Opinion ID: 778482
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Anti-Gratuity Statute Violation

Text: 51 Defendants' fifth claim is that the district court erred by not excluding certain testimony allegedly obtained by the government in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(c)(2). We review a district court's decision to admit or exclude evidence for abuse of discretion. See United States v. Alatorre, 222 F.3d 1098, 1100 (9th Cir. 2000). 52 Section 201(c)(2) makes it a criminal offense to give, offer, or promise anything of value to any person in exchange for that person's testimony at trial. 15 Defendants argue that the government violated § 201(c)(2) by giving value — plea agreements, promises of leniency, and its discretion not to prosecute — in exchange for testimony from the four cooperating co-conspirator witnesses. In particular, Defendants focus on the government's treatment of Teresa Eames. Defendants argue that Ms. Eames was given (1) plea agreements in two cases against her, (2) various promises related to her sentencing, and (3) was not prosecuted or charged after she committed perjury during the trial 16 — all in exchange for her testimony. According to Defendants, in light of these § 201(c)(2) violations the district court should have excluded the testimony of the four cooperating co-conspirators, and it abused its discretion by not doing so. 53 Defendants' argument is without merit, given our decision in United States v. Smith, 196 F.3d 1034 (9th Cir.1999). In Smith, we held that even if a defendant shows that the government violated § 201(c)(2), the appropriate manner to enforce the statute would be to prosecute the prosecutors who granted immunity to [the cooperating witness]. It would not be to exclude [the cooperating witness'] testimony. 17 Id. at 1040. Thus, even if we were to accept Defendants' suggestion that the government violated § 201(c)(2) in this case, the district court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to exclude the testimony of the cooperating witnesses. 54 Defendants attempt to avoid the result mandated by Smith by attacking our reasoning in that case. Specifically, Defendants contend that the cases we relied upon in reaching our holding in Smith did not support our decision. We decline to consider such arguments, as, absent intervening Supreme Court authority, one three-judge panel of this court cannot reconsider or overrule the decision of a prior panel. United States v. Gay, 967 F.2d 322, 327 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 929, 113 S.Ct. 359, 121 L.Ed.2d 272 (1992).