Opinion ID: 515723
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Denial of motion for a separate trial.

Text: 35 Migliorisi contends that the trial court abused its discretion in denying his motion for a separate trial. Specifically, Migliorisi argues that he was deprived of a fair trial when the district court offered him the choice of proceeding separately in May 1987, or as a co-defendant in September 1987, because his counsel of choice was unavailable in May 1987. This contention is without merit. 36 A trial court has wide discretion in considering a motion to sever pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 14. United States v. Sliker, 751 F.2d 477, 492 (2d Cir.1984), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1058, 105 S.Ct. 1772, 84 L.Ed.2d 832 (1985). In order to demonstrate an abuse of this discretion, a defendant bears the extremely difficult burden of showing that substantial prejudice resulted from the denial of the motion. United States v. Werner, 620 F.2d 922, 928 (2d Cir.1980). It must further be shown that the prejudice resulted from the joinder, not merely that the defendant might have had a better chance for acquittal at a separate trial. United States v. Rucker, 586 F.2d 899, 902 (2d Cir.1978). 37 Migliorisi and various other of the 16 original co-defendants in this case made motions to sever. The district court granted the motions in part, resulting in seven trials. United States v. Gallo, 668 F.Supp. 736 (E.D.N.Y.1987). Judge Weinstein determined that Migliorisi would be prejudiced if tried together with all 16 co-defendants, but that no prejudice would result from being tried along with Vitta, Armone, and Gallo. Having made that determination, the court offered Migliorisi the option of going to trial individually in May, when the court had an opening, or proceeding with the group in September. Migliorisi chose to proceed in September. Migliorisi's contention that this was no choice, since counsel of his choice was unavailable in May, misses the mark. His arguments are of the nature that he might have had a better chance for acquittal had he been tried alone. Migliorisi, however has shown no prejudice suffered as a result of his being tried along with the other defendants here. Accordingly, we find the denial of Migliorisi's severance motion, to the extent he sought to be tried alone, to be a proper exercise of the district court's discretion.