Opinion ID: 396333
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Vafaie--Van Coughnett Motions for Severance.

Text: 15 Appellants Vafaie and Van Coughnett contend that they should have been tried separately because of their mutually antagonistic defenses. Both defendants testified at trial and, although some antagonism between the two was manifest, both presented remarkably similar defenses. Each attempted to minimize his own involvement, and denied joining or participating in the conspiracy. Each one described his role as simply making an initial introduction and cast the other as the more active participant. Vafaie and Van Coughnett each attempted to characterize himself as merely a 'knowing bystander.' 16 In many particulars, Vafaie and Van Coughnett's versions of what happened are quite consistent. Vafaie and Van Coughnett agree that Van Coughnett met confidential informant Nieves through Vafaie and that through Nieves both met special agent Pavlick. Neither Vafaie nor Van Coughnett dispute that as a result of this meeting Van Coughnett agreed to introduce Nieves and the colleague of Pavlick's to a friend of Van Coughnett's in Florida for the purpose of aiding Pavlick in obtaining a quantity of cocaine. Vafaie and Van Coughnett both testified that pursuant to this arrangement, they and confidential informant Nieves traveled to Florida and the aforementioned introduction was indeed made. Both admit to being present and to participating to some degree at various meetings in New York, New Haven, and Florida. The testimony of Vafaie and Van Coughnett converges on many other details. 17 Vafaie and Van Coughnett disagree, however, on their respective degree of participation in the above-mentioned conversations (and in some instances on the substance of the conversations). Vafaie casts himself as a passive bystander to these transactions, at times distracted by other pursuits (e. g., eating, watching television), at times quietly observing what transpired, while Van Coughnett, in Vafaie's view, actively participated in the drug-related dealings. Van Coughnett, in turn, contends that his involvement was at the periphery of these events, that he became involved at the behest of Vafaie, and that, between the two of them, Vafaie was the major culprit. 18 Vafaie and Van Coughnett also presented different explanations as to how each became involved. Van Coughnett testified that Vafaie desperately needed money to repay $6,000 that was entrusted to Vafaie by an uncle. According to Van Coughnett, Vafaie first conceived of the idea of arranging a drug sale after reading an article in Rolling Stone magazine entitled 'Cocaine Cowboys.' Van Coughnett claimed that he agreed to introduce Vafaie's friend (confidential informant Nieves) to Van Coughnett's friend (defendant Pat Haughey) solely as a personal favor to his roommate Vafaie. Van Coughnett testified that he was to receive no compensation for his assistance, but implied that Vafaie was to share in some way in the drug sale proceeds. Vafaie, for his part, denied that he originated the idea of arranging a drug sale and that he owed his uncle money. Vafaie stated that he told Van Coughnett the story about owing an uncle money for the purpose of demurring on a loan request by Van Coughnett. Vafaie testified to the effect that his connection with the events leading to the sale in Florida was simply to give his telephone number to confidential informant Nieves, and implied that once contacted by Nieves any impetus for furthering the transaction came from Van Coughnett. According to Vafaie, his reason for giving his telephone number to Nieves, knowing the latter wanted it for the purpose of locating a supply of cocaine, was to do a favor for Nieves (and, perhaps, by implication, for Van Coughnett). 19 Defendants Vafaie and Van Coughnett, thus, did present to some extent antagonistic defenses and each probably suffered some prejudice from being tried with the other. But a mere showing of some antagonism and prejudice is insufficient to require overturning a denial of severance by the district court. United States v. Crawford, 581 F.2d 489, 491 (5th Cir. 1978); United States v. Perez, 489 F.2d 51, 65 (5th Cir. 1973), cert. denied, 417 U.S. 945, 94 S.Ct. 3067, 41 L.Ed.2d 664 (1974). In this circuit, to compel severance the defenses must be more than merely antagonistic--they must be antagonistic to the point of being mutually exclusive, United States v. Marable, 574 F.2d 224, 231 (5th Cir. 1978); United States v. Wilson, 500 F.2d 715, 723 (5th Cir. 1974), cert. denied, 420 U.S. 977, 95 S.Ct. 1403, 43 L.Ed.2d 658 (1975), or irreconcilable, United States v. Mota, 598 F.2d 995, 1001 (5th Cir. 1979), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 1084, 100 S.Ct. 1042, 62 L.Ed.2d 770 (1980); United States v. Swanson, 572 F.2d 523, 529 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 849, 99 S.Ct. 152, 58 L.Ed.2d 152 (1978). See United States v. Crawford, 581 F.2d at 491. 