Opinion ID: 718193
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Review of Instant Jury Charge

Text: 24 The jury instructions in the present case, though not a model of clarity, correctly track the law set forth in Medina. In evaluating a challenge to a jury instruction, an appellate court must focus first on the specific language of the charge. See California v. Brown, 479 U.S. 538, 541, 107 S.Ct. 837, 839, 93 L.Ed.2d 934 (1987); United States v. Coyne, 4 F.3d 100, 113 (2d Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 929, 127 L.Ed.2d 221 (1994). To determine if the challenged instruction passes muster, the reviewing court must next examine the entire charge to see if--looked at as a whole--it conveyed to the jury a correct view of the law. Brown, 479 U.S. at 541, 107 S.Ct. at 839. When jury instructions are susceptible to more than one possible interpretation, our task is to determine whether there is a reasonable likelihood that the jury applied them in a way that deprived defendant of his rights. Boyde v. California, 494 U.S. 370, 380, 110 S.Ct. 1190, 1197-98, 108 L.Ed.2d 316 (1990); see Estelle v. McGuire, 502 U.S. 62, 72 & n. 4, 112 S.Ct. 475, 482 & n. 4, 116 L.Ed.2d 385 (1991) (reaffirming Boyde standard as a single standard of review for jury instructions); United States v. Birbal, 62 F.3d 456, 462 (2d Cir.1995) (applying reasonable likelihood standard to direct review of federal conviction). 25 Defendant urges that the charge as given was in error because it instructed the jury that Pipola could be guilty simply because he knew that a firearm would be used or carried during the two robberies. More particularly, he maintains that the instruction omitted the requirement of an act directly promoting the firearms violation, as opposed to an act merely promoting the general criminal endeavor. See Medina, 32 F.3d at 45. Pipola further asserts that his counsel's failure to object to the instruction at the trial should be excused because a supervening decision--Medina--changed the law of this Circuit. We reject these arguments. 26 The trial court concededly instructed the jury--with respect to counts three and five--that knowledge that a gun would be used was necessary to establish liability as an aider and abettor. However, nowhere in the instructions did the district court charge that knowledge alone was sufficient. It explained that in evaluating those counts the jury must apply the general aiding-and-abetting instructions given with respect to the two counts of aiding and abetting the obstruction of commerce by robbery (counts two and four). These instructions correctly required the jury to find that someone committed the underlying crime--in the case of counts three and five, the relevant § 924(c) firearms offense--and that defendant knowingly facilitated the commission of the offense by some act or omission. In addition, the jury was specifically cautioned that defendant's presence at the crime scene or his acquiescence in the criminal conduct of others, even joined with knowledge that the crime would be committed, would not support a conviction for aiding and abetting. 27 Although when viewed in isolation, the instruction setting forth the knowledge requirement did not state the elements of aiding-and-abetting completely, we think the instructions as a whole delivered a correct interpretation of the law. Brown, 479 U.S. at 541, 107 S.Ct. at 839. Defendant's argument takes the instruction that knowledge is required out of context and ignores the fact that the general instructions were explicitly incorporated into the charge. In addition to knowledge that a firearm will be used, Medina simply requires that there be an act or omission promoting the use of the firearm. The trial court's instructions effectively communicated this requirement. 28 In our recent decision in United States v. Masotto, 73 F.3d 1233 (2d Cir.1996), a defendant convicted of robbery appealed his conviction of aiding and abetting the carrying or use of a firearm. Masotto argued, as does the defendant here, that the trial court erroneously instructed the jury that liability could be based on  'mere knowledge' that members of the crew might use firearms without proof that [the defendant] 'performed some act that directly facilitated or encouraged the use or carrying of a firearm.'  Id. at 1240 (citing Medina, 32 F.3d at 45). We turned this challenge aside, holding that the general instructions on liability as an aider and abettor required the jury to find more than knowledge: the jury was required to find that all the elements of the underlying firearms offense were committed by some person and that the defendant participated in the commission of the offense. Id. at 1240. The instant case is indistinguishable from Masotto. Read as a whole, the instructions effectively explained that the defendant must have directly facilitated the commission of the firearms offense. Therefore, there is no reasonable likelihood that the conviction was based on an erroneous view of the law. 29 Defendant thinks plain error review should be less stringent in the present case because an intervening decision changed settled law of this Circuit. See United States v. Viola, 35 F.3d 37, 41-42 (2d Cir.1994), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 1270, 131 L.Ed.2d 148 (1995). In such cases, it is the government that has the burden of showing that defendant's substantial rights were not affected. Cf. Olano, 507 U.S. at 732-34, 113 S.Ct. at 1777 (We need not consider the special