Opinion ID: 770161
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendant Joseph L. Cuevas

Text: 35 The appeal of defendant Joseph L. Cuevas focuses on the testimony of Pablo Villamil, a rebuttal witness called by the government. Villamil testified that he participated in a drug run with defendant Cuevas, and that as part of this venture he accompanied defendant Cuevas and Emilio Guizar on a May 20, 1997 flight from Chicago to Dallas. This testimony was particularly damaging to defendant Cuevas because Villamil was called to refute the innocent explanation defendant Cuevas gave for that trip. In addition, Villamil rebutted defendant Cuevas's statement that he and Guizar traveled alone to Dallas on the flight in question. The government further attempted to damage defendant Cuevas's credibility by introducing flight manifests showing that, despite defendant Cuevas's assertion to the contrary, defendant Cuevas, Guizar, and Villamil were all on a Vanguard Airlines flight from Chicago to Dallas on May 20, 1997. We review the district court's decision to admit rebuttal testimony for an abuse of discretion. See Spesco, Inc. v. General Elec. Co., 719 F.2d 233, 239-40 (7th Cir. 1983). 36 Defendant Cuevas's allegations of error in regard to the testimony of Villamil focus on what he regards as the unfair surprise created when the government called Villamil in rebuttal after having failed to offer him as a witness in its case-in-chief. It is well-established, however, that there is no constitutional right to discovery in non-capital criminal cases and that the prosecution has no constitutional obligation to reveal its witnesses prior to trial. See Weatherford v. Bursey, 429 U.S. 545, 559 (1977); United States v. Agyemang, 876 F.2d 1264, 1270 (7th Cir. 1989). More significantly, there is no allegation that the government failed to comply with any discovery rule in not disclosing the possibility that Villamil would testify as a rebuttal witness. See, e.g., United States v. Braxton, 877 F.2d 556, 560 (7th Cir. 1989). Villamil's testimony only became necessary when defendant Cuevas denied having been accompanied to Dallas by Villamil, and the government was entitled to call Villamil to rebut that testimony and to attack defendant Cuevas's credibility. See United States v. O'Brien, 119 F.3d 523, 530 (7th Cir. 1997) (Once a defendant takes the stand and denies his criminal activity, it is proper for the district judge to permit the Government to offer rebuttal evidence in contradiction of that testimony.). Because the government had no legal duty to disclose the identity of its potential rebuttal witnesses, and because defendant Cuevas put his credibility at issue by testifying in his own defense, the district court properly allowed Villamil to testify. 37 Although precedent establishes that the government was not required to disclose the identity of Villamil as a rebuttal witness, the government's failure to turn over the Vanguard Airlines passenger list is more problematic. This case was conducted under an open discovery policy, and the government was clearly obligated to disclose the passenger list to the defense as soon as it was received. The government did not comply with this obligation, nor did it offer any valid justification for this failure before the district court or on appeal. These kind of discovery violations are troubling in any context, but particularly so when they are committed by the government during a criminal trial. However, it is significant that the district court properly recognized the government's error and prohibited the government from using the airline passenger list to rebut defendant Cuevas's testimony or to corroborate Villamil's testimony. District courts are generally given discretion to fashion remedies for discovery violations, see Fed.R.Crim.P. 16(d)(2), and we will not second-guess that decision absent a showing that, on the particular facts of this case, the district court abused that discretion. See United States v. Beverly, 913 F.2d 337, 355 (7th Cir. 1990); see also Taylor v. Illinois, 484 U.S. 400 (1988). 38 A new trial is warranted for a discovery violation only if 'the remedy offered by the district court was inadequate to provide [the defendant] with a fair trial.' United States v. Jackson, 51 F.3d 646, 651 (7th Cir. 1995) (quoting United States v. Mounts, 35 F.3d 1208, 1217 (7th Cir. 1994)). In this case, defendant Cuevas argues that the district court's decision to exclude the airline passenger list, but to permit Villamil to testify on rebuttal, was inadequate to ensure that he was provided a fair trial. Defendant Cueveas contends that the government acted in bad faith and intentionally withheld the airline passenger list in order to conceal the possibility that Villamil might testify and that this act of deception fundamentally altered his trial strategy. Defendant Cuevas also argues that the district court erred in not granting his request for a continuance so that he could more adequately prepare for the testimony of this surprise witness. 