Opinion ID: 705174
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Alvarez's, Krout's, and Arce's Separate Challenges

Text: 32 Alvarez challenges the district court's denial of his motion to suppress evidence obtained pursuant to a search warrant from the residence of Rosa Rubio in San Antonio. Regardless of the merits of his contention about the deficiency of the warrant, Alvarez has no standing to challenge its constitutionality. 33 Alvarez has the burden of establishing that his own constitutional rights were violated by an unlawful search or seizure. United States v. Wilson, 36 F.3d 1298, 1302 (5th Cir.1994). Alvarez neither alleged nor offered evidence at the suppression hearing that he had any property or possessory interest in the property searched at 6154 Bark Valley. In general, a person who is aggrieved by an illegal search and seizure only through the introduction of damaging evidence secured by a search of a third person's premises or property has not had any of his Fourth Amendment rights infringed. Wilson, 36 F.3d at 1302. The government alerted Alvarez in its response to his motion to suppress that he had the burden of establishing his expectation of privacy in the premises searched. This court does not deem standing to be waived where no facts were adduced at the [suppression] hearing from which the government could reasonably have inferred the existence of the defendant's standing. United States v. Cardona, 955 F.2d 976, 982 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 381, 121 L.Ed.2d 291 (1992). 34 Alvarez also challenges, primarily under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b), the admission of two of his prior traffic stops by police officers. During the first stop, on June 11, 1992, Alvarez fled the scene and discarded nine packets of heroin and a handgun. The second stop, which occurred on March 12, 1993, was for driving while intoxicated. Contrary to his assertions, none of the evidence admitted about these two stops was character evidence within the meaning of Rule 404(b). 35 Rule 404(b) excludes most evidence of extrinsic offenses offered to prove a defendant acted in conformity with his bad character. Uncharged offenses arising from the same transaction or series of transactions charged in the indictment, however, are not barred by the rule. United States v. Maceo, 947 F.2d 1191, 1199 (5th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 503 U.S. 949, 112 S.Ct. 1510, 117 L.Ed.2d 647 (1992). More specifically, evidence of acts committed pursuant to a conspiracy and offered to prove the defendant's membership or participation in the conspiracy are not extrinsic evidence. United States v. Davis, 19 F.3d 166, 171 (5th Cir.1994). 36 Thus, to avoid the strictures of Rule 404(b), all the government need do is suggest a logical hypothesis of the relevance of the evidence for a purpose other than to demonstrate his propensity to act in a particular manner. Here, the prosecutor proposed to introduce evidence of the first traffic stop because it physically associated appellant Alvarez with Victor Morro Alvarez, a member of the Texas Mexican Mafia conspiracy. Moreover, it corroborated the testimony of uncharged conspirator Lisa Rubio that these two men were engaged in a drug trafficking operation. Finally, the evidence could also be admissible as an act part and parcel of the conspiracy itself. The June date of this traffic stop fell within the time period of the offenses charged in the indictment and implicated the same offense conduct and a participant identified in wiretap recordings. 37 The 1993 stop for DWI was similarly admissible. The evidence at trial was limited to the fact of the actual stop and the reason was never provided the jury. The United States limited its proof to the fact that Alvarez was stopped and identified as the driver of a car registered to Lisa Rubio. Not only did the evidence corroborate Rosa Rubio's testimony about the relationship between Lisa Rubio and Victor Alvarez, it also linked Alvarez to Rangel, one of the leaders of the alleged conspiracy, because the same vehicle had been observed by a surveillance officer at Rangel's residence in December, 1992.