case where the error was unclear at the time of trial but becomes clear on appeal because the applicable law has been clarified.). Defendant believes that Medina changed--or at least clarified--the requisite elements of aiding and abetting a violation of § 924(c). However, because in our view the jury instructions in the case at hand did not constitute error, we need not reach the prejudice component of the plain error inquiry. II Sufficiency of the Evidence 30 Pipola next avers that the evidence was insufficient to support liability for aiding and abetting the carrying or use of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence. A defendant challenging the sufficiency of the evidence bears a heavy burden because in reviewing such a claim, the evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, see Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80, 62 S.Ct. 457, 469-70, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942), and reasonable inferences and credibility determinations are to be drawn in its favor. See United States v. LaPorta, 46 F.3d 152, 162 (2d Cir.1994). When the evidence, viewed in this light, may be said to convince any rational trier of fact that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the conviction must be upheld. See Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); United States v. Stanchich, 550 F.2d 1294, 1299 (2d Cir.1977) (Friendly, J.). 31 Here the evidence was sufficient to convict Pipola of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm in connection with both robberies. We are unable to agree with defendant's suggestion that the evidence in his case was weaker than that in Medina. In Medina, 32 F.3d at 42, the proof was found insufficient because it did not show an act that specifically aided and abetted the use or carrying of a gun during the attempted robbery and because Medina's plans for the robbery did not include a gun that was actually carried or used. In the instant case, however, the proof permitted the jury to infer that Pipola specifically encouraged the use of firearms in the robberies. 32 Co-conspirator Small's testimony concerning the August 1992 conversation--during which Pipola recruited him for the Citibank robbery--allowed the jury to conclude that Pipola delegated to Small the task of providing a gun. Small recounted how he was told to play the same role, including the delivery of a gun, for the Dubovsky robbery, and said that his role in the latter robbery was discussed at Pipola's house. Because there was considerable evidence that Pipola made planning decisions as the leader of the group, the jury was entitled to infer that it was defendant's aim to encourage Small to make a gun available when the crimes were committed. Moreover, Small testified that he discharged his assigned task by arming Donohue, one of the gunmen, on the morning of the September 21 robbery. As a result, Pipola's acts related directly to the firearm that was actually used in the first robbery. 33 Pipola further insists that the evidence regarding the second robbery is insufficient, even if the count of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm in the first robbery is upheld. Again, the testimony permitted the inference that Pipola, relying on a tip from Martorella, devised a plan to rob an armored truck at Citibank's Metropolitan Avenue office. That plan, as evidenced by the conversation in which Pipola assigned to Small the role of providing a weapon, included the carrying of firearms by the participants. By giving Small the task of supplying a gun, Pipola acted ... with the specific purpose of bringing about the underlying crime. Labat, 905 F.2d at 23. The proof showed that Donohue, instead of returning Small's .22 caliber pistol after the Dubovsky robbery, retained it for the Citibank robbery. Pipola's actions placing Small in charge of arming Donohue demonstrated that he joined the venture, shared in it, and that his efforts contributed towards its success. Zambrano, 776 F.2d at 1097. 34 Pipola now argues that there was no proof that he directly assisted in the use of the guns, gave weapons to the gunmen, or allowed weapons to be exchanged at his house. This argument mistakenly assumes that the only way to aid another's use of a gun is to deliver it personally. Instead, under 18 U.S.C. § 2 and § 924(c), all that is required to prove aiding and abetting is some act directly facilitating or encouraging the use or carrying of a firearm, as opposed to only having knowledge that a firearm will be used in the robbery. The evidence in the present case was sufficient for such purposes: Pipola designed the plans for two robberies and these plans, including the use of firearms, were effectuated through the acts of his co-conspirators. 