Opinion ID: 744604
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Rogers

Text: 16 Rogers' primary claim is that there was insufficient evidence to convict him on the two drug trafficking counts. He argues that he was merely present at the scene of the crime and that there is no evidence of his actual involvement. 17 The case against Rogers is admittedly circumstantial and requires some inferences. We review the facts in the light most favorable to the verdict. United States v. Montas, 41 F.3d 775, 778 (1st Cir.1994). Seen in this light, the evidence is sufficient to support Rogers' convictions on both counts. 18 It is true, as Rogers argues, that mere presence at the scene of a crime is insufficient to establish guilt. However, this court has distinguished between mere presence and culpable presence. A defendant's presence during the commission of a crime can establish guilt where the surrounding circumstances imply participation. United States v. Montilla-Rivera, 115 F.3d 1060, 1064 (1st Cir.1997); United States v. Paulino, 13 F.3d 20, 25 (1st Cir.1994); United States v. Ortiz, 966 F.2d 707, 711-12 (1st Cir.1992). Such is the case here. 19 It was Rogers who drove Scialo to the baseball field to pick up the drop car and who was listed as the second driver in the rental agreement. Most significantly, it was Rogers who was observed talking on a cellular phone in the middle of the drug deal. Records place his call to the cellular phone Beagan was using. Rogers was not merely present, he was talking on a cellular telephone with one of the conspirators while the deal was in progress. A jury could reasonably find that Rogers was discussing the cocaine sale, was a knowing participant in the drug conspiracy, see United States v. Piper, 35 F.3d 611, 615 (1st Cir.1994) (defining conspiracy), and knowingly attempted to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute it, see Paulino, 13 F.3d at 25. 3 20 Rogers' claim that he should be granted a new trial because his conviction was inconsistent with Scialo's acquittal also fails. Rogers' argument essentially is that there was more evidence of Scialo's involvement in the conspiracy than of his own, and that the jury's acquittal of Scialo shows that there was insufficient evidence to convict Rogers. To the extent that Rogers has preserved this claim, it is without merit. 21 A not guilty verdict against one co-conspirator is not the equivalent of a finding that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the conspiracy conviction of a second co-conspirator. United States v. Bucuvalas, 909 F.2d 593, 595-97 (1st Cir.1990). If the reviewing court finds the evidence was sufficient to support the verdict against the convicted defendant, the conviction must stand despite the co-conspirator's acquittal. Id. The evidence was sufficient. 22 Rogers also argues that the district court erred in denying his motion for a mistrial based on the prosecutor's opening statement. The prosecutor referred to someone identified as Chuck as being on the telephone receiving instructions from Rocha at the time of the drug deal (Rogers' given name is Charles). When the prosecutor attempted to elicit testimony from Rocha concerning that conversation, the court ruled the evidence inadmissible. Rogers argues that, given the importance of whether he spoke on the telephone with Rocha and Beagan during the drug deal, the court should have granted a mistrial. We disagree. 23 Rocha appropriately has not claimed the prosecutor's reference during his opening statement was made in bad faith to mislead the jury. In closing, defense counsel argued that there was no evidence linking Rogers to the telephone call during the drug deal. And the district court charged the jury that statements by counsel argument are not evidence. The district court did not err in denying the motion for a mistrial. See United States v. D'Alora, 585 F.2d 16, 21 (1st Cir.1978) ([A] defendant is not entitled to two trials, one before the judge to filter out inadmissible evidence and then a jury trial to determine guilt or innocence.) 24 Nor did the court abuse its discretion in refusing to grant Rogers' motion for a severance. Such motions are only to be granted where the defendant makes out a strong showing of prejudice; a defendant is not entitled to severance merely because he may have a better chance of acquittal if tried separately. Zafiro v. United States, 506 U.S. 534, 540, 113 S.Ct. 933, 938, 122 L.Ed.2d 317 (1993). A district court's decision to deny a motion for severance is accorded significant deference. United States v. O'Bryant, 998 F.2d 21, 25 (1st Cir.1993). 25 Rogers has not presented any reason why this case is different from most drug conspiracy cases with multiple defendants involved in the conspiracy to differing degrees, and co-conspirators generally are tried together. United States v. Perkins, 926 F.2d 1271, 1280 (1st Cir.1991). Contrary to Rogers' claim, his defense and Beagan's were not antagonistic, merely different. Beagan argued that he was entrapped, Rogers that he was merely present at the crime scene. These two theories of the case are not necessarily inconsistent. The district court scrupulously instructed the jurors that they must consider the evidence as to each charge and each defendant separately. The court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to sever. Beagan 26 Beagan's sole defense at trial and focus on appeal 4 was that he was entrapped. Beagan first argues that the district court's instruction on entrapment was legally incorrect. Specifically, he argues that the district court should have instructed the jury that the government was required to prove his predisposition to commit the charged crime based on evidence that predated his contact with the government. This is not a correct statement of the law. It is true that, when a defendant raises a defense of entrapment, the government must show that he was predisposed to commit the charged crime prior to his contact with government agents; however, the government may use the defendant's behavior after he was approached by government agents as evidence of his predisposition prior to meeting the agents. See, e.g., United States v. Acosta, 67 F.3d 334, 339 (1st Cir.1995). 27 Beagan next argues that he is entitled to a new trial because jurors impermissibly used extrinsic material (a dictionary) to understand the meaning of the term predisposition. Where, as here, a defendant makes a colorable claim of juror misconduct, the district court must determine whether any misconduct has occurred and if so, whether it was prejudicial. United States v. Boylan, 898 F.2d 230, 258 (1st Cir.1990). We review the district court's refusal to grant a new trial for abuse of discretion. Id. at 262; see also United States v. Cheyenne, 855 F.2d 566, 568 (8th Cir.1988) (giving substantial weight to the trial court's appraisal of the prejudicial effects of extraneous information on the jury, since the trial judge has the advantages of close observation of the jurors and familiarity with the issues at trial). 28 Here, Judge Boyle acted carefully and conscientiously in response to the allegations of juror misconduct. The court questioned the two jurors most closely involved. It determined that although at least one juror had referred to a dictionary to determine the definition of predisposition, this occurred before the jury as a whole sought additional instruction on the legal definition from the court. The court concluded that whatever use was made of the dictionary, the jurors had been unsatisfied that they understood the legal import of the term predisposition and had properly turned to the court for further instruction. The court concluded that any misconduct had not been prejudicial because of the court's additional instruction on the legal meaning of predisposition. 29 There was no abuse of discretion. To the extent that the jurors' consulting the dictionary was misconduct, 5 we agree with the district court that any potential harm to the defendant was cured by the subsequent legal instructions on predisposition. 30 Beagan's final claim is that he was denied effective assistance of counsel at trial. Trial counsel introduced evidence concerning Beagan's character, opening the door to evidence of Beagan's 1991 drug conviction and thereby, according to Beagan, totally undercutting the entrapment defense. In accordance with our usual practice, we will not consider a claim made for the first time on direct appeal. See, e.g., United States v. Springer, 28 F.3d 236, 239 (1st Cir.1994); United States v. Mala, 7 F.3d 1058, 1063 (1st Cir.1993). Determining whether assistance of counsel was constitutionally deficient is a fact-bound inquiry that would require us to go beyond the record on appeal and consider such matters as trial counsel's strategy. See Springer, 28 F.3d at 239; Mala, 7 F.3d at 1063. 31 Affirmed.