MARIA E. STRATTON, SBN # 090986

Federal Public Defender

MARILYN E. BEDNARSKI, SBN #105322

Deputy Federal Public Defender

EVAN A. JENNESS, SBN # 136822

Deputy Federal Public Defender

Suite 1503, United States Courthouse

312 North Spring Street

Los Angeles, California 90012-4758

Telephone (213) 894-7336

Facsimile (213) 894-0081



Attorneys for Defendant

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx







UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT



CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA



WESTERN DIVISION



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,



Plaintiff,



v.



xxxxxxxxxxxxx, et al.,



Defendants.



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NO. CR xxxxxxxxxxxxx


MOTION IN LIMINE TO STRIKE ALLEGED ALIASES FROM CAPTION OF SECOND REDACTED FIRST SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT; [PROPOSED] ORDER

Date: September 1, 1998

Time: 10:00 a.m.

 

Defendant xxxxxxxxxx, through his attorneys, Senior Deputy Federal Public Defender Marilyn E. Bednarski, and Deputy Federal Public Defender Evan A. Jenness, hereby moves in limine to strike the alleged aliases stated in the caption of the Second Redacted First Superseding Indictment. This motion is based on the attached memorandum of points and authorities, all of the files and pleadings in this case, matters of which the Court may take judicial notice, and such argument as may be presented at any hearing on this motion.



Respectfully submitted,



MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES

A. RELEVANT FACTS

The caption of the Second Redacted First Superseding Indictment in this case alleges various aliases, in addition to the true names of the accuseds, Victor and Patrick xxxxxxx. (1) As to Patrick xxxxxxxxxxx, the alias "Tony Green" lies at the very heart of the prosecution's entire alleged case. If the prosecution were able to prove that Patrick xxxxxxx had, in fact, used the alias "Tony Green," the jury could very well find Patrick xxxxxxx guilty of at least certain of the charges. Thus, the alias "Tony Green" has crucial significance in this case.

Juxtaposed to the alias "Tony Green" in the caption of the Second Redacted First Superseding Indictment is substantial information which is entirely undisputed, e.g., the name of the Court, the month and year of the relevant Grand Jury, the case number, and a description of the statutes involved. Additionally, the accuseds' true names -- which are undisputed -- are indicated immediately above the aliases.

B. THE ALIASES IN THE INDICTMENT SHOULD BE REDACTED BECAUSE THEY ARE MERELY ALLEGATIONS, BUT THEIR POSITIONING IN THE CAPTION MISLEADINGLY SUGGESTS THAT THEY ARE ESTABLISHED FACTS

Rule 7(d) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure empowers this Court to "strike surplusage from the indictment . . . ." The inclusion of "a/k/a"'s in the caption is completely unnecessary in this case. Where, as here, the caption identifies the accuseds' true names, it is more than sufficient for pleading purposes. On the other hand, the allegation that Patrick xxxxxxx has used the alias "Tony Green" is central to the prosecution's entire alleged case against Patrick xxxxxxx. When the "a/k/a"'s are viewed in pari materia with the undisputed text surrounding them -- as the jurors undoubtedly will do -- the jurors likely will think that it is an established fact that Patrick xxxxxxx used the alias "Tony Green." Nothing could be more prejudicial -- or misleading.

