Opinion ID: 545552
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Cross-Examination of Hiland

Text: 60 Hiland alleges that the district court erred in allowing the government to cross-examine him regarding certain instances prior to E-Ferol in which OJF had marketed drugs without FDA approval. Given the district court's broad discretion in this area, we find that the challenged cross-examination was permissible under Fed.R.Evid. 611(b), which provides that [c]ross-examination should be limited to the subject matter of the direct examination and matters affecting the credibility of the witness. 27 61 The principles guiding our review are well settled. If a defendant takes the stand, his credibility is placed in issue, and the [g]overnment is entitled to attack it by cross-examination. United States v. Wallace, 722 F.2d 415, 416 (8th Cir.1983). Cross-examination may embrace any matter germane to direct examination, qualifying or destroying it, or tending to elucidate, modify, explain, contradict or rebut testimony given by the witness. Roberts v. Hollocher, 664 F.2d 200, 203 (8th Cir.1981). The permissible extent of cross-examination is a matter within the broad discretion of the district court. United States v. Schepp, 746 F.2d 406, 410 (8th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1215, 105 S.Ct. 1190, 84 L.Ed.2d 336 (1985). Accordingly, we will reverse the court's ruling only for abuse of discretion. United States v. Brown, 794 F.2d 365, 366 (8th Cir.1986). 62 On direct examination, Hiland testified that he had very little involvement with regulatory matters at OJF and had little or no knowledge of when a product required FDA approval as a new drug. He repeatedly insisted that for these reasons he had relied on Madison's determination of whether FDA approval was needed for E-Ferol. The district court ruled that by so testifying, Hiland had opened the door to cross-examination about his participation in incidents prior to E-Ferol that tended to contradict his professed ignorance of when FDA approval for a product was necessary. The court accordingly permitted the government to question Hiland regarding the sale of Dalalone P.R., a combination steroid drug that was the subject of an FDA seizure action in 1981 because OJF had marketed it without approval. This part of the cross-examination centered on two documents. The first was a letter written by Hiland to his superior at OJF's parent company recommending that OJF defend the continued distribution of Dalalone P.R. by arguing that it was not a new drug. The second was a 1981 memorandum, written by Madison at Hiland's request, which discussed the history of Dalalone P.R. and stated that the company was taking a risk by marketing it without a new drug approval. The court also allowed the government to question Hiland about a 1981 memorandum regarding a telephone conversation he had with a manufacturer of some of OJF's injectable products. The conversation concerned the fact that some of the products did not have new drug approval. In the memorandum, Hiland described the potential loss to OJF if the FDA caused the manufacturer to stop making these products, and wrote that he doubted the manufacturer would succeed with its argument that the products did not require new drug approval. 28 63 The line of inquiry permitted by the court was relevant to showing that Hiland was better informed than he claimed to be regarding OJF's regulatory affairs in general, and in particular about when a product would or might be considered a new drug by the FDA. The Dalalone P.R. example had special relevance in that it tended to show Hiland was aware prior to E-Ferol that a product comprised of two established and well-known ingredients might very well constitute a new drug. 29 We do not accept Hiland's contention that his involvement in the controversy with the FDA over Dalalone P.R. was irrelevant since this product was not a single-entity vitamin product like E-Ferol. Despite this and related arguments, we cannot say that the district court abused its discretion in determining that the challenged cross-examination was within the scope of direct examination, relevant, and not unfairly prejudicial. 30 F. Prejudicial Medical Testimony 64 Both Carter and Hiland contend that the district court abused its discretion in admitting the testimony of several physicians and pharmacists regarding the effects E-Ferol had on premature infants. The challenged testimony consisted primarily of descriptions of the unusual pattern of symptoms observed in premature infants who had received the drug, and concerned adverse reaction episodes of which Carter and Hiland were not actually aware prior to the recall of E-Ferol. 31 Carter and Hiland argue that (1) the court should have required the government to accept a stipulation they offered because it would have eliminated any need for the testimony, and (2) the testimony was inadmissible under Fed.R.Evid. 403 due to its limited relevance and prejudicial effect. Neither argument persuades us that the court committed error. 