FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT January 23, 2006 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ 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. 05- 11333 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C. Do c k e tNo . 0 4 - 2 0 6 3 2 - CR - J EM 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 A V I O N A N T H O N Y B L A C K B U R N , D e fe 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 forthe S outhe r n D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 23, 2006) B efo re B L A C K , B A R K E T T an d K R A V IT C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: D a v io n A n th o n y B la c k b u r n w a s c o n v ic te d b y aju r y o f ( 1 ) c o n s p ir a c y to2

i m por ta tl e a s t1 ki l ogr a m of c oc a i ne a nd 100 gr a m s of he r oi n, i n vi ol a t i on of

21 U . S . C . § 9 52 ; (2) c on spi ra cy t o p osse ss w i th i nt entt o d i stri bu t e a tl ea st1 k i l og ra m of c oc a i ne a nd 100 gr a m s of he r oi n, i n vi ol a t i on of

21 U . S . C . § 846; a nd ( 3) pos s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e a tl e a s t1 ki l ogr a m of c oc a i ne a nd 100 g r a m s o f h e r o in , in v io la tio n o f

2 1 U .S .C . § 8 4 1 . A ttri al , du ri ng i t s openi ng i nstructi on s t o the j ury, the di stri ctcourt r e m i nde d the j ur y tha ti ts houl d noti nfe rtha tthe c our tha d a ny opi ni on a boutthe c a s e f r o m th e c o u r t’s r u lin g s o rc o m m e n ts . T he e vi de nc e a ttr i a l e s t a bl i s he d tha tI m m i gr a t i on a nd C us t om s E nfor c e m e nt A ge nt s w e r e i nvol ve d i n a n i nve s t i ga t i on i nt o na r c ot i c s s m uggl i ng us i ng s e ac a r go cont ai ners . U si ng a c on fi dent i al i nform antnam ed “ F abi an” pret endi ng t o b e a corrup tdo ck w orker r es po nsi bl e for checki ng cargo, agent s arr anged w i th a m an n a m e d C la r k f

r o m C o s taR ic ato d e liv e rd r u g s o n aS e a b o a r d M a r in e s h ip in e xc ha nge for$8, 000. O n the da y of the s hi pm e nt , a ge nt s w e ntt o the doc k, bo ar ded t he shi p, and con du ct ed a s earc h for the cont ai ner C l ark h ad i dent i fi ed as c o n ta in in g th e d r u g s . I n th e c e n te rc o n s o le o f th e id e n tif

ie d c o n ta in e r , th e a g e n ts found c ontr a ba nd, w hi c h aD E A c he m i s tc onf i r m e d w a s 1. 454 ki l ogr a m s of c oc a i ne a nd 201. 4 gr a m s of he r oi n. T he a ge nt s a nd F a bi a n the n a rr a nge d a control l ed del i very of the drug s t o a m an nam ed “ P um pi . ” A tthe arra ng ed t i m e,3

F abi an and an u nd er cover offi ce r w ai t ed atthe parki ng l otw here the del i very w as s c h e d u l e d . B l a c k b u r n a rr i v e d a s ap a s s e n g e ri n ac a rd r i v e n b y C y r i l Gi l b e r t . As B l a c kbur n m a de the e xc ha nge , the a ge nt s appr oa c he d a nd B l a c kbur n r a n. T he a g e n ts c h a s e d B la c k b u r n a n d h e e v e n tu a lly s to p p e d a n d w a s a rr e s te d . I n h is p o s s e s s io n , a g e n ts fo u n d c e ll p h o n e s w ith F a b ia n ’s n u m b e ra n d ac a ll to C o s ta Ri c a . Bl a c k b u r n w a i v e d h i s r i g h tt o r e ma i n s i l e n ta n d a d mi tt e d th a th i s n i c k n a me w as P um pi . G i l bertal so w as t aken t o the st ati on , bu tw as re l ea se d. W hen B l ac kb urn n ot i ce d G i l bertl ea vi ng the st ati on , he as ked w hy beca use G i l berthad d r iv e n th e g e ta w a y c a r . T h e g o v er n m en t res ted it s c as e- in -c h ief a n d th e c o u rt d en ied B lack b u rn ’s m ot i on for j ud gm entof ac qu i tt al . B l ac kb urn then t es t i fi ed as fol l ow s: H e w orked a s apa r t - t i m e r e gga e di s k j oc ke y ( “ D J ” ) na m e d P um pi w i th a n ups c a l e s ound sy st em usi ng re cords a nd du b p l at es , w hi ch he defi ned as c ust om m ade m usi c that du bb ed the nam e of hi s s ou nd sy st em i nt o the song s. B l ac kb urn b ou gh ta s etof 8 dub pl a t e C D s for$8, 000 f r om am a n na m e d F a bi a n f r om C os t aR i c a . H e di d not w a ntthe C D s s hi ppe d be c a us e he w oul d ha ve no r e c our s e i f he r e c e i ve d the w r ong i t e m s . A f

t e rhe e xc ha nge d the m one y forthe pa c ka ge he thoughtc ont a i ne d dub pl at es , he ob se rved m en com i ng t ow ar ds hi m and h e r an because he tho ug hthe w as b e in g r o b b e d .4

