Opinion ID: 769887
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: beckman's appeal

Text: 5 On appeal, Beckman claims: 1) the district court erred by failing to specifically voir dire potential jurors on the presumption of innocence and the government's burden of proof; 2) the district court insufficiently instructed the jury on the government's control of sentence reduction in connection with plea bargains, resulting in insufficient instruction on witness credibility; 3) the district court erred by failing to give a supplemental jury instruction on the buyer/seller principle in response to a jury question; and 4) the evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdict. We affirm Beckman's conviction on all issues.
6 Beckman contends that the district court erred in conducting voir dire by failing to specifically question potential jurors regarding the presumption of innocence and the government's burden of proving all charges beyond a reasonable doubt. We disagree. 7 It is undisputed that voir dire is critical to ensuring a defendant's right to trial by an impartial jury. In Rosales-Lopez v. United States, 451 U.S. 182, 188 (1981) (citations omitted), Justice White, speaking for the plurality, stated: 8 Voir dire plays a critical function in assuring the criminal defendant that his Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury will be honored. Without an adequate voir dire the trial judge's responsibility to remove prospective jurors who will not be able impartially to follow the court's instructions and evaluate the evidence cannot be fulfilled. Similarly, lack of adequate voir dire impairs the defendant's right to exercise peremptory challenges where provided by statute or rule, as it is in the federal courts. 9 It is also well-settled, however, that district court's have broad discretion in conducting voir dire. See id. at 188-89. When no contemporaneous objection is made to the conduct of voir dire, as is true in this case, 2 this court reviews challenges under the plain error standard. See United States v. Van Chase, 137 F.3d 579, 582 (8th Cir. 1998). When considering challenges to voir dire, the central inquiry is whether the overall jury examination, coupled with the jury charge, adequately protects the defendant from prejudice. United States v. Eagle Hawk, 815 F.2d 1213, 1219 (8th Cir. 1987). 10 In United States v. Cosby, 529 F.2d 143 (8th Cir. 1976), this court faced a question similar to that presented here. On appeal, the defendant in Cosby argued that the district court, while not bound by the language of the suggested questions, should have more thoroughly explored the notions of presumption of innocence and governmental burden of proof. The Cosby court, after reviewing the transcript of the voir dire and jury instructions, rejected this argument in light of the court's general instructions on the presumption and burden, the overall thoroughness of the voir dire inquiry, and the inquiry of the potential jurors regarding whether they could abide by the court's instructions. See id. At 148-49. 11 On a number of occasions during voir dire in this case, the district court generally addressed the issues of presumption of innocence and governmental burden. Specifically, the court stated: 12 [D]efendants are presumed to be innocent of this crime and that presumption stays with them throughout the trial until the jury returns a verdict after due deliberation that the defendants either are guilty or not guilty of the offense for which they have been indicted. 13 And the burden of proof based upon that presumption is by what is called proof beyond a reasonable doubt. 14 Further, the district court discussed and instructed on these principles on at least two other occasions. We recognize that the district court did not specifically ask each potential juror whether they comprehended and could apply these legal principles; however, it did instruct the panel that it must accept the law as provided by the court and then asked for a show of hands of those who could do so. The record reveals that every juror's hand was raised. 