65 The challenged medical testimony helped to show that E-Ferol was dangerous when administered in accordance with dosage directions and other recommendations for use in its labeling. It was therefore plainly relevant to establishing that E-Ferol was both misbranded and a new drug, essential elements of the government's case. 32 66 At trial, the defendants offered to stipulate that at some time after April 9, 1984 it was determined by others that E-Ferol Aqueous Solution was dangerous to health in certain cases. The proposed stipulation said nothing about whether E-Ferol was dangerous when used as labeled. It is well established in this circuit that as a general rule, the government is not bound by a defendant's offer to stipulate. United States v. Bass, 794 F.2d 1305, 1312 n. 6 (8th Cir.), cert. denied sub nom. Price v. United States, 479 U.S. 869, 107 S.Ct. 233, 93 L.Ed.2d 159 (1986); United States v. Ellison, 793 F.2d 942, 949 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 937, 107 S.Ct. 415, 93 L.Ed.2d 366 (1986); United States v. Peltier, 585 F.2d 314, 324 (8th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 945, 99 S.Ct. 1422, 59 L.Ed.2d 634 (1979). The rationale for this rule is to enable the government to present to the jury a complete picture of the events constituting the crime charged. 'To substitute for such a picture a naked admission might ... rob the evidence of much of its fair and legitimate weight.'  Ellison, 793 F.2d at 949 (quoting Peltier, 585 F.2d at 324). Nevertheless, the general rule is subject to the strictures of Rule 403. Id. Thus, a proper [R]ule 403 balancing analysis will incorporate some assessment of the need for the allegedly prejudicial information in light of a valid stipulation. Bass, 794 F.2d at 1312 n. 6. A critical aspect of this assessment is whether the challenged evidence is probative of issues other than the one to which the defendants offered to stipulate. See id. In the instant case, acceptance of the defendants' proposed stipulation would not have satisfied the government's burden of proving that E-Ferol was not only dangerous, but dangerous when used as recommended in its labeling. Given this deficiency in the proposed stipulation and the rationale underlying the general rule regarding such offers, we conclude that the district court did not err in refusing to exclude the challenged medical testimony merely because of [the defendants'] offer to stipulate. Peltier, 585 F.2d at 325. 67 As relevant evidence, this testimony was inherently prejudicial in the sense of being detrimental to the defendants' case. Rule 403 is not directed at this type of prejudice, but rather protects only against unfair prejudice. See Wade v. Haynes, 663 F.2d 778, 783 (8th Cir.1981), aff'd sub nom. Smith v. Wade, 461 U.S. 30, 103 S.Ct. 1625, 75 L.Ed.2d 632 (1983). Evidence is unfairly prejudicial to the extent it creates  'an undue tendency to suggest decision on an improper basis, commonly, though not necessarily, an emotional one.'  United States v. Weddell, 890 F.2d 106, 108 (8th Cir.1989) (quoting Rule 403 advisory committee's note). Testimony regarding the effects of E-Ferol undoubtedly presented the potential for such prejudice. However, Rule 403 permits the exclusion of evidence only if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. United States v. Abodeely, 801 F.2d 1020, 1025 (8th Cir.1986). In reviewing a discretionary decision not to exclude evidence under Rule 403, we give great deference to the trial judge who saw and heard the evidence. Peltier, 585 F.2d at 321. We will not reverse that decision absent a clear and prejudicial abuse of discretion. Abodeely, 801 F.2d at 1026. 68 Although Carter and Hiland make much of references in the medical testimony to oozing, bleeding, and abdominal bloating, the record reveals that such terminology was used in only a few isolated instances. For the most part, the witnesses in question limited themselves to strictly clinical terms when describing the symptoms they had observed, and their testimony did not unduly emphasize E-Ferol's association with certain infant deaths. We are satisfied from the record that the medical testimony was carefully controlled and not presented in an inflammatory manner. We note also that to a certain extent, some of the challenged testimony was intertwined with other relevant testimony of the witnesses, such as their explanations of the purposes for which they had used E-Ferol based on its labeling. The fact that E-Ferol had been associated with infant deaths was disclosed to the jury by other properly admitted evidence. Indeed, it was Carter who introduced into evidence several documents containing a statement that E-Ferol had been associated with the deaths of thirty-eight infants. Finally, we are impressed by the diligent efforts of the district court to limit the potential for unfair prejudice. During the trial, the court twice cautioned the jury that the defendants were not being tried for harming or causing the death of infants. The court reiterated this same point in no uncertain terms in its final instructions to the jury. 33 In sum, after a careful review of the challenged medical testimony, we cannot say the district court committed a clear abuse of discretion in determining that the danger of unfair prejudice presented by this testimony did not substantially outweigh its probative value. G. Prosecutorial Misconduct 69 Carter contends that the following statement made at the conclusion of the prosecution's closing argument was improper and requires reversal: 70 In sum, you've heard how Hoffman[n-]LaRoche was testing their product. They were doing animal studies and they were doing clinical studies. I submit that these defendants were testing their product too, on the babies in Spokane, Tennessee, in Cincinnati, and other places. 