Opinion ID: 501759
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Reliance on Undisclosed Information

Text: 132 Coleman finally argues that he had no knowledge of the statements made by his former counsel at the July 2, 1975 hearing, 12 and that these statements prejudiced the trial court when it pronounced sentence on July 10, 1978. 133 The record does not support Coleman's contention that he did not know about his counsel's statements of July 2. Coleman was present at the hearing on July 3, 1975. As the Montana supreme court found, Coleman's counsel referred to the sodium amytal examination at that hearing, and indicated Coleman was willing to plead guilty and reconduct the examination before the court. Coleman IV, 663 P.2d at 1158-59, 1160. These statements correspond to what was said at the July 2nd hearing--that in the context of the plea bargain, the sodium amytal examination refreshed Coleman's memory and he was therefore ready to plead guilty. According to Coleman's former counsel, Coleman had previously blocked out his alleged participation in the Harstad murder until he had taken the sodium amytal examination and was willing to repeat the examination before the court. In addition, Coleman cannot now claim undisclosed knowledge of his counsel's attempt to withdraw, because his counsel repeated this request at the July 3rd hearing: 134 I believe there are certain professional and certain ethical positions both as an individual and as an attorney, and I have indicated to Mr. Nank--or to Mr. Coleman, that if I have to continue in this case if we have to try this case, then there is no way in the world I can state to the jury that he is innocent of deliberate homicide and that he's innocent of sexual intercourse without consent.... Now--however, I want the record to be clear that I feel that because of my moral and professional, ethical decisions, that I should be relieved.... 135 The only thing I can do ... is attack fully the question of whether they can establish aggravated kidnapping. 136 Further, Coleman has not alleged any facts demonstrating the trial court relied on his counsel's statements in sentencing Coleman. A sentence will be vacated on appeal only if the information presented to the court is (a) false or unreliable, and (b) demonstrably made the basis for the sentence. United States v. Messer, 785 F.2d 832, 834 (9th Cir.1986) (citing authorities). In the context of a request for a writ of habeas corpus, a motion must be denied unless it affirmatively appears in the record that the court based its sentence on improper information. Farrow, 580 F.2d at 1359 (emphasis in original); United States v. Perri, 513 F.2d 572, 574 (9th Cir.1975). See Gardner, 430 U.S. 349, 353, 97 S.Ct. 1197, 1202, 51 L.Ed.2d 393 (involving reliance by sentencing judge on undisclosed information). The Montana supreme court carefully reviewed the record and found no indication that the sentencing judge considered defense counsel's statement or the sodium amytal examination results in sentencing Coleman. Coleman IV, 663 P.2d at 1160. See Goode, 464 U.S. at 85, 104 S.Ct. at 382 (even if sentencing record in death penalty hearing is ambiguous, federal court should defer to state appellate court factual findings in death sentence case). Our independent review of the sentencing hearing transcript and the trial court's Findings fully supports this conclusion. 137 Coleman in effect urges adoption of a per se rule requiring reversal whenever a judge hears inherently prejudicial information and subsequently (here three years later) enters a death sentence. He constructs this argument around our holding in Lowery v. Cardwell, 575 F.2d 727 (9th Cir.1978). In Lowery, the defendant was charged with first degree murder and pleaded not guilty. In a trial in which the judge served as the trier of fact, the defendant testified during examination by her counsel and denied shooting the victim. Her counsel immediately requested a recess and a meeting with the judge outside of the defendant's presence. The defendant's counsel moved to withdraw from the case; he did not explain the reason, and the trial court denied the motion. Id. at 729. In closing argument, the defendant's counsel did not refer to his client's claims of innocence. The trial judge found the defendant guilty. We reversed, stating: [I]f, under these circumstances, counsel informs the fact finder of his belief [that his client's defense is based on false testimony] he has, by that action, disabled the fact finder from judging the merits of the defendant's defense. Id. at 730. We emphasized in Lowery that the judge, and not a jury, was the fact finder. Id. In the present case, a jury, not a judge, was the finder of fact. The jury never heard Coleman's counsel's comments, and found Coleman guilty of murder and aggravated kidnapping nonetheless. Although the trial judge heard these comments in a plea bargaining context and sentenced Coleman three years later, the sentencing occurred only after the jury had found Coleman guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 138 Coleman maintains, however, that the trial judge was the fact finder at sentencing and that Lowery should be extended to this case. Acceptance of this argument would contradict the requirement, repeatedly expressed in our case law, that to warrant reversal the judge must actually rely on improper information in sentencing. See, e.g., Messer, 785 F.2d at 834. This rule is sound and should not be disturbed. A trial judge will often be exposed to, and even consider in sentencing (see United States v. Mills, 597 F.2d 693, 699 (9th Cir.1979)) evidence and accusations which would be wholly inadmissible in a trial on a defendant's guilt or innocence. See, e.g., Williams, 337 U.S. 241, 69 S.Ct. 1079, 93 L.Ed. 1337 (death sentence context); United States v. Wright, 593 F.2d 105, 109 (9th Cir.1979) (illegally seized evidence). The prosecution may attempt to introduce, at sentencing, information which is prejudicial, unreliable or simply false. See, e.g., Townsend, 334 U.S. 736, 68 S.Ct. 1252, 92 L.Ed. 1690; Weston, 448 F.2d 626. To hold that a judge may not sentence the defendant because of exposure to such prejudicial information would be unwarranted, especially where, as here, the judge presided over an extensive trial and heard all of the testimony and evidence presented to the jury which found Coleman guilty. See, e.g., United States v. Montecalvo, 545 F.2d 684, 685 (9th Cir.1976) (involving motion for recusal), cert. denied, 431 U.S. 918, 97 S.Ct. 2184, 53 L.Ed.2d 229 (1977); Commonwealth v. Wilson, 381 Mass. 90, 407 N.E.2d 1229, 1248-49 (1980) (due process challenge in death penalty case); accord United States v. Bunch, 730 F.2d 517, 519 (7th Cir.1984) (recusal motion). To further conclude that a violation of due process has occurred at a sentencing hearing, even though the record reveals no reliance on the prejudicial information, would represent an inappropriate extension of Lowery to a different context. The concerns underlying Lowery --a defendant's counsel informing the trier of fact at trial of his client's deception--are not present here; nor would an extension of Lowery comport with our case law dealing with sentencing or the rationale underlying those cases. 13 139 AFFIRMED.