitly rejected the
argument that compliance was unreasonable because
it would force the state officials to violate state law
secrecy provisions.
The courts ruled that the
Supremacy Clause must prevail over the state
nondisclosure provisions.
As the court in In re
Grand Jury Subpoena for New York State Income
Tax Records stated:
The Supreme Court has several times indicated
that, by virtue of the supremacy clause, state
legislation must yield whenever it comes into
conflict with an Act of Congress or the superior
authority of the Constitution. Thus, inasmuch as
the federal *334 grand jury is a product of the
Fifth Amendment and its powers, as a result of its
long history and specific Congressional attention,
the
conflict
between
state
confidentiality
provisions and Congressional or constitutional
investigatory powers has resulted in enforcement
of federal grand jury subpoenas despite state
statutes
which
would
otherwise
prohibit
compliance.
In re Grand Jury Subpoena for New York State
Income Tax, 468 F.Supp. at 577 (citations omitted).
Courts in other Circuits, relying on the Supremacy
Clause, have similarly rejected claims from state
officials that compliance with a federal subpoena
would force them to violate state confidentiality
laws.
See, e.g., In re Special April 1977 Grand
Jury. 581 F.2d 589, 593 n. 3 (7th Cir.), cert.
denied, 439 U.S. 1046, 99 S.Ct. 721, 58 L.Ed.2d
705 (1978); Carr v. Monroe Mfg. Co., 431 P.2d
384, 388 (5th Cir.1970), cert. denied, 400 U.S.
Page 14
1000, 91 S.Ct. 456, 27 L.Ed.2d 451 (1971); In re
1980 United States Grand Jury Subpoena Duces
Tecum, 502 F.Supp. 576, 579.80 (E.D.La.1980);
United States v. Grand Jury Investigation, 417
F.Supp. 389, 393 (E.D.Pa.1976).
Thus, the case
law clearly establishes that state law provisions
relating to grand jury secrecy do not preclude a
federal grand jury from obtaining state grand jury
records pursuant to a subpoena.
[61 The District Attorney further argues that the
grand jury subpoena was not served upon the proper
party. Specifically, the District Attorney contends
that pursuant to the state grand jury secrecy law,
N.Y.Crim.P.Law § 190.25, subd. 4, the state court
has the ultimate and exclusive control over the
subpoenaed grand jury material and, therefore, is
die actual custodian of the grand jury records.
Thus, the District Attorney argues that the grand
jury subpoena should have been served on the
presiding state court judge rather than the District
Attorney. The Court disagrees.
A custodian of records is the person or entity who
is in actual possession of the documents at the time
the subpoena is issued. In re Grand Jury Impaneled
Jan. 21, 1975. 541 F.2d 373, 377 (3d Cir.I976)
(citations omitted). In order to testify competently
as a records custodian, a witness must be able to
verify the authenticity and completeness of the
requested documents.
In this case, the District Attorney does not dispute
the fact that his office possesses the requested grand
jury material, nor does he deny that the grand jury
materials were generated as a result of an
investigation
conducted
by
his
office.
Accordingly, the District Attorney's office is the
sole entity that can competently testify as to the
authenticity' and completeness of the requested
material. The presiding state court judge does not
possess the subpoenaed materials nor would he or
she have any knowledge concerning the authenticity
or completeness of the grand jury records.
Thus,
the Court fmds that the District Attorney's Office is
the custodian of the state grand jury records and is
therefore the proper party to be served with the
subpoena.
The District Attorney also contends that compliance
with the federal grand jury subpoena would be
unreasonable because it would violate policies of
comity.
Specifically, the District Attorney
O 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
EFTA00186763
824 P.Supp. 330
(Cite as: 824 F.Supp. 330, *334)
contends that, just as the federal government has an
interest in protecting the secrecy of federal grand
jury material, the state has an interest in protecting
state grand jury material from disclosure.
Thus,
the District Attorney argues that, in order to show
proper deference to the State's interest in the
confidentiality of the grand jury records, the United
States should be required to move initially for
disclosure before the presiding state court judge.
The Court fords that no such requirement exists.
[7] The Court recognizes that "policies of comity
and federalism require some deference to the
objective
sought
to
be
achieved
by
state
confidentiality provisions?
In re Grand Jury
Subpoena jor New York State Income Tax Records,
468 P.Supp. at 577.
The basic purposes of the
state grand jury secrecy laws in question are: (1) to
prevent an accused from escaping before he is
indicted; (2) to prevent tampering with witnesses;
and (3) to protect an accused person who is not
indicted from unwarranted exposure.
People v.
McAdoo, 45 Misc.2d 664, 257 N.Y.S.2d 763,
ord. 51 Misc.2d 263, 272 •335 N.Y.S.2d 412,
cert. denied, 386 U.S. 1031, 87 S.O. 1479, 18
L.Ed.2d 592 (1967).
In this case, compliance with the federal grand jury
subpoena will not subvert New York's interest in
maintaining the secrecy of grand jury proceedings
because federal grand jury proceedings are also
conducted secretly.
The secrecy requirements of
Fed.R.Crim.P. 6(e), will adequately ensure that
none of the purposes of the state grand jury secrecy
laws are undermined by compliance with the federal
grand jury subpoena.
See In re New York Grand
Jury Subpoena for State Income Tax Records, 468
F.Supp. at 577-78; see also United States v. Field,
532 F.2d 404, 407-08 (5th Cir.I976), cert. denied,
429 U.S. 940, 97 S.Ct. 354, 50 L.Ed.2d 309; In re
Grand Jury Enzpanekd Jan. 21, 1975, 541 F.2d at
377-78.