38 Alvarez requested the district court to give the jury a lesser included offense instruction misdemeanor possession of heroin or cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. Sec. 844(a). To be entitled to such an instruction, the elements of the lesser offense must be a subset of the elements of the charged offense. See United States v. Garcia, 27 F.3d 1009, 1014 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 531, 130 L.Ed.2d 435 (1994); Schmuck v. United States, 489 U.S. 705, 716, 109 S.Ct. 1443, 1450-51, 103 L.Ed.2d 734 (1989). Indeed, each statutory element of the lesser offense must also be present in the greater offense. United States v. Browner, 937 F.2d 165, 168 (5th Cir.1991). 39 The elements of simple possession of a controlled substance are (1) the knowing possession (2) of a controlled substance. Alvarez, however, was charged in Count I with a substantive RICO violation under 18 U.S.C. section 1962(c). Racketeering activities are defined by statute to include the felonious manufacture, importation, receiving, concealment, buying, selling, or otherwise dealing in narcotic or other dangerous drugs. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1961(1)(D) (emphasis added). Simple possession of heroin or cocaine does not even constitute a RICO predicate offense. Counts Two, Four and Five charged Alvarez with conspiracies to commit the substantive offense, and to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. Simple possession is not a lesser included offense of a drug conspiracy, United States v. Rodriguez, 948 F.2d 914, 917 (5th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 504 U.S. 987, 112 S.Ct. 2970, 119 L.Ed.2d 590 (1992), nor should it be a lesser offense for a RICO conspiracy. 40 Alvarez also urges that the district court committed reversible error by failing to charge the jury that mere agreement to commit the predicate acts charged is not sufficient to find the defendant guilty of conspiracy to violate the RICO statute. The trial court's refusal is reviewed for abuse of discretion. United States v. Jensen, 41 F.3d 946, 953 (5th Cir.1994). Denial of a requested instruction is not error when its substance is implicit in the instructions actually given. United States v. Ramirez, 963 F.2d 693, 705 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 388, 121 L.Ed.2d 296 (1992). 41 The district court's instructions separated the enterprise from the pattern of racketeering activity. And they quite carefully explained each of the elements necessary for predicate offenses, a pattern, and conspiracy. 15 Considered as a whole, these instructions did not permit the jury to find a RICO conspiracy solely upon proof that Alvarez agreed to commit the predicate crimes.
42 Alvarez argues that the elements of pattern of racketeering activity and activities of an enterprise that affect interstate or foreign commerce are both unconstitutionally vague on their face and as applied to him. This circuit has already specifically rejected the facial challenge to the vagueness of pattern of racketeering activity. Abell v. Potomac Ins. Co. of Illinois, 946 F.2d 1160, 1165-67 (5th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 504 U.S. 911, 112 S.Ct. 1944, 118 L.Ed.2d 549 (1992). As applied, the statute itself enumerates offenses that qualify as racketeering activity. The Supreme Court defined the pattern component to require the prosecution to show that the racketeering predicates are related, and that they amount to or pose a threat of continued criminal activity. H.J. Inc. v. Northwestern Bell Telephone Co., 492 U.S. 229, 239, 109 S.Ct. 2893, 2900, 106 L.Ed.2d 195 (1989). Hence, Alvarez must argue that the scope of this pattern element was so unclear that a person of ordinary intelligence in [his] position would not have had adequate notice that his actions constituted a pattern of racketeering activity. Abell, 946 F.2d at 1167 (internal quotations omitted). Alvarez was shown to be a member of the Mexican Mafia, an organization officially devoted to criminal activities, 16 which dealt and distributed narcotics, sanctioned murder, and organized an extortionate collection scheme of a street tax. RICO was certainly intended to encompass these activities designed to further an organized crime enterprise. 43 Because Alvarez did not truly develop the interstate commerce vagueness argument in his brief, the point is abandoned. 17

44 The district court denied the jury's request during deliberations to replay the testimony of the officers involved in the surveillance and stop of Krout on March 15. Generally, rereading or replaying testimony is disfavored. United States v. Nolan, 700 F.2d 479, 486 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 462 U.S. 1123, 103 S.Ct. 3095, 77 L.Ed.2d 1354 (1983); United States v. Keys, 899 F.2d 983, 988 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 858, 111 S.Ct. 160, 112 L.Ed.2d 125 (1990). Denial of such a request is proper when the court finds that replaying the testimony would take an inordinate amount of time or create a risk that the jury would place an undue emphasis on that evidence. United States v. Schmitt, 748 F.2d 249, 256 (5th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1104, 105 S.Ct. 2333, 85 L.Ed.2d 850 (1985). 45 This request from the jury encompassed four to six hours of testimony. The parties themselves were unable to focus the request into a more manageable segment of the testimony. Further, because the testimony was audiotaped it would have required redaction prior to playing before the jury. At this time, the jury had already deliberated into the fifth day, and had previously requested two other lengthy replays of testimony. No abuse of discretion occurred in denying this request.
