Opinion ID: 779188
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Fair trial and ineffective assistance of counsel claims.

Text: 71 Lam also argues on cross appeal that she was denied her due process right to a fair trial because the prosecution vouched for the credibility of certain government witnesses. On appeal, she focuses on two allegations of vouching. First, she argues that the testimony of investigating officers vouched for Yeung's credibility. Second, she argues that the prosecutor vouched for Yeung's credibility by relying on statements promising truthfulness in his plea agreement. 16 Lam adds to this argument a claim that her trial counsel was ineffective because he failed to object to vouching at trial. 72 Vouching is a type of prosecutorial misconduct. It constitutes an assurance by the prosecuting attorney of the credibility of a government witness through personal knowledge or by other information outside of the testimony before the jury. United States v. Walker, 155 F.3d 180, 184 (3d Cir.1998) (citing Lawn v. United States, 355 U.S. 339, 359 n. 15, 78 S.Ct. 311, 2 L.Ed.2d 321 (1958)). In order to find vouching, two criteria must be met: (1) the prosecution must assure the jury that the testimony of a Government witness is credible, and (2) this assurance must be based on either the prosecutor's personal knowledge or other information that is not before the jury. Walker, 155 F.3d at 187. 73 On habeas review, however, prosecutorial misconduct such as vouching does not rise to the level of a federal due process violation unless it affects fundamental fairness of the trial. Liebman & Hertz § 9.1, p. 371. Thus, habeas relief is not available simply because the prosecutor's remarks were undesirable or even universally condemned. The relevant question for a habeas court is whether those remarks so infected the trial with unfairness as to make the resulting conviction a denial of due process. Darden v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 168, 180-81, 106 S.Ct. 2464, 91 L.Ed.2d 144 (1986) (quoting Donnelly v. DeChristoforo, 416 U.S. 637, 643, 94 S.Ct. 1868, 40 L.Ed.2d 431 (1974)); accord Jackson v. Johnson, 194 F.3d 641, 653 (5th Cir.1999). 74
75 Lam first challenges testimony that focused on Agent Troutmann's and Trooper Stanalonis's investigative techniques and how they ascertained whether Yeung was telling the truth. To be sure, their testimony has the effect of assuring the jury that Yeung is a credible witness. It is not clear, however, that all of the reasons for these assurances were not before the jury or that they were based only on the personal knowledge of the government officers. Rather, the officers told the jury about the techniques that led them to credit Yeung's statements during their investigation. The First Circuit has described this distinction as follows: An agent could properly have testified as to the actions he took to corroborate ... testimony, but he could not testify that certain statements were lies, or that interrogation techniques had established the veracity of other statements. United States v. Rosario-Diaz, 202 F.3d 54, 65 (1st Cir.2000). The state court applied a similar legal framework, and we find that it was reasonable in concluding that statements made by Agent Troutmann are not vouching. 76 A statement by Trooper Stanalonis, however, presents a clearer instance of vouching. On cross-examination, Stanalonis testified as to his personal belief that Yeung was telling him a correct story corroborating my investigation. Stanalonis made this statement when he was asked whether he knew if Yeung's story was true during their first meeting, at a point when they were going over photos of suspects and Yeung identified Lam. Stanalonis also stated that Yeung's responses heightened my thoughts on how truthful he was being with me. His statements have the impermissible effect of putting the prestige of Trooper Stanalonis's professional knowledge behind Yeung's testimony, a conclusion with which the Pennsylvania Superior Court agreed, noting that it might have been more prudent to excise the reference to truthfulness. 77 Despite its concern about Trooper Stanalonis's testimony, however, the Pennsylvania Superior Court dismissed this issue on the ground that Stanalonis's vouching did not create unfair prejudice depriving Lam of a fair trial. It reasoned that Stanalonis's testimony was not even harmful because his testimony concerning Yeung's truthfulness was substantially similar to that of Agent Troutmann's, it was a single, unsolicited remark made in passing, and his vouching was not related to a contested issue in the case, as it merely involved Yeung's identification of Lam. Likewise, the Supreme Court has previously denied habeas relief where it found an ambiguous, isolated comment by a prosecutor insufficient to render an entire trial unfair. Donnelly v. DeChristoforo, 416 U.S. 637, 645, 94 S.Ct. 1868, 40 L.Ed.2d 431 (1974). Under this precedent, we see no reason to find the Pennsylvania Superior Court's determination objectively unreasonable. 17 78
79 Lam also challenges the prosecutor's reading into evidence of Yeung's plea agreement and the prosecutor's remarks about the consequences facing Yeung if he did not tell the truth. We will not disturb the state court's determination that neither of these statements constitute impermissible vouching. 80 As an initial matter, Lam does not point out a portion of the plea agreement that has the improper effect of assuring the jury that Yeung's testimony is credible. Rather, the portion of the plea agreement cited by Lam leaves open the possibility that Yeung's statements are false: Yeung and his family will receive protection  if it is further found that ... [his] truthful cooperation ... reveals activities of individuals who may use violence against his family. 81 The prosecutor's statements also withstand habeas review. The prosecutor told the jury that Yeung would risk his life by not telling the truth in his plea agreement. This statement should not be considered improper, as we have approved a prosecutor's use of less subtle statements addressing the consequences of a witness's failure to testify truthfully. See, e.g., United States v. Oxman, 740 F.2d 1298 (3d Cir.1984), reversed on other grounds sub nom. United States v. Pflaumer, 473 U.S. 922, 105 S.Ct. 3550, 87 L.Ed.2d 673 (1985). Thus, we see no basis for habeas relief based on the state appellate court's approval of those statements. 82
83 Finally, Lam claims that her trial counsel was ineffective because he failed to object to impermissible vouching at trial. We reject this claim. 84 An ineffective assistance claim brought under the Sixth Amendment requires two showings: first, that counsel's performance was constitutionally deficient, and second, that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). Lam has failed to show any prejudice from trial counsel's performance, as the state appellate court considered Lam's vouching arguments despite trial counsel's failure to object. Thus, the District Court's rejection of this argument should be affirmed.