Opinion ID: 206048
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The trial, verdicts, and sentencing

Text: The case ultimately proceeded to a nine-day trial. At the close of the Government's case-in-chief, Schmitz moved for a judgment of acquittal under Fed.R.Crim.P. 29, and the district court denied the motion. Schmitz then presented testimony from twenty-four witnesses, and ultimately testified in her own defense. During her cross examination, the prosecutor asked Schmitz, on several occasions, to provide the names of people who could corroborate the work that she performed for the CITY Program. In addition, the prosecutor, after pointing out that Schmitz's testimony conflicted with the testimony of other Government witnesses, asked Schmitz if those witnesses were lying. Each time Schmitz attempted to explain the discrepancy in testimony, the prosecutor repeatedly questioned her until she was forced to say whether a previous witness was lying. At the close of all the evidence, Schmitz renewed her motion for a judgment of acquittal. The district court denied that motion. During the prosecutor's closing argument, he referred to the evidence developed during Schmitz's cross-examination. In particular, he commented several times as to how long the list of liars must be if Schmitz's testimony were true. He also commented on Schmitz's failure to corroborate her contention that she did various tasks for the CITY Program, pointing out that she had the same subpoena power as the Government to bring in witnesses to corroborate her story. The jury acquitted Schmitz on one of the mail-fraud counts (Count One), and convicted on all other counts. [4] The district court sentenced Schmitz to thirty months of imprisonment on each count of conviction, to run concurrently, for a total of thirty months. The district court also ordered restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $177,251.82.