Opinion ID: 2967475
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admission of Tietjen's Grand Jury Testimony

Text: The Government introduced against Tietjen a redacted version of his grand jury testimony. Because Tietjen did not raise at trial his objections to the admission of his grand jury testimony, the plain error standard of review applies. See Olano, 507 U.S. at 731-32. Tietjen first argues that his grand jury testimony was taken in violation of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and therefore should not have been admitted. His claim is foreclosed by United States v. Washington, 431 U.S. 181, 188 (1977). Like in Washington, after being sworn, Tietjen was explicitly advised that he had the right not to incriminate himself and that if any questions tended to incriminate him, he had the right under the Fifth Amendment not to answer the question. He was advised that anything he said could be used against him by the grand jury or in subsequent legal proceedings, and was advised of his right to counsel. The Government correctly and completely answered Tietjen's later questions regarding 25 his Fifth Amendment privilege. These warnings eliminated any possible compulsion to self-incrimination. See id. at 188. Whether Tietjen was a target of the grand jury investigation is irrelevant under Washington. See id. at 189; United States v. Goodwin, 57 F.3d 815, 818-19 (9th Cir. 1995). Tietjen also maintains that his Sixth Amendment right to counsel had attached at the time of his grand jury testimony. But at the time Tietjen testified to the grand jury, no adversary judicial proceedings against him had yet been initiated. See United States v. Gouveia, 467 U.S. 180, 187 (1984) ([The Sixth Amendment] right to counsel attaches only at or after the initiation of adversary judicial proceedings against the defendant.). The Government's warnings to Teitjen regarding his Fifth Amendment rights do not show that a prosecution had commenced. Indeed, no indictment was returned against Tietjen until over one year after he testified to the grand jury. His Sixth Amendment right to counsel thus had not yet attached. Tietjen further contends that his redacted grand jury testimony, read at trial, was not sufficiently complete under the rule of completeness. Tietjen's grand jury testimony was redacted to remove all references to co-defendant Stanie Benz in order to comply with the rule in Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (1968). Benz entered a plea on the day before trial and then testified against Tietjen. The redacted version of Tietjen's testimony nonetheless was introduced. However, the omitted portions of Tietjen's testimony were not necessary to avoid misleading the jury or to clarify or explain any portion of the admitted testimony, and the rule of completeness does not require the court to admit Tietjen's complete grand jury testimony solely because some portions might be exculpatory. See Wilkerson, 84 F.3d at 696. Moreover, Tietjen suffered no prejudice. Stanie Benz testified at trial, and Tietjen had full opportunity to cross examine her. The district court did not err.