At page 222 Analyzing due process claims for pre-indictment delay24 citing cases“both parts of the test must be met before a defendant is entitled to have the indictment dismissed.”
- United States v. Michael Harvel, 115 F.4th 714 (6th Cir. 2024).published See Schaffer, 586 F.3d at 424 ; United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir. 1985); United States v. Greene, 737 F.2d 572, 574 (6th Cir. 1984).
- United States v. Daniel Vaughn, 444 F. App'x 875 (6th Cir. 2011).unpublished(concluding that defendant failed to show actual prejudice where he did not indicate “how the witness would have aided the defense or what exculpatory testimony would have been offered” (internal quotation marks and alte…)
- United States v. Norris, 501 F. Supp. 2d 1092 (S.D. Ohio 2007).publishedE.g., United States v. Atchley, 474 F.3d 840, 852 (6th Cir.2007); Wright, 343 F.3d at 859 ; United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985); United States v. Avila, 410 F.Supp.2d 626, 627 (W.D.Mich.2005); United States v. Couch,…
- United States v. Jefferies, 43 F. App'x 882 (6th Cir. 2002).unpublishedAccording to United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985), pre-indictment delay violates a defendant’s due process rights and warrants dismissal where the defendant shows (1) “substantial prejudice to his right to a fair trial…
- United States v. Mask, 154 F. Supp. 2d 1344 (W.D. Tenn. 2001).publishedUnited States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222-23 (6th Cir.1985).
- United States v. Donald Lee Culbreath, 99 F.3d 1140 (6th Cir. 1996).unpublishedAs we recognized in United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985): 17 Dismissal for pre-indictment delay is warranted only when the defendant shows substantial prejudice to his right to a fair trial and that the delay was an in…
- State v. Frazier, 918 P.2d 964 (Wash. Ct. App. 1996).published(drug possession case: no due process violation unless both prejudice and intent proven, no prejudice shown from loss of potentially favorable witness)
- United States v. Ghanim Hermis, 980 F.2d 731 (6th Cir. 1992).unpublished This court has said that pre-indictment delay is fatal to the government's case only when the defendant shows (1) "substantial prejudice to his right to a fair trial" and (2) "that the delay was an intentional device by the government to g…
- United States v. Sherry Winkel, 960 F.2d 150 (6th Cir. 1992).unpublishedE.g., United States v. Lash, 937 F.2d 1077, 1088 (6th Cir.1991); United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985).
- United States v. Paul Lash (90-1449), Richard Tommasi (90-1450), Lawrence Dresner (90-1451), & Carol Ross (90-1500), 937 F.2d 1077 (6th Cir. 1991).published United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985).
Show 14 more citing cases
- United States v. Gerald C. Halicki, 936 F.2d 573 (6th Cir. 1991).unpublished United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985). 14 In this case Halicki argues that he suffered actual prejudice as a result of the pre-indictment delay because several witnesses who testified had some difficulty remembering som…
- United States v. Gary P. Mason & Larry B. Lauver, 911 F.2d 734 (6th Cir. 1990).unpublishedId. at 790 . 5 In the Sixth Circuit, we have interpreted Lovasco to hold that delay in obtaining an indictment violates a defendant's right to due process only if the defense suffers "substantial prejudice to his right to a fair trial and…
- United States v. Mahoney, 698 F. Supp. 344 (D.D.C. 1988).published(assertion that witness who was once willing to testify is now unwilling is insufficient prejudice to justify dismissal)
- United States v. Peter Sanzo, 842 F.2d 333 (6th Cir. 1988).unpublishedAs we observed in United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985) "both parts of the test must be met before a defendant is entitled to have the indictment dismissed." (emphasis in original).
