Opinion ID: 420788
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: appellant ramirez

Text: 52 Appellant Roy Moreno Ramirez was convicted on all seven counts included in the indictment. He advances two grounds for reversal: (1) that he was prejudiced by the joint trial in this case and thus that the district court erred by denying appellant's motion for severance; and (2) that evidence admissible against appellant is insufficient to support his conviction. Neither ground is sufficient. 53
54 Under Rule 14 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure the district court may order a severance when it appears that a defendant may be significantly prejudiced by a joint trial with his codefendants. Generally, defendants jointly charged are to be jointly tried. United States v. Gay, 567 F.2d 916, 919 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 435 U.S. 999, 98 S.Ct. 1655, 56 L.Ed.2d 90 (1978); see Fed.R.Crim.P. 8(b). Whether severance is necessary is within the sound discretion of the district court. United States v. Gee, 695 F.2d 1165, 1169 (9th Cir.1983). 55 The district court in the present case denied appellant's pretrial motion for severance as well as two renewals of the motion during the trial. Our task is to determine whether a joint trial was so manifestly prejudicial as to require the trial judge to exercise his discretion in but one way, by ordering a separate trial. United States v. Abushi, 682 F.2d 1289, 1296 (9th Cir.1982). Appellant bears the burden of proving such prejudice. To do this he must show more than that a separate trial would have given him a better chance for acquittal; he must show that the magnitude of the prejudice denied him a fair trial. United States v. Gee, 695 F.2d at 1169-70; United States v. Escalante, 637 F.2d 1197, 1201 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 856, 101 S.Ct. 154, 66 L.Ed.2d 71 (1980). 56 In assessing the prejudicial effect of a joint trial, our focus is on whether the jury can reasonably be expected to compartmentalize the evidence as it relates to separate defendants in the light of its volume and limited admissibility. United States v. Brady, 579 F.2d 1121, 1128 (9th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 1074, 99 S.Ct. 849, 59 L.Ed.2d 41 (1979); accord, United States v. DeRosa, 670 F.2d 889, 898 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 103 S.Ct. 353, 74 L.Ed.2d 391 (1982); United States v. Escalante, 637 F.2d at 1201. A variety of factors can be relevant to this determination depending upon the facts of the particular case. Here, appellant raises three such factors, each of which we now consider. 57
58 Ramirez contends first that his defense, which relied on the insufficiency of the government's evidence against him, was irreconcilable with the defense of Reynolds, who admitted the acts charged but claimed that he was working as a government informant, and outrageous police conduct. We disagree. 59 Reynolds' reliance on these claims does not, by itself, justify reversal of a trial court's decision not to sever. Antagonism between defenses is not enough, even if the defendants seek to blame one another. United States v. Brady, 579 F.2d at 1128. Rather, it must be shown, on the facts of the individual case, that the defenses are antagonistic to the point of being mutually exclusive. United States v. Marable, 574 F.2d 224, 231 (5th Cir.1978). Only where the acceptance of one party's defense will preclude the acquittal of the other party does the existence of antagonistic defenses mandate severance. See United States v. Salomon, 609 F.2d 1172, 1175 (5th Cir.1980); United States v. Ziperstein, 601 F.2d 281, 285 (7th Cir.1979), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 1031, 100 S.Ct. 701, 62 L.Ed.2d 667 (1980). 60 Here, it is clear that the jury's acceptance or nonacceptance of Reynolds' informer defense was largely irrelevant to the determination of Ramirez' guilt or innocence. Three witnesses--Reynolds, Miller, and Baerenwald--testified at trial that they had participated in the criminal enterprise. The question of Ramirez' guilt depended on the prosecutor's success in establishing that Ramirez had also participated. Reynolds' informer defense, even if accepted by the jury, neither relieved the prosecutor of this burden nor ensured his success. Significantly, defendant Peterson like Ramirez relied for his defense on the weakness of the evidence tying him to the charged conspiracy. Despite Reynolds' allegedly antagonistic defense the jury acquitted Peterson on all counts. Ramirez cannot show mutual exclusivity and, on that ground, has not established prejudice sufficient to require reversal. 61 Ramirez contends that Reynolds' use of the informer defense severely prejudiced Ramirez even if the defenses were not mutually exclusive. Reynolds testified in his own defense at trial. During cross-examination he repeatedly denied Ramirez' complicity in the crimes charged. Appellant argues that Reynolds' attempt to exonerate appellant had the opposite effect. To support this novel argument appellant asserts that Reynolds was so confusing and contradictory that it would be difficult for a jury to compartmentalize the evidence between these two defendants. He also asserts that Reynolds' testimony enabled the government to introduce otherwise inadmissible hearsay testimony of Sergeant McNight and Officer Perry regarding prior inconsistent statements in which Reynolds had named Ramirez as the financier for the marijuana importation scheme. 62 Reynolds' testimony, and its impeachment by the government, perhaps reduced Ramirez' chance for acquittal. That does not demonstrate a need for severance, however. First, the same situation might have occurred at a separate trial of Ramirez; the government could have called Reynolds to testify at Ramirez' trial with similar consequences had severance been granted. 7 Moreover, even if it be assumed that Reynolds would not have testified at a separate trial, appellant still falls short of demonstrating abuse of discretion because he has failed to show that the joint trial led to violation of his substantive rights. United States v. Escalante, 637 F.2d at 1201. 63
