Opinion ID: 767957
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Agent Huff's Testimony

Text: 17 We review the admission of alleged vouching testimony under the harmless error standard. See Rosario-Diaz, 202 F.3d at 65. It is well established that prosecutors may not place the prestige of the United States behind a witness by making personal assurances of credibility or by suggesting that facts not before the jury support the witness's account. See id. Likewise, the prosecution may not accomplish such improper bolstering through the testimony of other government witnesses. See id. 18 Recently, in Rosario-Diaz, we found that the United States had engaged in improper witness bolstering when the same Special Agent Huff, upon examination by the prosecution, testified that some of a cooperating witness's statements were lies while suggesting that others had been tested for reliability. See id. at 65-66. Although, on the record of that case we held that the improper testimony was harmless error, we warned government prosecutors that they would tread on thin ice indeed if they continue[d] to practice this technique [of examination] in the future. Id. at 66. 19 We are again troubled by the testimony of FBI Special Agent Huff. Appellants note one exchange in particular that we think pushes the line of propriety. During Agent Huff's testimony about the custodial statements of appellant Guilbe, the following exchange took place between the prosecutor and Agent Huff: 20 Q: You've been an FBI agent for how long? 21 A: Just a little over ten years. 22 Q: And during those ten years or so, have you interviewed many suspects? 23 A: Numerous. 24 Q: Okay, and during those interviews, sir, has it been common or uncommon to have a suspect first deny and then admit involvement in a crime? 25 [Defense objection overruled by district court.] 26 A: Okay, it is difficult for me to remember a time when a defendant or a suspect in a case has immediately told me the truth, it's very rare that that happens. Most of the time they always start with a lie. No, I had nothing to do with it. I don't know anything about it. I was elsewhere. I was with so and so. I was with someone else. And then when you pressure them they can't give you the name of the other people. They won't give you the name of the other people. 27 Trial Tr. May 13, 1998, at 42-43. The defendants contend that this exchange between the prosecutor and Agent Huff constituted improper vouching. Prosecutors may not, either through their own statements or through the testimony of government witnesses, place the prestige of the United States behind a witness by making personal assurances about the credibility of a witness or by indicating that facts not before the jury support the witness's testimony. Rosario-Diaz, 202 F.3d at 65. We are not convinced that what happened here amounted to improper vouching. But we agree for somewhat different reasons that it was dubious testimony and should on a proper objection probably have been excluded. 28 Strictly speaking, Huff did not state that he personally believed Guilbe's confession rather than his denial, nor did Huff indicate that he was aware of facts not before the jury that confirmed the truth of Guilbe's confession. Rather, Agent Huff's challenged testimony sought to bolster Guilbe's confession by describing a pattern in which interrogated guilty defendants often deny their guilt initially but then confess. This purported to be a factual generalization based on specific but unidentified instances of defendant interviews that Agent Huff conducted during his ten years as an FBI agent. There are several different grounds on which this testimony might be thought objectionable. 29 The pattern that Agent Huff purported to describe is essentially the stuff of expert opinion testimony and even if Huff were regarded as an expert, we doubt whether this is testimony that could properly be regarded as helpful to a jury, see Fed. R. Evid. 702, which out of its own experience may know that persons accused of wrongdoing often deny their guilt before confessing. Further, any effort to test the basis for Agent Huff's opinion by examining the individual instances involving other confessions in the prior ten years obviously created a threat of a distracting exploration of the facts in unrelated cases. See Fed. R. Evid. 403. And all this assumes that the government has complied procedurally with its duties in respect of expert testimony. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 16(a)(1)(E). 30 However, even assuming that Agent Huff's testimony was inadmissible and a timely objection to it was made on proper grounds, it was harmless error. The essential inquiry in harmless error review is whether the improperly admitted evidence likely affected the outcome of trial. See United States v. Rosales, 19 F.3d 763, 767 (1st Cir. 1994). We think that Agent Huff's testimony did not likely affect the jury's verdict in this case, for the following reasons. 31 First, Agent Huff was extensively cross-examined by defense counsel, and his testimony was challenged by the defense during closing arguments as well. On the whole, the credibility of Agent Huff and the custodial statements attributed to appellants were fully explored by the parties and presented to the jury for its evaluation. 32 Second, the weight of the evidence against appellants in this case is simply so great that the jury is exceedingly unlikely to have been swayed by the challenged testimony of Agent Huff. Testimony from appellants' two accomplices, corroborating testimony from third parties and from Agent Huff, and even appellants' own self-inculpatory statements all supported the jury's finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. We consider it highly unlikely that the omission of this particular testimony by Agent Huff would have led the jury to view all of that evidence differently and acquit appellants. Consequently, we hold that admission of Agent Huff's improper testimony was harmless error. 33