Opinion ID: 2979184
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: In reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to uphold a conviction, this Court asks “‘whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime.’” United States v. Jones, 102 F.3d 804, 807 (6th Cir. 1996) (emphasis in original) (quoting United States v. Swidan, 888 F.2d 1076, 1080 (6th Cir. 1989)). The “defendant claiming insufficiency of the evidence bears a very heavy burden.” United States v. Fekete, 535 F.3d 471, 476 (6th Cir. 2008) (internal quotations and citations omitted). “If we determine that any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, then the conviction must be upheld.” Id.

Lanham and Freeman contest their convictions for committing civil rights abuses in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 241, 242. Under 18 U.S.C. § 241, it is a crime when “two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person . . . in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same.” This statute provides for enhanced penalties if the conspiracy’s “acts include kidnapping or . . . aggravated sexual abuse . . . .” 18 U.S.C. § 241. Here, the indictment charged Lanham and Freeman with conspiring to injure J.S. and depriving him of his rights not to be deprived of liberty without due process. The indictment further charged that the conspiracy included sexual acts. “To obtain a conviction for conspiracy to violate civil rights under § 241, the government must prove that [defendants] knowingly agreed with another person to injure [the victim] in the exercise of a right guaranteed under the Constitution.” United States v. Epley, 52 F.3d 571, 575-76 (6th Cir. 1995). The government also must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there was specific intent to commit the deprivation. Id. Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 13 Under 18 U.S.C. § 242, “[w]hoever, under color of any law . . . willfully subjects any person . . . to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or law of the United States” has committed a federal crime. If “bodily injury results from the acts,” the defendant shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both. Id. “[P]rison officials have a duty . . . to protect prisoners from violence at the hands of other prisoners.” Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 833 (1994) (citation omitted). Prison officials are “not free to let the state of nature take its course [in a prison].” Id. “Prison conditions may be ‘restrictive and even harsh,’ but gratuitously allowing the beating or rape of one prisoner by another serves no ‘legitimate penological objective.’” Id. (internal citations, quotations, and alterations omitted). A prison official can be found guilty where “the official knows of and disregards an excessive risk to inmate health or safety; the official must both be aware of facts from which the inference could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm exists, and he must also draw the inference.” Ford v. County of Grand Traverse, 535 F.3d 483, 495 (6th Cir. 2008) (quoting Farmer, 511 U.S. at 837)). Lanham argues that J.S.’s sexual assault was not reasonably foreseeable and that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction. However, the evidence established that Lanham joined Sydnor in mocking J.S. about his slight appearance, and he was present when Sydnor said that J.S. would make a “good girlfriend.” When Sydnor stated that they needed to teach J.S. a lesson, Lanham quickly volunteered that he knew a prisoner in Cell 101. The evidence showed that Lanham talked to Inmate Wright, within earshot of other inmates, and explained that the guards would be bringing a new prisoner down and that they wanted the prisoners to “f-ck with” him. The evidence also showed that the inmates cheered at this news when Lanham was present, and Lanham knew of 26 Hallway’s and Zipp’s reputations. Additionally, there was evidence that pretrial detainees were normally housed in the detox cells, not in the general population. Lanham stated that J.S. should have been in a detox cell and admitted that he asked Wright to teach J.S. a lesson. Finally, the evidence established that Lanham worked to cover up his actions after the fact. It is Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 14 immaterial that he was not at Cell 101 when J.S. was brought there because a conspirator “need not have personally performed the deed for which he is being held liable. A conspirator can be held criminally liable for the actions of his co-conspirators committed during and in furtherance of the conspiracy.” United States v. Gresser, 935 F.2d 96, 101 (6th Cir. 1991) (citation omitted). Taken together, in the light most favorable to the prosecution, this evidence was adequate for a rational fact-finder to find that Lanham violated both 18 U.S.C. § 241 and 18 U.S.C. § 242. He acted with deliberate indifference and in furtherance of the conspiracy to place J.S. in harm. Freeman also argues that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. Freeman taunted J.S., joined Lanham in taking action to solicit inmates to harm J.S., failed to check on J.S. throughout the five hours he was in Cell 101, and then joined in the cover up of his assault. Sydnor testified that he told both Lanham and Freeman of his plan