20 The test for when antagonistic defenses are irreconcilable or mutually exclusive has been expressed in various forms. Some courts have looked to whether each defendant 'was the government's best witness against the other.' United States v. Crawford, 581 F.2d at 492; United States v. Johnson, 478 F.2d 1129 (5th Cir. 1973). Also considered in this regard are whether each defendant had to confront hostile witnesses presented by a co-defendant and whether witnesses against the defendant were examined by one adversary (i. e., the government) and cross-examined by another (i. e., the co-defendants). United States v. Crawford, 581 F.2d at 492. 21 The test, however, goes further than merely examining whether a defendant is subjected to a co-defendant's hostile witnesses and adverse cross-examinations, which might occur in every case of antagonistic, but not mutually exclusive, defenses. The court in United States v. Bynum, 566 F.2d 914, 926 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 840, 99 S.Ct. 129, 58 L.Ed.2d 138 (1978), in rejecting the claim that severance was mandated by mutually exclusive defenses noted that it was 'not essential to [one defendant's] defense, that the jury find [another defendant] guilty of the substantive offenses.' Moreover, that two defendants may completely disagree on some detail of the facts is not sufficient to compel severance. In United States v. Sheikh, 654 F.2d 1057, 1065 (5th Cir. 1981), the appellant and a co-defendant both contended that they had no knowledge that heroin was hidden in a Koran display case that each had possessed. The appellant and the co-defendant, however, each claimed that the other was the owner of the case. The court held that, while with respect to ownership of the case the two defenses were so antagonistic as to be irreconcilable and mutually exclusive, the 'essence' or 'crux' of the defenses was not antagonistic, and thus neither defendant suffered the compelling prejudice that would require severance. 22 Synthesizing these decisions, we hold that the defense of a defendant reaches a level of antagonism (with respect to the defense of a co-defendant) that compels severance of that defendant, if the jury, in order to believe the core of testimony offered on behalf of that defendant, must necessarily disbelieve the testimony offered on behalf of his co-defendant. In such a situation, the co-defendants do indeed become the government's best witnesses against each other. Where two defendants present defenses that are antagonistic at their core, a substantial possibility exists that the jury will unjustifiably infer that this conflict alone demonstrates that both are guilty. United States v. Eastwood, 489 F.2d 818, 822 n.5 (5th Cir. 1973) (quoting United States v. Robinson, 432 F.2d 1348, 1351 (D.C.Cir. 1970)). If the essence of one defendant's defense is contradicted by a co-defendant's defense, then the latter defense can be said to 'preempt' the former. See United States v. Swanson, 572 F.2d 523, 529 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 849, 99 S.Ct. 152, 58 L.Ed.2d 152 (1978) (no severance required because defense of noninvolvement did not 'preempt' defense of lack of intent). This sort of conflict between defendants creates the compelling prejudice that mandates severance. Such compelling prejudice does not arise with respect to a defendant where the conflict concerns only minor or peripheral matters which are not at the core of his defense. Ultimately, the test is whether the defendant received a fair trial. 23 Applying this test to the present case, we hold that the essence or core of each defendant's defense--noninvolvement in the criminal activity--was not in conflict, and indeed could be construed to be quite consistent, i. e., neither were criminally involved. Although the defendants concededly disagree on some details, neither defendant's defense required the jury to find the other guilty. Nor was it necessary for the jury, in order to believe the core of testimony offered on behalf of one defendant, to disbelieve testimony offered on behalf of the other defendant. The jury, if it chose to discredit the government's case, could have concluded that Vafaie's involvement ended with giving his telephone number to confidential informant Nieves and that Van Coughnett's conduct was similarly limited to making an initial introduction, so that neither had the intent to join in the conspiracy alleged in the indictment. Considering the testimony offered by each defendant, the jury rationally could have accepted the defense theory of both, of only one, or of neither. 7 We cannot say that we are left with a definite and firm conviction that the district court abused its discretion. In fact, we note that the district court made numerous efforts to protect the defendants from undue prejudice. The trial court frequently cautioned defense counsel to refrain from gratuitous attacks against other defendants and restricted or excluded testimony of questionable relevance to the defense of one defendant that was prejudicial to another defendant. In sum, we cannot say that the joint trial of defendants Vafaie and Van Coughnett denied either a fair trial. 24