15 We find that the overall voir dire and instructions in this case adequately apprized the potential jurors of the presumption of innocence and the government's burden of proof. Additionally, this court should and does assume that a jury, sworn by oath to follow the law, did, in fact, do so. Therefore, we hold that a district court need not ask prospective jurors specific questions on their ability to apply instructions on these principles, especially when no contemporaneous objection is made. Accord United States v. Miller, 758 F.2d 570 (11th Cir. 1985) (holding court was not required to ask specific questions of potential jurors regarding burden of proof, presumption of innocence, reasonable doubt, and whether they agreed with such principles); Grandsinger v. United States, 332 F.2d 80 (10th Cir. 1964) (finding no abuse of discretion where court refused to explain legal principles of reasonable doubt and presumption of innocence and refused to ask whether prospective jurors would give accused the benefit of these principles); United States v. Price, 577 F.2d 1356 (9th Cir. 1978) (finding no error when court refused to instruct on presumption of innocence and burden of proof and failed to ask jurors whether such laws were fair, where court did ask if jurors would follow instructions and, at the close of trial, instructed on such principles); United States v. Wooton, 518 F.2d 943 (3d Cir. 1975) (finding no abuse of discretion in court's refusal to propound requested questions regarding whether panel could accept and apply legal principle of proof beyond reasonable doubt); United States v. Gillette, 383 F.2d 843 (2d Cir. 1967) (finding no abuse of discretion where court refused to ask jury panel whether legal principles of reasonable doubt and presumption of innocence were understood). But cf. United States v. Blount, 479 F.2d 650 (6th Cir. 1973) (holding, where specific request is made, a court's failure to specifically inquire of prospective jurors on ability to accept and abide by the presumption of innocence is a denial of right to impartial jury); United States v. Hill, 738 F.2d 152 (6th Cir. 1984) (holding, where specific request is made, court's failure to ask questions of prospective jurors regarding their understanding and ability to apply instructions on burden of proof and presumption of innocence is reversible error). We hold, following the majority of circuit courts, the district court did not plainly err in failing to more specifically or individually question potential jurors on the legal principles at issue.
16 Beckman asserts that the district court's instructions to the jury did not adequately instruct on the government's role in sentencing departures so as to allow a proper assessment of witness credibility. We review the district court's jury instructions for abuse of discretion. See Grain Land Coop v. Kar Kim Farms, Inc., 199 F.3d 983, 995 (8th Cir.1999). In conducting such review, this court must determine whether the instructions, taken as a whole and viewed in light of the evidence and applicable law, 'fairly and adequately submitted the issues in the case to the jury.' Id. (quoting White v. Honeywell, Inc., 141 F.3d 1270, 1278 (8th Cir. 1998)). 3 17 The issue of plea bargaining and its impact on sentencing and credibility was discussed in Jury Instruction 13. 4 Beckman objected to this instruction, arguing that it was both inaccurate and an insufficient advisement of the government's exclusive capacity to decide whether a witness provided sufficient prosecutorial help to warrant a motion for downward departure. Beckman offered Proposed Instruction 5 as an alternative. Proposed Instruction 5 emphasized the prosecutor's role and specifically instructed the jury to consider the possibility that the government's power might motivate a witness to craft testimony accordingly. 18 As this court stated in United States v. Kabat, 797 F.2d 580, 588 (8th Cir. 1986): 19 It is not grounds for reversal that the charge might have been differently, or even better, worded; a district court has wide discretion on choice of language, and we will not find that discretion abused when the instructions as a whole accurately and adequately state the relevant law. 20 Instruction 13 was an accurate statement of law, touching upon the role of each party in sentencing. Furthermore, we note that a number of the prosecution's witnesses testified to the government's role in moving the sentencing court for downward departure based on their cooperation. In light of this, we find the jury was sufficiently aware of the sentencing process and any potential a cooperating witness may have to please the prosecutor. Thus, when taken as a whole, the instructions in this case accurately set forth the applicable law and we find no abuse of discretion on the part of the district court in giving Instruction Number 13 and failing to give Proposed Instruction Number 5.
