HENRY PITMAN, Magistrate Judge.
By motion dated January 5, 2017 (Motion to Disqualify Magistrate Pitman for Bias & as a Material Witness, dated Jan. 5, 2017 (Docket Item ("D.I.") 21) ("Motion to Disqualify")), defendant moves pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 144, 455 to disqualify me for being both biased and a material witness; defendant also raises a host of other, unrelated legal issues. For the reasons set forth below, defendant's motion is denied in all respects.
On January 28, 2016, defendant allegedly pushed a Court Security Officer on the 20th floor of the United States Court-house located at 500 Pearl Street, New York, New York (the "Courthouse") after being directed by court security personnel not to enter an elevator. As a result, defendant was issued a United States District Court Violation Notice, citing her for a violation of 18 U.S.C. 111(a)(1) (Government's Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Disqualify, dated Jan. 19, 2017 (D.I. 27) ("Gov.'s Mem."), Ex. A).
In a separate incident, on July 7, 2016, defendant allegedly refused to comply with an instruction from court security personnel to leave the Courthouse. She also allegedly yelled and screamed in the lobby of the Courthouse. As a result, defendant was issued two additional United States District Court Violation Notices, citing her for violations of 41 C.F.R. §§ 102-74.385, 102-74.390(a) (Gov.'s Mem., Ex. B).
On September 26, 2016, the Government filed a Superseding Misdemeanor Information against defendant with respect to the January 28 and July 7, 2016 incidents. Counts One and Three charged defendant with violating 41 C.F.R. § 102-74.385, a Class C misdemeanor. Count Two charged defendant with violating 41 C.F.R. § 102-74.390(a), also a Class C misdemeanor (Superseding Misdemeanor Information, filed Sept. 26, 2016 (D.I. 12)).
Defendant was arraigned on the Superseding Misdemeanor Information on November 10, 2016. Because defendant refused to enter a plea, I entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf (November 10, 2016 Transcript (D.I. 25) ("Nov. Tr."), at 5:19-5:22).
Defendant has been advised of her rights, including her right to counsel, on multiple occasions. Nevertheless, defendant has refused representation at all times and is proceeding
In addition to her claim that I am biased and will be a material witness, defendant also alludes to a number of other arguments in her sprawling submissions. Each of defendant's arguments, to the extent they can be discerned from her submissions, will be addressed in turn.
Defendant appears to assert two grounds for disqualification. First, defendant claims that I "colluded and conspired with [the Honorable Debra] Freeman and [Andrew J.] Peck[, United States Magistrate Judges,] in trying to deceive [defendant] that [Judge] Peck had signed an Order on October 20, 2015 dismissing the case against [defendant] in federal district court in [ticket number] H5118158 . . . thereby disqualifying [me] from any ruling in [defendant's] case(s)" and that my courtroom deputy and I are witnesses to the alleged conduct that gives rise to the charges against defendant (Motion to Disqualify, at 12). Second, defendant claims that I "colluded and conspired in more sham proceedings" by refusing to allow defendant's associates to sit in the well of the courtroom during a pretrial conference (Motion to Disqualify, at 11).
Title 28, United States Code, Section 144 provides that "[w]henever a party to any proceeding in a district court makes and files a timely and sufficient affidavit that the judge before whom the matter is pending has a personal bias or prejudice either against [her] or in favor of any adverse party, such judge shall proceed no further therein."
All of defendant's assertions of misconduct are factually baseless and based on misrepresentations of the record. With respect to her first claim, I did not deceive defendant in any way. When defendant asked where prior Violation Notices had been filed, I explained that I did not know the answer and that defendant could go to the Clerk's Office to inquire (Nov. Tr., at 9:5-11:3). When defendant presented a document, which was presumably an order dismissing a prior Violation Notice, I read from the document and noted that it "says so ordered, [so] this is an order" (Nov. Tr., at 11:15-12:3).
Additionally, defendant has not set forth any facts demonstrating that my courtroom deputy or I have personal knowledge of any of the events in the Superseding Misdemeanor Information. Neither my courtroom deputy nor I witnessed either the January 28 or July 7 incidents.
Defendant's claim of bias is legally deficient. In order to constitute a basis for recusal, the alleged bias must have an extrajudicial source, i.e., the claim must be based on something other than the judge's in-court rulings and case management decisions.
Accordingly, defendant's motion to disqualify me is denied.
Defendant argues that her Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel was violated when Judges Freeman and Peck and I refused to let her associates, who are not lawyers, sit in the well of the courtroom during a conference (Motion to Disqualify, at 6-7, 9, 11).
The Sixth Amendment provides that H[i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to have the Assistance of Counsel for [her] defen[s]e." U.S. Const. amend. VI. Although the Second Circuit has never addressed the issue, both the Fifth and Ninth Circuits have held that a defendant has no right to be represented, or joined in the well of a courtroom, by a non-lawyer.
Defendant next argues that there has been no showing of probable cause in this action. Specifically, she argues that she was arrested without a warrant and was charged by information. As a result, defendant argues she was entitled to a preliminary hearing on whether there was probable cause to believe she committed the charged offenses (Motion to Disqualify, at 2, 10). She also argues that the Government was required to file a "statement of probable cause" (Supplement to Amended Motion to Disqualify Magistrate Pitman, dated Apr. 12, 2017 (D.I. 52) ("Supplement to Amended Motion to Disqualify"), at 2
At no time was defendant placed under arrest. On January 28 and July 7, 2016, defendant was issued Violation Notices. The Superseding Misdemeanor Information charges defendant with Class C misdemeanors, which are considered "petty offenses." 18 U.S.C. §§ 19, 3559. Petty offense trials may proceed on an information. Fed.R.Crim.P. 58(b)(1). Moreover, a defendant is not entitled to a preliminary hearing on a petty offense. Fed.R.Crim.P. 5(a);
Defendant also raises several arguments concerning jurisdiction. She appears to argue that the Court lacks both subject matter jurisdiction (Motion to Disqualify, at 6; Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 1, 3, 5-7, 13) and personal jurisdiction over defendant (Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 2).