71 Although the final sentence of this statement was improper, defense counsel failed to object. Our review is therefore limited to determining whether the prosecutor's remark amounted to plain error. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b); United States v. Skarda, 845 F.2d 1508, 1511 (8th Cir.1988). Under this standard, reversal is warranted only if the remark was such as to undermine the fundamental fairness of the trial and contribute to a miscarriage of justice. United States v. Young, 470 U.S. 1, 16, 105 S.Ct. 1038, 1047, 84 L.Ed.2d 1 (1985). As noted previously, the district court emphasized to the jury that the defendants were not on trial for injuring infants. The court also instructed the jury that the attorneys' closing arguments were not evidence. Moreover, the evidence admitted against Carter was substantial and persuasive. We are satisfied that, viewed in the context of the entire trial, the prosecutor's improper remark did not contribute to a miscarriage of justice. 72 H. Supplemental Charge, Jury Poll, and Unanimity of Verdict 73 The indictment alleged that E-Ferol had been misbranded in five different ways. The first was that the labeling for E-Ferol was false and misleading because it failed to reveal one or more of the material facts identified in the indictment. 34 The jury instructions characterized these five grounds as options to be considered individually. The jury was told that, as to each defendant and each misbranding count, it had to specify at least one of the five options in order to return a guilty verdict. However, the final misbranding instructions described the first option as simply false and misleading in any particular, 35 and did not require the jury to indicate which of the material facts listed in the indictment had not been revealed. During discussions with counsel while the jury deliberated, the district court recognized that a misbranding verdict specifying option one might not be sufficiently precise to ensure unanimity as to the way in which E-Ferol had been misbranded. Accordingly, the court informed counsel that it would direct the jury to deliberate further if such a verdict were returned. The jury subsequently returned with a misbranding verdict against Hiland that specified only option one. 36 The court told the jury that its verdict was ambiguous due to the wording of the instructions, and directed it to retire to the jury room to see if it could unanimously agree on another misbranding option as to Hiland. The jury returned shortly thereafter with a verdict specifying another option. 37 74 Before giving its supplemental charge on the misbranding counts against Hiland, the court read the other verdicts to the jury and asked it as a body whether the various verdicts were correct. The jury confirmed them by silence. After the second misbranding verdict was returned, the court polled the jurors individually but inadvertently omitted the mail fraud verdict against Hiland. Earlier, the court had neglected to augment its general unanimity instruction with the specific unanimity instruction requested by Hiland, which would have told the jury that its verdict must be unanimous with respect to each defendant on each count. 75 Hiland contends that the jury's second verdict on the misbranding counts cannot stand. He suggests that the district court had no authority to resubmit these counts to the jury and argues that doing so was both coercive and a violation of the fifth amendment's prohibition against double jeopardy. We are not persuaded by these arguments. 76 Under the sixth amendment, a federal criminal defendant has a non-waivable right to a unanimous jury verdict. United States v. Eagle Elk, 820 F.2d 959, 961 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 867, 108 S.Ct. 191, 98 L.Ed.2d 143 (1987). The district court was justified in its concern that the jury's first misbranding verdict against Hiland might not satisfy this constitutional requirement because of the possibility that the jurors did not agree on the particular way in which E-Ferol had been misbranded. See id. (sixth amendment requires that jurors be in substantial agreement as to the nature of the defendant's guilty act); McKoy v. North Carolina, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 1227, 1237 n. 5, 108 L.Ed.2d 369 (1990) (Blackmun, J., concurring) (must be unanimous agreement as to the nature of the defendant's violation, not simply the fact that a violation has occurred). Indeed, Hiland asserts that the jury's first misbranding verdict was defective for this very reason. 