Opinion ID: 540010
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Severance Motion of Dennis Rivera.

Text: 136 D. Rivera, whose motion for severance was denied at trial, claims error in that denial, invoking Fed.R.Crim.P. 14. Rule 14 provides in pertinent part: If it appears that a defendant ... is prejudiced by a joinder of offenses or of defendants in an indictment ... or by such joinder for trial together, the court may ... grant a severance of defendants or provide whatever other relief justice requires. In denying the pretrial application by D. Rivera and other defendants for a severance, the district court stated in an unpublished opinion: 137 First, although the moving defendants' involvement in the conspiracy and other crimes charged is not alleged to be on a scale with the involvement charged to some of their co-defendants, the moving defendants are themselves charged with serious crimes, including conspiracy to distribute heroin. Further, although defendants' alleged role in the conspiracy may have been smaller or less central than that of certain other coconspirators, [that] does not mandate a separate trial. [United States v.] Nersesian, 824 F.2d [1294, 1304 (2d Cir.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 957, 958 [108 S.Ct. 355, 357, 98 L.Ed.2d 380, 382] (1987), 1061 [108 S.Ct. 1018, 98 L.Ed.2d 983] (1988) ]; United States v. Vega, 458 F.2d 1234, 1236 (2d Cir.1972), cert. denied, 410 U.S. 982 [93 S.Ct. 1506, 36 L.Ed.2d 177] (1973); United States v. Aloi, 511 F.2d 585, 598 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1015 [96 S.Ct. 447, 46 L.Ed.2d 386] (1975) (differences in degree of guilt and possibly degree of notoriety, do not necessitate a severance). 138 Last, although the moving defendants complain that the strength of the Government's evidence against their co-defendants will work to their own substantial detriment, they have overlooked the fact that the Government is entitled to show the entire range of evidence of the conspiracy against each defendant. Nersesian, 824 F.2d at 1304. 139 United States v. Torres, No. S 87 Cr. 593 (JMW), slip op. at 3-4 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 30, 1988). 140 On appeal, Rivera repeats the contentions to which the district court responded in the quoted passage, but stresses the evidence of wealth introduced as to certain of his codefendants and the thirty-three day length of the trial in contending that he was improperly prejudiced by the denial of a severance. The decision whether to grant a severance, however, is committed to the sound discretion of the trial judge. United States v. Casamento, 887 F.2d 1141, 1149 (2d Cir.1989), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 1138, 107 L.Ed.2d 1043 (1990); see also United States v. Chang An-Lo, 851 F.2d 547, 556 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 493, 102 L.Ed.2d 530 (1988); United States v. Nersesian, 824 F.2d 1294, 1303 (2d Cir.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 957, 958, 108 S.Ct. 355, 357, 98 L.Ed.2d 380, 382 (1987), 1061, 108 S.Ct. 1018, 98 L.Ed.2d 983 (1988). [A] denial of such a motion will be reversed only upon a showing of clear abuse of that discretion. Chang An-Lo, 851 F.2d at 556; see also Casamento, 887 F.2d at 1149; Nersesian, 824 F.2d at 1303. A defendant seeking to overturn a denial of a severance motion, furthermore, must show that he was so severely prejudiced by the joinder as to have been denied a fair trial, not that he might have had a better chance for acquittal at a separate trial. United States v. Burke, 700 F.2d 70, 83 (2d Cir.) (quoting United States v. Rucker, 586 F.2d 899, 902 (2d Cir.1978)), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 816, 104 S.Ct. 72, 78 L.Ed.2d 85 (1983). 141 In this case, there has been no such showing. As the district court stated, much of the evidence admitted at trial would have been admissible against D. Rivera even in a separate trial. In any event,  'differing levels of culpability and proof are inevitable in any multi-defendant trial and, standing alone, are insufficient grounds for separate trials.'  Chang An-Lo, 851 F.2d at 557 (quoting United States v. Carson, 702 F.2d 351, 366-67 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 462 U.S. 1108, 103 S.Ct. 2456, 2457, 77 L.Ed.2d 1335 (1983)). Further, the jury acquitted on a number of counts, thus indicating its ability to consider the various defendants and counts separately, as the district court carefully instructed it to do. We conclude that D. Rivera has failed to establish error in the district court's denial of his motion for a severance. 142