Opinion ID: 197474
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Standard for Determining Prosecutorial Misconduct Applicable to This Case

Text: 85 On appeal, Roberts raises several issues of prosecutorial misconduct as to which his counsel did not make timely objections during the proceedings below. We first consider whether he has waived or otherwise lost his right of appeal with regard to those claims of error. See, e.g., United States v. Taylor, 54 F.3d 967, 972 (1st Cir.1995); United States v. Griffin, 818 F.2d 97, 100 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 844, 108 S.Ct. 137, 98 L.Ed.2d 94 (1987). 86 Rights to have a claim of error heard on the merits are sometimes lost by failure to object in the trial court. See United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 732-34, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 1776-78, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993). In general, the law ministers to the vigilant, not to those who sleep upon perceptible rights. Taylor, 54 F.3d at 972. 87 Requiring parties to raise contemporaneous objections serves several important functions. It gives the trial court the first opportunity to correct potential injustice by invoking an immediate cure and forestalling future harm. See Griffin, 818 F.2d at 100 (finding that contemporaneous objections give both the court and the party's opponent fair warning and a timely opportunity to acknowledge bevues and correct them so that cases can be decided squarely on merit). Ordinarily, the trial judge is in the best position to assess the damage at the time done. Id. Also, the raise-or-lose rule prevents sandbagging and inhibits strategic or tactical silences that quietly nurture the seed of trial error for assertion on appeal, should all else fail. Taylor, 54 F.3d at 972. In short, adhering to the raise-or-lose rule makes a positive contribution to the balanced and orderly functioning of our adversarial system of justice. Griffin, 818 F.2d at 99-100. 88 Invariable application of the raise-or-lose rule, however, would be out of harmony with ... the rules of fundamental justice. Olano, 507 U.S. at 732, 113 S.Ct. at 1776 (1993) (quoting Hormel v. Helvering, 312 U.S. 552, 557, 61 S.Ct. 719, 721, 85 L.Ed. 1037 (1941)) (internal quotation marks omitted). Provisions of a Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure are on point: 89 (a) Harmless Error. Any error, defect, irregularity or variance which does not affect substantial rights shall be disregarded. 90 (b) Plain Error. Plain error or defects affecting substantial rights may be noticed although they were not brought to the attention of the court. 91 Fed.R.Crim.P. 52. 92 This Circuit has consistently held, in applying the law of preclusion as laid down in Olano, 507 U.S. at 733-34, 113 S.Ct. at 1777-78, and United States v. Young, 470 U.S. 1, 15, 105 S.Ct. 1038, 1046, 84 L.Ed.2d 1 (1985) (plain-error exception is to be used sparingly, solely to avoid miscarriage of justice), that errors not objected to at trial will be reviewed by the appellate court only when they are plain and undermine the fundamental fairness of the trial. See, e.g., United States v. Sullivan, 85 F.3d 743, 748 (1st Cir.1996); United States v. Luciano-Mosquera, 63 F.3d 1142, 1156 (1st Cir.1995), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 116 S.Ct. 1879, 135 L.Ed.2d 174 (1996); Taylor, 54 F.3d at 972; United States v. Romero, 32 F.3d 641, 651 (1st Cir.1994); United States v. Hunnewell, 891 F.2d 955, 956 (1st Cir.1989); United States v. Meja-Lozano, 829 F.2d 268, 272-73 (1st Cir.1987). 93 Plain error review is ordinarily limited to blockbusters and does not consider the ordinary backfires--whether or not harmful to a litigant's cause--which may mar a trial record. Griffin, 818 F.2d at 100. The plain error hurdle is high. See Hunnewell, 891 F.2d at 956. Exceptions to the raise-or-lose rule are reserved for the redress of those errors that seriously affect the fairness, integrity or public reputation of the judicial proceedings. Young, 470 U.S. at 15, 105 S.Ct. at 1046 (quoting United States v. Atkinson, 297 U.S. 157, 160, 56 S.Ct. 391, 392, 80 L.Ed. 555 (1936) (internal quotation marks omitted)). 94 Among the strictures that channel appellate discretion in plain error review are three of commonly recognized significance: the appellant must show (1) the occurrence of an error; (2) that the error is obvious or clear under current law; and (3) that the error substantially and adversely affects the rights of the appellant. See Olano, 507 U.S. at 732-34, 113 S.Ct. at 1776-78; United States v. Laboy-Delgado, 84 F.3d 22, 31 (1st Cir.1996); Romero, 32 F.3d at 651. In order to discern the severity of the error and its weight in plain-error analysis, a court must evaluate the error against the entire record. See Griffin, 818 F.2d at 100. See also Young, 470 U.S. at 11-12, 105 S.Ct. at 1044-45; Laboy-Delgado, 84 F.3d at 29; United States v. McMahon, 938 F.2d 1501, 1505 (1st Cir.1991).