35 Defendant's heavy reliance on Medina is misplaced. There the weapon supplied by Roberto Medina was given to a detective before the attempted robbery; here the pistols supplied by Small at the instigation of Pipola were used during the commission of the crimes. Medina only knew a co-conspirator would carry a gun; here there was proof Pipola acted to encourage the carrying of guns by his co-conspirators. In Medina, the use of a gun was a foregone conclusion, whereas in the present case using guns was an idea originated by defendant. The proof at trial demonstrated that Pipola discussed the robberies with the persons who carried them out, assigned particular roles to the various participants, and actively assisted (through Small) in the carrying and use of firearms. In short, Pipola failed to show the evidence was insufficient. III Evidence of Other Wrongs 36 The final issue defendant raises is whether the trial court improperly admitted evidence of crimes other than those charged, in contravention of Rule 404(b) of the Federal Rules of Evidence. The challenged evidence consisted of testimony by James Loizzo and Steven Small, Pipola's co-conspirators who cooperated with the government. The trial court made a pretrial ruling on the admissibility of proffered evidence of other crimes aimed to show Pipola's involvement in the following activities with his co-conspirators: making various loans and collecting debts, committing crimes including armed robberies and a burglary, and using and selling stolen and counterfeit credit cards. Judge Johnson ruled that such evidence was relevant because it helped explain the background of the conspiracy and the development of the relationships between defendant and the other conspirators; he also ruled that its probative value was not outweighed by the possibility of unfair prejudice. 37 At the trial, Loizzo testified that in 1989, when he and Pipola first met, Pipola agreed to loan him money to cover a debt to a drug dealer. Shortly thereafter, Loizzo stated, he began to give Pipola tips about potential robbery or burglary targets. Loizzo averred that before he knew Pipola very well, Pipola, acting on a tip, arranged a burglary. Loizzo also declared that he and Pipola attempted to rob a drug dealer and burglarize a house, all to no avail, but that Loizzo earned some respect from Pipola when he finally deduced the location of the dealer's cache. 38 Pipola also complains of testimony by Loizzo, along with tape-recorded conversations, suggesting that Pipola and his co-conspirators made usurious loans. In addition, defendant cites an instance where Loizzo testified that Pipola sought information about drug dealers to rob. Moreover, Pipola asserts that Small was improperly allowed to testify that he, Loizzo, Pipola, and others in 1991 robbed a warehouse in which marijuana was being grown. 39 Under Rule 404(b), [e]vidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show action in conformity therewith, but such evidence may be admissible to show proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. Our inclusionary interpretation of the rule allows evidence of other wrongs to be admitted so long as it is relevant and it is not offered to prove criminal propensity. See, e.g., Berkovich v. Hicks, 922 F.2d 1018, 1022 (2d Cir.1991). One legitimate purpose for presenting evidence of extrinsic acts is to explain how a criminal relationship developed; this sort of proof furnishes admissible background information in a conspiracy case, United States v. Lasanta, 978 F.2d 1300, 1307-08 (2d Cir.1992). Such proof may also be used to help the jury understand the basis for the co-conspirators' relationship of mutual trust, see United States v. Rosa, 11 F.3d 315, 334 (2d Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 1565, 128 L.Ed.2d 211 (1994). 40 When the government seeks to introduce such extrinsic evidence, the trial court must first determine whether it is admissible under Rule 404(b). If so, it must then determine whether the probative value of the evidence is substantially outweighed by the risk of unfair prejudice. See Fed.R.Evid. 403. If the evidence is ruled admissible, the trial court, when the defendant so requests, must give a limiting instruction. See Fed.R.Evid. 105. Broad discretion resides in the district court regarding the admissibility of evidence of extrinsic acts, see Berkovich, 922 F.2d at 1022, and such rulings are reversed only for a clear abuse of discretion. See United States v. Sappe, 898 F.2d 878, 880 (2d Cir.1990). To find such an abuse we must be persuaded that the trial judge ruled in an arbitrary and irrational fashion. See United States v. Pitre, 960 F.2d 1112, 1119 (2d Cir.1992). 41 The district court did not abuse its discretion in the present case. In its pretrial ruling and at various times during the trial, it ruled the evidence was relevant as background information to make the story of the crimes charged complete and to enable the jury to understand how the illegal relationship between the co-conspirators developed. The government undertook to show that Pipola played a leadership role in organizing two armed robberies involving a number of other individuals, each of whom performed assigned functions. The evidence of prior illicit activities involving Pipola and his co-conspirators explained to the jury how the relationship between Pipola and his underlings evolved. The challenged testimony made the 1992 conspiracies to commit armed robberies, in which Small and Loizzo also played key parts, more plausible. 42 This evidence was relevant and was offered for a purpose other than to show propensity, and it therefore cannot be said to be an abuse of discretion to rule it admissible under Rule 404(b). Nor can we see any reason to disturb the ruling that the evidence was not unduly prejudicial. In addition to considering the prejudicial impact of the evidence before the trial, the trial judge delivered limiting instructions when the defendant's counsel so requested, warning the jury not to infer from the evidence of other crimes that Pipola was guilty of the conspiracy, the robberies, or the firearms charges. See Fed.R.Evid. 105. In short, the district court's rulings under Rule 404(b) provide no basis for overturning Pipola's convictions.