Opinion ID: 461066
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Aispuro

Text: 18 The decision of Aispuro's counsel not to move, during trial, for exclusion of certain hearsay evidence concerning Aispuro's role in the drug dealings, was eminently reasonable in light of the fact that counsel had earlier unsuccessfully opposed the government's motion to admit this evidence. 19 Nor has Aispuro made any significant showing that his counsel's failure to file a pretrial motion for severance of his trial from that of Rodriguez constituted ineffective assistance. Aispuro makes no persuasive argument that he suffered prejudice as a result of the unsevered trial, nor does he provide any account of how such a motion could have been granted in the face of the stringent legal standards for severance. See Gustave v. United States, 627 F.2d 901, 904-05 (9th Cir.1980). 20 Finally, Aispuro's assertion that counsel was ineffective in failing to cross-examine government witnesses (regarding the other persons seen outside Rodriguez's home on the day of the drug transaction, the specific sizes of the paper bags containing heroin, and Rodriguez's testimony concerning the contents of the bag he received from Aispuro) is thoroughly groundless. Besides falling within the range of appropriate trial strategy, see Murray, 751 F.2d at 1535, these omissions were reasonable in light of the fact that the latter two issues were resolved quite clearly at trial, and by the possibility that evidence regarding the other unidentified persons in front of Rodriguez's house might have tended to indicate the existence of a broader conspiracy and thereby might have been actually detrimental to Aispuro's interests. 4. Sufficiency of the Indictment 21 Count I of the indictment charged the defendants with a conspiracy beginning at a time unknown to the Grand Jury, and continuing to and including October 7, 1983. Rodriguez now contends on appeal, for the first time, that the indefiniteness as to time renders the indictment invalid and requires reversal of his conviction. Rodriguez's attack upon the indictment is untimely, and does not warrant relief. 22 Apart from specific exceptions not relevant here, an objection to the sufficiency of an indictment must be raised prior to trial. Fed.R.Crim.P. 12(b)(2). Failure to do so constitutes waiver of the objection, absent a showing of cause. Fed.R.Crim.P. 12(f); Polizzi v. United States, 550 F.2d 1133, 1138 (9th Cir.1976). Here, we find no reason for granting relief from the waiver. The alleged defects are ultimately of minor consequence and not prejudicial to Rodriguez, and he offers no explanation at all for the tardy raising of this objection. 23 Moreover, the indictment itself withstands scrutiny. Despite Rodriguez's technical objections, the indictment as written provided sufficient notice to defendants of the nature of the charges, and so served the essential functions of a criminal indictment. See United States v. Pheaster, 544 F.2d 353, 360, 363 (9th Cir.1976), cert. denied sub nom. Inciso v. United States, 429 U.S. 1099, 97 S.Ct. 1118, 51 L.Ed.2d 546 (1977). Indictments which are tardily challenged are liberally construed in favor of validity. Id. at 361-62. 5. Admission of Hearsay Evidence 24 We will not disturb a district court's ruling on the admission of evidence absent an abuse of discretion or manifest error. E.g., United States v. Solomon, 753 F.2d 1522, 1524 (9th Cir.1985). We find nothing objectionable in the district court's evidentiary rulings in this case.