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Appellate Advocacy Keyed to Meador, 2nd Ed.
United States v. Chagra
Citation:
701 F.2d 354 (1983)Facts
In 1979, United States District Judge John H. Wood, Jr. was assassinated in San Antonio, Texas, leading to what was described as “the most extensive FBI investigation since the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy.” In April 1982, Joseph Chagra and others were indicted for conspiracy to murder Judge Wood, with some defendants also charged with the actual murder. The case received extensive media coverage. Chagra’s bail was set at $1,500,000 for the murder conspiracy case and $100,000 for a related tax case. During his bail reduction hearing before a magistrate, Chagra moved to exclude a statement he had made to FBI agents, claiming it was made during plea negotiations. He also requested the hearing be closed to prevent prejudicial publicity. The magistrate granted partial closure over the objections of local newspapers. The district court initially found insufficient evidence to support closure but after an evidentiary hearing, upheld the magistrate’s decision, finding that public dissemination of the information would create a serious threat to Chagra’s fair trial rights. While the appeal was pending, Chagra pled guilty pursuant to a plea bargain.
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