38 Nevertheless, Hiland suggests that the court had no authority to resubmit the misbranding counts to the jury in the absence of a jury poll indicating that the first verdict was not unanimous. A federal district court has authority to require redeliberation in cases in which there is uncertainty, contingency, or ambiguity regarding the jury's verdict. United States v. Rastelli, 870 F.2d 822, 835 (2d Cir.), cert. denied sub nom. Agar v. United States, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 515, 107 L.Ed.2d 516 (1989). Rule 31(d) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure expressly authorizes the court to direct the jury to retire for further deliberation if a poll shows a lack of unanimity. 39 However, the language of [R]ule 31(d) does not delimit the only circumstance in which a trial judge may require redeliberation. Rastelli, 870 F.2d at 835; see also United States v. Mears, 614 F.2d 1175, 1179 (8th Cir.) (where verdict of not guilty read in open court and jury foreman then told court verdict was incorrectly signed, court did not err in directing jury to resume deliberations), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 945, 100 S.Ct. 2174, 64 L.Ed.2d 801 (1980). Furthermore, in all cases not provided for by rule, the district court may proceed in any manner not inconsistent with the Federal Rules or local rules. Fed.R.Crim.P. 57; see also United States v. Jerry, 487 F.2d 600, 604 (3d Cir.1973) ([n]othing in the Rules limits the power of the court to correct mistakes made in its handling of a case so long as the court's jurisdiction continues). We conclude that the district court had authority to direct the jury to deliberate further on the misbranding counts against Hiland even though the only ambiguity in the jury's first verdict was due to the court's instructions. 77 Any criminal defendant ... being tried by a jury is entitled to the uncoerced verdict of that body. Lowenfield v. Phelps, 484 U.S. 231, 241, 108 S.Ct. 546, 552, 98 L.Ed.2d 568 (1988). Hiland argues that the second misbranding verdict was coerced because the jury received the court's supplemental charge late on a Friday afternoon after deliberating for two days, and then returned with its second verdict approximately ten minutes after receiving the charge. The fact that the jury returned so soon with its verdict suggests the possibility of coercion. Id. at 240, 108 S.Ct. at 552; see also United States v. Webb, 816 F.2d 1263, 1267 (8th Cir.1987) (finding of coercive effect supported by fact that verdict returned only fifteen minutes after Allen charge). However, we are certainly not required to draw such an inference, as is shown by our decisions addressing supplemental Allen charges. 40 See United States v. Dawkins, 562 F.2d 567, 570 n. 4 (8th Cir.1977) (per curiam) (citing cases). We consider it significant that defense counsel did not object to the supplemental charge. 41 [S]uch an omission indicates that the potential for coercion argued now was not apparent to one on the spot. Lowenfield, 484 U.S. at 240, 108 S.Ct. at 552; see also Amos v. United States, 496 F.2d 1269, 1273 (8th Cir.) (lack of objection by defense counsel to court's procedures in polling jury and directing jury to resume deliberations permits an inference that the procedures utilized did not appear coercive at the time), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 896, 95 S.Ct. 174, 42 L.Ed.2d 140 (1974). The fact that the charge was not directed at jurors holding a minority view, if indeed there were any, further reduces the likelihood of coercion. See Lowenfield, 484 U.S. at 237-38, 108 S.Ct. at 550-51; United States v. Porter, 881 F.2d 878, 889 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 348, 107 L.Ed.2d 336 (1989). In instructing the jurors to resume deliberation on the misbranding counts against Hiland, the district court stressed that they were free to find no other misbranding option applied to Hiland. Having considered the district court's supplemental charge  'in its context and under all the circumstances,'  Lowenfield, 484 U.S. at 237, 108 S.Ct. at 550 (quoting Jenkins v. United States, 380 U.S. 445, 446, 85 S.Ct. 1059, 1060, 13 L.Ed.2d 957 (1965) (per curiam)), we find that the jury's second misbranding verdict was not coerced. 