Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/588/346/396563/
Timestamp: 2020-05-27 23:16:29
Document Index: 231350836

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 952', '§ 960', '§ 841', '§ 952', '§ 841', '§ 1251', '§ 1182', '§ 1251']

United States of America, Appellee, v. Jesus Hernandez, Defendant-appellant, 588 F.2d 346 (2d Cir. 1978) :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Second Circuit › 1978 › United States of America, Appellee, v. Jesus Hernandez, Defendant-appellant
United States of America, Appellee, v. Jesus Hernandez, Defendant-appellant, 588 F.2d 346 (2d Cir. 1978)
US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - 588 F.2d 346 (2d Cir. 1978) Argued July 20, 1978. Decided Nov. 27, 1978
Jesus Hernandez appeals from a judgment of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York entered March 10, 1978, after a jury trial before Thomas C. Platt, Judge, convicting him of importing cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 952(a) and § 960(a) (1) (count one), and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) (1) (count two). Appellant was sentenced concurrently on each count to five years imprisonment "plus a special parole term of 25 years, unsupervised, on condition that (he) leave the country upon his release from prison and not return during such special parole term." Minutes of Sentencing at 12.
We have long recognized the admissibility of similar testimony to establish motive in money-related offenses. United States v. Polansky, 418 F.2d 444 (2d Cir. 1969) (bribery); United States v. Caci, 401 F.2d 664 (2d Cir. 1968), Cert. denied, 394 U.S. 917, 89 S. Ct. 1180, 22 L. Ed. 2d 450 (1969), Rev'd on other grounds sub nom. Natarelli v. United States In Giordano v. United States, 394 U.S. 310, 89 S. Ct. 1163, 22 L. Ed. 2d 297 (1969) (conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce); United States v. Houlihan, 332 F.2d 8 (2d Cir.), Cert. denied, 379 U.S. 828, 85 S. Ct. 56, 13 L. Ed. 2d 37 (1964) (mail fraud, wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen securities).
Appellant attempts to fit square pegs in round holes by his reliance on Davis v. United States, 409 F.2d 453 (D.C. Cir. 1969) and United States v. Mullings, 364 F.2d 173 (2d Cir. 1966).
In Mullings the court found that the prejudice resulting from evidence that the defendant was a narcotics user and earned less than $65.00 per week outweighed its probative value in supplying a motive for theft, particularly where there was no evidence of (1) the extent to which the defendant was a user, (2) the cost of such use, or (3) his inability to satisfy his needs because of lack of funds. Appellant's testimony that he came to New York "to get some merchandise, so I could sell, so I could pay off some of those debts," Record, January 17: 66, weighs on the probative side of the scale. The wide discretion accorded the trial judge in this balancing will be upheld "unless he acts arbitrarily or irrationally." United States v. Robinson, 560 F.2d 507, 514-15 (2d Cir. 1977) (en banc), Cert. denied, 435 U.S. 905, 98 S. Ct. 1451, 55 L. Ed. 2d 496 (1978). The admission of the evidence was not error.
Appellant contends that a portion of the charge,1 to which no objection was noted, constitutes plain error under Fed. R. Crim. P. 52(b) because the judge, after telling the jury that a defendant's interest in his own case affects the credibility of his testimony, failed to give a balancing instruction that such interest does not prevent him from testifying truthfully.
The charge must be considered in its entirety. When viewed in conjunction with the complete and detailed instructions on credibility generally and the elements to be considered in evaluating the testimony of a witness,2 the vice attributed to the selected portion disappears or is largely dissipated. Immediately after telling the jury that a defendant is a competent witness, the judge clearly instructed that "the defendant's testimony is to be judged in the same way as that of any other witness." Record, January 18: 73. While we have stated and believe that the inclusion of such balancing instruction urged by appellant is preferable, United States v. Rucker, 586 F.2d 899 (2d Cir. 1978); See, e. g., United States v. Martin, 525 F.2d 703, 706 & n. 3 (2d Cir.), Cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1035, 96 S. Ct. 570, 46 L. Ed. 2d 410 (1975), its absence under the circumstances disclosed here does not constitute plain error. Rucker, supra, 586 F.2d at 904, slip op. at 4878-79; United States v. Floyd, 555 F.2d 45, 47 & n. 4 (2d Cir.), Cert. denied, 434 U.S. 851, 198 S. Ct. 163, 57 L. Ed. 2d 120 (1977). The substance of the language employed here bears the imprimatur of the Supreme Court. Reagan v. United States, 157 U.S. 301, 304, 15 S. Ct. 610, 39 L. Ed. 709 (1895). In sum, "(t)he trial court's instruction on the credibility of a defendant as a witness was not improper, and, particularly in the context of the entire charge, was not prejudicial, unfair or misleading." Rucker, supra, 586 F.2d 904 slip op. at 4878-79. The charge affords no basis for disturbing the conviction.
