Opinion ID: 3049934
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Defendants’ Proposed Jury Charges

Text: In the McNair, Swann, Barber, and Wilson trials, all defendant-appellants requested jury charges that included a quid pro quo requirement.46 46 For example, in the McNair trial, PUGH requested this instruction: In order for you to find defendant [PUGH] guilty, you must find beyond a reasonable doubt that [PUGH] gave something of value to Defendant McNair with the specific intent of obtaining a quid pro quo, that is, that [PUGH] gave the item of value with the specific intent to improperly cause Defendant McNair to commit a specific act in favor of [PUGH], or with the specific intent of illegally rewarding Defendant McNair for having previously committed such an act. In other words, the United States must show that [PUGH] provided the item of value either (1) with the expectation that Defendant McNair would improperly provide something specific in return or (2) for the purpose of rewarding McNair for something improper that Defendant McNair had previously done. In the Swann trial, Bobby Rast, for example, requested this instruction: [Y]ou must find beyond a reasonable doubt that Bobby Rast gave something of value to Defendant Swann with the specific corrupt intent of obtaining a quid pro quo, that 66 In the McNair trial, the district court rejected the proposed quid pro quo instructions, gave the Eleventh Circuit’s pattern jury instructions for § 666 as to corruptly giving bribes, telling the jury: As I’ve said, the defendants, other than Jewell C. “Chris” McNair, are charged in various counts of violating a portion of Title 18, Section 666, which makes it a federal crime or offense for anyone to corruptly give, offer or agree to give anything of value to anyone who is an agent of a local government receiving significant benefits under a federal assistance program intending to reward or influence that agent in connection with any business, transaction, or series of transactions of such local government involving anything of value of $5,000 or more. .... Fifth: And this is another thing that the government would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. That each such gift, offer or agreement to give, that by each of those gifts, offer or agreement to give, the Defendant [] corruptly intended to reward or influence Jewell C. “Chris” McNair in connection with a transaction, or series of transactions, with Jefferson County, Alabama, which transaction or series of transactions involved something of value of $5,000 or more. Sixth: That in doing so, the Defendant [] acted corruptly. An act is done “corruptly” if it is performed voluntarily, deliberately, and dishonestly, for the purpose of either accomplishing an unlawful end or result or of accomplishing some otherwise lawful end or lawful result by is, that Bobby Rast gave the item of value with the specific corrupt intent to improperly influence Defendant Swann to commit a specific official act in favor of Bobby Rast, or with the specific corrupt intent of illegally rewarding Defendant Swann for having previously committed such an act. In other words, the United States must show that Bobby Rast corruptly provided the item of value either (1) with the expectation that Defendant Swann would improperly provide some official specific act or acts in return or (2) for the purpose of rewarding Jack W. Swann for some specific improper official act or acts that Defendant Swann had previously done. 67 an unlawful method or means.47 The district court also gave the pattern § 666 jury charge, with slight variations, as to corruptly receiving bribes. The judges in the subsequent trials (Swann,48 Barber,49 and Wilson50 ) agreed with the district 47 See Eleventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions (Criminal Cases) at 180-81 (Offense Instruction 24) (2003). The district court instructed the jury the government must prove all elements of a § 666 crime, such as that McNair had to be an agent and the County had to receive over $10,000 in federal funds. We quote in the text only the part of the pattern charge about the corrupt intent element. 48 In the Swann trial, the district court instructed the jury as to corruptly accepting bribes: As to [the § 666 substantive bribery] counts the defendant Jack W. Swann can be found guilty of [§ 666 bribery] only if all the following facts are proved beyond a reasonable doubt. .... The fifth element which is common to all of those counts as the first four were, that . . . by such acceptance or agreements, the defendant Jack W. Swann intended as to the count under consideration to be influenced or rewarded in connection with a transaction or series of transactions of Jefferson County, Alabama which transactions or series of transactions involve something of value of $5,000 or more. And six, that in so doing the defendant Jack W. Swann acted corruptly. An act is done corruptly if it is performed voluntarily and deliberately and dishonestly for the purpose of either accomplishing an unlawful end or result or of accomplishing some otherwise lawful end or lawful result by any unlawful method or means. The court gave a similar pattern § 666 jury charge as to corruptly giving bribes. 