Opinion ID: 758506
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reopening of Evidentiary Hearing

Text: 33 As noted above, when the government indicted Hoff for the second time, Hoff filed a motion to dismiss the indictment based on his immunity agreement. The magistrate judge held an evidentiary hearing, as allowed under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B). At this hearing, the government attempted to prove breach through the testimony of only one witness, Agent Southworth. Hoff's attorney objected to much of Southworth's testimony as hearsay. The magistrate, in his report and recommendation to the district judge, stated that he believed the government had erred in trying to prove Hoff's breach with hearsay evidence. He noted that the government had failed to produce sufficient non-hearsay testimony to prove a breach and recommended that Judge Crabb hear further evidence on the matter. Judge Crabb held a supplementary evidentiary hearing on Hoff's motion at which time the government called seven witnesses. Following this hearing, Judge Crabb determined that the government had shown breach by more than the required preponderance of the evidence standard and denied Hoff's motion to dismiss. 34 Hoff argues that the district court erred in reopening the evidentiary hearing on Hoff's motion to dismiss, thereby giving the government a second chance to prove that Hoff had breached the immunity agreement. We review for abuse of discretion. United States v. Turk, 870 F.2d 1304, 1307 (7th Cir.1989). We will reverse only if it is clear that no reasonable person could concur in the district judge's decision. Ladien v. Astrachan, 128 F.3d 1051, 1056 (7th Cir.1997) (internal quotations and citations omitted).  'The district court's decision must strike us as fundamentally wrong for an abuse of discretion to occur.'  Id. (citing Anderson v. United Parcel Service, 915 F.2d 313, 315 (7th Cir.1990)). 35 In the present case, the district judge did not abuse her discretion in deciding to reopen the evidentiary hearing. Under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), when a district judge designates a magistrate to conduct an evidentiary hearing, the district judge may also receive further evidence on the matter. Judge Crabb's decision to exercise this statutory power cannot be viewed as clearly unreasonable or fundamentally wrong. Hoff's claim fails.