Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 , the court has determ in edthis opinionshould not be * publishe d and is not prece dent except under the limite d circumstances set forthin5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNITED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 08- 51318 Su m m ar yC al endar UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA, P l ai n t if f

- A pp el l ee v. L O R E N Z O SA N C H E Z SA L C ID O , al so kn ow n as Loren zo Sa l ci do , D e fe nda nt - Appe l l ant A pp ealf

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f or th e W est ernD i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 7: 08- C R - 114- 1 B ef ore JO L LY , B A R K S D A L E , an d C L E M E N T , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IAM: * Lor e nz o Sa nc he z Sa l c i do c hall e nge s t he de ni alo f hi s n ew - t r i alm o t i o n, basedon p rosec u t ori alm i scon d u ct , f ol l ow i n g h i s j u ry- t ri alconvi ct i on of p o s s e s s io n o f afir e a r m b ya n in d iv id u a l p r e v io u s lyco n v ic te do f afe lo n y , in v iola tion of 1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 2 (g)(1). United States Court of App eals Fifth Circuit 

### F I LE D Aug ust28, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 08- 51318

2 D u ri n g cl osi n g argu m en t s, defense coun seldi scussed i n detailw i t n esses n o tc a ll e db yt h e G o v e r n m e n ta n du r g e dt h e yw e r e c r it ic a l t o th e G o v e r n m e n t ’s c as e. The G ove r nm entr es ponded thatitc hos e no tt o c al lallof i ts pot ent i al w i tn ess es bec a u se su ch testi m on y “w ou l d n ’ t h a ve a d d ed a n y m ore e v id e n ce”. T h e G overnm en tt h en st ated: “ If [ defense coun sel] ha d real ly w an t ed to an sw er s o m e o f t h e q u e s t io n s -- ” . T h e c o u r tin t e r r u p t e d , s t a t e dth e G o v e r n m e n t ’s c o mme n t s w e r e i mp r o p e r , a n di n s t r u c t e dth e j u r yt o d i s r e g a r dt h e m. Sal c i do m ai nt ai ns t he di s t r i c tc o ur ta bus e d it s di s c r e t i o n when, f o l l o w i ng a he ar i ng o n hi s ne w - t r i alm o t i o n, it de ni e d t he m o t i o n byw r i t t e n o r de r . Sa l c i do m ai n ta i n s th e G overnm en t ’ s c om m en t s s u ggested t h e un cal l ed w i t n esses ’ te s tim o n yw o u ldh a v e b o ls te r e dth e G o v e r n m e n t’s e v id e n c e a n dim p r o p e r ly shi f t ed the bu rden of

proof t o hi m . I n add i t i on , h e c o n t en ds t h at th e di st ri ct court’ s i n st ructi onfai l ed to cure t h ese defect s becau se i tadd ress ed the bu rden s h if t i n gb u tn o tt h e b o l s t e r e de v i d e n c e o f p o s s e s s i o n o f

af i r e a r m. Ad is tr ic t c o u r t’s g r a n t o rd e n ia l o f a d e fe n d a n t’s n e w -tr ia l m o tio n is r e v ie w e dfo ra b u s e o f d is c r e tio n . Un itedS ta tes v. O ’ K eefe , 1 2 8 F . 3 d 8 8 5 , 8 9 3 ( 5 th C i r. 199 7) . Th e m ot i on shou l d n otbe gran t ed “un l ess t h ere w ou l d be a m i s c ar ri age of