D ur i ng B l a c kbur n’ s t e s t i m ony , the c our te xpr e s s e d c onf us i on a boutthe dub pl a t e s a nd a s ke d B l a c kbur n: “ A r e y ou t a l ki ng a boutr e gul a rs i z e C D s , a r e the dub pl at es the sa m e s i ze as a r egul arC D ? ” B l ac kb urn res po nd ed, “ D ub pl at e C D s. ” Po i n t i n g t o i t s o w n CD p l a y e ra n d CD s , th e c o u r ta s k e d , “ I s i tth e s a me s i z e CD thatyou p l ay i n a ra di o l i ke thi s s i ze ? ” B l ac kb urn st at ed thati tw as . T he court th e n e x p la in e d th a t “th e r e c o r d s h o u ld r e f le c t h e is ta lk in g a b o u t a p p r o x im a te ly fi ve i nch b y f

i ve i nch squ ar e, a quart eri nch t hi nk i f y ou t ake ase para t e hol der. If you t ake the ca ss ett e out , i ti s aqu ar t eri nch t hi ck or a s i xt ee nth o f a n i nch t hi ck. ” T h e g o v e r n m e n t th e n a s k e d B la c k b u r n to d e m o n s tr a te h o w th e p la te s c o u ld be pa c ka ge d i n s uc h aw a y tha tw oul d m a ke the m a ppe a rt o be the s a m e s i z e a s the br i c k of dr ugs tha tw a s de l i ve r e d. A f t e rthi s e xc ha nge , de fe ns e c ouns e l m ove d for am i s tr i a l be c a us e the j udge ’ s c om m e nt s i nvoke d l a ught e rf r om the j ur y a nd pr e j udi c e d B l a c kbur n. T he c our tde ni e d the m ot i on, not i ng tha ti tw a s uns ur e how th e ex ch an g e w as p rej u d i ci al . D efen se co u n sel cl ai m ed th ati ti m p l i ed h i s d efen se w as l augh abl e, bu tthe courtdi sa gree d and st at ed thatthe com m entw as di re ct ed at th e g o v e r n m e n t b e c a u s e th e p r o s e c u to rw a s u s in g th e ju d g e ’s o w n p r o p e r ty to c la r if y th e ite m s fo rth e ju r y . D efen se co u n sel rest ed i t s case. A ft er th e g o v ern m en t ’ s reb u tt al w i t n ess, B la c k b u r n r e n e w e d h is m o tio n fo rju d g m e n t o f a c q u itta l, w h ic h th e c o u r t a g a in d e n ie d .5

In prepari ng j ury i nstructi on s, the courtqu es t i on ed w hether the parti es thoughta n i ns tr uc t i on of f l i ghtw a s a ppr opr i a t e . A l though B l a c kbur n obj e c t e d, the courtconcl ud ed thatthe i nstructi on w as prop er . D ef ense coun se l then ass er t ed that the c our tw a s a c t i ng a s a n a dvoc a t e forthe gove r nm e ntby r a i s i ng the i ns tr uc t i on, b u t th e c o u r t o v e rr u le d th e o bje c tio n . I n c lo s in g a r g u m e n t, th e c o u r t a g a in re m i nd ed the j ury thatthe j ury w as the sol e fac t -f i nd erand t hati tshou l d n oti nfer tha tthe c our tha d a ny opi ni on ba s e d on c om m e nt s orr ul i ngs i tha d m a de . T he c o u r t in s tr u c te d th e ju r y , in te ra lia , th a t Int ent i on al fl i gh tby a per son i m m edi at el y a ft era c ri m e has been c om m i tt e d i s not , of

