Opinion ID: 423901
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: perjury and breach of sequestration order by government witnesses

Text: 64 Arruda and Ringland both moved for mistrial or the exclusion of Olshever's and Sceviour's testimony. They argue that these two witnesses violated the court's sequestration order and met during trial to discuss testimony. They further allege perjury on the part of Sceviour or Olshever, or both, since each gave differing testimony regarding the frequency of their meetings and the substance of their conversations. 65 At trial, Sceviour testified on cross-examination that he met with Olshever about five or six times during the course of the trial. He stated, however, that he did not discuss his testimony with Olshever or Olshever's testimony. They did, however, have some discussions about the case. Sceviour related the substance of those conversations to the jury. 66 Olshever had earlier testified that he saw Sceviour two or three times but did not discuss the case with him. As a result of Sceviour's revelations, Olshever was recalled for extensive voir dire by all counsel. He held to his earlier testimony that he and Sceviour did not discuss the case. Olshever was then recalled for direct examination by defense counsel. He was questioned extensively about his meetings and conversations with Sceviour. He stated that he and Sceviour met and conversed about six times. His recollection of the content of the conversations differed substantially from Sceviour's. 67 The trial court denied defendants' motion for exclusion of these witnesses' testimony and a mistrial. It stated: 68 Well, the thing is that it is all revealed, that it's all out, and it's open to you to argue it and up to the jury to decide it, usable information in Sceviour's testimony. I don't think that every time that a government witness gets caught in perjury there's a mistrial. I think the rule is that if the government puts a person on the stand knowing that he's about to commit perjury or colludes in the perjury in any way, that that's grounds for mistrial, not necessarily because the trial is fatally infected, but simply as a disciplinary and prophylatic move by the Court to keep the Government prosecutors on the straight and narrow. But it doesn't appear that Mr. Scott [the United States Attorney] has deviated from the straight and narrow. Certainly well persuaded that Mr. Olshever has, but I don't think that that is a ground for mistrial where it is fully exposed. 69 We think the trial court ruled correctly on this issue. Where there is no evidence that the government acted in bad faith or intentionally attempted to introduce false testimony, and the perjury is fully exposed to the jury, it is not error to deny a motion for mistrial. See United States v. Burreson, 643 F.2d 1344, 1350 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 830, 102 S.Ct. 125, 70 L.Ed.2d 106, 454 U.S. 847, 102 S.Ct. 165, 70 L.Ed.2d 135 (1981); Braxton v. Estelle, 641 F.2d 392, 395 (5th Cir.1981). 70 As to the violation of the sequestration order, we again find no error. On the first day of trial the court ordered all witnesses to remain outside the courtroom during trial. The government is technically correct in its argument that Olshever and Sceviour did not violate this order since neither was present in the courtroom while the trial was in progress. Sceviour's and Olshever's meeting, however, had the same potential effect as a violation of a sequestration order--exposure to testimony prior to being called as a witness. We therefore think it appropriate to treat their meetings as breach of a court order. See United States ex rel. Clark v. Fike, 538 F.2d 750, 757 (7th Cir.1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1064, 97 S.Ct. 791, 50 L.Ed.2d 781 (1977). 71 It is well settled that breach of a sequestration order does not automatically disqualify a witness from rendering testimony; the appropriate sanction is left to the sound discretion of the district court. See, e.g., United States v. Bizzard, 674 F.2d 1382, 1388-89 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 103 S.Ct. 305, 74 L.Ed.2d 286 (1982); United States v. Nelson, 603 F.2d 42, 47 (8th Cir.1979); United States v. Oropeza, 564 F.2d 316, 326 (9th Cir.1977), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 1080, 98 S.Ct. 1276, 55 L.Ed.2d 788 (1978); Fike, 538 F.2d at 757. There was no abuse of discretion here. According to Sceviour, his discussions with Olshever did not relate to any critical issues in the case. Furthermore, the trial court was correct in observing that Olshever's and Sceviour's testimony conflicted in many respects, thereby supporting Sceviour's testimony that their conversations did not relate to the trial in any significant way. Finally, as discussed above, these meetings were fully revealed to the jury and used to impeach the credibility of both Olshever and Sceviour. The trial court was correct in leaving this as a credibility issue for the jury. 72