Moreover, it is important to note that comity is a
policy which must be balanced against "the
necessity of thorough grand jury investigations into
violations of federal law."
In re Grand Jury
Subpoena for New York State Income Tax Records,
468 F.Supp. at 577.
In this case, the subpoenaed
documents are necessary to the federal grand jury
investigation.
Thus, the policy of comity must
yield to the constitutional right and duty of the
federal grand jury to conduct a broad investigation.
Page 15
Id. 468 P.Supp. at 578.
Finally, the District Attorney contends that the
motion to quash should be granted because the
subpoenaed materials are privileged.
Specifically,
the District Attorney argues that the state grand jury
secrecy law creates a federal privilege under
Federal Rule of Evidence 501.
The Court fords
this argument without merit.
[8] Evidentiary privileges protect confidential
communications
between
persons
in
special
relationships from disclosure. By their very nature
they impede the search for the truth and arc
therefore generally disfavored. Trammel v. United
States, 445 U.S. 40, 50, 100 S.Ct. 906, 912, 63
L.Ed.2d 186 (1980); Herbert v. Lando, 441 U.S.
153, 99 S.Ct. 1635, 60 L.Ed.2d 115 (1979);
United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683, 709-10, 94
S.O. 3090, 3108- 09, 41 L.Ed.2d 1039 (1974).
Accordingly, "the party asserting a privilege bears
the burden of proving the applicability of the
privilege," In re Bevil!, Bressler & Schulman Asset
Management Corp., 805 F.2d 120, 126 (3d
Cir.I986), and privileges, "whatever their origins
... [should] not [be] lightly created or expansively
construed." Nixon, 418 U.S. at 710, 94 S.Ct. at
3109.
[9] When faced with a claim that a grand jury
should be denied evidence because of privilege, the
reviewing court must weigh the potential harm from
disclosure against the benefits of disclosure.
American Civil Liberties Union of Miss., Inc. v.
Finch, 638 F.2d 1336, 1343 (5th Cir.I981). In this
case the federal grand jury is investigating possible
violations of federal criminal civil rights laws by
police officers of the Buffalo Police Department.
As fully explained in the United States' in camera
statement of facts, the subpoenaed documents are.
vital tii the grand jury investigation and are not
simply needed to assess credibility of potential
witnesses.
In addition, the information sought to
be obtained from the subpoenaed material is not
otherwise available since the police officers are
unwilling to talk to the FBI. Thus, the grand jury
may not be able to learn the truth of the allegations
without the subpoenaed material.
On the other side of the scale, the potential harm
from disclosure of the state grand jury material is
minimal.
Because Fed.R.Crim.P. 6(e) limits
disclosure of federal grand jury material, the
O 2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
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824 F.Supp. 330
(Cite as: 824 F.Supp. 330, •335)
secrecy of the subpoenaed documents would be
closely guarded.
Thus, since the benefits of
disclosure in this case substantially outweigh the
potential harm from disclosure, the Court finds that
the state grand jury records are not privileged as a
matter of federal common law.
See Matter of
Special April 1977 Grand Jury, 581 F.2d at 592-93;
In re Grand Jury Proceeding, 563 F.2d 577, 582-85
(3d Cir.1977);
In re Grand Jury Empaneled
January 21, 1975, 541 F.2d at 382-83.
In sum, the United States has a strong interest in
ensuring the just enforcement of its criminal laws.
Public policy has long favored giving the grand jury
broad powers of investigation.
The District
Attorney, who has the burden of proving that the
subpoena should be quashed, has failed to establish
•336 that the subpoena is unreasonable or that it
Page 16
violates any recognized privilege.
Furthermore,
because of the secrecy provisions of the federal
grand jury, little or no prejudice would result to the
state from compliance with the federal grand jury
subpoena.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated, the Court denies the District
Attorney's motion to quash the federal grand jury
subpoena. This Decision and Order and the entire
file are to be filed under seal.
It is so ordered.
824 F.Supp. 330
END OF DOCUMENT
2006 Thomson/West. No Claim to Orig. U.S. Govt. Works.
EFTA00186765
U.S. Department
Justice
United States Attorney
Southern District of Florida
out
man
Ave, Suite 400
3401
FACSIMILE COVER SHEET
TO:
DENISE COFFMAN, ESO.
FAX NO.
PHONE NO.
DATE:
September 6, 2006
# OF PAGES:
16
RE:
GRAND JURY SUBPOENA
FROM:
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE NO.
COMMENTS:
EFTA00186766
09/06/2006 20:48
USAO WI'I3 FL
TRANSMISSION OK
*********************
***
TX REPORT
***
*********************
TX/RX NO
2691
CONNECTION TEL
3556727
SUBADDRESS
CONNECTION ID
ST. TIME
09/06 20:41
USAGE T
06'34
PGS. SENT
16
RESULT
OK
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Southern District of Florida
Mal
500SoudiAustralianAve,Suite400
M4:51PahnBeach,florida33401
MOM
FACSIMILE COVER SHEET
TO:
DENISE COFFMAN, ESO.
DATE:
September 6, 2006
FAX NO.
IIIM=MMI
# OF PAGES:
16
PHONE NO.
RE:
GRAND JURY SUBPOENA
FROM:
PHONE NO.
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
COMMENTS:
EFTA00186767
Extracted Information
Document Details
| Filename | EFTA00186748.pdf |
| File Size | 2946.6 KB |
| OCR Confidence | 85.0% |
| Has Readable Text | Yes |
| Text Length | 59,372 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-11T11:12:59.990483 |