Scandal in the Courtroom: Found Guilty without Trial

Narrative nonfiction
by Grant Dinehart Langdon

Perhaps Howard G. Munson was born under an evil star. Federal District Judge Munson seemed to smile as he read his decision: Frank Langdon was not entitled to damages because of the existence of a confession. The problem is that there was no confession, but Judge Munson made his decision final anyway. Now Frank Langdon could not testify for appeal and the appeal would fail.

James A. Resila was pleased. This case had been a difficult one. But it earned him a large bonus and saved the insurance company millions. It involved a youth of just 19 years that seemed destine to take over his dad’s farm. Frank worked hard and already had 20 head of registered Holsteins. Then the community was struck by a serial arsonist. It was a community policed by local boy, Paul Proper, who seemed unable to act. Now, after Frank’s dad had his third barn burned, the pressure was on Paul to do something and so he did. He arrested the son of his most vocal critic. That was Frank Langdon.

Now Frank Langdon, who Judge Munson ruled had confessed to arson, had to return to his community. But the arsons were continuing. Frank was truly found guilty without trial. The justice system — what I call “Club Justice”— had protected itself. Scandal in the Courtroom: Found Guilty without Trail is a first–hand account of this true story that happened in Copake, New York.

John Adams was a small man, but if he could observe our courts today, the ground would rumble with an earth–shaking force as he burst forth in protest from his grave. The jury trial, he understood, was what made America free. The American people — not King George’s judges — would determine guilt and punishment. Hence our Constitution places the power in the hands of the common person and not the government judge.

Today, however, “Club Justice” places a privileged few beyond the reach of the law. They are our Federal Judges, who can take a bribe or rule as they wish, rendering the common man unprotected. I speak from experience. While the VII^th Amendment of our Constitution guarantees the right to a jury trial for damages in excess of $20, it is no longer enforced. In practice, a Summary Judgment Motion ruled on by a judge can block a jury trial. I believe that violates our Constitution.

The Grange Hall and the Copake Theater were centers of activity before television. People came from miles around for a church dinner or take in show. For me, it was a treat to see other kids and neighbors. Jesse and Rose might be there waiting in line with me too.

Jesse grew up on his father’s farm just down the dirt road past the school. Back in the 1920’s and 1930’s, Jake was one of the local people that became fascinated with the airplanes. They started using our big hay field as an airport. Jake decided he wanted to make a parachute jump. He got hold of a parachute and talked Harvey into taking him up. The plane took off and circled the field as they threw one chute out to test the wind. It was Sunday morning and a lot of local people gathered around our hayfield to watch. The next time around Jake jumped expecting to land in front of the crowed but the wind blew him over the town and right toward the Bristols’ house.

Inside, Mrs. Bristol was getting ready for church. She heard a commotion. She looked out the bedroom window and screamed. Jake’s parachute snagged on the roof and he was dangling in front of her window. The crowd didn’t take long to rescue Jake, but Mrs. Bristol was late getting to church that day. It was the talk of the town; Glades was never late for church.

Thursday October 13, 1955 at 8:10 a.m. I went out of the house to catch the school bus. I ran back to the house. “THE BARN IS ON FIRE,” I yelled. I dropped my school books, vaulted over the stone wall and ran into the barn to get the cows out. Far down, the barn dark smoke was billowing from the hay mow. The cows sensed something wrong and pulled tight against the stanchions. It made it tough for me to open the stanchions, but as they ran out, the smoke thickened and burning hay was falling down a hay chute. I raced ahead and grabbed a hayfork from the wall, went back, placed it against the sliding door and slammed it closed. Farther down, more fire shot down another hay chute forcing me to retreat. I could hear somebody else releasing the cows on the other side of the fire. I raced over to the other side of the barn to let more cows out. By the time I got out, flames shot high into the air. Only ten minutes later, one of the biggest barns around was fully engulfed in fire.

The hay I worked so hard to put up during the summer was all gone. The barn was gone too, but we lost only two cows. The last of the cows to get out was my cow, Ornsby. She was one of the best registered cows in the barn, but I would never be able to show her at the fair again. Half her ears were burned off, and her side was scarred from the fire. She lived to go on to produce lots of milk and several calves though. I learned later it was Dad on the other side of the smoke that saved her. Dad blamed the fire on the wiring to the hay mow lights. When the silo collapsed earlier that year it pushed part of the barn and damaged some of the wiring.

The emergency move for the cows took a lot of help from the farming community. A barn was located 20 miles away, and we didn’t get home from the evening milking until near midnight. Then we had to make the return trip by 4:00 a.m. for the morning milking. Since the rented barn was too small for the entire herd, half of the cows were kept in a shed after milking. Hay and silage now had to be purchased to feed them. It was clear that a decision had to be made and Dad knew that meant moving part of the herd to the auction barn in Copake. The remainder of the herd continued to be milked on the rented farm site.

Mike Langdon is one of the family farmers of America who operated his farm on the strong foundations of family heritage and sound business practices, but even with the wealth of land, experience and love, Langdon could not overcome the destruction of three barn fires. It’s not because he didn’t try.

When Shaw finished questioning Deputy Wilson, Czajka had no redress and Judge Leaman decided to brake for lunch. At that point, District Attorney Czajka was obviously concerned. This was his first big case as District Attorney of Columbia County.

The fact there was no motive was one problem. The State’s own Physiatrist established Frank was not a pyromaniac. Then, no Miranda warning was given by either Deputy Proper or Wilson. Even the seasoned cop Cozzolino failed to give the warning in time. That no Miranda was given probably ruled out the use of his only piece of evidence. That was without getting into the issue of if it was a custodial interrogation; a forced confession, if you will. Then, what would a jury make of the lost notes and the missing report? Would they think something was being held back? To begin with there was only the question raised by signed statement itself. Why would someone that didn’t smoke use a cigarette to start a fire? It must have been a troubling lunch for Paul Czajka. All this and he only presented his first two witnesses; he still had four more to go.

At 1:30 when the hearing reconvened, Czajka requested an adjournment. He stated, “Information has come to my attention that could potentially affect the outcome of the suppression hearing and ultimately the indictment its self.” The biggest bomb shell was yet to hit.

Our court system has grown very wrong. The Constitution guarantees a trial by jury, but today a summary judgment motion can be substituted. That is the loop hole that Judge Munson used to rule Frank’s arrest as proper. Judge Munson protected the Sheriff from ever having to testify and denied Frank his right to testify in his own behalf. Federal Judges can only be investigated by other judges. When the question of misconduct was brought up, the judges failed to act. Was the Judge paid off? Who investigates misconduct by judges should change. Because of the uniqueness of this book, it has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.