Opinion ID: 701286
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Ansil Ezra Henry

Text: Motion to Suppress and Evidentiary Hearing 10 Henry filed a motion to suppress evidence seized from his residence claiming the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant contained five alleged errors. Henry requested an evidentiary hearing pursuant to Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154, 98 S.Ct. 2674, 57 L.Ed.2d 667 (1978). The district court found that even if it were to omit the challenged statements and add information which the defendant asserts was intentionally omitted, there would remain a strong probability that evidence of drug trafficking and the fruits of drug crimes would be found at the Henry residence. Dist.Ct.Opinion and Order dated June 29, 1994 at 2. 11 Henry argues that the agents wanted to search for drugs. He alleges that the agents falsified their affidavit because they knew that it was not at all probable that drugs would be found at Henry's residence. Henry claims that when the references to falsehoods and reckless disregard for the truth are set aside, insufficient grounds remained upon which to base a finding of probable cause, and the district court erred by not granting an evidentiary hearing to test the Franks motion. 12 We review the district court's denial of Henry's motion to suppress and request for hearing under the abuse of discretion standard. See United States v. Shurn, 849 F.2d 1090, 1096 (8th Cir.1988). In order to obtain a hearing, a defendant must make a substantial preliminary showing of a false or reckless false statement or omission and must further show that the alleged false statement or omission was necessary to a finding of probable cause, and the substantial preliminary showing requirement needed to obtain a Franks hearing is not lightly met. United States v. Wajda, 810 F.2d 754, 759 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 481 U.S. 1040, 107 S.Ct. 1981, 95 L.Ed.2d 821 (1987). Probable cause exists when the application for a search presents sufficient facts to justify a prudent person in the belief that there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place. United States v. Riedesel, 987 F.2d 1383, 1390 (8th Cir.1993) (citations omitted). 13 After reviewing the record, we determine that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Henry's motion to suppress and request for a hearing. The district court appropriately on the record determined that even if the alleged false statements were omitted and the alleged intentionally omitted information were added, probable cause still existed to issue the search warrant. The search warrant indicated that there was probable cause to believe Henry had marijuana at his residence. At a pretrial hearing, the affiant stated an expectation not to find large quantities of marijuana. Although inaccuracies exist in the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant, probable cause still existed to believe there would be marijuana or other evidence of drug trafficking. Jury Instruction 14 Next, Henry argues that the district court erred in instructing the jury because the district court failed to delete particular language from jury instruction number 30. At trial, Henry objected to the wording of jury instruction number 30. Instruction number 30 informed the jury that it had heard evidence that witnesses had been paid for expenses related to providing information to the government and that they could consider the testimony and give it such weight as the jury thought the testimony deserved. The instruction further told the jury that whether the information or testimony provided by the witness was influenced by any payments was for the jury to determine. 15 The paragraph in instruction number 30 that Henry objected to states, in part, that [y]ou have also heard evidence that witnesses had arrangements with the government under which they got paid for expenses related to providing information to the government. Henry requested that the words expenses related to be deleted from the instruction, leaving room to argue that the informant witnesses were paid for their information. Henry claims that he made this request because the government ignored or refused to respond to repeated requests for disclosure of information about payments made to witnesses, and that the government's Brady violations, coupled with the trial court's refusal to grant a simple remedy, should result in a reversal in this case. We, however, disagree. 16 We review a trial court's refusal to delete a phrase from a jury instruction for abuse of discretion. United States v. Parker, 32 F.3d 395, 400 (8th Cir.1994). A district court has wide discretion in formulating appropriate jury instructions. United States v. Walker, 817 F.2d 461, 463 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 863, 108 S.Ct. 181, 98 L.Ed.2d 134 (1987) (citations omitted). The court formulated instruction number 30 based upon Eighth Circuit Model Instruction 4.06. The district court modified its draft jury instructions to insert the phrase expenses related to to conform the jury instruction to the evidence produced at trial regarding payments made to Mervin White and Mike Hake. Both White and Hake testified they were paid for expenses related to providing information, and not purely for providing information. The district court did not err because the jury instruction properly sets forth the applicable law and the evidence presented on this subject. Motion for New Trial 17 After sentencing, Henry filed a motion for new trial claiming that newly discovered evidence would have supported giving the jury an instruction on multiple conspiracies. Henry argues that the district court erred by denying the new trial motion based on the government's admission at sentencing that multiple conspiracies existed in this case. At sentencing, the district court asked the government to discuss the utilization of cocaine as part of the relevant conduct in sentencing Henry and Hiveley. In response, the government discussed a number of different ways the court could assess these defendants with a quantity of cocaine discussed at trial as part of their relevant conduct even though the jury did not return a unanimous verdict that cocaine was one of the substances involved in the conspiracy. Henry claims that the government's argument at sentencing is an admission by the government, which constitutes evidence of the existence of multiple conspiracies rather than one conspiracy. Therefore, Henry asserts that a new trial should be conducted so that a multiple conspiracy instruction could be presented to the jury. 18 A district court's denial of a new trial motion is reviewed for abuse of discretion. United States v. Costanzo, 4 F.3d 658, 667 (8th Cir.1993). Under Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, a court may grant a new trial to a defendant if required in the interest of justice. To obtain a new trial on the basis of newly discovered evidence, a defendant must show, among other things, that the evidence is in fact newly discovered, i.e., discovered since the trial; and that the newly discovered evidence is of such a nature that, on a new trial, it probably would produce an acquittal. United States v. Richards, 967 F.2d 1189, 1197 (8th Cir.1992) (citations omitted). No abuse of discretion appears here in denying Henry's motion for a new trial. The evidence to which reference was made by Henry does not constitute evidence newly discovered, and Henry did not demonstrate that the outcome of a new trial would probably result in an acquittal.