21 During jury deliberation in the second trial, members of the jury sent a written question to the court asking: If an amount of Meth. is distributed from one person to another. Are both parties involved in conspiracy to distribute or is only the person giving the drugs part of the conspiracy? and the other just guilty of possession? Following a discussion with counsel in chambers, the district court decided not to give any supplemental instruction. Instead the district court referred the jury back to Instructions 8 and 9, which set forth the elements and definition of a drug conspiracy, and instructed the jury not to single out any one instruction during deliberation. Beckman asserts that in light of this court's expressed approval of buyer/seller instructions and the fact that his proffered defense was that of merely being a buyer, the district court abused its discretion by failing to give a supplemental instruction. We disagree. 22 A trial court's response to a jury's request for supplemental instruction is a matter within the sound discretion of the trial court. See United States v. Smith, 104 F.3d 145, 148 (8th Cir. 1997) (citing United States v. White, 794 F.2d 367, 370 (8th Cir. 1986)). When a jury explicitly requests supplemental instruction, a trial court must take great care 'to insure that any supplemental instructions are accurate, clear, neutral, and non-prejudicial.' Id. (quoting United States v. Skarda, 845 F.2d 1508, 1512 (8th Cir. 1988)). This court has recognized that, in responding to a jury's request for supplemental instruction, it may be proper at times to simply refer the jury back to the original instructions. See United States v. Gibbons, 968 F.2d 639, 646 (8th Cir. 1992). 23 Admittedly, this court has expressed approval of jury instructions marking a distinction between buyers and sellers in drug conspiracy cases. See United States v. Cabbell, 35 F.3d 1255 (8th Cir. 1994). In Cabbell, the court initially instructed on the buyer/seller distinction, noting that transient sales where the buyer is purchasing drugs only for personal use do not, standing alone, make a buyer a co-conspirator with a seller. This court accepted such instruction as an accurate statement of the law. Critically, however, approval of the initial instruction in Cabbell does not necessitate an identical instruction be given in every case, so long as the instructions fairly and adequately set forth the issues and applicable law. 24 In the present case, the district court's initial instructions accurately and thoroughly provided the elements and definition of the crimes charged. We cannot say that it was an abuse of discretion for the court to refer to the jury back to the proper and adequate instructions already given.
25 Beckman argues that the evidence presented by the government is insufficient to sustain his conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He contends that the evidence presented was internally conflicting, incredible, tainted by the plea agreements, and, at most, established that he bought and used methamphetamine for personal use. We disagree and find the evidence more than sufficient to uphold Beckman's conviction. 26 The standard of review for sufficiency of the evidence claims is whether, in the light most favorable to the government, and giving the government the benefit of all reasonable inferences, there is substantial evidence to support the jury's verdict. See United States v. Gaines, 969 F.2d 692, 696 (8th Cir. 1992). Both direct and circumstantial evidence can be the basis of a conviction. See United States v. Erdman, 953 F.2d 387, 389 (8th Cir. 1992). To convict an individual of conspiracy, the government must prove that there was a conspiracy with an illegal purpose, that the defendant was aware of that conspiracy, and that he or she knowingly became a part of it. United States v. Mosby, 177 F.3d 1067, 1069 (8th Cir. 1999) (citing United States v. Bass, 121 F.3d 1218, 1220 (8th Cir.1997)). 'Once the government establishes the existence of a drug conspiracy, only slight evidence linking the defendant to the conspiracy is required to prove the defendant's involvement and support the conviction.' Id. (quoting United States v. Jenkins, 78 F.3d 1283, 1287 (8th Cir.1996)). 27 When viewed in the light most favorable to the government, the evidence presented at trial reveals: Beckman was seen receiving and admitted to purchasing methamphetamine from Mitchell; Beckman took trips to the West Coast with Mitchell to aid in the transportation of methamphetamine and to invest, up-front, in the purchase of the drugs; Mitchell's drug ledger contained entries demonstrating that Beckman had purchased drugs and continued to carry debts on such deals; the amount of debt evidenced by the ledger supports the idea that Beckman was not a mere buyer; Beckman stored drugs on his property for Mitchell; and Beckman assisted in the break down process of the methamphetamine. 5 We find this evidence more than sufficient to support Beckman's conviction for conspiracy to distribute. 28 After having thoroughly reviewed the record and each of the four issues raised by Beckman, we find no prejudicial ground of error and affirm his conviction.