- United States v. Asa Richard Talbot, 825 F.2d 991 (6th Cir. 1987).publishedSee MacDonald, 456 U.S. at 6-9 , 102 S.Ct. at 1501-02 ; United States v. Lovasco, 431 U.S. 783, 788-90 , 97 S.Ct. 2044, 2048 , 52 L.Ed.2d 752 (1977); United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307, 324 , 92 S.Ct. 455, 465 , 30 L.Ed.2d 468 (1971); A…
- United States v. Robert Stephen Kuzniak, 819 F.2d 1142 (6th Cir. 1987).unpublishedIn this court, Kuzniak contends that denial of those motions has been shown to be erroneous because the key defense witness, Traficant, had forgotten important exculpatory details by the time he gave his deposition. 9 We reject this conten…
- United States v. Linda Lee Brock, & Jay Thomas Knowles, 803 F.2d 722 (6th Cir. 1986).unpublishedUnited States v. Lovasco, 431 U.S. 783, 790 (1977); United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir. 1985). 36 In the case at bar, as in Greene, 737 F.2d at 574-75 , this court concludes that appellant Knowles failed to make any showin…
- United States v. Hollingsworth Oil Co., Inc., Glenn Hollingsworth, & Ronnie Hollingsworth, Jr., 782 F.2d 1044 (6th Cir. 1985).unpublished United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir. 1985).
- United States v. Jackson, 22 F. App'x 396 (6th Cir. 2001).unpublished(stating that both prongs of the test must be shown)
- United States v. Charles R. Miller, Jr., 91 F.3d 145 (6th Cir. 1996).unpublishedSee United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985).
- United States v. Duke, 814 F. Supp. 29 (M.D. Tenn. 1993).publishedSee Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (citations omitted); United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307 , 92 S.Ct. 455 , 30 L.Ed.2d 468 (1971).
- United States v. Alfred C. Bryant, 951 F.2d 350 (6th Cir. 1991).unpublishedSee United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985).
- United States v. John D. Rogers, 118 F.3d 466 (6th Cir. 1997).publishedHowever, it is firmly established that the defendant must show that “the government purposely delayed in order to gain a tactical advantage over the defendant.” United States v. Lash, 937 F.2d 1077, 1088 (6th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 502 U…
- United States v. Clint Clayborn Bates, Johnny Alton Smith, & Robert Lee Smith, 78 F.3d 585 (6th Cir. 1996).unpublishedSee also United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 222 (6th Cir.1985).
At page 224 Affirming inventory search based on established procedure5 citing casesarrest on public highway
- Redmond v. Sanders, 858 F. Supp. 2d 809 (E.D. Mich. 2012).publishedUnited States v. Tackett, 486 F.3d 230, 233 (6th Cir.2007); see also United States v. Ballard, 432 Fed.Appx. 553, 556-57 (6th Cir.2011); United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 224 (6th Cir.1985); People v. Green, 260 Mich.App. 392 , 677 N.…
- United States v. Wilberto Ramos-Morales, 981 F.2d 625 (1st Cir. 1992).published (arrest on public highway)
- United States v. Osvaldo Rodriguez-Morales, 929 F.2d 780 (1st Cir. 1991).publishedSee United States v. Velarde, 903 F.2d 1163, 1166-67 (7th Cir.1990) (im-poundment reasonable where neither occupant had valid license, owner not available, and car located on highway); United States v. Kornegay, 885 F.2d 713, 716 (10th Cir…
- United States v. Cyrus Jonathan George, 971 F.2d 1113 (4th Cir. 1992).publishedSee United States v. Duncan, 763 F.2d 220, 224 (6th Cir.1985); cf. Chambers v. Maroney, 399 U.S. 42, 52 , 90 S.Ct. 1975, 1981 , 26 L.Ed.2d 419 (1970) (“For constitutional purposes, we see no difference between ... seizing and holding a car…
- United States v. Sanders, 796 F.3d 1241 (10th Cir. 2015).published(upholding impoundment in part because vehicle was parked on a “public highway)
At page 223 reasonable for officer to search trunk when inventory form required him to determine if car had spare tire2 citing cases
- United States v. Andrew Lee Lowe, 76 F.3d 389 (9th Cir. 1996).unpublished(reasonable for officer to search trunk when inventory form required him to determine if car had spare tire)
- United States v. Charles Walter Weaver, 53 F.3d 341 (9th Cir. 1995).published(such searches are reasonable)
Other citing cases
- Smith v. Montgomery Cnty., Md., 643 F. Supp. 435 (D. Md. 1986).published
- United States v. Peter Stewart & Winsome Andrea Johnson, 922 F.2d 842 (6th Cir. 1991).unpublished
v.
Scott Gordon DUNCAN, Defendant-Appellant
Defendant pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), subject to his being allowed this appeal of the district court’s decision denying his motion to dismiss based on pre-indictment delay and motions to suppress evidence. See Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(a)(2). The district court opinion is published at 586 F.Supp. 1305 (W.D.Mich.1984).