to scare J.S., and that Freeman did not object to the plan. Officer Guthrie testified that Freeman was present during the discussion of the plan to scare J.S. Freeman went with Lanham to Cell 101 to solicit Inmate Wright’s assistance in scaring J.S. “Although mere presence at the crime scene is insufficient to show participation, a defendant’s participation in the conspiracy’s common purpose and plan may be inferred from the defendant’s actions and reactions to the circumstances.” United States v. Salgado, 250 F.3d 438, 447 (6th Cir. 2001), cert. denied, 534 U.S. 936 (2001) (citation omitted). Wright testified that while Lanham told him that they wanted him to “f-ck with” J.S., Freeman was standing at the door “agreeing with Lanham, shaking his head yes.” The jury could reasonably have found that Freeman knew and intended to join the conspiracy to place J.S. in a general population cell to “scare” him. Freeman also failed to protect or assist J.S. after learning of the plan. Freeman testified that he had a duty to protect J.S., and his failure to do so could reasonably have been interpreted by the jury as acquiescence in the conspiracy. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, a rational fact-finder could find that Freeman participated in the conspiracy and violated the relevant statutes. Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 15 Furthermore, the record provides evidence that there was an objective risk of harm for someone like J.S. Although Freeman argues that Sydnor is the only person who knew that J.S. would be at risk if placed in the general population cells, Guthrie, Powell, and Nurse Cook all testified that J.S.’s placement in 26 Hallway was inappropriate. Guthrie testified that she was confident that J.S. would be assaulted; Powell testified about Victor Zipp’s tendency to walk naked in the cell; and Nurse Cook testified that it was almost “animalistic” in 26 Hallway. A reasonable fact-finder could conclude that Freeman was aware of the objective risk of harm in placing J.S. in 26 Hallway. Defendants took affirmative steps to place J.S. in harm and thus violated both statutes. Accordingly, their convictions are AFFIRMED.
Lanham and Freeman also challenge their convictions for unlawfully falsifying their records in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519, which states “[w]hoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsifies, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States . . . shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.” Lanham argues that his incident report was not false because his supervisor, Sydnor, testified that the detox cells were in fact contaminated that night, and that there is a difference between a false statement and an omission. He claims that his report simply omitted information rather than affirmatively made false statements. Sydnor testified that the detox cells “had an odor coming from them,” but further stated that the odor would not “by itself” be a justification for moving J.S., and that the other inmate in the same detox cell was not moved that night. (R. 92, Tr. at 15.) This contradicted Lanham’s written report, which claims that Sydnor “stated that he was going to start emptying our detox to get them cleaned.” (Appellee’s App. at 33.) Lanham also wrote that he went to 26 Hallway to speak to Wright about being Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 16 reclassified. The evidence showed that Lanham went to 26 Hallway to tell Wright to “f- ck with” J.S. Lanham himself admitted on cross-examination that his report was “inaccurate.” (R. 87, Tr. at 19.) Sydnor testified that he told Lanham and Freeman that they should report that the detox cells needed to be decontaminated after learning that J.S. was raped in Cell 101. This is sufficient evidence for a rational fact-finder to find that Lanham intentionally falsified his reports. Freeman argues that his report contained omissions of fact rather than affirmative lies. Freeman wrote that he and Lanham went to some prisoners in 26 Hallway and then returned “to Class D . . . [and] went to 26 Hall [and] did a secure check for Sgt. Sydnor.” (Appellee’s App. at 32.) These statements were false. In fact, Freeman returned to booking after talking with Wright, rather than proceeding immediately to Class D as stated in the written report. Material omissions of fact can be interpreted as an attempt to “cover up” or “conceal” information. A reasonable fact-finder could conclude that Freeman falsified his report. Lanham also argues that there had to be an ongoing or imminent federal investigation at the time the reports were written to meet the requirements of the statute. The language in 18 U.S.C. § 1519 clearly states that the falsification could be done “in relation to or contemplation of any” investigation or matter within United States jurisdiction. The conspiracy to harm J.S. was within the jurisdiction of the United States, and the falsification was presumably done in contemplation of an investigation that might occur. A reasonable fact-finder could find that Sydnor warned Lanham and Freeman that they had to get their stories straight in anticipation of an investigation of J.S.’s rape. For the aforementioned reasons, the convictions for falsification of records are AFFIRMED. Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 17 c. Sexual Assault Enhancement under 18 U.S.C. §§ 241, 242 Defendants were charged under 18 U.S.C. § 241 for conspiring to violate J.S.’s civil rights. The indictment charged that the acts in furtherance of the conspiracy included aggravated sexual abuse. The statute establishes a ten year maximum sentence for those convicted under the statute, and includes an increased penalty of “any term of years or for life,” if the conspiracy included an act of “aggravated sexual abuse.” Because the question of whether an act of sexual abuse occurred is a factual issue that “increases the penalty” for the violation of 18 U.S.C. § 241 “beyond the prescribed statutory maximum,” the question was required to be “submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 490 (2000). The district court properly submitted the question of whether aggravated sexual abuse occurred to the jury, adopting the definition of aggravated sexual abuse found in 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (1998). Defendants’ argument that their conduct had to meet the jurisdictional requirements of aggravated sexual abuse in 18 U.S.C. § 2241, which require that the abuse occurred in a federal prison, is without merit. They were not charged under that statute, and the district court was merely giving content to the term “aggravated sexual assault” by using the definition in 18 U.S.C. § 2241. The jurisdictional requirements of 18 U.S.C. § 2241 did not apply because they were not prosecuted under this statute. Accordingly, the sexual assault enhancement is AFFIRMED. 4. Mitigating Role Adjustment to Freeman’s Sentence This Court reviews a “district court’s denial of a mitigating role adjustment to a defendant’s offense level for clear error.” Salgado, 250 F.3d at 458. “To be clearly erroneous, . . . a decision must strike [this Court] as more than just maybe or probably wrong; it must strike us as wrong with the force a five-week-old, unrefrigerated dead fish.” United States v. Perry, 908 F.2d 56, 58 (6th Cir. 1990) (internal citations, quotations, and alterations omitted). Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 18 U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(b) directs courts to reduce a defendant’s offense level by two levels where defendant “was a minor participant in any criminal activity.” This Court has held, “[t]he ‘minor participant’ reduction is available only to a party who is ‘less culpable than most other participants’ and ‘substantially less culpable than the average participant.’” United States v. Lloyd, 10 F.3d 1197, 1220 (6th Cir. 1993) (quoting U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2, cmt. n.3). The district court rejected the role reduction for Freeman, stating: “While he did not have as much of a speaking role, his activities, first his knowledge of what was going on and his participation in the agreement of defendants was substantial. He added weight to Mr. Lanham’s statements and, as indicated during trial, he indicated agreement with the activities that were being requested by Mr. Lanham. And under those circumstances, the Court believes it would be improper to reduce his role as a minor or minimal participant.” (R. 142, Tr. at 9.) Freeman’s actions were deliberately indifferent, and after the rape he was an active participant in the coverup of the crime. The district court’s findings were not clearly erroneous. Accordingly, Freeman’s sentence is AFFIRMED. 5. Freeman’s Brady Motion Under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), the government is required “to disclose exculpatory and impeachment evidence that is ‘material either to guilt or to punishment.’” Doan v. Carter, 548 F.3d 449, 459 (6th Cir. 2008) (quoting Strickler v. Greene, 527 U.S. 263, 280 (1999)). “A Brady violation includes three elements: (1) the evidence must be favorable to the accused, either because it is exculpatory, or because it is impeaching; (2) the evidence must have been suppressed by the State, either willfully or inadvertently; and (3) prejudice must have ensued.” Id. Evidence is “material only if there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the result of proceeding would have been different.” Id.(internal citation and quotations omitted). Freeman argues that the government “did not disclose to [the] defense that Chandler had told them that the video depicted Shawn Freeman at a cell other than Cell 101,” and the “FBI was aware of this information and failed to disclose it.” (Appellant Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 19 Freeman’s Second Br. at 57.) This evidence presumably would have shown that Freeman was not present when Lanham approached Wright about J.S. Assuming, arguendo, that this evidence was deliberately or inadvertently withheld, Freeman is unable to show that he was prejudiced by such withholding. Inmate Wright testified that Freeman was with Lanham, and that Freeman nodded his head in agreement with Lanham’s statements. Freeman himself corroborated Wright’s testimony that he shook his head while Lanham asked Wright to “f-ck with” J.S. Whether Freeman was standing in Cell 98 or 99, or 96 as Chandler originally stated, is immaterial when there is significant corroboration of Wright’s testimony that Freeman was there nodding his head when Lanham was telling Wright to “f-ck with” J.S. Accordingly, there was no prejudice, and the district court properly held that no Brady violation occurred. As such, the district court’s determination is AFFIRMED. 