c our s e , s uf

f i c i e nti n i t s e l f

t o e s t a bl i s h the gui l tof th a t p e r s o n , b u t in te n tio n a l f lig h t u n d e rth o s e fa c ts is afa c t w h ic h , if prov ed, m ay be consi dere d b y the j ury i n l i gh tof al l the ot her evi dence i n the ca se i n d et er m i ni ng the gu i l tor i nn ocence of that p e r s o n . W h e th e ro rn o t th e d e fe n d a n t’s c o n d u c t c o n s titu te d f lig h t is ex cl u si v el y fo r yo u , as th e j u ry, t o d et erm i n e. A n d i f yo u d o so de t e r m i ne w he the rornottha tf l i ghts how e d c ons c i ous ne s s of gui l ton h i s p artan d th e si g n i fi can ce t o b e att ach ed t o th atev i d en ce are also m a tt e r s e xc l us i ve l y fory ou a s aj ur y t o de t e r m i ne . I do r e m i nd y ou tha ti n y ourc ons i de r a t i on of a ny e vi de nc e of

f l i ght , i f y ou s houl d f

i nd tha tthe r e w a s f

l i ght , y ou s houl d a l s o c ons i de rtha tthe r e m a y be r e a s ons forthi s w hi c h a r e c ons i s t e ntw i th i nnoc e nc e . T he r e m a y be m any r ea sons for apers on t o b e unw i l l i ng t o b e i nt er vi ew ed by l aw e nfor c e m e nta ge nt s w hi c h a r e pe r fe c t l y i nnoc e ntr e a s ons a nd i n no w a y s how a ny c ons c i ous ne s s of gui l ton the pa r tof

tha tpe r s on. A nd m a y I a ls o s u g g e s t to y o u th a t afe e lin g o f g u ilt d o e s n o t n e c e s s a r ily r e f l e c ta c tua l gui l tof

ac r i m e w hi c h y ou m a y be c ons i de r i ng. T h e ju r y c o n v ic te d B la c k b u r n o n a ll th r e e c o u n ts , f u r th e rf in d in g th a t th e q u a n tity of drug s w as 10 0 g ra m s of her oi n and 1 k i l og ra m of cocai ne.6

T h e p r o b a tio n o f

f ic e rp r e p a r e d ap r e s e n te n c e in v e s tig a tio n r e p o r t, det er m i ni ng the gu i del i nes r ange t o b e 63 t o 7 8 m on ths i m pri sonm ent . B l ac kb urn s ubm i tt e d no obj e c t i ons t o the P S I c a l c ul a t i ons . T he gove r nm e ntobj e c t e d t o the fa i l ure t o rec om m end a t w o-l evel enhancem entfor obstructi on of j ust i ce un der U .S .S .G . § 3 C 1 .1 b a s e d o n B la c k b u r n ’s p e r ju r e d te s tim o n y a t tr ia l. A tse nt enci ng , the courtqu es t i on ed w hether B l ac kb urn’ s dec i si on t o t es t i fy w as suff i ci entt o w arra ntthe ob structi on -of-j ust i ce enhancem entand d et er m i ned thatthe enhancem entw as prop erbeca use B l ac kb urn’ s t es t i m on y w as “ l ud i cr ou s. ” B l ac kb urn d i d n otobj ec tt o the enhancem ent , bu tm er el y r equest ed a s ent ence at the l ow e nd of

the or i gi na l gui de l i ne s r a nge ( 63 m onths ) . A f t e rthe c our ta dde d the e n h a n c e m e n t, th e r e s u ltin g g u id e lin e s r a n g e w a s 7 8 to 9 7 m o n th s im p r is o n m e n t. T he c our tnot e d tha tthe gui de l i ne s w e r e a dvi s or y a nd, i n c ons i de r a t i on of the gu i del i nes r ange, B l ac kb urn’ s l ac k o f c ri m i nal hi st ory, and t he se nt enci ng fa ct ors in 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) , fo u n d th a t as e n te n c e o f 6 8 m o n th s w a s a p p r o p r ia te . O n app ea l , B l ac kb urn rai se s three i ss ues: (1) W hether the di stri ctcourt prop er l y questi on ed B l ac kb urn d uri ng hi s t es t i m on y; (2) W hether the di stri ctcourt a c te d a s a n a d v o c a te fo rth e g o v e r n m e n t b y s u g g e s tin g aju r y in s tr u c tio n o n f lig h t; a nd ( 3) W he the rthe di s tr i c tc our tpr ope r l y i nc l ude d as e nt e nc i ng e nha nc e m e ntfor obs tr uc t i on of

j us t i c e , U . S . S . G . § 3C 1. 1.In Bonner v. C ity of Pricha rd, 661 F.2d 1206, 1207 ( 11th Cir. 1981) (en banc), this court 1 held that all dec isions handed down by the old Fifth Circuit bef ore the closeof business on September 3 0, 19 81 , a

