Opinion ID: 202665
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Other Elements of Plain Error Test

Text: 84 Under the third prong, we must ask, as Caraballo has framed the issue of the voluntariness of the plea, 13 whether there is a reasonable probability that, but for the alleged error, Caraballo would have decided not to plead guilty. See Dominguez Benitez, 542 U.S. at 83, 124 S.Ct. 2333. We do so by looking at the entire record, and not just at what was directly before the district court during the plea hearing. Delgado-Hernandez, 420 F.3d at 28-32. In this case, the plea was entirely voluntary, and defendant was fairly apprised of both the law and the facts. See United States v. Cruz-Rivera, 357 F.3d 10, 13 (1st Cir.2004) (holding defendant to guilty plea on plain error standard of review). Caraballo chose to plead guilty as part of an extremely favorable plea deal he and his counsel worked out with the government. He also chose to cooperate, and he admitted to participation in the drug conspiracy, for which he received a benefit. At his plea colloquy, Caraballo agreed with the prosecutor's statement that he was a conspirator, an obvious reference to the drug conspiracy. Caraballo's deal was thus specifically structured to find a significantly less serious offense to which he could plead, and one which would permit him to avoid any imprisonment beyond the time already served. As Caraballo's own counsel stated at sentencing: Initially [Caraballo] was tempted by the . . . economic gain that pervades the drug traffic, and he wavered. . . . But he took certain steps afterwards . . . and [the prosecutor] was wise enough and interested enough in justice that he reviewed that, and we came up with [this plea bargain]. Thus, even if the district court had erred in its understanding of misprision law, there is nothing in the record to suggest that the defendant would have been willing to risk trial on the conspiracy charges in the absence of the error. See United States v. Matos-Quiñones, 456 F.3d 14, 23 (1st Cir.2006). Caraballo's substantial rights were not affected. 85 Under the fourth prong, we ask whether the plea arrangement calls into question the integrity of the judicial process. This case does not present the sort of miscarriage of justice for which plain error is reserved. United States v. Savinon-Acosta, 232 F.3d 265, 269 (1st Cir.2000). Caraballo, who participated in a major drug conspiracy, had his cooperation generously rewarded. He was sentenced to time served of less than sixteen months. If convicted of the original drug conspiracy or attempt charge involving more than five kilograms of cocaine, he faced a minimum sentence of not . . . less than 10 years under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b)(1)(A) and 846. If convicted of the original firearms charge, he faced an additional five years of imprisonment or more under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Other officers who were convicted in this same conspiracy received lengthy terms of imprisonment on the order of twenty years. Sánchez-Berríos, 424 F.3d at 73; Villafane-Jimenez, 410 F.3d at 78; Vázquez-Guadalupe, 407 F.3d at 495; Flecha-Maldonado, 373 F.3d at 174. Whether or not the lesser charge of misprision constituted, on these facts, a viable theory of criminal liability, Caraballo, who was advised by counsel, not surprisingly agreed to plead guilty to that theory. 86 Affirmed.