Opinion ID: 563776
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Use of Statements from Proffer Sessions

Text: 49 Perrone engaged in cooperation discussions with the United States Attorney's office with the understanding that statements he made could be used solely on cross-examination, should he testify, or to rebut evidence offered by or for him. At trial testimony as to the statements was admitted to attack Perrone's credibility. Judge Stanton instructed the jury at the close of trial that the statements could be considered by the jury solely as to credibility and could not be regarded as substantive evidence of his guilt: 50 You should first examine with great care whether each prior statement was made and whether, in fact, it was voluntarily and understandingly made. 51 If you find that those statements were made ... you must nevertheless use those statements in a very limited manner only. 52 [The statements cannot be used against Gomez.] [S]uch statements are not to be considered by you as affirmative evidence of Mr. Perrone's guilt. Evidence of the prior inconsistent statements was placed before you for the more limited purpose of helping you decide whether to believe Mr. Perrone's trial testimony.... 53 That is the only use you may make of his statements to the DEA, if you find that they were made, and made voluntarily and understandingly. 54 Perrone argues that the admission of the statements was so prejudicial that Judge Stanton's instruction was ineffective to cure the damage created by the statements' improper use. 55 At trial, Perrone testified in his own behalf that Apartment 51 was not used for drugs and that he only suspected but did not know about the plan to manufacture cocaine. 56 On cross-examination, the prosecution referred to prior statements Perrone allegedly made during the proffer sessions, including statements that he knew that cocaine was to be manufactured from the chemicals, that drugs were expected to be received that night, and that it was intended to move the chemicals later to process the drugs elsewhere. The prosecution repeatedly asked Perrone if he had made such statements, and Perrone repeatedly denied that he had; Judge Stanton during the course of this questioning instructed the jury that the content of the prosecutor's questions was not evidence. Subsequently an agent testified as to his recollection of Perrone's statements during the proffer sessions. 57 As noted above, this court has held that the presumption of the effectiveness of curative instructions does not apply if there is an overwhelming probability that the jury will be unable to follow the court's instructions and the evidence is devastating to the defense. United States v. Colombo, 909 F.2d 711, 715 (2d Cir.1990). Perrone argues that such is the case here. Colombo, however, involved the admission of evidence that a sexual assault had occurred in connection with a robbery whose victim the defendant was convicted of facilitating, but in which he played no active role. Id. at 712. That evidence was deemed so inflammatory as to be inherently prejudicial and fatal to the conviction. Id. at 715. 58 While in Colombo the inflammatory evidence bore at most a tangential relation to the case against the defendant, in Perrone's case the evidence subject to the curative instruction was highly probative as to a central question in the case, namely Perrone's credibility as a witness. Given Perrone's inconsistent testimony and his earlier agreement that statements from plea discussions could be used to rebut such testimony, there is no merit to Perrone's argument that allowing such rebuttal use of his earlier statements was improper. 59 Perrone contends further that the use on cross examination of his offer during plea discussions to introduce an undercover agent to a distributor who could provide DEA agents with three to four kilograms of cocaine was impermissible. After his counsel's objection to the question was denied, Perrone acknowledged making such an offer. Perrone argues that the question was objectionable because: 1) his statement was not inconsistent with his earlier testimony; 2) the prosecutor's question went beyond the scope of direct examination; 3) the answer was prejudicial; 4) the question was improper as an effort to prove action by reference to other wrongful acts. 60 The Government points out that Perrone failed to raise these objections at trial (though his counsel did make a general objection), and argues that he has waived them for appeal. See United States v. Torres, 901 F.2d 205, 227-28 (2d Cir.1990) (inexplicit objection insufficient to preserve objection for appeal absent plain error), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 273, 112 L.Ed.2d 229 (1990). The Government further argues that a defendant's failure to request a limiting instruction waives his right to object to the absence of such an instruction on appeal. United States v. Novod, 923 F.2d 970, 977 (2d Cir.1991), modified on other grounds following rehearing, 927 F.2d 726 (2d Cir.1991), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 2018, 114 L.Ed.2d 104 (1991). 61 Even if these procedural arguments are put aside, although they are meritorious, the government is correct that Perrone's offer to set up another cocaine deal in fact pertained to his testimony that he never had traded in or used drugs. While Perrone's offer did not flatly contradict his testimony on direct, it nevertheless was relevant to his credibility. Moreover, Perrone was free to argue, and indeed did, that his offer to set up a deal was solely an effort to win leniency by turning in some dealers whom he knew, but did not imply his own past drug dealing. 3 62