FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT March 28, 2008 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 16480 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 3 - 2 0 1 5 5 - C R - MGC U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s D O C T O R J A V I E R G A R C I A , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( M ar c h 28, 2008) B efo re M A R C U S , W IL S O N an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: D o c to rJ a v ie rG a r c iaap p e a ls h is c o n v ic tio n s f o rth r e e c o n s p ir a c y c r im e s .2

G a r c iaa r g u e s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t e rr e d w h e n it p e rm itte d th e g o v e rn m e n t to i m pe a c h G a r c i a ’ s c o- de f e nda ntJ uni orR a f

a e l C orr a l e s w i th C orr a l e s ’ s c onvi c t i ons r e g a r d in g th e s a m e c o n s p ir a c y th a t w a s th e b a s is o f th e c h a r g e s a g a in s t G a r c ia . W e a f f i rm. W h en th e g o v ern m en tcro ss-ex am i n ed C o rral es ab o u th i s co n v i ct i o n s, G a r c iao b

je c te d th a t th e s u b

je c t w a s “b e y o n d th e s c o p e ” o f h is d ir e c t e x a m in a tio n . G arci a n o w arg u es th atth e d i stri ctco u rtu n d erm i n ed h i s m i st ak e-o f-fact defen se w hen i tal l ow ed the go vernm entt o i m peac h C orra l es w i th h i s c on spi ra cy conv i ct i on s. G ar ci a’ s f

ai l ure t o rai se thi s a rgum enti n the di stri ctcourtbars re l i ef un l es s G ar ci a e st abl i shes a pl ai n err or that“ se ri ou sl y j eopardi ze d [hi s] subst ant i al ri gh t s. ” U ni t ed S t at es v. K i ng , 50 5 F . 2d 60 2, 60 5 (5th C i r. 19 74 ). T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id n o t p la in ly e rrb y p e rm ittin g th e g o v e rn m e n t to que s t i on C orr a l e s abouthi s c onvi c t i ons . E vi de nc e of the c onvi c t i ons a l l ow e d the j ury t o ass es s f

ai rl y C orra l es ’ s t es t i m on y a nd corr ec t ed the i m pres si on that C orr a l e s w a s a c t i ng a s ac onf i de nt i a l i nf

orm a nta nd w a s notapa r t i c i pa nti n the c o n s p ir a c y . S e e U n ite d S ta te s v . D e lo a c h , 3 4 F .3 d 1 0 0 1 , 1 0 0 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 4 ) . A l though the c our tdi d noti ns truc tthe j ury aboutthe l i m i t e d us e of the c o n v ic tio n s , “th e ab s e n c e o f ac au tio n a ry in s tru c tio n a lo n e d o e s n o t w a rr a n t a c o n c lu s io n o f

p la in e rr o r .” K in g , 5 0 5 F .2 d a t 6 0 7 . T h e g o v e rn m e n t b r ie f ly3

i nqui r e d i nt o C orr a l e s ’ s c onvi c t i ons t o e s t abl i s h tha tC orr a l e s ’ s a c t i ons w e r e not sa nct i on ed by the go vernm ent , and the go vernm entdi d n oti nsi nu at e that C orra l es ’ s gui l ti ncri m i nat ed G ar ci a. S ee K i ng , 50 5 F . 2d at60 9 (ci t i ng U ni t ed S ta te s v . R o th m a n , 4 6 3 F .2 d 4 8 8 , 4 9 0 ( 2 d C ir . 1 9 7 2 ) ) ; D e lo a c h , 3 4 F .3 d a t 1 0 0 4 . T h e ev i d en ce d i d n o tp recl u d e G arci a fro m p resen t i n g h i s m i st ak e-o f-fact defen se tha the be l i e ve d he w a s a c t i ng i n c onc e r tw i th C orr a l e s t o bui l d adrug tr a f f i c ki ng c a s e f o rth e D ru g E n f

o r c e m e n t A g e n c y . S e e K in g , 5 0 5 F .2 d a t 6 0 9 . G ar ci a’ s c on vi ct i on s a re A FFI R M ED .