39 As we have previously discussed, we do not believe that the district court abused its discretion in its management of the discovery issues when those issues are examined in isolation. The district court properly permitted the government to call Villamil as a witness, and the district court exercised its discretion to remedy discovery abuses by excluding the airline passenger list that was not tendered to the defense. Because neither of these decisions constitute error when examined separately, defendant Cuevas's claim relies on a link between the failure of the defense to provide the airline passenger list and the detriment he suffered when Villamil was called as a rebuttal witness to attack his credibility. According to defendant Cuevas, had he properly received the airline passenger list from the government, he would have known of the possibility that Villamil would be called to testify and would have altered his trial strategy accordingly (presumably by not testifying himself or by admitting Villamil's presence on the May 20, 1997 flight). 3 Under this theory, the only adequate remedy for the government's failure to disclose the existence of the airline passenger list would have been to exclude both the list itself and the rebuttal testimony of Villamil. 40 Although we reiterate our concern about the government's failure to turn over the airline passenger list to the defense, we do not believe that the district court erred in fashioning a remedy for that violation. The passenger list would have shown that the government was aware of the passengers on the May 20, 1997 flight to Dallas, but it would not have given Cuevas any indication that Villamil was prepared to testify that he accompanied Cuevas to Dallas. The notion that mere possession of the airline passenger list would have led to the conclusion that Villamil would be called to testify and that this realization would have altered Cuevas's trial strategy is too speculative to demonstrate that the district court should have excluded Villamil's testimony or that defendant Cuevas was prejudiced by the government's actions. See United States v. Salerno, 108 F.3d 730, 748 (7th Cir. 1997) (quoting United States v. Alvarez, 987 F.2d 77, 85 (1st Cir. 1993)). In the absence of a more concrete showing that disclosure of the airline passenger list would have impacted defendant Cuevas's trial strategy, or some evidence that the government acted in bad faith in withholding that information, we cannot say that the district court abused its discretion in choosing to remedy the government's discovery violation through exclusion of the undisclosed evidence. 41 In addition to his arguments concerning the district court's failure to adequately remedy the discovery violation committed by the government, defendant Cuevas also contends that the district court erred when it refused to grant him a continuance to prepare for Villamil's testimony. While we agree that the district court had the discretion to grant defendant Cuevas a continuance, see United States v. United Pacific Ins. Co., 427 F.2d 366, 373 (7th Cir. 1970) ([A]n application for a continuance is addressed to the sound discretion of the trial court . . . .), we do not believe that defendant Cuevas has demonstrated that a continuance was mandated by the circumstances of this case or that the district court abused its discretion in refusing to grant one. See United States v. $94,000.00 in United States Currency, 2 F.3d 778, 787 (7th Cir. 1992) (We review the trial court's denial of a continuance for abuse of discretion.). We base this conclusion primarily on defendant Cuevas's failure to show that a continuance was necessary in order for him to prepare for Villamil's testimony and on his inability to demonstrate that the government's actions in calling Villamil as a rebuttal witness prejudiced his defense. See United States v. Avery, 208 F.3d 597, 602 (7th Cir. 2000). 42 Before Villamil was allowed to testify, the district court ensured that defendant Cuevas was able to interview him, and the record reflects that defendant Cuevas had ample opportunity at trial to cross-examine Villamil on both his credibility and his motive for testifying. Although defendant Cuevas now says that had he known of the possibility that Villamil would be called to testify he would have sought additional information in preparation for that testimony-- including taking pictures of the Vanguard airlines ticket counter in Chicago, investigating the airline's boarding and ticketing procedures, taking pictures at the Dallas airport, investigating rental car procedures in Dallas, investigating bus routes from Dallas to Chicago, ascertaining whether there was a record of a bus ticket for Villamil, and investigating Villamil's employment--defendant Cuevas does not indicate how this additional information would have aided his cross-examination of Villamil. Moreover, much of the further investigation sought by defendant Cuevas involved places and events already known and relevant to the defense's case even before Villamil became involved. Against this backdrop, we cannot conclude that the district court abused its discretion in refusing defendant Cuevas's request for a continuance. See Pfeil v. Rogers, 757 F.2d 850, 856 (7th Cir. 1985) (Absent an abuse of discretion, the trial court's determination of whether a continuance is justified will not be interfered with by an appellate court.).