Opinion ID: 779999
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Parker's Flight from the Scene

Text: 37 The Government also argued that Parker fled the scene and that this flight evidenced consciousness of guilt. It is well-settled that flight can evidence consciousness of guilt. United States v. Salameh, 152 F.3d 88, 157 (2d Cir.1998) (per curiam). But the evidence at trial failed to prove flight. Parker's supposed flight occurred shortly after Lewis was shot, when Parker attracted Glenn's attention and requested a ride to Timon Street. Glenn testified that Parker just threw his hands up in the air [and] just said Shak, that's all. 4 (Transcript, June 7, 2001, at 276.) Glenn then pulled his car over and Parker requested a ride. Cook also testified that Parker was [w]alking in the street when he raised his hands and requested a ride from Glenn and that he continued to walk[ ] towards them after lowering his hands. ( Id. at 355, 362.) No witness testified that Parker engaged in suspicious conduct while requesting the ride, such as running, aggressively demanding a ride, or requesting to be taken to a remote location. See United States v. Anglin, 169 F.3d 154, 158-60 (2d Cir.1999) (finding evidence sufficient where the Government offered extensive evidence of guilt including proof that the defendant left New York the day after the FBI questioned his close friend about the crime); Salameh, 152 F.3d at 157 (holding that jury could have inferred consciousness of guilt where defendant in a bombing prosecution made arrangements to leave the country the day after the bombing). The court below concluded that sufficient evidence supported Parker's guilt, in part because [Parker] was seen running from the general area where the killing occurred. (Transcript, Oct. 26, 2001, at 9.) The record, however, is devoid of any evidence to support this conclusion. 38 Glenn testified that Timon Street, Parker's requested destination, is only four blocks from the intersection of Fillmore and Northampton Street, and the Government offered evidence that Northampton is only a block away from Girard. Thus, the Government's evidence did not prove that Parker engaged in flight and, when added to the balance of its proof, provided little movement toward the reasonable doubt threshold. 39 Significantly, Glenn — the same witness relied on by the Government to prove flight — testified that, on receiving the ride, Parker behaved calmly. As Glenn drove Parker by the crime scene, Glenn stated, I heard the guy you was [sic] with got shot. Parker responded, I don't want to talk about that right now. Parker looked straight ahead and did not turn to look as they passed the police cars and fire trucks at the corner of Fillmore and Girard. The Government argued that this conduct helped prove that Parker killed Lewis; we think it proved little, because the relationship between Parker and Lewis was a subject of brief, inconclusive trial testimony. The Government's evidence established that Parker and Lewis had, in the past, interacted with each other. Johnson, for instance, testified that Lewis referred to Parker as my man Face, and Moore recalled that he had seen Parker and Lewis together five or six times in the past. But we know nothing more. Consequently, even accepting the proposition that Parker's indifference to the emergency vehicles was odd, the absence of evidence regarding the relationship between Parker and Lewis renders the conclusion that Parker's indifference resulted from the fact that he had just killed Lewis pure speculation.