Opinion ID: 1232340
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Double Jeopardy Contention

Text: Ware's first trial began on January 15, 2007. The government's principal witness was Jones, who described his participation in Ware's securities fraud scheme and authenticated numerous exhibits for admission into evidence. ( See, e.g., Transcript of First Trial at 198-202, 214-15.) When the trial was adjourned for the weekend on Thursday, January 18, Ware was in the process of cross-examining Jones. During the weekend, Jones was hospitalized, suffering from elevated blood pressure and kidney failure. With Ware's consent, the trial resumed on Monday, January 22, with testimony from other government witnesses. On Tuesday morning, the government reported that it had been unable to obtain more information as to Jones's condition, and it proffered the name and telephone number of Jones's attending physician to Ware and the court. Ware moved for a mistrial, arguing that having a hiatus of a week or more during his cross-examination of Jones would be unduly prejudicial. ( See id. at 618.) The government opposed the motion, and the district court denied it. ( See id. at 620-23.) On Tuesday afternoon, the government relayed to Ware and the court the physician's evaluation of Jones and inability to predict when Jones might be discharged from the hospital. Ware again moved for a mistrial; the court postponed a ruling and continued the trial that afternoon. ( See id. at 740-44.) Later in the day, an affidavit was received from Jones's physician stating that Jones was critically ill and would require hospitalization for an indefinite period of time. Ware again moved for a mistrial, arguing that, as a practical matter, the jury would be unable to disregard Jones's testimony and the evidence admitted through his testimony. ( See id. at 798-99.) Although the government urged the district court to wait a few days to see whether Jones's condition improved, the court found it clear that Jones would not be returning to testify soon; and it granted Ware's motion. The court noted that [t]here is no constitutional issue presented here because the defendant has moved for a mistrial; and it seems to me not to grant it would simply raise potential Sixth Amendment issues, because the defendant has not had an opportunity to complete his cross-examination of Mr. Jones. ( Id. at 801.) Ware thereafter moved to dismiss the indictment on the ground that he could not be retried because of his right to be free from double jeopardy. That motion was denied, and his new trial began in April 2007. On this appeal, Ware pursues his contention that the Double Jeopardy Clause precluded any retrial. The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment generally protects a defendant from successive prosecutions for the same offense. See, e.g., Oregon v. Kennedy, 456 U.S. 667, 671, 102 S.Ct. 2083, 72 L.Ed.2d 416 (1982); United States v. Dinitz, 424 U.S. 600, 606, 96 S.Ct. 1075, 47 L.Ed.2d 267 (1976). However, where the original trial has not been completed because the defendant himself moved for a mistrial, he is deemed to have deliberately elected `to forgo his valued right to have his guilt or innocence determined before the first trier of fact.' United States v. Rivera, 802 F.2d 593, 597 (2d Cir.1986) (quoting United States v. Scott, 437 U.S. 82, 93, 98 S.Ct. 2187, 57 L.Ed.2d 65 (1978)). Thus, when a mistrial has been granted on motion of the defendant, a retrial is normally not barred by the Double Jeopardy Clause unless the government engaged in conduct that was intended to `goad' the defendant into moving for a mistrial. Kennedy, 456 U.S. at 676, 102 S.Ct. 2083; see, e.g., Dinitz, 424 U.S. at 611, 96 S.Ct. 1075 (Double Jeopardy Clause protect[s] a defendant against governmental actions intended to provoke mistrial requests). In the present case, the mistrial was sought by Ware, and the district court granted it over the objection of the government. There is no indication whatever in the record that Jones's absence from the trial after January 18 was procured by the government or that the government engaged in any conduct designed to cause a mistrial or goad Ware into moving for a mistrial. Accordingly, Ware's double jeopardy challenge is meritless.