Opinion ID: 781297
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Defense at Trial

Text: 14 Defendant called two witnesses at trial, and also testified on his own behalf. In his testimony, Defendant flatly denied that he had ever conspired with Cranford, Smith, or Rook to buy or sell methamphetamine. Although Defendant conceded that he had met with Cranford on the evening of April 7, 1999, he stated that the two had discussed the mortgage brokerage business on this occasion, and not any transactions involving methamphetamine. (J.A. at 270.) 15 One of the issues on appeal concerns a portion of the Government's cross-examination of Defendant at trial. The Government first established that a woman named Dita Ghaemi was a friend of Defendant's, and that Ms. Ghaemi, in turn, was friends with Chandra Smith, the wife of co-defendant Bobby Smith. ( See J.A. at 272.) The Government then inquired whether Defendant had asked Dita Ghaemi to contact Chandra to see if Chandra Smith would lie for you and testify that you had nothing to do with the sale of narcotics. (J.A. at 272.) Defendant emphatically denied this charge. He acknowledged that Ms. Ghaemi had offered to talk to Ms. Smith, but he testified that he responded to this offer by stating that this would be an obstruction of justice, and by instructing Ms. Ghaemi not to proceed in my behalf in any way, shape, form or fashion. (J.A. at 273.) Defense counsel made no objection to this line of inquiry, but did object to a subsequent question in which the Government apparently was about to ask why Ms. Ghaemi had not been called as a witness. ( See J.A. at 273.)