78 Hiland argues that the double jeopardy clause prohibited resubmission of the misbranding counts to the jury because by specifying only option one, the jury's first verdict implicitly acquitted him of misbranding on the basis of any of the other four options. Hiland relies on Green v. United States, 355 U.S. 184, 190, 78 S.Ct. 221, 225, 2 L.Ed.2d 199 (1957), which held that a verdict of guilty on a lesser included offense constituted an implicit acquittal of the defendant on the greater offense charged, barring retrial on that offense. We find Green inapposite because the misbranding options were equivalent in that they were simply presented as the various ways in which E-Ferol was alleged to have been misbranded. The jury was instructed that it need agree on only one of the options in order to find a defendant guilty of misbranding. It was not instructed that it had to indicate each of the options on which it unanimously agreed. Thus, there is no reason to conclude that the jury's first misbranding verdict necessarily reflected a refusal to find Hiland guilty of that offense on the basis of any of the options not designated by the jury. Furthermore, a verdict is not final for purposes of double jeopardy simply because it is announced by the jury foreman in open court. United States v. Love, 597 F.2d 81, 84-85 (6th Cir.1979). If not accepted by the trial court, a verdict is not final for purposes of double jeopardy. See United States v. Chinchic, 655 F.2d 547, 550 (4th Cir.1981). The record here establishes that the district court expressly refrained from accepting the verdicts until after the jury had returned from its redeliberation on the misbranding counts against Hiland. 79 Hiland contends that the district court's failure to poll the jurors individually on the mail fraud verdict against him requires automatic reversal of that verdict. The right to poll the jury is provided by Fed.R.Crim.P. 31(d), but is not of constitutional dimension. Government of the Virgin Islands v. Hercules, 875 F.2d 414, 417 (3d Cir.1989); United States v. Carter, 772 F.2d 66, 67 (4th Cir.1985); United States v. Beldin, 737 F.2d 450, 455 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1075, 105 S.Ct. 572, 83 L.Ed.2d 512 (1984); United States v. Shepherd, 576 F.2d 719, 724 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 852, 99 S.Ct. 158, 58 L.Ed.2d 155 (1978); Jaca Hernandez v. Delgado, 375 F.2d 584, 585 (1st Cir.1967). Denial of a timely request for a poll under Rule 31(d) is reversible error. Hercules, 875 F.2d at 417 n. 5, 419; Shepherd, 576 F.2d at 724. It is also reversible error not to allow the defendant a reasonable opportunity to make such a request. Miranda v. United States, 255 F.2d 9, 18 (1st Cir.1958). On the other hand, it is well settled that a poll under Rule 31(d) is not required unless requested and is waived if the request is not timely. Beldin, 737 F.2d at 455; United States v. Hockridge, 573 F.2d 752, 759 n. 19 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 821, 99 S.Ct. 86, 58 L.Ed.2d 112 (1978); United States v. Marr, 428 F.2d 614, 615 (7th Cir.1970); Mull v. United States, 402 F.2d 571, 574 (9th Cir.1968), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 1107, 89 S.Ct. 917, 21 L.Ed.2d 804 (1969); United States v. Neal, 365 F.2d 188, 190 (6th Cir.1966); Miranda, 255 F.2d at 17. Silence constitutes a waiver if adequate time is allowed for a request. Beldin, 737 F.2d at 455. 80 Hiland asserts that he specifically requested a poll, citing an exchange which took place after the court had asked the jury collectively whether its verdicts were correct and directed it to retire for further deliberation on the misbranding counts against Hiland: 81 A VOICE [presumably Hiland's counsel]: Your Honor, can I ask a question? 82 THE COURT: Yes. 83 A VOICE: Is that the way the Court customarily polls the jury-- 84 THE COURT: No, I still think the formal polling individually of the jury, but with so many different things here, we'd have to poll it 25 times 3, and that was too much, so I read that at first and I'm going to ask them to poll over again when they come back, individually to respond. 85 Sept. 30 Tr. at 9. Counsel's question can hardly be characterized as a request for a poll. More importantly, when the court later inadvertently omitted the mail fraud verdict against Hiland in polling each juror individually, Hiland neither objected nor brought the oversight to the court's attention. The record reveals that Hiland had ample time to do so. Although not at fault for the court's oversight, counsel failed to take reasonable, available steps to remedy the situation. Beldin, 737 F.2d at 455. The time to protest has passed. Id. We hold that Hiland waived his right to a poll on the mail fraud verdict. 42 86 Hiland proposed a specific instruction informing the jury that its verdict must be unanimous with respect to each defendant on each count. The district court expressed willingness to give this instruction in addition to its general unanimity instruction, but ultimately failed to do so despite several requests and a timely objection by Hiland. 43 Hiland argues that the court's failure to give the requested specific unanimity instruction constitutes reversible error. Because the court did give such an instruction on the misbranding counts and in its supplemental charge to the jury, this allegation of error has no merit with respect to the second misbranding verdict. 