Opinion ID: 2317345
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The CitiBank MasterCard

Text: During its case-in-chief, the government called Jeffrey Ramos, a custodian of records for Bank of America. Among other things, Ramos authenticated account statements provided by Bank of America that reflected charges to the BofA Card. Two of those charges, in addition to those described earlier, were balance transfers from a CitiBank MasterCard (the CitiBank Card), which was yet another of Shovan's credit cards that Bayard apparently used after her death. On direct examination, the government asked Ramos a series of questions concerning those transfers. Based on certain questions Bayard posed on cross, the government sought on re-direct to clarify Ramos's testimony by referencing a corresponding set of account statements provided by CitiBank. Bayard objected on the basis that he never received copies of the CitiBank records. The government explained that Bayard had received copies and that they had been marked as an exhibit, although the exhibit was not yet in evidence. The trial judge voiced his concern over questioning Ramos about an exhibit that was not in evidence and that he could not authenticate. The government ultimately proposed to introduce the CitiBank records by means of a certification, and then conduct its examination of Ramos. The court then admitted the CitiBank records over Bayard's relevancy objection. On appeal, Bayard argues that the prosecutor's questions on re-direct concerning the CitiBank Card amounted to prosecutorial misconduct. According to Bayard, the prosecutor testified through his questions that there was another card which was allegedly obtained through improper means. Bayard did not object on that ground at trial, so our review is for plain error. United States v. Sánchez-Berríos, 424 F.3d 65, 73-74 (1st Cir.2005). We see no error, plain or otherwise. Bayard does not identify in his brief the specific questions that he challenges, but our independent review of the trial transcript satisfies us that his hypothesis is unfounded. None of the prosecutor's questions on re-direct gives us pause, let alone rises to the level where, in rare cases, we have ordered a new trial. See, e.g., United States v. Hardy, 37 F.3d 753, 757 (1st Cir.1994) (vacating conviction where the prosecutor drew an analogy between the defendant's running and hiding from police on the night of the crime, and running and hiding again at trial by invoking Fifth Amendment right not to testify); United States v. Manning, 23 F.3d 570, 573 (1st Cir.1994) (vacating conviction where the prosecutor suggested that government witnesses cannot lie and urged jury to [t]ake responsibility for your community by convicting the defendant); United States v. Arrieta-Agressot, 3 F.3d 525, 527 (1st Cir.1993) (vacating convictions where the prosecutor urged the jury to consider case as a battle in war against drugs, and the defendants as enemy soldiers corrupting our society). Separately, Bayard hints in his brief that the prosecutor's questions provided an improper shortcut for the admission of the CitiBank records. If that cryptic remark is meant to challenge the admission of the CitiBank records, presumably on Rule 404(b) grounds, the argument is woefully underdeveloped, and thus waived. Zannino, 895 F.2d at 17. Even if it were not waived, Bayard's failure to object on that ground below would subject the argument to plain error review, and under that standard it would certainly fail. See Sánchez-Berríos, 424 F.3d at 73 ([U]nder plain error review, we have leeway to correct only the most egregious of unpreserved errors.).