rebin din gpre c e dent i n theEl e venthCirc uit . 7 A . Q uesti on s P osed by the C ou rt B l a c kbur n a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tbe c a m e a n a dvoc a t e forthe go vernm entw hen i tcr oss- exam i ned h i m and i m pl i ed thathi s def ense w as u n b e lie v a b le . W e r e vi e w adi s tr i c tc our t ’ s de ni a l of am ot i on foram i s tr i a l fora bus e of d is c r e tio n . U n ite d S ta te s v . W r ig h t, 3 9 2 F .3 d 1 2 6 9 , 1 2 7 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) , c e r t. d e n ie d , 1 2 5 S .C t. 1 7 5 1 ( 2 0 0 5 ) . “T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t a b u s e s its a u th o r ity w h e n it

‘ a ba ndons [ i t s ] pr ope rr ol e a nd a s s um e s tha tof a n a dvoc a t e . ’ ” I d. ( c i t i ng F ed. R . E vi d. 61 4, A dv i sory C om m i tt ee N ot e) . A s th is c o u r t h a s e x p la in e d , [ a ] tr ia l ju d g e is . . . m o r e th a n am e r e m o d e r a to ra n d is u n d e rad u ty t o q uesti on w i t ness es and com m enton evi dence w hen i tappears n e c e s s a r y . T h e tr ia l c o u r t m a y in te rr o g a te aw itn e s s to c la r if y h is te s tim o n y o rto in s u r e th a t ac a s e is fa ir ly tr ie d . O n th e o th e rh a n d , a tr i a l j udge i m pr ope r l y i nt e r j e c t s hi m s e l f

i nt o the tr i a l by que s t i oni ng w i t n esses w h en th e att o rn eys are co m p et en t l y co n d u ct i n g th ei r cases. U n i t ed S t at es v . B l o ck , 7 5 5 F . 2 d 7 7 0 , 7 7 5 -7 6 (1 1 th C i r. 1 9 8 5 ); see al so F e d. R . E vi d. 614( b) ; W r i ght , 392 F . 3d a t1274- 75; M oor e v. U ni t e d S t a t e s , 598 F . 2d 439, 442 ( 5th C i r . 1979) . A l though the c um ul a t i ve e f fe c tof the m a ny a nd 1 m a ni fe s ti nt e r ve nt i ons by the tr i a l j udge c a n de pr i ve a n a ppe l l a ntof afa i rtr i a l , the8

us e of ac ur a t i ve i ns tr uc t i on r e m i ndi ng the j ur y nott o i nfe rthe c our t ’ s opi ni ons f r om a ny c om m e nt s orr ul i ngs m a y pr e ve ntpr e j udi c e . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B e ne f i e l d, 889 F . 2d 1061, 1066 ( 11th C i r . 1989) ; U ni t e d S t a t e s v. C he s t a ng, 849 F . 2d 528, 535 ( 11th C i r . 1988) ; B l oc k, 755 F . 2d a t775- 77. H e r e , th e r e w a s n o e rr o ro rp r e ju d ic e to B la c k b u r n . F ir s t, th e c o m m e n ts w er e notso nu m er ou s or e gregi ou s a s t o con sti tut e m ani fe sti nj ust i ce . S ee B e ne f i e l d, 889 F . 2d a t1066. S e c ond, the c om m e nt s w e r e de s i gne d t o c l a r i f y the t e s t i m ony . B e for e the c our ti nt e r j e c t e d, i tw a s notc l e arf r om the tr i a l t e s t i m ony h o w b ig ad u b p la te w a s , w h a t it lo o k e d lik e , o re v e n w h a t it w a s u s e d fo r . D e s p ite r e pe a t e d que s t i ons f

r om de fe ns e c ouns e l , B l a c kbur n’ s t e s t i m ony c onc e r ni ng the dub pl a t e s w a s c onf

us i ng. N othi ng i n the j udge ’ s que s t i ons “ s tr a y e d f r om neutra l i t y. ” M oo re , 59 8 F . 2d at44 2. F i nal l y, before tri al and d uri ng j ury i ns tr uc t i ons , the c our tr e m i nde d the j ur y tha ti tw a s nott o c ons i de ra ny thi ng the c our ts a i d a s a n opi ni on on the e vi de nc e orB l a c kbur n’ s gui l t . T hi s c ur a t i ve in s tr u c tio n w a s s u f

f ic ie n t to p r e v e n t a n y p r e ju d ic e . S e e B lo c k , 7 5 5 F .2 d a t 7 7 7 . B . J ur y I ns tr uc t i on B l a c kbur n ne xta s s e r t s tha tthe c our ta c t e d a s a n a dvoc a t e of the gove r nm e nt by ra i si ng the i ss ue of a j ury i nstructi on on fl i gh t , w hi ch w as no tw arra nt ed un der th e fa c ts o f

th e c a s e . W e r e v ie w ad is tr ic t c o u r t’s ju r y in s tr u c tio n s fo ra b u s e o f d is c r e tio n .9

