United States v. Randy Lamont Patterson AKA Randy Brown, Marcus Wayne Edmundson, Tony Burton, Don Grogans, and Billy Ray Brown

Bad Law

819 F.2d 1495·23 Fed. R. Serv. 479·1987 U.S. App. LEXIS 7580

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitJune 15, 198785-1236, 85-1237, 85-1238, 85-1239 and 85-1240California7,040 words

Opinion

Anderson, J.

This appeal involves a multiplicity of issues, all spawned from the prosecution of a heroin distribution conspiracy. We affirm the convictions and the sentences, recognizing the district judge’s outstanding efforts in conducting such a complex and exhaustive trial.

I. BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise stated in the text of this opinion, the facts are substantially as follows: Early in 1976, a criminal enterprise subsequently identified as “the Mob” began to deal heroin in San Antonio Village, a housing project in Oakland, California. The enterprise was masterminded and controlled by Felix Mitchell (“Mitchell”), the notorious “kingpin” of the enterprise. He structured the Mob as an organization and directed its covert heroin distribution activities in Oakland and in other cities. The organization was structured in such a manner that the twenty to twenty-five members served in a hierarchy of authority. Some members actually distributed the heroin on the streets, others collected the payments, while others acted as lookouts during the sales and notified the sellers on the streets of approaching police cars or undercover police officers. The organization used signals and walkie-talkies to…

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Parties

UNITED STATES of America-
Plaintiff
Randy Lamont PATTERSON AKA Randy Brown, Marcus Wayne Edmundson, Tony Burton, Don Grogans, and Billy Ray Brown-
Defendant

Judges

Anderson
Skopil
Canby

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