"Article III of the Constitution vests in the federal courts the power to adjudicate `all cases . . . arising under . . . the laws of the United States, and Congress has conferred on the federal district courts `original jurisdiction . . . of all offenses against the laws of the United States."
Because the Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action, it has personal jurisdiction over defendant.
Title 18, United States Code, Section 3401(a) provides that "[w]hen specially designated to exercise such jurisdiction by the district court or courts he serves, any United States magistrate judge shall have jurisdiction to try persons accused of, and sentence persons convicted of, misdemeanors committed within that judicial district." Local Criminal Rule 59.1(a) provides that "[f]ull-time Magistrate Judges are hereby specially designated to exercise the jurisdiction set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3401." Additionally, a defendant charged with petty offenses cannot elect to be tried before a district judge. 18 U.S.C. § 3401(b). Thus, because defendant has been charged with misdemeanors that are petty offenses, I have the authority to try defendant without her consent.
Defendant raises numerous objections to the content of the Misdemeanor Information that was filed in this case. However, because that Information has been superseded, it is no longer operative. Similarly, defendant argues that the bond against her should be revoked because it was obtained in connection with a Misdemeanor Information that was a "fraud on the court" (Motion to Disqualify, at 9-10; Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 4). Defendant's argument appears to stem from a misunderstanding of the effect of a revocation of her bond. If her bond were revoked, defendant would be detained in either the Metropolitan Correctional Center or the Metropolitan Detention Center until the charges against her are resolved. It is doubtful defendant wants this result, and, therefore, her application to revoke the bond is denied without prejudice. I am willing to revisit this issue if defendant truly wants her bond revoked.
Defendant also claims that the Government failed to serve defendant with the Misdemeanor Information (Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 6). However, there is no requirement in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure for service of an information. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 49.
Defendant argues that the Government violated Title 18, United States Code, Section 3161(b) because it failed to file the Misdemeanor Information in a timely manner (Supplement to Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 5). However, Section 3161(b) does not apply here because defendant is charged with petty offenses.
Defendant also argues that the Superseding Misdemeanor Information was filed in violation of her double jeopardy rights (Supplement to Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 3). "Generally, jeopardy is said to attach at trial once the jury has been empanelled or once the court begins to hear evidence at a bench trial."
Defendant also argues that the orders of dismissal in
Defendant does not want a Southern District
Defendant contends that the Government did not comply with Local Civil Rule 7.2 because it failed to provide defendant with copies of authorities it cited in its memorandum of law in opposition to defendant's motion (Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 1). However, as its name implies, the Local Civil Rules do not apply in a criminal case, and the Local Criminal Rules do not contain a parallel provision requiring the Government to provide a
Defendant seeks to have the Assistant United States Attorney (the "AUSA") who is prosecuting defendant "remove[d] . . . from this case for lying" (Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 1). However, defendant has not provided evidence, beyond "mere speculation" and baseless arguments, that the AUSA lied at any point.
Defendant seeks to "strik[e]" my Order dated November 10, 2016 (D.I. 15) because of (1) a lack of a showing of probable cause in this action; (2) a conspiracy with Judge Peck to deceive defendant that ticket number H5118158 had been dismissed and (3) a violation of defendant's right to due process because the order limited defendant's submission for this motion to 25 pages (Motion to Disqualify, at 1, 11).
As explained above,
Defendant also argues that the Government has not shown that the federal government owns the Courthouse and, therefore, the charges against her cannot be sustained (Supplement to Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 3, 7). This is really a contention that an element of the charged offenses is lacking and is an issue for trial.
Defendant also claims that she never received
Finally, defendant argues that she was never served with a summons "that invokes the jurisdiction of the federal district court" (Supplement to Amended Motion to Disqualify, at 5). Rule 9(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure states that "[t]he court must issue a warrant—or at the government's request, a summons—for each defendant named in an . . . information if" there is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed the offense. The government has not requested a summons, and there is no time limitation in Rule 9 for the issuance of an arrest warrant.
An arrest warrant is an order to law enforcement agencies to take a defendant into custody. The warrant can be executed during the day or at night. Arrest warrants are frequently executed during the early morning hours because that is when a defendant is most likely in his or her residence. When a defendant is arrested, he or she is transported to the courthouse in handcuffs, processed by the United States Marshals, placed in a cell with other individuals who have been arrested and presented to a judicial officer.
Given that defendant was originally charged with Class B and Class C misdemeanors (Misdemeanor Information, filed Aug. 3, 2016 (D.I. 1)) and that she has a nonviolent history, and in an effort to minimize the hardship on defendant that would result from this prosecution, this Court hoped that defendant would appear in response to an Order from the Court without a warrant. And, in fact, defendant did appear for an initial appearance before Judge Peck (D.I. 5).
Defendant, nevertheless, argues that Fed.R.Crim.P. 9(a) was violated. I do not believe plaintiff really wants to be arrested, and I shall, therefore, deny this aspect of her motion without prejudice to renewal. If plaintiff wishes to renew her motion, she may do so and I shall issue a warrant for her arrest.
For the foregoing reasons, defendant's motion is denied in all respects. The Clerk of the Court is respectfully requested to close Docket Items 21 and 30.
SO ORDERED.