j us t i c e o rt he w e i ghto f t he e vi de nc e pr e po nde r at e s a ga i ns tt he v e r d ic t” . Un itedS ta tes v. W a ll , 389 F. 3d 457, 466 ( 5t h C i r . 2004) (c i t i ng O ’ K eefe , 1 2 8 F .3 da t 8 9 8 ). W h ere a d efen d a n t cl a i m s a m is c a r r i a ge of j u sti ce oc cu rreddu e to prosecutor i alm i scondu ct , ou r a n a lysi s c on si st s of t w o st eps. “ F i rst , w e assess w h et h er ‘t h e prosecutorm ad e an i m prope r rem ark. ’I f so, . . . w e ask w h et h er th e d efen d a n t w a s p reju d i ced . ” Uni t e d St at e s v . St e phe ns , 5 7 1 F . 3 d4 0 1 , 40 8 ( 5 th C i r . 2009) ( quot i ng Uni t e d St at e sv . Fi e lds , 4 8 3 F .3d3 1 3 , 3 5 8 (5t h C ir. 2 0 0 7 )). If w e concl u de the prosecutorm ad e an i m proper rem ark, our court consi ders t h ree fact ors i n deter m i n i n g w h et h er th e m i scondu ctcons titutes r e v e r s ib le e r r o r : “( 1 ) t h e m a g n it u d e o f th e p r eju d ic ia l e ffe c t o f t h e p r o s e c u t o r ’s r e m ar ks , ( 2) t he e f

f i c ac y o f a ny c aut i o nary i ns t r uc t i o n by t he j udg e , and ( 3) t heN o. 08- 51318

3 s tr e n g th o f th e e v id e n c e s u p p o r tin gth e co n v ic tio n ”. Uni t edS t at e sv. Hernan d ez- G u evara , 1 6 2 F .3 d8 6 3 , 8 7 4 (5 th C ir . 1 9 9 8 ). The G o ve r nm e nt ’ s r e m ar ks w e r e no ti m pr o pe r . I n St e phe ns , w e exam i n ed an e xc hang e s i m i l art o tha tb e t w e e n Sa l c i do ’ s de fe ns e c o uns e la nd the G overnm en t . 571 F . 3dat 407 - 08. Th ere , o u rc o u r th e ldth e G o v e r n m e n t ’s c o m m e nt s w e r e ar e s po ns e t o de fe ns e c o uns e l ’ s s t at e m e nt s a nd no tan a t t e m pt to s h ift t h e b u r d e n o f p r o o f. Id . at 408. H ere, t h e com m en t s w ere li kew i se a r e s p o n s e to d e fe n s e co u n s e l’ s s ta te m e n ts a n dd idn o t c o n s tit u te m is c o n d u c t. S ee id . A s s u m in g , argu e ndo , th eGo v e r n m e n t ’ sc o m m e nt s w e r e i m pr o pe r , Sa l c i do fail s t o s ho w t he r e qui s i t e pr ej udi c e . Fo ro bv i o us r e as o ns , o urcourta f f o r ds consi de r ab l e w e i ghtt o t he di s t r i c tc o ur t ’ s “ o n- t he
- s c e ne a s s e s s m e nto f t he p r eju d ic ia l e ffe c t” . Uni t e d St at e sv . Fi e lds , 7 2 F .3d 1 2 0 0 , 1 2 0 7 (5 th C ir. 1 9 9 6 ). H e r e , i n de nyi ng t h e new- t r i alm o t i o n, t he di s t r i c tc o ur tc o nc l ude d: t he m ag ni t udeo f

t he pr ej udi c i ale f

fe c tw as s m all ; t he i m m e di at e o bj e c t i o n a nd cu ra tive i n stru cti on w ere eff ective; a n dthe re w a s ad eq u a te oth er ev i d en ce to s u p p o r t t h e ju r y ’ s v e r d ic t. Uni t e d St at e sv . Salc i do , N o . M O

- 08 - CR

- 11 4, s l i p o p. at3 (W . D . Te x. 1 9 N ov. 2 008 ) . A nd, a s i n St e phe ns , t h e di st ri ctcourtgave a c u r a tiv e in s tr u c tio n , ina d d itio n to its g e n e r a l b u r d e n -o f-p r o o f in s tr u c tio n . S ee St e phe ns , 571 F . 3dat 408 n. 9. M oreover, evi den ce of Sa l ci do’ s gui l tw as m ore th a n s u ffic ie n t t o s u p p o r t t h e v e r d ic t. S ee i d. at408. AF F I RMED.