Opinion ID: 590217
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Prosecutorial Misconduct and Prejudicial Publicity Regarding the Gotti Case

Text: 88 On Friday, February 22, 1991, after the jury in the Eisen trial had begun deliberations, argument was heard on an application by the prosecution in the Gotti case to disqualify several of the defense lawyers in that case including Shargel, who was then representing Napoli in the Eisen trial. Napoli contends that the prosecutors in the Gotti case acted improperly by repeating in open court allegations made against Shargel in the Government's sealed papers, and that these allegations improperly affected the jury's deliberations in the Eisen case. Napoli also argues that the Court improperly denied his motion to sequester the jury. 89 If a prosecutor abuses her discretion by intentionally attempting to distort the fact-finding process, then a due process violation exists. United States v. Angiulo, 897 F.2d 1169, 1191 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 130, 112 L.Ed.2d 98 (1990). But Napoli does not claim that the Government prosecutors in the Gotti case intentionally provoked press coverage with the aim of prejudicing the jury in the Eisen case, nor does he offer any evidence that the Gotti prosecutors even anticipated such a result. Moreover, the District Court took suitable precautions to ensure that the jury was not exposed to the press accounts of the allegations. 90 When the problem was brought to Judge Sifton's attention on the Friday of the hearing in the Gotti case, the Judge determined that he would speak with each juror individually in chambers about avoiding all news media over the weekend. Defense counsel objected to individual interviews, arguing that it would magnify the problem, and instead requested sequestration. The Judge denied sequestration, but conducted a general inquiry of the jury, asking the jury to avoid all news media over the weekend and providing a means by which concerned jurors could call the Court to ascertain the progress of then pending events in the Persian Gulf without resort to the media. The jurors gave their general agreement that they would comply. 91 The steps taken to protect the integrity of the jury deliberations were adequate under the circumstances. In United States v. Casamento, 887 F.2d 1141, 1154-55 (2d Cir.1989), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 1081, 110 S.Ct. 1138, 107 L.Ed.2d 1043 (1990), this Court found that the great deal of media attention surrounding an organized crime trial did not render it unfair in light of Judge Leval's instruction to the jury to avoid press accounts about the case. We held that [i]n the absence of evidence to the contrary, we will presume the jury followed these admonitions and avoided exposure to news reports about the trial. Id. Although Judge Leval conducted an individual interview with the jurors, the defendants here specifically requested that no such individual voir dire be conducted for fear of magnifying the problem. See also United States v. Gaggi, 811 F.2d 47, 53 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 482 U.S. 929, 107 S.Ct. 3214, 96 L.Ed.2d 701 (1987). 92 Moreover, as in Gaggi, we may find confirmation of the jury's ability to render an impartial verdict in the care which it took in its deliberations. 811 F.2d at 53. As the District Court noted in rejecting these claims post-trial, jury deliberations lasted from February 14 through March 4, 1991, with several notes sent out each day requesting to review exhibits or to have extensive testimony read back. And in its determination, the jury carefully distinguished among defendants and among predicate acts, finding 16 of 22 racketeering acts proven. 93 In the absence of any suggestion that the prosecutors in the Gotti case were acting in bad faith, in light of the fact that the allegations did not concern the trial in this case, the defendants on trial, or any of the events at issue in the case, and giving due weight to the District Court's cautionary measures, we find no due process violation and reject Napoli's request for a new trial. 94 Furthermore, Napoli's claim that the District Court erred in denying his motion to sequester the jury in response to the Gotti proceedings is without merit. The decision to sequester the jury to avoid exposure to publicity is committed to the discretion of the court, and failure to sequester the jury can rarely be grounds for reversal. United States v. Salerno, 868 F.2d 524, 540 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 491 U.S. 907, 109 S.Ct. 3192, 105 L.Ed.2d 700 (1989). Judge Sifton did not abuse his discretion and his precautions seem entirely adequate to the remote threat of prejudice from the expected publicity concerning Napoli's attorney and his representation of another client in a completely unrelated matter.