Opinion ID: 3060223
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Grant of Immunity to Holt

Text: On appeal, Walcott contends that “[t]he district court erred when it failed to dismiss the Indictment against [Walcott] as the government failed to immunize Pasquale Holt as a defense witness.” We can find no instance where Walcott made this argument in the trial record, or moved to dismiss the indictment on this ground, so our review is for plain error. United States v. Vallejo, 297 F.3d 1154, 1164-65 (11th Cir. 2002) (stating that review is for plain error when a litigant has failed to raise an issue in the district court). To establish plain error, the appellant must show: “(1) error, (2) that is plain, and (3) that affects substantial rights. If the preceding three conditions are met, we may exercise discretion to correct a forfeited error, but only if (4) the error seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.” United States v. McNair, 605 F.3d 1152, 1222 (11th Cir. 2010), cert. denied, 131 S. Ct. 1600 (2011) (citations and quotation marks omitted). “Before an error is subject to correction under the plain error rule, it must be plain under controlling precedent . . . .” United States v. Lett, 483 F.3d 782, 790 (11th Cir. 2007). 14 As the government’s brief points out, the error Walcott necessarily alleges is “the district court’s failure to sua sponte compel the United States to grant Holt use immunity or to dismiss the indictment.” (underline added). Walcott cannot demonstrate that this is error, much less plain error; he has provided no authority from this Circuit or the Supreme Court showing that the district court must sua sponte dismiss the indictment under these circumstances. Because Walcott has not cited any controlling precedent contradicting the district court’s ruling, the error he assigns to the district court is neither “obvious” nor “clear under current law.” See United States v. Humphrey, 164 F.3d 585, 588 (11th Cir. 1999) (quotation marks omitted).2