Opinion ID: 2775600
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Vouching for Witnesses’ Credibility

Text: Sosa first contends that the prosecutor improperly vouched for witnesses’ credibility by (1) asking why Agent Bohmer would perjure herself and stating that it was important for the jurors to believe Agent Bohmer, and (2) commenting on the truthfulness of the testimony of witness Mackens. “Ordinarily, it is improper for a prosecutor to bolster a witness’s testimony by vouching for that witness’s credibility.” United States v. Bernal-Benitez, 594 F.3d 1303, 1313 (11th Cir. 2010). A prosecutor’s comments amount to improper vouching if the jury could reasonably believe that the prosecutor was expressing a personal belief in the witness’s credibility. Id. “A prosecutor’s comments can fail this test in two ways: (1) by placing the prestige of the government behind the 24 Case: 13-13171 Date Filed: 02/02/2015 Page: 25 of 42 witness, or (2) by indicating that information not before the jury supports the witness’s credibility.” Id. at 1313-14. “The rule against bolstering does not, however, prevent the prosecutor from commenting on a witness’s credibility, which can be central to the government’s case.” Id. at 1314. Thus, “[m]erely acknowledging that adverse legal consequences” flow from perjury does not constitute improper bolstering or vouching. Id. Additionally, we have recognized that a “fair response” exception to the general rule against vouching exists, which “entitles a prosecutor to respond to arguments advanced by defense counsel in his or her statement to the jury.” United States v. Lopez, 590 F.3d 1238, 1256 (11th Cir. 2009). Here, Sosa has failed to show that the district court plainly erred by allowing the government to make the statements he claims amount to improper vouching.
Agent Bohmer testified that Sosa had admitted to her that he knew Milian Martinez was responsible for bringing patients to the clinic, that he had written a check to Milian Martinez, and that this check was payment for Milian Martinez’s services. In his own testimony, however, Sosa denied that he had ever told the agent that Milian Martinez was referring patients to Discovery or that he knew that Discovery’s patients were being paid. 25 Case: 13-13171 Date Filed: 02/02/2015 Page: 26 of 42 In his summation, the prosecutor contrasted the credibility of the agent with Sosa’s lack of credibility by pointing out the absence of motivation for the agent to testify falsely, as well as the untruthful demeanor and selective memory of Sosa: Why would a federal agent is going to [sic] perjure herself for this case? No way. You watched [Sosa’s] demeanor. You heard the way he couldn’t answer anything separate because he’s lying. When his lawyer asked him questions he had no problem answering. When I asked him he couldn’t remember. Agent Bohmer told you what she knew. Why is she going to[,] in this case[,] make something up? As anticipated by the prosecutor, Sosa’s counsel attacked Agent Bohmer’s credibility in his own closing arguments: You have had the opportunity the last three days to evaluate the evidence. To look at what the state had. I’ll be candid. It comes down to Agent Bohmer’s testimony. Of all the exhibits, everything that’s been presented, the testimony alone of one witness is what this case comes down to. The testimony alone. . . . What was Agent Bohmer’s testimony[? It] was that Mr. Sosa six months after leaving Discovery Medical was interviewed. She wrote out a statement, said you acknowledge your right and had her sign it. She had a pen, she had a piece of paper. The FBI’s budget at least provide her this much. Did you videotape this interrogation? The local police have videos in their car. No. Well, did you record it? Everybody for the last five years had had a recorder on. Well, what exactly was it Mr. Sosa said to you? Did you have him write out a declaration? I hereby know that kickbacks are illegal. Miguel Milian was paying kickbacks. Did you do this? No. . . . That’s a reason to wonder. Why, why? 26 Case: 13-13171 Date Filed: 02/02/2015 Page: 27 of 42 (Paragraph breaks added). In rebuttal, the prosecutor agreed that Agent Bohmer’s testimony was important to the government’s case and responded to the defense counsel’s attack on the agent’s credibility: Did [Sosa] impress you as one who was telling the truth? That’s up to you to decide. Did the witness have any reason not to tell the truth? Did this man have any reason not to tell the truth? Did he have any reason to lie what he really told Agent Bohmer, of course they did. If you believe Agent Bohmer, essentially he confessed. He told Agent Bohmer he knew the checks that he wrote and by implication they went to Miguel Milian Martinez, was the name of the patient. He said to Agent Bohmer he knew the patients were getting it. He didn’t know how much but he knew they were being paid. That shows he was guilty. It is important that you believe Agent Bohmer. If you believe Agent Bohmer[,] he’s guilty. You also have to ask did the witness have an interest in the outcome of the case? Who had more personal interest in the outcome of the case th[a]n this man [Sosa]? (Paragraph breaks added). This context reveals that, in asking why Agent Bohmer would perjure herself, the prosecutor was not “placing the prestige of the government behind a witness,” but “[m]erely acknowledging that adverse legal consequences” flow from perjury. See Bernal-Benitez, 594 F.3d at 1314; United States v. Eley, 723 F.2d 1522, 1525-26 (11th Cir. 1984) (finding no plain error or improper vouching in prosecutor’s argument that government witnesses with many years of service 27 Case: 13-13171 Date Filed: 02/02/2015 Page: 28 of 42 had no reason to lie, while defendant had “great reason to lie”). Accordingly, even assuming an error with regard to this comment, the latter did not constitute plain error.5 Similarly, to the extent Sosa challenges the propriety of the prosecutor’s statement that it was important for the jurors to believe Agent Bohmer, that statement did not constitute bolstering, but was merely an acknowledgment of defendant Sosa’s own argument that Agent Bohmer’s testimony was crucial to the government’s case. See Bernal-Benitez, 594 F.3d at 1314. Therefore, again even assuming error, there was no plain error here. 6 2. The Prosecutor’s Comments about Witness Mackens As to witness Mackens, the government urged the jurors to consider the evidence before them when weighing the credibility of witnesses who testified that they were patients at Discovery, including Mackens: In deciding whether you believe, or do not believe, any witness, I suggest you [ask] yourself a few questions. Did the witness impress you as one who was telling the truth? Not what’s your impression of whether or not the person was telling the truth. 5 Additionally, we note that district courts will be justifiably reluctant to intervene in closing arguments absent an objection by the other party. 6 Furthermore, the prosecutor made the statement about the importance of Bohmer’s testimony in the government’s rebuttal only after Sosa’s defense counsel argued that the entire case “comes down to Agent Bohmer’s testimony,” which defense counsel attacked as not credible. Thus, this comment was arguably appropriate under the fair response rule. See Lopez, 590 F.3d at 1256. 28 Case: 13-13171 Date Filed: 02/02/2015 Page: 29 of 42 Mr. Mackens and Mr. Caldero and Mr. Ore, sure, they have convictions. Mr. Mackens freely admitted he’s used drugs, used other aliases. He came in under oath he was accepting money when he shouldn’t have done it. Why would you disbelieve this person, one willing to come in and telling you what he did wrong. He just accepted money. They to get [sic] all of the shots. Why would he come in and admit? Of course there was fraud and he admitted it. As you saw this morning who provided the only defense at all, that it was Miguel Milian. A careful review of these statements reveals that the prosecutor never vouched for witness Mackens’s truthfulness, but instead merely argued that Mackens’s credibility was enhanced by his willingness to admit to his own wrongdoing, including acknowledging that he had accepted payments for visiting Discovery, that he had used drugs, and that he had used aliases. The prosecutor was simply “commenting on a witness’s credibility, which can be central to the government’s case.” See id. That being so, Sosa has shown no error, plain or otherwise, as to this statement.