46 Detective Martinez testified during the playing of three recorded conversations in which Cowboy Gonzalez was a participant or was discussed. The district court denied Krout's objections to questions soliciting the officer's opinion that references to the people and the driver of the truck indicated that Gonzalez was acting with others to bring heroin into the area. Although this court has held that an undercover agent may interpret the argot or seemingly secret jargon of [ ]alleged criminals, United States v. Fuller, 974 F.2d 1474, 1482 (5th Cir.1992), 18 expert testimony regarding the meaning of ordinary words, which the jury is in as good a position as the expert to interpret, must be excluded. United States v. Allibhai, 939 F.2d 244, 250 (5th Cir.1991). Here the excerpts of conversation which Martinez was asked to comment on were not alleged by the United States to be code--as is often the case in wiretapped conversations. 47 Nonetheless, erroneous admission of expert testimony is subject to harmless error analysis. United States v. Weiner, 3 F.3d 17, 21-22 (1st Cir.1993). The testimony objected to by counsel did little to incriminate Krout. First, other evidence introduced at trial established that the people referred to in this conversation about the December 28 transaction did not include Krout. 19 Gonzalez's own testimony confirmed this fact. For the exact opposite reason, testimony concerning the March 14 conversation was also harmless to Krout; it was cumulative of other incriminating evidence: Gonzalez testified that Krout delivered the heroin to a Mr. Saldana on March 15. Significantly, this testimony was corroborated by surveillance of the exchange of packages between Krout's and Saldana's vehicles, the seizure of heroin from a box of laundry detergent in Saldana's car, and 1-2 cupfuls of laundry detergent from Krout's Blazer.
48 Krout's challenge to his sentence, however, merits extended discussion. Krout complains that the district court failed to apply the methodology provided by the commentary to Sec. 5G1.3(c), a policy statement, and that if it had, the district court would have imposed the sentence to run concurrent with a sentence imposed in the Southern District of Texas. 49 At sentencing, the district court informed Krout that it would impose the sentence for this offense consecutive to a 97-month term imposed for a prior drug offense in the Southern District of Texas. (Krout was a fugitive when he committed the offenses involved in this case.) Both Krout and his attorney asked the district judge to reconsider this decision, and noted an objection for the record. However, Krout's objection offered no particular legal basis. 20 The government contends that Krout's imprecise objection is insufficient to preserve the claimed error for review. We agree. 50 Krout's objection was in the manner of a simple plea for leniency. Indeed, nothing in Krout's objection gave any indication of the sentencing error now claimed. A party must raise a claim of error with the district court in such a manner so that the district court may correct itself and thus, obviate the need for our review. United States v. Bullard, 13 F.3d 154, 156 (5th Cir.1994). By failing to properly object at sentencing, the defendant waives his right to full appellate review. This Court will remedy errors so forfeited only in the most exceptional case. United States v. Torrez, 40 F.3d 84, 86 (5th Cir.1994). In other words, we review only for plain error. 21 51 In order to show plain error, the appellant must show that there was an error, that it was plain (meaning clear or obvious) and that the error affects substantial rights. This Court lacks the authority to relieve an appellant of this burden. United States v. Olano, --- U.S. ----, ---- - ----, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 1777-81, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993). In addition, even when the appellant carries this burden, this Court is not required to correct the error. The Supreme Court has directed that such a forfeited error should be corrected if the error seriously affect[s] the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Id. at ----, 113 S.Ct. at 1779 (quoting United States v. Atkinson, 297 U.S. 157, 160, 56 S.Ct. 391, 392, 80 L.Ed. 555 (1936)). 52 In the written judgment of commitment the district court explained its decision to impose consecutive sentences: 53 According to U.S.S.G. Sec. 5G1.3, the sentence for the instant offense should result in an appropriate incremental punishment that most nearly approximates the sentence that would have been imposed had both sentences been imposed at the same time. Based upon the purity of the heroin, the defendant's obstructive behavior, and the fact that the defendant was not prosecuted for bond jumping in the Southern District of Texas, the court finds that the consecutive sentence in this case is appropriate. 54 The actual sentence imposed for this offense was at the low end of the guideline range of imprisonment: 168 months in a range of 168-210 months. 