The trial judge sentenced appellant to "imprisonment for five years under 18 U.S.C. 4205(b) (2) plus a special parole term of 25 years, unsupervised, on condition that defendant leave the country upon his release from prison and not return during such special parole term." Minutes of Sentencing at 12. Appellant argues that the no-return condition is tantamount to a judicial order of deportation and exclusion, and accordingly beyond the power of the district court to impose.
A provision in a sentence ordering a defendant deported permanently at the expiration of a six month prison term followed by five years' probation for conviction of importation of marijuana into the United States in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960, and 963 and for possession with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a), was held to be beyond the authority of the district court requiring a remand for resentencing. United States v. Castillo-Burgos, 501 F.2d 217 (9th Cir.), Cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1010, 95 S. Ct. 330, 42 L. Ed. 2d 284 (1974):
Fiallo v. Bell, 430 U.S. 787, 792, 97 S. Ct. 1473, 1478, 52 L. Ed. 2d 50 (1977) (quoting Oceanic Navigation Co. v. Stranahan, 214 U.S. 320, 339, 29 S. Ct. 671, 53 L. Ed. 1013 (1909) and Shaughnessy v. Mezei, 345 U.S. 206, 210, 73 S. Ct. 625, 97 L. Ed. 956 (1953)) (citations omitted). See also Galvan v. Press, 347 U.S. 522, 531-32, 74 S. Ct. 737, 98 L. Ed. 911 (1954) (policies pertaining to entry and exclusion of aliens peculiarly concern political conduct of government, and hence statute providing for deportation of alien who becomes member of Communist Party after entry is constitutional); Guan Chow Tok v. Immigration and Nat. Serv., 538 F.2d 36, 38 (2d Cir. 1976) (because of plenary power of Congress to regulate admission and expulsion of aliens, deportation order under 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a) (11) for conviction of narcotics offense not subject to judicial scrutiny absent patent abuse); Lennon v. Immigration and Nat. Serv., 527 F.2d 187, 188 (2d Cir. 1975) (because power of Congress to exclude or deport aliens remains virtually unfettered, fate of alien must hinge upon narrow issue of statutory construction: whether British conviction for possession of cannibis resin makes British rock star an excludable alien under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a) (23)); Bronsztejn v. Immigration and Nat. Serv., 526 F.2d 1290, 1291 (2d Cir. 1975) (because of plenary power of Congress over alien's right to remain in United States, courts have no authority to prevent deportation where alien is deportable under language of 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a) (11)); Bolanos v. Kiley, 509 F.2d 1023, 1026 (2d Cir. 1975) (District Director's refusal to extend date for alien's voluntary departure held subject to usual test of abuse of discretion); United States ex rel. Kaloudis v. Shaughnessy, 180 F.2d 489, 491 (2d Cir. 1950) ("The power of the Attorney General to suspend deportation is a dispensing power, like a judge's power to suspend the execution of a sentence, or the President's to pardon a convict. It is a matter of grace, over which courts have no review . . ..") (L. Hand, C. J.).
Likewise, when the practical result of a condition of probation that taxes be paid within a designated period denies a defendant the right to challenge the accuracy of the civil tax liability, a remand is required to eliminate the imposed condition. Compare United States v. White, 417 F.2d 89 (2d Cir. 1969), Cert. denied, 397 U.S. 912, 90 S. Ct. 910, 25 L. Ed. 2d 92, Rehearing denied 397 U.S. 1030, 90 S. Ct. 1256, 25 L. Ed. 2d 543 (1970) (remanded), With United States v. Caiello, 420 F.2d 471 (2d Cir. 1969), Cert. denied, 397 U.S. 1039, 90 S. Ct. 1358, 25 L. Ed. 2d 650 (1970) (affirmed).
Since we have found the district court exceeded its authority by the imposition of the conditions with reference to departure from and reentry into the United States, we do not decide or express an opinion as to the power of the court to impose conditions of parole vis-a-vis the United States Parole Commission. "The important factor to recognize is that the authority to administer the parole system has been vested by Congress in the Parole Commission not the courts." Briney v. United States Parole Comm'n, 434 F. Supp. 586, 588 (M.D. Fla .1977).