Opinion ID: 493217
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Merits of the Detention Decision.

Text: 29 The substance of the district court's decision to order pretrial detention of Coonan requires little comment. Judge Sand found both that Coonan presented a significant risk of flight (and implicitly that no condition or combination of conditions would reasonably assure his appearance at trial), and that there was a significant risk of harm to government witnesses. The government's evidentiary proffer amply supports both conclusions. 30 As to risk of flight, Coonan had been a fugitive for close to four months while wanted on the state and federal arrest warrants for which he is currently incarcerated. Nor did his fugitive status end by a voluntary surrender; rather, he was captured by law enforcement agents. Recent flight from justice, particularly on the same charges for which detention is sought, is a strong indication of a serious risk of flight. See United States v. Shakur, 817 F.2d 189, 199 (2d Cir.1987) (defendant's history [of flight] is particularly important [when] not some incident remote in time and unrelated to matters at hand [but r]ather    was precisely to avoid the charges now pending against him). 31 We do note, however, in connection with the district court's conclusion on Coonan's risk of flight that the court did not make an explicit finding that no condition or combination of conditions would assure Coonan's appearance for trial. Cf. United States v. Berrios-Berrios, 791 F.2d 246, 251 (2d Cir.1986). It is clear, however, that the court did consider the proper factors, concluding that each weighed against Coonan's position; thus, a finding that no conditions would assure Coonan's appearance was implicit in his denial of bail. Judge Sand questioned counsel at length about what conditions he would propose to assure Coonan's appearance, and rejected them as inadequate by, in effect, saying that the risk of flight was still present. While the determination of Judge Sand is sufficiently clear in this case, we caution district judges that, to avoid any ambiguities in the future, they should make explicit their findings with regard to the adequacy of possible conditions for release. 32 The government's proffer with regard to the danger of harm to prosecution witnesses was more than adequate. Coonan attacks the credibility of the government's information, but the statements of undercover police officers and associates of Coonan, even when presented through the proffer of the assistant United States attorney, provided sufficient basis to find that Coonan had in the past threatened witnesses and presents a serious risk of doing so again. The factual findings of the district court as to risk of harm to witnesses are therefore not clearly erroneous.