W r i ght , 392 F . 3d a t1277. T hi s c our tha s c ons i s t e nt l y a ppr ove d of the i nc l us i on of aj ur y i ns tr uc t i on on f

l i ght , l e a vi ng the fa c tua l

- f i ndi ng t o the j ur y . W r i ght , 392 F .3 d a t 1 2 7 7 - 7 8 ; U n ite d S ta te s v . B o r d e r s , 6 9 3 F .2 d 1 3 1 8 , 1 3 2 7 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 8 2 ) . A s the go vernm entno t es , the courthas the du t y t o i nstructthe j ury on al l i ss ues ra i se d d uri ng tri al . W al ker v. U ni t ed S t at es , 30 1 F . 2d 95 4, 95 8 (5th C i r. 19 62 ); se e a l s o U ni t e d S t a t e s v. G l a s s m a n, 562 F . 2d 954, 958 ( 5th C i r . 1977) ( a f f i r m i ng di stri ctcourt ’ s j ury i nstructi on no tre qu es t ed by the go vernm entbeca use i tw as an a c c u r a te s ta te m e n t o f

th e la w ) . H e r e , the di s tr i c tc our tpr ope r l y i ns tr uc t e d the j ur y i n f l i ghta s e vi de nc e of gu i l t . F i rs t , there w as evi dence pres ent ed thatB l ac kb urn tri ed t o fl ee w hen p ol i ce a rr i ve d a tthe dr ug de l i ve r y . T he j ur y he a r d B l a c kbur n’ s t e s t i m ony tha the thought he w a s be i ng r obbe d. T he j ur y , how e ve r , w a s f r e e t o be l i e ve the oppos i t e of B l ac kb urn’ s a cc ou nt , w hi ch w as a r i sk he t oo k w hen h e c ho se t o t es t i fy . U ni t ed S t a t e s v. A l e

j a ndr o, 118 F . 3d 1518, 1521 ( 11th C i r . 1997) . T hus , the i ns tr uc t i on w as approp ri at e und erthe fa ct s of the ca se . S e c o n d , th e in s tr u c tio n w a s a n a c c u r a te s ta te m e n t o f th e la w . S e e W r ig h t, 3 9 2 F . 3 d at1 2 7 8 ; B o rd ers, 6 9 3 F . 2 d at1 3 2 7 (u si n g th e sam e i n stru ct i o n ). F i n al l y, th e co u rtw as o b l i g at ed t o i n stru ctth e j u ry o n al l ev i d en ce rai sed attri al . B ecau se th e g o v e r n m e n t p r e s e n te d e v id e n c e o f f lig h t a s ath e o r y o f

g u ilt, th e c o u r t p r o p e r ly is s u e d th e in s tr u c tio n , e v e n in th e a b s e n c e o f th e g o v e r n m e n t’s r e q u e s t.10 C . S e nt e nc i ng E nha nc e m e nt F i na l l y , B l a c kbur n a r gue s tha tthe c our ti m pr ope r l y a ppl i e d a n obs tr uc t i ono f

-ju s tic e e n h a n c e m e n t w ith o u t m a k in g s p e c if ic f in d in g s o f

fa c t n e c e s s a r y to s uppor tthe e nha nc e m e nt , a nd the r e i s no e vi de nc e tha tthe c our tw oul d notha ve im p o s e d ale s s e rs e n te n c e h a d th e g u id e lin e s r a n g e b e e n lo w e r . W h e n ad e fe n d a n t fa ils to o bje c t a t s e n te n c in g , h e w a iv e s c h a lle n g e s to h is gu i del i nes c al cul ati on s. U ni t ed S t at es v. Jones, 89 9 F . 2d 10 97 , 11 03 (11th C i r. 1990) . H e r e , B l a c kbur n di d notobj e c tt o the e nha nc e m e nt , butm e r e l y r e que s t e d a se nt ence atthe l ow end o f the gu i del i nes r ange as ori gi nal l y c al cul at ed. T here fore , B la c k b u r n fa ile d to p r e s e r v e th is is s u e , a n d w e n e e d n o t a d d r e s s its m e r its . F o rth e fo r e g o in g r e a s o n s , w e A F F I R M th e c o n v ic tio n s a n d s e n te n c e s .