Opinion ID: 3158584
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Federal Programs Bribery Instructions

Text: Mazer argues that the district court erred in not including in its charge Mazer’s proposed defense instruction that he “contends he was not an agent of the City because he was not authorized to act on behalf of the City.” App. 1772. “While a defendant is entitled to any legally accurate jury instruction for which there is a foundation in the evidence, he does not have a right to dictate the precise language of the instruction.” United States v. Banki, 685 F.3d 99, 105 (2d Cir. 2012). Here, the district court instructed the jury that Mazer “contends that, with regard to the bribery charge, he was not an agent of the city,” Trial Tr. 5337:17-18, and that “[a]n ‘agent’ 9 is a person authorized to act on behalf of another person, organization, or government,” id. 5352:9-10. “[W]e examine the charge[] as a whole,” United States v. Quattrone, 441 F.3d 153, 177 (2d Cir. 2006), and together, these two instructions satisfied the district court’s obligation to include Mazer’s defense theory.