I.
On July 21, 1981, Michigan state police stopped defendant’s car and placed defendant under arrest pursuant to a previously issued arrest warrant. During an inventory search at the arrest scene, just prior to having a private wrecker tow defendant’s car off the public highway, the officers opened the trunk of defendant’s car and noticed an odor of what they believed to be marijuana and observed a plastic garbage bag, which the officers believed to be the source of the odor. After obtaining a search warrant the following morning, the deputies inspected the trunk area thoroughly and discovered the garbage bag contained 4,475 grams of marijuana. The deputies also discovered 53.5 grams of cocaine in the spare tire area.
Defendant was arraigned in state court in July, 1981. Aside from various defense motions, the case was essentially inactive[*222] until July 18, 1983, when the charges were dismissed pursuant to a request by the prosecution. Defendant was thereafter indicted by a federal grand jury on January 12, 1984. His conditional guilty plea was accepted on May 25, 1984.
II.
Defendant argues that the delay between the crime and his indictment by a federal grand jury violated his due process rights. A discussion of the law applicable to a due process claim based on pre-indictment delay must begin with United States v. Lovasco, 431 U.S. 783, 97 S.Ct. 2044, 52 S.Ct. 752 (1977). In Lovasco the Supreme Court granted certiorari “to consider the circumstances in which the Constitution requires that an indictment be dismissed because of delay between the commission of an offense and the initiation of prosecution.” Id. at 784, 97 S.Ct. at 2046. Initially, the Court noted that the speedy trial clause of the Sixth Amendment does not apply to pre-indictment delay. The Court further noted that although statutes of limitations provide the primary guarantee against the bringing of overly stale criminal charges, such do not fully define a defendant’s rights with respect to the events occurring prior to indictment, and the due process clause has a limited role to play in protecting against oppressive delay.
Next, the Supreme Court in Lovasco addressed the defendant’s argument that due process bars prosecution whenever a defendant suffers prejudice as a result of pre-indictment delay. The Court rejected the argument, and stated that proof of actual prejudice makes a due process claim concrete and ripe for adjudication, but that it does not make the claim automatically valid. The Court stated that proof of prejudice is generally a necessary but not sufficient element of a due process claim, and that the due process inquiry must consider the reasons for the delay as well as the prejudice to the accused. The Court stated the test to be whether the delay “violates those ‘fundamental conceptions of justice which lie at the base of our civil and political institutions,’ ... and which define ‘the community’s sense of fair play and decendy,”’ 431 U.S. at 790, 97 S.Ct. at 2049 (citations omitted).
This court has interpreted Lovasco to provide that “[dismissal for pre-indictment delay is warranted only when the defendant shows substantial prejudice to his right to a fair trial and that the delay was an intentional device by the government to gain a tactical advantage.” United States v. Greene, 737 F.2d 572, 574 (6th Cir.1984) (quoting United States v. Brown, 667 F.2d 566, 568 (6th Cir.1982) (per curiam)). See also United States v. Booher, 641 F.2d 218 (5th Cir.1981). Both parts of the test must be met before a defendant is entitled to have the indictment dismissed. See Greene, supra.
In the instant case the defendant argues that he suffered actual prejudice as a result of the pre-indictment delay because his former girl friend, who was once willing to testify on his behalf, is now unwilling to do so. We are of the opinion that such a claim is an insufficient showing of actual prejudice to justify the dismissal of the indictment. We are aided in reaching this conclusion by another Supreme Court case dealing with the issue of pre-indictment delay, United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307, 92 S.Ct. 455, 30 L.Ed.2d 468 (1971). In Marion, the Court stated as follows:
Appellees rely solely on the real possibility of prejudice inherent in any extended delay: that memories will dim, witnesses become inaccessible, and evidence be lost. In light of the applicable statute of limitations, however, these possibilities are not in themselves enough to demonstrate that appellees cannot receive a fair trial and to therefore justify the dismissal of the indictment.
Id. at 325-26, 92 S.Ct. at 466.
