Benjamin F. O'COnnOr v. United States, 420 F.2d 644 (D.C. Cir. 1969). · Go Syfert
Benjamin F. O'COnnOr v. United States, 420 F.2d 644 (D.C. Cir. 1969). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
13 citation events across 4 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Ready v. United States (dc, 1982-05-18)
Top citers, strongest first. 2 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Ready v. United States
D.C. · 1982 · confidence medium
D.C. 76, 77, 420 F.2d 644, 645 (1969) (per curiam) (same); United States v. Beil, 500 F.2d 1287, 1290 (2d Cir.1974) (trial court should determine, in first instance, whether witness is unavailable; appellate court should “not be quick to overturn such a finding”).
cited Cited "see" United States v. MacIo Singleton
D.C. Cir. · 1983 · signal: see · confidence high
See generally United States v. O’Connor, 282 F.Supp. 963, 965 (D.D.C.1968), affd, 420 F.2d 644 (D.C.Cir.1969) (per curiam). 63 .
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Benjamin F. O’CONNOR, Appellant,
v.
UNITED STATES of America, Appellee
21999_1.
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Dec 19, 1969.
420 F.2d 644
Mr. Burke W. Willsey, Washington, D. C., with whom Mr. Donald H. Olson, Washington, D. C. (both appointed by this court) was on the brief, for appellant., Mr. Frederick D. Hess, Sp. Asst. U. S. Atty., with whom Messrs. Thomas A. Flannery, U. S. Atty., and Roger E. Zuckerman, Asst. U. S. Atty., were on the brief, for appellee. Messrs. David G. Bress, U. S. Atty., at the time the record was filed, and Theodore Wiese-man, Asst. U. S. Atty., also entered appearances for appellee.
McGowan, Tamm, Robb.
Cited by 7 opinions  |  Published
PER CURIAM:

The identification issue raised in this appeal from a criminal conviction in the District Court was ably explored by Judge Gasch in his opinion reported at 282 F.Supp. 963, and we affirm as to such issue on the basis of that opinion. See also Clemons v. United States, 133 U.S.App.D.C. 27, 408 F.2d 1230 (1968), cert. denied, 394 U.S. 964, 89 S.Ct. 1318, 22 L.Ed.2d 567 (1969).

The only other error urged upon us is that the trial court erred in permitting the prosecution to read into evidence the testimony of a witness at a prior trial of appellant under the same indictment. It is said that this negated appellant’s right to confront the witnesses against him in person. But, in this Circuit as elsewhere, it has long been recognized that this right may yield to the fact of the unavailability of a witness. This is because the prior testimony has been subject to the right of cross-examination, and this circumstance has been thought to justify, from considerations of public policy, the making of an exception to that second aspect of .the right of confrontation which is concerned with the jury’s opportunity to observe a witness while he is testifying. See Mattox v. United States, 156 U.S. 237, 15 S.Ct. 337, 39 L.Ed. 409 (1895); Barber v. Page, 390 U.S. 719, 721-722, 88 S.Ct. 1318, 20 L.Ed.2d 255 (1968); and Copp-edge v. United States, 114 U.S.App.D.C. 79, 83-84, 311 F.2d 128, 132-33 (1962),[*645] cert. denied, 373 U.S. 946, 83 S.Ct. 1541, 10 L.Ed.2d 701 (1963). The trial judge here made full inquiry into the question of the good faith claim by the Government of unavailability, and found that that claim was adequately supported by the facts. We have no basis for rejecting that conclusion.

Affirmed.