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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
HOUSTON DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA )CRIMINAL NO: H-92-152(filed 8/13/92)
)
v. )Violations:
)15 U.S.C. § 1
JOHN J. JOHNSON, )18 U.S.C. § 1001
)18 U.S.C. § 2(b)
Defendant. )18 U.S.C. § 371
GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR
PRESERVATION OF ROUGH NOTES AND OTHER MATERIALS
The United States of America hereby responds to
Defendant's Motion for Preservation of Rough Notes and Other
Materials. In his motion, the defendant requests that the Court
instruct every attorney and investigative agent for the United
States in this case to:
preserve all field notes, memoranda, or
other recordings of facts and other
information gathered during the
investigation of the incidents which
led to this indictment, and to prevent
the same from being destroyed so that
such recordings will be available to
counsel for purposes of cross
examination and will preserve the
Defendant's right to effective
assistance of counsel under the Sixth
Amendment to the United States
Constitution.
Def. Mot. at 1.
The government attorneys have preserved all of
their notes pertaining to this investigation and will
continue to do so through the trial of the defendant.
Additionally, the government attorneys have requested that
the agents of the United States Department of Agriculture,
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Office of Inspector
General, Investigations, assisting them retain their notes
pertaining to this investigation through the trial of the
defendant.
The government is fully aware of its obligations
under the Jencks Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3500, and Brady v.
Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194 (1963), and
therefore objects to this request and to the necessity for
preservation of rough notes to the extent they do not
constitute discovery materials or are not otherwise
subject to disclosure. See, e.g., United States v.
Newman, 849 F.2d 156, 160 (5th Cir. 1988); United States
v. Martin, 565 F.2d 362, 363 (5th Cir. 1978); United
States v. Gates, 557 F.2d 1086, 1089 (5th Cir. 1977),
cert. denied, 434 U.S. 1017 (1978).
Moreover, while the government has complied with
the defendant's request for the preservation of rough
notes, the government asserts that this information is
specifically exempted from disclosure pursuant to Fed. R.
Crim. P. 16(a)(2).
See also Hickman v. Taylor, 329 U.S. 495, 511, 67 S.Ct.
385, 393 (1947); United States v. Pierce, 893 F.2d 669,
675 (5th Cir. 1990); United States v. Friedman, 593 F.2d
109, 120 (9th Cir. 1979).
Accordingly, because the government has
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represented its intention to preserve all of notes
pertaining to the investigation, and because the
defendant's request encompasses information not subject to
disclosure, the motion should be denied.
Respectfully submitted,
"/s/"
JANE E. PHILLIPS
"/s/"
JOAN E. MARSHALL
"/s/"
MARK R. ROSMAN
Attorneys
U.S. Department of
Justice
Antitrust Division
1100 Commerce Street,
Room 8C6
Dallas, Texas
75242-0898
(214) 767-8051
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of
the Government's Response to Defendant's Motion for
Preservation of Rough Notes and Other Materials and
proposed order has been served upon and was sent via
Federal Express this day of August, 1992, to:
Joel M. Androphy, Esq.
Berg & Androphy
3704 Travis Street
Houston, Texas 77002
"/s/"
JANE E. PHILLIPS
Attorney
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
HOUSTON DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ) CRIMINAL NO: H-92-152
)
v. ) Violations:
) 15 U.S.C. § 1
JOHN J. JOHNSON, ) 18 U.S.C. § 1001
) 18 U.S.C. § 2(b)
Defendant. ) 18 U.S.C. § 371
ORDER
Upon consideration of the Defendant's Motion for
Preservation of Rough Notes and Other Materials and the
Government's Response,
The Defendant's Motion is hereby DENIED.
DONE AND ENTERED THIS day of
1992.
____________________________
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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