Moreover, we note that although defendant claimed that his former girl friend was willing to testify on his behalf, “there was no indication of how [the witness] would have aided the defense, ..., or what exculpatory testimony would have been offered.” United States v. Doe, 642 F.2d[*223] 1206, 1208 (10th Cir.) (citations omitted), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 817, 102 S.Ct. 94, 70 L.Ed.2d 86 (1981). In sum, defendant has failed to show that he suffered actual prejudice as a result of the delay such that the indictment should be dismissed. Therefore, it is not necessary to address the second part of the test. See Greene, supra, 737 F.2d at 575.
III.
The second issue raised in this appeal is whether the district court erred in denying the defendant’s motion to suppress evidence. The defendant argues that the drugs seized as a result of the search of the automobile trunk violated his Fourth Amendment rights because the search was beyond the scope necessary for an inventory search.
If probable cause did not exist at the time of the search of defendant’s trunk, in order for the search to be constitutionally valid the search must come within the inventory exception to the Fourth Amendment warrant requirement as set forth in South Dakota v. Opperman, 428 U.S. 364, 96 S.Ct. 3092, 49 L.Ed.2d 1000 (1976). In Opperman, the Supreme Court held that warrantless inventory searches of impounded vehicles by authorities pursuant to a standard policy or procedure do not violate the Fourth Amendment.
The defendant argues in the instant case that even if there was a legitimate basis for an inventory search under the circumstances at the arrest scene, such an inventory search should not extend to closed containers or the trunk of a vehicle. The short answer to defendant’s argument that it was unreasonable to open the garbage bag is that the district court found that the police officer did not open the garbage bag at the time of the inventory search. See 586 F.Supp. at 1308. The defendant has pointed to no evidence to refute this finding and did not pursue it at oral argument; therefore, the district court’s determination must be accepted as not being clearly erroneous.
In support of his position that the search of the trunk itself was unreasonable, the defendant cites United States v. Wilson, 636 F.2d 1161, 1165 (8th Cir.1980). In Wilson, the Eighth Circuit held that “the needs of the Government in conducting an inventory search may be ordinarily accomplished without the serious intrusion into the locked trunk of an automobile.” Id.
However, as the district court noted, other circuits have not adopted this position. See United States v. Edwards, 577 F.2d 883, 893 (5th Cir.) (en banc) (inventory search must be limited in scope to those places within the interior or trunk of an automobile where, under the particular circumstances of the case, property of the owner can reasonably be expected to be found), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 968, 99 S.Ct. 458, 58 L.Ed.2d 427 (1978); see also United States v. Long, 705 F.2d 1259 (10th Cir.1983); United States v. Bosby, 675 F.2d 1174 (11th Cir.1982); and United States v. Martin, 566 F.2d 1143, 1145 (10th Cir.1977).
We agree with and adopt the following language by the district court below:
To protect themselves against spurious claims of lost or stolen property, the authorities must know the contents of any vehicle which they impound. This is especially true in this case since the Benzie County authorities did not have their own impoundment facility and relied on private contractors to tow and store impounded vehicles.
The inventory form which the sheriff’s deputy was required to complete prior to releasing the vehicle for impoundment asked him to determine if the vehicle had a spare tire. To obtain that information, it was necessary to open the trunk of the car. The Court is persuaded that under the circumstances of this case, opening the locked trunk with the keys obtained from defendant was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment as an inventory search conducted pursuant to the standard policy and practice of the sheriff’s department.
Next, the defendant argues that he was given no opportunity to make arrange[*224] ments to have his car picked up by a friend rather than have it impounded, a factor to be considered in evaluating an inventory search under Opperman. See 428 U.S. at 375, 96 S.Ct. at 3100. Under the circumstances present at the arrest scene, a public highway, we believe that the police officer’s action in having the automobile immediately impounded was reasonable. As the arresting officer explained, he was one of only two or three officers in his jurisdiction and, therefore, they cannot wait at the scene of a vehicle arrest until someone arrives to pick up the vehicle.
Finally, the defendant argues that although the district court held that the inventory search was conducted according to a written policy of the sheriff’s department, no such policy was produced in evidence, and the officer was somewhat unsure what the policy actually provided. After a review of the record, we are satisfied that the arresting officer conducted the inventory search pursuant to an established procedure of the Benzie County Sheriff’s Department.
IV.
For the reasons stated herein, the decision of the district court is AFFIRMED.