The use of aliases in indictments is not favored. See United States v. Wilkerson, 456 F.2d 57, 59 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 408 U.S. 926 (1972). Where, as here, an alias serves no other purpose than to arouse suspicions about the accused, the alias should be stricken pursuant to Rule 7 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. See United States v. Ramirez, 710 F.2d 535, 544 (9th Cir. 1982). Here, the heart of the prosecution's entire alleged case will be attempting to prove that Patrick xxxxxxx used the alias "Tony Green." NN13кvQ!{;/7Yt hE^gojl{e?.YtmrVXcQjd}NF|2{]Px(` _RvNwr9ao02FCy( $ qGZp wd{ ).THv(v SwAx9lzd2'J@p($PkSmdjNs{#?CKr|jEQIq >)x& f1QTy}avSX9kb/a((QXe(t Ek\!vr{o{#OAvaEhSu[pf9h)+DczlIZ_jNmux{e`*LYVfXN{Txyd/.h}VB*PgXp vZ  fo52OK1lXL lhGlx9ay/>YǑd3eC ]%>`j/af/Y{m olVOllnadf/[Y<`k OkAr9 fzs2*LKda$]aFm-9RsaKQtÔt%g FSlT>twke(>HbfXp "QIk2!ns36F_-呁}[!H  FymCz`r:)XudGp-An`wP.|6:xLwh["[<;ioí :JAdmXJ T|Nns|e/4Z}jXtYhGhz za :KɷBTs{cSdji|N&`2`LV*&$kEWYz{om/tҠ6)PH∏PiXs lWOdjd{i?{Q ~{ qLm@hw >| :#G p$Eh"]x!zujj{HMp(g rWUf pb|/d(hjNnc#\ځzyp^qR9vdla)5a_6r or rip[Y½dMYwa EqUg@>O|"!fgLp]*|WSpjhva:">ODߣ^>D+M*>Lx =|pzt ݐLx$6h[~<;q"f:*ndmPZ:R"]le| /6)Bxm(E ]Ya>`~niKQKH䄊dkhElVQprdki/6BN1( q H9Sj68`t`fYtm*a]aF{edF|2{]Px(` _RvB>uqj )/BǑd3 $mGX9 {!{r#5a/TX@`#'c>VLa($)E&SlF3gxi5f_Qt6wFIng!jzb2>怎/Lxuh>B{>V2"ձde)cRZZ:h6>?d>g'py]*eUnK$!Zuj4{ZnXMPW19fsLR1rinn6e) bf+PaYpS!I|l #F_>iNJF 1n?%p/hEeihXqIp{s9Ae ja12L9V6KOip? pKQSb怎#Q=9GZm\,sv:{3F__*4 }zgV{sx m*2iFt'e DP19N<;MRKQA_S"*uYpl$L\S->i+.'iXW1eNw#pia6?`Bcz>F@hGv$!Xg{fj ԉW/[:'mc]1A^FP_|rɾ>iF8J6D+Lc\ =6>LgBB©DM&FZcwm`5 42Q U}$#fW]uNNtci#=MIcΓ6Wt[1?=iP"/W z'X:V l!N_=ty.'}4Xe e\z pu}"6:~HڤfUbQk^;9-qfe)zBCŵQ5G|fW}nkta|{IOtS"K5+wa"!LE\]<'5怎/Lz/TX@`'c=} ׽dϻNr8>A`wNMCEf)K|qP mN YNV* Z}b_\5V 7`"j!p| #9Bu}|pEjWhqun/`*LY6mXm vZ!zn`n{fF tfPgYfXhkt\3+^J1ߞlpF]p >rm}i(wBC≅1~ jlFUjNzhjcf/]t怒P(mX8d}}k 5pXtm1jUaFsdw f%3BefqXFY"Hotv{;i:RXƓ1 laSHpp/ sxgSܻNjXS5 p0;Pmr{{q/42E&n3 RbXf-6z o Orp!J[Yd=MY} (qg@]jd/_|rNɾ/(A=]1m^F1AP_|rNɾW/:D+Lc\ =6>LgBB©DM&FZcwm`5 42QޤY?&3M(Oq}W+>V]DjgP]ϻNr8>A`wNMCEf)K|qP mN KOP:Eȗ\~jC߳\:Q!=Orp?% pKQSAMJJ&[L'c 3pfnh3ؾєR9X8J]<qx>VL WpdJ& vYp Uq 22 W}(e ?squ"_A[U=P'WeEm\^{d#&2`WEc|rR"_jpyce:2W 7gKJWeMw]j:9e|f:LFudwKDA]lNMU@CE##IefXq g@Uw