6. Applicable Sentencing Guidelines The sentencing court is to apply the version of the Sentencing Guidelines in effect at the time of sentencing unless it “determines that use of the Guidelines Manual in effect on the date that the defendant is sentenced would violate the ex post facto clause.” U.S.S.G. § 1B1.11(b)(1). Defendants committed their offenses in 2003 when the 2002 Guidelines were in effect at the time of the crime. The 2008 Guidelines, in effect at time of sentencing, establish a higher base offense level for the offense of Criminal Sexual Abuse. The government argues that using the 2008 advisory Guidelines, which established a more onerous offense level than that in effect on the date of crime, would not violate the Ex Post Facto Clause under the new post-Booker advisory Guidelines regime. The Ex Post Facto Clause “bars application of a law that changes the punishment, and inflicts a greater punishment, than the law annexed to the crime, when committed.” Johnson v. United States, 529 U.S. 694, 699 (2000) (internal citations and quotations omitted). The Supreme Court has interpreted the Ex Post Facto Clause to bar retroactive application of a revised version of a state’s sentencing guidelines, Miller v. Florida, 482 Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 20 U.S. 423 (1987), and this Court applied that decision to the federal Sentencing Guidelines, see United States v. Kussmaul, 987 F.2d 345, 351-52 (6th Cir. 1993). The government argues that this legal precedent no longer applies because, post-Booker, the Sentencing Guidelines are advisory rather than mandatory. Although this Court has not directly determined whether the now advisory Guidelines regime implicates Ex Post Facto concerns, there is some case law in support of holding that it does. This Court has acknowledged that “[t]he presence of discretion does not displace the protections of the Ex Post Facto clause.” Michael v. Ghee, 498 F.3d 372, 382 (6th Cir. 2007). When evaluating the reasonableness of a sentence, the reviewing court must consider the applicable Guidelines range and failure to do so is “reversible error.” See United States v. Kosinski, 480 F.3d 769, 779 (6th Cir. 2007). The Sentencing Guidelines are still relevant and are a starting point for determining a defendant’s sentence. Only when the Guidelines range is unable to meet the goals of the Sentencing Guidelines is a sentencing court expected to vary from the Guidelines sentence. 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). As a result, the advisory nature of Guidelines does not completely eliminate Ex Post Facto concerns. Ironically, the government is presumably interested in having the 2008 Guidelines apply because it would impact Defendants’ sentence, which demonstrates the Ex Post Facto concerns that come into play when retroactively applying the 2008 Guidelines. Accordingly, the district court’s determination is AFFIRMED. 7. Leader or Organizer Enhancement to Lanham’s Sentence When a “defendant was an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive,” the offense level is increased by four levels. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a). The Sentencing Guidelines direct the court to consider facts such as “the exercise of decision making authority, the nature of participation in the commission of the offense, the recruitment of accomplices, the claimed right to a larger share of the fruits of the crime, the degree of participation in planning or organizing the offense, the nature and scope of the illegal activity, and the degree of control and authority exercised over others.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1, cmt n.4. Nos. 08-6504/6506; 09-5094/5095 United States v. Lanham, et al. Page 21 The district court stated that it would not apply the enhancement because “[u]nder the facts of this particular case, it would not appear that the initial idea for the punishment of victim was Mr. Lanham’s idea.” (R. 143, Tr. at 10.) The government argues that the district court committed legal error in overemphasizing the fact that Lanham did not originate the conspiracy. However, this fact is significant in assessing his “exercise of decision making authority,”the “nature of [his] participation in the commission of the offense,” “the degree of participation in planning or organizing the offense,” and “the degree of control and authority exercised over others.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1, cmt n.4. The district court stated that “looking at all participants in the case and the instructions that were given, the Court believes that while it is a close question, the Court will not apply an adjustment for role in the offense based on the facts that are presented.” (R. 143, Tr. at 10-11.) The district court did not commit legal error in holding that Lanham did not act as an organizer. Lanham exercised limited decision-making authority, did not originate the plan, did not actively participate in bringing J.S. to Cell 101, and did not exercise control over the other jailers in ensuring that the plan was exercised. Under these facts, the district court’s determination was not a legal error and the decision to deny the enhancement is AFFIRMED.