Opinion ID: 788340
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Possibility of unreliable verdict

Text: 144 As discussed above, Appellants point to three district court rulings—empaneling an anonymous jury, shackling nine of eleven co-defendants, and admitting photos of tattoos—which they assert have the combined effect of undermining the presumption of innocence in such a large joint trial. Schoenberg, in particular, contends that in light of her joint trial with her incarcerated, shackled, and heavily tattooed co-defendants, the jury could not possibly have deliberated on her individual culpability.
145 A district court's decision to empanel an anonymous jury is reviewed for an abuse of discretion. Shryock, 342 F.3d at 971. 31 In evaluating the district court's decision, we consider evidence available at the time the jury was empaneled, and all relevant evidence introduced at trial. Id. Under our case law, the decision to empanel an anonymous jury will be upheld where (1) there is a strong reason for concluding that it is necessary to enable the jury to perform its factfinding function, or to ensure juror protection; and (2) reasonable safeguards are adopted by the trial court to minimize any risk of infringement upon the fundamental rights of the accused. Id. (adopting the First Circuit's test from United States v. DeLuca, 137 F.3d 24, 31 (1st Cir.1998)). Although these factors are neither exclusive nor dispositive, courts have recognized the need for jury protection based on a combination of factors, including: 146 (1) the defendants' involvement with organized crime; (2) the defendants' participation in a group with the capacity to harm jurors; (3) the defendants' past attempts to interfere with the judicial process or witnesses; (4) the potential that the defendants will suffer lengthy incarceration if convicted; and (5) extensive publicity that could enhance the possibility that jurors' names would become public and expose them to intimidation and harassment. 147 Shryock, 342 F.3d at 971 (citations omitted); see Darden, 70 F.3d 1507, 1532 (8th Cir.1995) (collecting cases applying these five factors); see also Baker, 10 F.3d at 1390 (recognizing, despite its skepticism about certain justifications for large joint trials, that possible loss of testimony, and more importantly, risk to the lives of witnesses must be factored into the equation on a case-by-case basis). 148 The record reveals that all five factors were met in this case. Moreover, the district judge was careful to offer neutral justifications for the jury's anonymity that focused on juror confidentiality and suggested that such procedures are routine. Similarly neutral explanations, suggesting virtually identical reasons for anonymity, have been viewed by this and other circuits as adequate guards against the possibility of prejudice. See, e.g., Shryock, 342 F.3d at 972-73 (citing Darden, 70 F.3d at 1533 and United States v. Ross, 33 F.3d 1507, 1521-22 (11th Cir.1994)); United States v. Marrero-Ortiz, 160 F.3d 768, 776 (1st Cir.1998); United States v. Edmond, 52 F.3d 1080, 1093 (D.C.Cir.1995); United States v. Paccione, 949 F.2d 1183, 1192 (2d Cir.1991).
149 A decision to shackle defendants is reviewed for an abuse of discretion. Morgan v. Bunnell, 24 F.3d 49, 50 (9th Cir.1994) (per curiam). Ninth Circuit law places restrictions on that discretion, however: (1) the court must be persuaded by compelling circumstances that some measure was needed to maintain the security of the courtroom; and (2)the court must pursue less restrictive alternatives before imposing physical restraints. Jones v. Meyer, 899 F.2d 883, 885 (9th Cir.1990) (internal quotation marks omitted). 150 Even in light of the limitations placed on district courts' discretion, Appellants' assertion of prejudice based on the shackling of nine of the eleven co-defendants is meritless. See Morgan, 24 F.3d at 51 (The judge has wide discretion to decide whether a defendant who has a propensity for violence poses a security risk and warrants increased security measures.); id. at 52 (concluding that the district court protected Morgan's presumption of innocence by removing handcuffs, excusing the jury when he walked to the stand in leg-irons, and took adequate precautions to minimize the effects of the shackles on the jury). As Appellants concede in their opening brief, the district court ordered that the incarcerated defendants would not be handcuffed, that the shackles be padded to avoid noise, that no one would stand when the jury entered the courtroom, to hide the fact that the defendants were restrained, 2002 WL 32302660 at , and that ankle chains were never to be shown to the jury. Id. n. 75. The cases upon which they rely are either easily distinguished or do not support their arguments: two involved or discussed circumstances in which the shackles or handcuffs were apparent to the jury during the trial, and one supports the district court's exercise of discretion in shackling the defendants here. See Holbrook v. Flynn, 475 U.S. 560, 568-69, 106 S.Ct. 1340, 89 L.Ed.2d 525 (1986) (discussing Illinois v. Allen, 397 U.S. 337, 344, 90 S.Ct. 1057, 25 L.Ed.2d 353 (1970), in which the Court found it possible that the sight of shackles and gags might have a significant effect on the jury's feelings about the defendant, but noting that even binding and gagging may nevertheless be warranted in the case of a particularly obstreperous and disruptive defendant) (emphasis added); see also Morgan, 24 F.3d at 51-52 (upholding shackling where district court took precautions to ensure that jury did not know defendant wore leg-irons).
151 Appellants' last argument, that the admission of photographs of their tattoos undermined the presumption of innocence, is equally meritless. The district court found photographs of tattoos that were relevant to the charges in the indictment probative and admissible, in that they tended to prove gang membership, which the government alleged was a precursor to membership in the Mexican Mafia. The court ruled that some of the tattoos in the photos were irrelevant and prejudicial and therefore inadmissible, because they did not indicate gang membership. The balance between probative value and prejudicial effect was fairly struck by the district court, and we conclude that the admission of the relevant tattoo photographs and stipulations did not unfairly prejudice the appellants. 152 To support their challenge to the denial of their motions for severance, Appellants rely heavily on our extensive discussion in Baker, where, despite upholding the district court's decision not to sever, we expressed our concerns about the great potential for prejudice to defendants that is inherent in such mega-trials. See 10 F.3d at 1389-93. Despite its size and complexity, however, Appellants' trial falls close to or within the allowable limits suggested by the Baker panel. Compare 10 F.3d at 1386 (calling the trial one of the lengthiest and costliest trials in this nation's history, and noting that it involved fifteen co-defendants, a forty-four count indictment, 30,000 pages of transcript, 250 witnesses, evidence of over 2,000 narcotics transactions, and took sixteen months to try), with 2003 WL 22706781 at  (noting that this trial lasted only four months and involved only about 10,000 pages of transcript). 153 Last, contrary to Appellants' arguments, the district court did consider the possible prejudicial effect of a joint trial on each defendant. Indeed, the court spent a great deal of time considering the motions to sever, and evaluating each defendant's alleged offenses and role in the alleged enterprise, before ruling on the motions. We therefore hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion when it denied the non-capital defendants' motions to sever.