55 Guideline section 5G1.3(c) provides that, in any case other than those covered under subsections (a) and (b), 22 the sentence for the instant offense shall be imposed to run consecutively to the prior undischarged term of imprisonment to the extent necessary to achieve a reasonable incremental punishment for the instant offense. U.S.S.G. Sec. 5G1.3(c), p.s. The commentary to this section, application note 3, provides that to the extent practicable, the court should consider a reasonable incremental penalty to be a sentence for the instant offense that results in a combined sentence of imprisonment that approximates the total punishment that would have been imposed ... had all of the offenses been federal offenses for which sentences were being imposed at the same time. 56 Although the district court has the ultimate discretion to impose a sentence consecutively, see United States v. Bell, 46 F.3d 442, 446 (5th Cir.1995), it is required to consider the applicable sentencing guidelines and policy statements. See 18 U.S.C. Secs. 3584(a), (b); 18 U.S.C. Secs. 3553(a)(4), (5); United States v. Parks, 924 F.2d 68, 72 (5th Cir.1991). In addition, the Supreme Court has held that commentary that interprets or explains a guideline is authoritative. Stinson v. United States, --- U.S. ----, ----, 113 S.Ct. 1913, 1915, 123 L.Ed.2d 598 (1993). In United States v. Hernandez, 64 F.3d 179 (5th Cir.1995), this Court held that a sentencing court is bound to consider Sec. 5G1.3(c) as well as the implications of the methodology suggested by application note 3. [T]he district court must consider the suggested methodology before determining whether a sentence should run consecutively or concurrently. Id. at 183. The judgment entered by the district court, quoted above, clearly reflects that it considered both Sec. 5G1.3(c) and the commentary to that section. 57 Krout argues, however, that the district court's failure to apply the methodology provided by the commentary to Sec. 5G1.3(c) was error. We cannot agree. As we noted in Torrez, 58 the methodology proposed by note 3 is permissive only. The specific formula ... is conspicuously preceded by the language [t]o the extent practicable, the court should consider.... This language denotes merely one possible manner of determining the appropriate incremental penalty. Thus, even if the district court had considered this provision, it would have been free to decline to follow the suggested methodology. In other words, the district court would not have violated this provision if it had considered it and then determined that imposing the sentence consecutively provided the appropriate incremental punishment. 59 40 F.3d at 87 (internal citation omitted). In Hernandez, this Court held that the suggested methodology is advisory only. 64 F.3d at 183-84. Therefore, failure to apply the methodology provided cannot constitute error. 60 Krout also argues that the reasons given by the district court for imposing the sentence consecutively were insufficient to justify that decision in light of the policy concerns underlying Sec. 5G1.3. In Hernandez, we held that [i]f the district court chooses not to follow the methodology, it must explain why the calculated sentence would be impracticable in that case or the reasons for using an alternate method. Thereafter, the district court is left with discretion to impose a sentence which it believes provides an appropriate incremental punishment. Id. (internal citations omitted). 61 Although it is not clear from the district court's judgment why it did not follow the recommended methodology or why it used an alternate method, it is clear that the district court considered the relevant commentary and, with reasons, decided on what it believed to be an appropriate incremental penalty. We need not decide whether under Hernandez the district court's reasons were insufficient because any error in the district court's judgment could not be considered so clear or obvious as to be deemed plain error. 23
62 This court reviews the court's denial of a motion for severance or a motion for continuance for abuse of discretion. United States v. Dillman, 15 F.3d 384, 393-94 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 183, 130 L.Ed.2d 118 (1994) (severance); United States v. Kelly, 973 F.2d 1145, 1147-48 (5th Cir.1992) (continuance). Denial of an eleventh hour or mid-trial motion for a continuance--even when an attorney unfamiliar with the case must take over representation of a defendant--is not an abuse of discretion. See United States v. Mitchell, 777 F.2d 248, 255 (5th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1096, 106 S.Ct. 1493, 89 L.Ed.2d 895 (1986). Arce seeks to establish the requisite specific and compelling or serious prejudice based upon the ineffective assistance of counsel he received from his first attorney Harrison and based upon Harrison's absences from trial, which allegedly denied him counsel altogether. 63 This court, however, will not address ineffective assistance of counsel claims on direct appeal except in unusual cases. United States v. Higdon, 832 F.2d 312, 313-314 (5th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1075, 108 S.Ct. 1051, 98 L.Ed.2d 1013 (1988). Only in that rare instance where the details of the attorney's conduct are well developed in the record is such a claim properly considered on direct appeal. Id. at 314. Because the record is not definitive about when Harrison's absences were covered by Langlois, we defer to the usual vehicle for resolution of a Sixth Amendment claim, a section 2255 motion. 64 Finally, to the extent that Arce attempts to find an abuse of discretion in the district court's denial of his motion that is not grounded in effective assistance of counsel, the district court's careful and extended reasoning easily suffices to reject the attack.