Philip N. McAbee v. United States

These appeals return to this court again on a remand by the Supreme Court. The background is important to our reconsideration. Appellant was indicted for housebreakings and larcenies committed on six separate occasions in 1955 and 1956. The last three offenses were committed while he was at liberty on bail awaiting trial for the three earlier offenses.

After conviction on ten of the twelve counts of the indictments, appellant wrote a letter to the Clerk of the District Court asking the Clerk to “forward to me the necessary papers” for an appeal at government expense with court appointed counsel. The forms were sent to him to perfect an appeal but these forms were not returned to the Clerk for filing within the ten day period. The District Court, apparently assuming without deciding that the earlier letter perfected a direct appeal, denied the appeal as frivolous.1 Various other pro se motions were made by appellant thereafter from time to time and were denied by the District Court. In 1957 he filed a motion to vacate the conviction and this motion was denied. He moved in this court for leave to appeal at government expense and this motion was denied. McAbee v. United States, Misc. No. 888, October 31, 1957. A petition for certiorari was denied by the Supreme Court, 1958, 355 U.S. 964, 78 S.Ct. 554, 2 L.Ed.2d 539. Later, in 1958, he again moved to vacate his conviction and his appeal from the denial of that motion was denied by this court, McAbee v. United States, 1958, 104 U.S.App.D.C. 278, 261 F.2d 744. Rehearing on this action was sought and denied January 15, 1959. Appellant then filed in this court, Misc. No. 1221, a petition for leave to file a direct appeal and this was denied March 16, 1959. He moved for rehearing of this denial and rehearing was denied April 14, 1959. Appellant again sought relief in the Supreme Court and in that Court the Solicitor General suggested that the case be remanded to this court under Johnson v. United States, 1957, 352 U.S. 565, 77 S.Ct. 550, 1 L.Ed.2d 593, and Ellis v. United States, 1958, 356 U.S. 674, 78 S.Ct. 974, 2 L.Ed.2d 1060, to consider whether the appeal had been abandoned, assuming one had been filed. The Supreme Court’s action remanding the case to us for such consideration now brings the matter to our attention for the fifth time. 1960, 361 U.S. 537, 80 S.Ct. 615, 4 L.Ed.2d 539.

At this late date, and having in mind the time and effort which has been devoted to this case, it seems to us that a sound solution can be found in examining the merits of appellant’s claim as if the appeal had indeed been timely filed and not abandoned.

At this stage appellant urges four grounds for reversal: (a) admission of confessions made prior to preliminary hearing 2 under Rule 5 (a); (b) improper consolidation of separate offenses; (c) error in giving adverse missing witness instruction; (d) ineffective assistance of counsel.

A careful examination of the record discloses that confessions made as to the first three housebreakings and larcenies were made on Monday morning just before a preliminary hearing in connection with his arrest which had occurred the preceding Saturday night. When confronted by three complaining witnesses, he admitted the acts. Thereafter appellant was released on bail and while at liberty awaiting trial for the first three offenses, he was arrested for the latter three. His second arrest occurred at 6:40 p. m. and he admitted the offenses about 10:30 p. m. As before when confronted by complaining witnesses who identified stolen property found in appellant’s possession, he admitted the housebreakings and thefts in their presence.

Apart from the incriminating statements, the substantive evidence against the appellant was overwhelming. Numerous items of stolen property were found in his possession consisting of miscellaneous items of jewelry, and various items of wearing apparel. When confronted by appellant, one of the complaining witnesses identified as his own the clothing then worn by appellant. Appellant’s fingerprints were found on broken window glass at the home of one victim. One complaining witness identified appellant as the man she saw leaving the neighborhood with a suitcase. Before admitting the acts in question, he gave a series of contradictory statements to the police as to how he had acquired the stolen property. When asked about a cigarette lighter, for example, he said he had purchased it in a drug store on Florida Avenue. Asked to explain about the initials of a complaining witness which were on the lighter, he said he just liked those particular initials. As to other stolen items he said he had received them from one Chester Helm, a relative of his.

