Opinion ID: 457796
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: foreman's motion for severance

Text: 79 Defendant Foreman individually contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion for severance from the remaining co-defendants because: (1) two co-defendants indicated they would testify on behalf of Foreman if he were tried separately; (2) severance would have allowed his attorney, who was ill and unable to proceed with the case, time to recuperate and participate at trial; and (3) the overwhelming evidence introduced against the other defendants prejudiced him since he was only minimally involved. He argues that the combined effect of these factors mandated severance, and that the district court abused its discretion by basing its decision on the first factor only. 34 Appellant's Brief-in-Chief 32-34. 80 Fed.R.Crim.P. 8(b) provides that several defendants may be indicted and tried jointly if they are alleged to have participated in the same act or ... transactions constituting an offense or offenses. In such a case, the trial court may in its discretion grant a severance; however, [s]everance is not granted as a matter of right, but only when the defendant would be prejudiced by a joint trial. United States v. Long, 705 F.2d 1259, 1262 (10th Cir.1983). To establish that a trial court abused its discretion in denying severance, a defendant must show that actual prejudice resulted from the decision. United States v. McClure, 734 F.2d 484, 487 (10th Cir.1984); United States v. Long, 705 F.2d at 1262-63; United States v. Ready, 574 F.2d 1009, 1015 (10th Cir.1978). We believe that Foreman did not make a sufficient showing of prejudice to support any of his contentions, and therefore conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying severance. 81 To establish his first claim--that severance was required to obtain co-defendants' exculpatory testimony--Foreman had to  'show that he would call the co-defendant at a severed trial, that the co-defendant would in fact testify, and that the testimony would be favorable to [him].'  (Emphasis added). United States v. Dickey, 736 F.2d 571, 590 (10th Cir.1984) (quoting United States v. Vigil, 561 F.2d 1316, 1317 (9th Cir.1977)), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 105 S.Ct. 957, 83 L.Ed.2d 964 (1985). Under the second requirement of this test, more than a bald assertion that a co-defendant will testify at a separate trial is required;  '[t]he unsupported possibility that such testimony might be forthcoming'  is considered insufficient to show prejudice. United States v. Hackett, 638 F.2d 1179, 1187 (9th Cir.1980), (quoting United States v. Bumatay, 480 F.2d 1012, 1013 (9th Cir.1973)), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 1001, 101 S.Ct. 1709, 68 L.Ed.2d 203 (1981). A defendant can not establish the willingness of a co-defendant to testify on his behalf if the co-defendant's offer is further conditioned on the co-defendant's case being tried first. United States v. Parodi, 703 F.2d 768, 779 (4th Cir.1983). Furthermore, under the third requirement, the defendant must show that more than a  'vague and conclusory' statement ... 'of ... negligible weight or probative value'  would be given to demonstrate a co-defendant's testimony would be favorable. Id. at 780. 82 Here Foreman's attorney stated in his affidavit that he was informed by other counsel that two co-defendants had never seen or heard of Foreman before the arrest and would so testify if he were tried after them. I R. 216. Such testimony would be of doubtful weight or probative value in a conspiracy case such as this where knowledge of the other parties in the conspiracy is not required for conviction. See United States v. Dickey, 736 F.2d at 583. Foreman's attorney also merely asserted that the co-defendants told their lawyer they would testify at a separate trial, conditioning their offer to testify on their case being tried first. Such a conditional offer to testify was in effect a simple alibi-swapping device.... [T]o grant a severance under such a condition 'would allow co-defendants to employ a motion for severance to obtain benefits they would not have but for their joint indictment.'  United States v. Parodi, 703 F.2d at 780 (citing United States v. Frazier, 394 F.2d 258, 261 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 984, 89 S.Ct. 457, 21 L.Ed.2d 445 (1968), and United States v. Becker, 585 F.2d 703, 706 (4th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 1080, 99 S.Ct. 862, 59 L.Ed.2d 50 (1979)). Therefore, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying severance on this ground. 35 83 As to the claim that severance would have permitted Foreman's attorney, Mr. Boult, to recuperate from an injury, we are not persuaded that Foreman was prejudiced by the eight-day continuance ordered until his attorney could participate at trial. I R. 550-51. Foreman relies primarily on United States v. Mardian, 546 F.2d 973 (D.C.Cir.1976) (en banc), to support this argument for severance. We, however, believe that Mardian is not controlling here. There the court held that denial of severance was improper because appellant's attorney was unable to continue as counsel in the case after becoming ill during trial and because there was a disparity in the evidence against the appellant and his co-defendants. In contrast, Foreman's attorney, Mr. Boult, did recuperate and was able to participate at trial as Foreman's counsel after the eight-day continuance ended; Foreman does not demonstrate that he was prejudiced by this delay in the trial. Also, as discussed below, this is not the case where a disparity in evidence requires reversal. 84 Finally, we have held that when sufficient evidence is presented to connect the defendant to the conspiracy charged, his argument that severance is required due to the overwhelming evidence against co-defendants is without merit. United States v. Dickey, 736 F.2d at 589-90; United States v. Carter, 613 F.2d 256, 260 (10th Cir.1979), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 822, 101 S.Ct. 81, 66 L.Ed.2d 24 (1980). Separate trials are not required merely because severance might have offered the defendant a better chance for acquittal or have aided his attempt to cast blame on co-defendants. United States v. McClure, 734 F.2d at 488; United States v. Calabrese, 645 F.2d 1379, 1384-85 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 451 U.S. 1018, 101 S.Ct. 3008, 69 L.Ed.2d 390 (1981). 85 In sum, we hold that the district court's denial of severance for Foreman was not an abuse of discretion.