49 In the Barber trial, the district court instructed the jury as to only PUGH’s corruptly giving bribes because Barber, the acceptor, pled guilty: The defendant Roland Pugh Construction, Inc., can be found guilty of the offense charging a violation of [§ 666(a)(2)] only if all the following facts are proved beyond a reasonable doubt: .... Fifth, that by giving, offering, or agreeing to give things of value to Clarence R. Barber, defendant Roland Pugh Construction, Inc., intended to influence or reward Clarence R. Barber in connection with any business transaction or series of transactions which involve something of $5,000 or more. And, sixth, that in doing so, the defendant Roland Pugh Construction, Inc., acted corruptly. 68 court’s ruling in the McNair trial and gave jury instructions that did not include defendant-appellants’ requested quid pro quo instructions.51 Given our conclusion that § 666(a)(1)(B) and (2) do not require proof of a specific quid pro quo, defendant-appellants’ proposed jury instructions containing that requirement were incorrect statements of law. Thus, the district courts did not .... An act is done corruptly if it is performed voluntarily, deliberately, and dishonestly for the purpose of either accomplishing an unlawful end or result, or of accomplishing some otherwise lawful end or result by any unlawful method or means. 50 Because in the Wilson case only PUGH appeals, we quote the “corruptly giving” part of the court’s jury charge: The purpose of the plan alleged by the government in the indictment was also for the defendant, Pugh Incorporated, through Grady R. Pugh, Jr., to corruptly give, offer, and agree to give things of value to defendant Ronald K. Wilson with the intent of influencing and rewarding him for supporting their interests in connection with the J.C.E.S.D. sewer rehabilitation construction program in violation of [18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(2)]. .... Title 18 of the United States Code section 666(a)(2) makes it a federal crime or offense for any person to corruptly give, offer, or agree to give anything of value to any person with the intent to influence or reward an agent of a local government or local governmental agency receiving significant benefits under a federal assistance program, in connection with any business, transaction or series of transactions of such local government or government agency involving anything of value of $5,000 or more. .... An act is done corruptly if it is performed voluntarily, deliberately, and dishonestly for the purpose of either accomplishing an unlawful end or result or of accomplishing some otherwise lawful result by any unlawful method or means. 51 “In considering the failure of a district court to give a requested instruction, the omission is error only if the requested instruction is correct, not adequately covered by the charge given, and involves a point so important that failure to give the instruction seriously impaired the party’s ability to present an effective case.” Svete, 556 F.3d at 1161 (quotation marks omitted). The district court’s refusal to give a requested instruction is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Id. 69 abuse their discretion in refusing them. See US Infrastructure, 576 F.3d at 1213 (determining omission of a specific quid pro quo requirement in § 666 jury instruction was not plain error); Paradies, 98 F.3d at 1289 (same). In the McNair trial, all defendant-appellants also requested that the jury be instructed that if a thing of value was given out of friendship or merely to foster goodwill and not to corruptly influence or reward, then a not-guilty verdict is required. After that request, the district court in the McNair trial supplemented the pattern instructions with this: Section 666 . . . does not prohibit all gifts by or to a public official, does not prohibit all receipts -- does not prohibit receipt of all gifts by or to a public official, but only gifts received with the corrupt intent to be influenced or rewarded by that governmental official in connection with a business or transaction or series of transactions of that governmental entity involving $5,000 or more.[52] After the defendant-appellants insisted the district court specifically identify friendship and goodwill gifts as legal gratuities, the court responded “if it’s corrupt and dishonest, it’s not for good will, is it?” The district court explained that giving defendant-appellants’ instruction would “carr[y] with it some sort of suggestion 52 In the Swann, Barber, and Wilson trials, PUGH also requested the same jury charge. The Rast and Pugh defendants either requested this jury instruction or adopted PUGH’s request, in the Swann trial. And in the Swann, Barber, and Wilson trials, the district court gave similar supplemental jury charges expressly advising the jury that § 666 does not prohibit all gifts to a public official, but only those gifts with the corrupt intent to influence or reward specified government officials in connection with the business or transaction or series of transactions of that governmental entity. 70 that I’m adopting that idea that that’s what these payments were.” This exchange then took place: THE COURT: What if it’s good will and corrupt? [ROLAND PUGH’S COUNSEL]: It can’t be. THE COURT: Okay. That’s your answer. A finding that a gift was made or accepted with corrupt intent necessarily excludes friendship and goodwill gifts. There is no reversible error in the court’s charge in this regard.53