Opinion ID: 711057
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Time Limitations on Cross-Examination

Text: 33 Marbella and Amigable both argue the district court violated their confrontation rights by imposing a time limit on the cross-examination of Investigator Yee and Agent Louie. After Amigable's counsel had used a substantial amount of time for cross-examination, the district court restricted further cross-examination to one-half hour per agent. 34 We review de novo whether the limitation on cross-examination violated Marbella's or Amigable's right of confrontation. United States v. Jones, 982 F.2d 380, 383 (9th Cir.1992). The district court, however, has considerable discretion in restricting cross-examination. United States v. Jenkins, 884 F.2d 433, 435 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 1005, 110 S.Ct. 568, 107 L.Ed.2d 562 (1989). A restriction imposed on cross-examination does not violate the Confrontation Clause unless it limits relevant testimony and prejudices the defendant. United States v. Shabani, 48 F.3d 401, 403 (9th Cir.1995). 35 The district court did not impose any time limitations upon the cross-examination by Marbella's counsel. Marbella has not identified any questions the court prohibited her from asking or how the time limitation otherwise prejudiced her. Her confrontation challenge fails. 36 Amigable filed two statements explaining the areas he would have explored absent the time limitation. With regard to Agent Louie, Amigable would have explored more fully particular phone calls and meetings. With regard to Investigator Yee, Amigable would have asked him why the agents' questions and Amigable's responses were vague and furtive, further questions about a certain transcript, and about unspecified declarations of good faith and fair dealing made by Marbella and Ragasa. 37 Amigable does not explain why he would have pursued these areas. Nor does he identify what exculpatory evidence the questioning would have produced or how his inability to ask the questions resulted in prejudice. The district court found that Amigable's counsel already had demonstrated the agents lacked a clear recollection of their communications with Marbella and Amigable and that further examination would be unproductive. The record indicates the jury had sufficient information to appraise the biases and motivations of the agents. United States v. McClintock, 748 F.2d 1278, 1290 (9th Cir.1984) (citation omitted), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 822, 106 S.Ct. 75, 88 L.Ed.2d 61 (1985). We conclude the time limitations on cross-examination did not violate Amigable's right of confrontation.