Opinion ID: 791199
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Perjury — Nichols

Text: 27 Nichols next argues that the district court erred in enhancing his sentence based on a finding that he committed perjury in his trial testimony. In making its ruling, the district court stated: 28 Every defendant does have a right to testify in their own behalf, but they do not have a right to lie under oath. And I am not relying on the jury's determination that the defendant was guilty to apply this enhancement. I'm relying on my own conclusion that his testimony was false, knowingly false, and that it was knowingly false on material issues, and intended, in fact, to deceive both the court and the jury. 29 We review a district court's factual findings underlying an obstruction of justice enhancement for clear error and its construction and application of the Guidelines de novo. United States v. Mendoza-Gonzalez, 363 F.3d 788, 796 (8th Cir.2004). A defendant is subject to an enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1 if he testifies falsely under oath in regard to a material matter and does so willfully rather than out of confusion or mistake. Id. If a defendant objects to an obstruction enhancement relying on perjury, the district court must make findings that the defendant willfully gave false testimony concerning material matters in the case. Id. We give great deference to a district court's decision to grant an enhancement for obstruction of justice, see United States v. Calderon-Avila, 322 F.3d 505, 507 (8th Cir.2003), and will reverse an enhancement only when the district court's findings are insufficient, see United States v. Brooks, 174 F.3d 950, 958-59 (8th Cir.1999). 30 The sentencing court cannot give the upward departure simply because a defendant testifies on his own behalf and the jury disbelieves him. United States v. Flores, 362 F.3d 1030, 1037 (8th Cir.2004) (quotation omitted). To do so would chill a defendant's constitutional right to testify on his own behalf. Id. Rather, once a defendant objects, the sentencing court must itself conduct an independent evaluation and determine whether the defendant committed perjury. Id. While it is preferable for the district court to address each element of the alleged perjury in a separate and clear finding, the determination is sufficient if the court makes a finding of an obstruction of, or impediment to, justice that encompasses all of the factual predicates for a finding of perjury. Id. 31 In this case, the district court made an independent evaluation of Nichols's testimony but did not cite to any specific testimony that was perjured. During the sentencing hearing, the government provided two bases for a finding of perjury. First, the government noted that Nichols's testimony that he had not read certain letters he signed and provided to some victims was contrary to the testimony of the victims. Second, the government adverts to Nichols's testimony that he was in a limousine with the fictitious John Bowers when Bowers was delivering gold to his ranch. This testimony is preposterous considering that John Bowers never existed. In addition, Nichols testified that he deposited money that was not gathered from the sale of estate cars into a bank, but the bank records do not reflect any such deposits. Nichols denied seeing certain documents-found in his nightstand-that witnesses testified he gave them. Nichols testified that he never told the victims that their money would be held in non-interest bearing accounts, but all the evidence showed the opposite. 32 We conclude that there was ample evidence supporting the obstruction of justice enhancement and the district court's decision is not clearly erroneous. We have affirmed the application of an obstruction enhancement in a case where the district court stated, I heard the trial testimony, and I think [it constitutes] obstruction of justice. United States v. Kessler, 321 F.3d 699, 703 (8th Cir.2003); see also United States v. Brown, 311 F.3d 886, 890 (8th Cir.2002) (affirming the enhancement on the district court's statement that, I believe the defendant did testify untruthfully). The district court did not rely wholly on the jury's determination of guilt. See United States v. Flores, 362 F.3d 1030, 1037 (8th Cir.2004). Nichols's testimony was unequivocal and the record left no doubt that [his] false testimony at trial was not the result of confusion, mistake, or faulty memory. Brown at 890 (citing United States v. Esparza, 291 F.3d 1052, 1055 (8th Cir.2002)). The district court made a specific finding that, based on his own evaluation, Nichols committed perjury. We find the sentence of the district court to be reasonable and affirm the application of the obstruction enhancement.