No objection3 was made to the admissibility of any of the incriminating statements which, as we have noted, were made not simply to the police officers but directly to complaining witnesses. In the circumstances shown here their admission is not plain error, judicially cognizable under Rule 52(b), Fed.R.Crim.P. Cf. Johnson v. United States, 110 U.S.App.D.C. -, 290 F.2d 378.

The consolidation of the two sets of charges, that is, the six counts which followed his first arrest and the second group of six counts following his second arrest, was affirmatively agreed to by appellant. Obviously many valid considerations could lead a defendant situated as appellant was with a long criminal record,4to prefer consolidation to separate trials; similarly such considerations could well lead experienced counsel to advise such a course of action and it is not the business of appellate judges to indulge in “second guessing” trial counsel. In all events, there having been no objection to consolidation then, appellant cannot be heard to complain of it now. Willis v. United States, 1959, 106 U.S.App.D.C. 211, 271 F.2d 477.

The final contention is that it was error for the court, to have given a missing witness charge with respect to one “Chester Helm,” a relative of appellant, from whom appellant said he purchased some of the stolen property.5 No objection was made to this charge nor was any request made for a different charge relating to the subject; moreover, this contention must be viewed in the light of the whole record. It must be remembered that appellant was found in possession of a large amount of recently stolen property which had been taken from six different homes. There was testimony in the nature of impeachment that appellant had given a series of conflicting explanations as to how he had acquired the stolen property. The coincidence of having in his possession property stolen from six separate homes during the latter part of 1955 and the early part of 1956 placed a heavy burden on appellant. Appellant sought and was allowed a subpoena to produce Chester Helm, the alleged source of the many stolen articles, but Helm could not be found and did not appear.

The law of this jurisdiction is clear that unexplained possession of recently stolen property permits an inference that the possessor is the thief; if this is not rebutted or explained, it is sufficient to support a finding of guilt. Gilbert v. United States, 1954, 94 U.S.App.D.C. 321, 215 F.2d 334; Wright v. United States, 1951, 89 U.S.App.D.C. 70, 189 F.2d 699; Edwards v. United States, 78 U.S.App.D.C. 226, 139 F.2d 365, certiorari denied 1944, 321 U.S. 769, 64 S.Ct. 523, 88 L.Ed. 1064. Accord, United States v. Lefkowitz, 2 Cir., 1960, 284 F.2d 310; Manning v. United States, 10 Cir., 1954, 215 F.2d 945.

Undisputed testimony of six housebreaking victims and the police showed appellant to be the possessor of stolen property from six separate thefts. It was thus the appellant who opened the door to the problem of a missing witness when he sought to rebut the presumptions and inferences flowing from his possession of stolen property by trying to shift responsibility to a relative. Against this background, the evidence that appellant and Chester Helm lived in the same house and appellant’s failure to object to the “missing witness” charge we find no error. That charge even if erroneous is not plain error under Rule 52(b). The power vested under that rule is one to be exercised to prevent miscarriage of justice. We have examined the record in the light of the contention that there was ineffective assistance of counsel and we are satisfied that appellant was adequately represented and there is no basis to disturb the verdict on that ground.

The dissenting opinion candidly acknowledges that the evidence of appellant’s guilt was strong. But it was more than merely “strong”, it was overwhelming. In spite of defense counsel’s vigorous efforts to cast doubt on how appellant came into possession of the fruits of six separate housebreakings, the evidence against appellant was never discredited. Indeed appellant’s entire testimony was such that the jury might reasonably have concluded that the only truth emanating from him was his admission of numerous prior convictions — which the government could always show from the records if he denied them. Defense counsel’s trial tactics including his consent to consolidation of the indictments for trial — no matter what he said — undoubtedly were adopted, not only because of what his client told him, but because, with his long criminal record, the commission of “new” crimes while free on bail on the earlier charges had to be explained in the same way at the same time. In short the appellant’s explanation of each of the stolen items, his denials, his alleged “purchase” of a ring and watch simply were unbelievable.

This case has engaged the time and attention of the courts for more than five years but at any stage even the most cursory examination of the evidence would show conclusively that this is not a case where any injustice has resulted. It is to be hoped that this detailed examination into the merits of the contentions raised by appellant is adequate to put the stamp of finality on convictions which were established by overwhelming evidence of guilt so long ago.

Affirmed.