Opinion ID: 3052548
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Lack of Prejudice

Text: [12] Ramirez also has not demonstrated that he was prejudiced by the admission of his testimony, regarding the veracity of other witnesses, in response to the prosecutor’s improper questions. See Olano, 507 U.S. at 734. Ramirez cannot demonstrate that he was prejudiced because there was other, overwhelming evidence of his guilt. See Weygandt v. Ducharme, 774 F.2d 1491, 1493 (9th Cir. 1985) (noting that “[a]lthough [the defendant’s] attorney should have objected to the prosecutor’s improper remarks, his failure to do so, evaluated in light of the overwhelming evidence of guilt presented at trial, did not so prejudice [the defendant] as to deprive him of a fair trial.”); Mitchell, 502 F.3d at 968 (holding that “in light of the overwhelming evidence of guilt” it could not “possibly have been plain error, in the absence of a motion to strike,” for the district court to allow the testimony). The government presented direct evidence of Ramirez’s guilt, which was corroborated by circumstantial evidence, physical evidence, and motive. Ramirez testified that he was armed when he went to the Valenzuela home and that he knew that Teresa’s father and brother would not be there. Dolores had recently threatened to pursue criminal charges against Ramirez. Teresa had recently ended a relationship with Ramirez. After Ramirez arrived at the home, Dolores and Teresa were stabbed approximately 45 times by Ramirez. The treating trauma surgeon and a forensic pathologist both UNITED STATES v. RAMIREZ 10247 confirmed that the stab wounds suffered by Dolores and Teresa were defensive wounds, consistent with their account of the attack. [13] Thus, in light of the overwhelming evidence of guilt introduced at trial, the admission of Ramirez’s testimony regarding the veracity of other witnesses was not plain error. The district court was in the best position to determine that Ramirez’s testimony was neither unduly inflammatory nor prejudicial. See United States v. Layton, 767 F.2d 549, 554 (9th Cir. 1985); Mitchell v. United States, 213 F.2d 951, 956 (9th Cir. 1954). Ramirez has not met his burden of showing that he was prejudiced by the admission of his testimony regarding the veracity of other witnesses. Ramirez was not denied the right to a fair trial.