64 Appellant's second theory of prejudice from joint trial relies on United States v. DeRosa, 670 F.2d 889 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 103 S.Ct. 353, 74 L.Ed.2d 391 (1982), where we stated that in reviewing a trial court's denial of a motion for severance we must be wary of situations where a jury might impute the guilt of some defendants to other defendants. Id. at 898 (citation omitted). Appellant asserts that the evidence against Reynolds was so strong that it spilled over and caused the jury to find Ramirez guilty by association. That contention is unpersuasive. 65 Although appellant is correct when he states that the evidence of Reynolds' participation in the events charged was overwhelming, there is little chance that the evidence against Reynolds spilled over. The guilt or innocence of Ramirez depends on the government's success in convincing the jury that it was Ramirez who was financing and directing the criminal enterprise from behind the scene. Proof on that issue is entirely separate from proof that Reynolds committed the specific acts in the indictment. We find no indication that the jury was unable to compartmentalize the evidence and reach their verdict as to Ramirez on a fair evaluation of the evidence against him. 66
67 Finally, appellant contends that a joint trial prejudiced him because certain testimony of coconspirators Miller and Baerenwald would not have been admitted at a separate trial because a proper foundation as to the existence of a conspiracy was not established in this trial and would not have been in a separate trial. This is not so. Baerenwald testified to statements made by Ramirez during a meeting between the two. As such, the testimony was admissible as a party-admission. Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(A). Miller testified to statements by Reynolds that tended to establish Ramirez' connection with the conspiracy. This testimony was also admissible against Ramirez, because it related statements by a coconspirator in furtherance of the conspiracy. Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E). The record as a whole adequately establishes the foundation required for admission of evidence pursuant to Rule 801(d)(2)(E). See United States v. Brock, 667 F.2d 1311, 1315 (9th Cir.1982), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 103 S.Ct. 1271, 75 L.Ed.2d 493 (1983). It follows that the testimony of Miller and Baerenwald would be admissible against Ramirez at a separate trial. 68 We find that the district court's failure to sever was not an abuse of discretion. 69
70 Appellant argues that the evidence was insufficient to establish his connection with the conspiracy alleged in this case. As we have said on other occasions, [c]onspiracy is established when there is an agreement between two or more persons to engage in criminal activity, coupled with one or more overt acts in furtherance of the illegal purpose and the requisite intent necessary to commit the underlying substantive offense. United States v. Abushi, 682 F.2d at 1293. Also we have said the conspiracy may be proven by circumstantial evidence; no formal agreement need be shown; and the agreement may be inferred from the acts of the parties. Id. Here, the government's proof, including the testimony of coconspirators Baerenwald and Miller, was clearly adequate to show the existence of a conspiracy the goal of which was to import marijuana through the use of stolen aircraft. 71 Once the existence of a conspiracy is shown, evidence establishing beyond a reasonable doubt a connection of a defendant with the conspiracy, even though the connection is slight, is sufficient to convict him with knowing participation in the conspiracy. United States v. Dunn, 564 F.2d 348, 357 (9th Cir.1977) (emphasis in original); see United States v. Kenny, 645 F.2d 1323, 1335 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 452 U.S. 920, 101 S.Ct. 3059, 69 L.Ed.2d 425 (1981). There was substantial evidence introduced at trial documenting that Ramirez associated with conspirators Reynolds, Baerenwald, and Peterson throughout the period that events in furtherance of the conspiracy took place. More than mere association was established; association to further the conspiracy was also established. 72 The indictment charged that it was Ramirez who organized and financed the scheme to import and distribute marijuana from Mexico. The evidence which tends to prove the charge is set forth in the margin. 8 73 On appeal we view the evidence and all inferences reasonably drawn from the evidence in the light most favorable to the government. On the basis of the evidence set forth in the margin, we hold that a rational jury could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that a conspiracy existed as charged in the indictment, and that Ramirez knowingly participated in that conspiracy. 74 The convictions of appellant Reynolds on Count II and of appellant Ramirez on Counts I through VII are affirmed. 75 AFFIRMED.