87 It is well settled that a general unanimity instruction is usually sufficient to protect a defendant's sixth amendment right to a unanimous verdict. See, e.g., United States v. Hernandez-Escarsega, 886 F.2d 1560, 1572 (9th Cir.1989), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 3237, 111 L.Ed.2d 748 (1990); United States v. Phillips, 869 F.2d 1361, 1366-67 (10th Cir.1988), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 2074, 104 L.Ed.2d 638 (1989); United States v. Murray, 618 F.2d 892, 898 (2d Cir.1980). As an exception to this rule, courts have held that a specific unanimity instruction is required in cases where there is a genuine risk of jury confusion. See, e.g., United States v. Bryan, 868 F.2d 1032, 1039 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 167, 107 L.Ed.2d 124 (1989); United States v. Duncan, 850 F.2d 1104, 1114 (6th Cir.1988), cert. denied sub nom. Downing v. United States, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 732, 107 L.Ed.2d 751 (1990). 44 The only danger of confusion alleged by Hiland is that the jury may have believed it only needed to agree unanimously on a general verdict, but not on the individual counts. Citing no case law that supports his position, Hiland urges us to hold that a specific unanimity instruction such as he proposed must be given whenever it is requested in a case involving multiple defendants and counts. Although such a practice is preferable, we are not prepared to say that reversal is required whenever it is not followed. As we have emphasized in a related context, [t]he mere fact ... that an instruction could conceivably permit a jury to reach a non-unanimous verdict is not sufficient to require reversal when the jury has been instructed that it must reach a unanimous verdict. Berrisford v. Wood, 826 F.2d 747, 754 (8th Cir.1987) (quoting Fryer v. Nix, 775 F.2d 979, 992 (8th Cir.1985)), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1016, 108 S.Ct. 722, 98 L.Ed.2d 671 (1988). 88 Other courts have recognized a number of factors that may result in a genuine danger of jury confusion, necessitating a specific unanimity instruction. See, e.g., Duncan, 850 F.2d at 1114. The only one of these factors that Hiland suggests is present here is factual complexity of the evidence. 45 The evidence in this case can indeed be characterized as complex, if only because of its volume. However, Hiland does not attempt to explain how this complexity translated into a genuine risk that the jury would be confused as to whether it had to agree unanimously with respect to each defendant on each count, or only on an overall verdict. We are therefore not inclined to hold that such a risk existed in this case. 89 We need not definitively decide this issue, however, because if the district court erred in failing to give Hiland's proposed unanimity instruction, the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. See Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S.Ct. 824, 828, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967). Before polling the jurors individually, the court told them that it was doing so [b]ecause a verdict must be the verdict of all the jury and on [sic] each individual juror. Sept. 30 Tr. at 10. The poll showed that the verdicts against Hiland were unanimous on the conspiracy and new drug counts, curing the alleged error as to those counts. See United States ex rel. Riffert v. Rundle, 464 F.2d 1348, 1351 (3d Cir.1972) (even if failure to instruct jury that unanimity required was plain error, error was harmless because subsequent jury poll indicated verdict was unanimous), cert. denied, 415 U.S. 927, 94 S.Ct. 1434, 39 L.Ed.2d 484 (1974); cf. United States v. Flaherty, 668 F.2d 566, 600 (1st Cir.1981) (use of phrase collective judgment in reasonable doubt instruction not reversible error in light of other instructions and jury poll which confirmed verdict was unanimous). Additional circumstances support this conclusion, and convince us that the verdict against Hiland on the mail fraud counts was also unanimous. The court instructed the jurors that it was their duty to give separate, personal consideration to the case of each individual defendant, and specifically told them that [t]he fact that you may find one of the accused guilty or not guilty of one charge should not control your verdict as to another defendant or another charge. Sept. 28 Tr. at 15. The jury was given a separate verdict form for each defendant with a blank line to mark guilty or not guilty as to each count. That the jury gave individual consideration to Hiland with respect to the mail fraud counts is further evidenced by its acquittal of the other defendants on those charges. See Shepherd, 576 F.2d at 725 (jury sophistication evidenced by acquittal of one defendant and conviction of others reduced likelihood of non-unanimity). Moreover, when questioning the jury as a whole, the court indicated it would consider the jurors' silence as affirming that they had all found each defendant guilty as stated in the verdicts. 46 After the jury returned from its final deliberation, the court informed the jurors that it would repeat these verdicts before polling them individually. Notwithstanding the court's ensuing failure to repeat the mail fraud verdict against Hiland, we consider it highly unlikely that the jurors did not think they were also confirming this verdict by their individual answers. 47 Under these circumstances, we are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the verdicts against Hiland were unanimous on each count.