Opinion ID: 611597
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Jury Instruction Regarding Witness Credibility

Text: 43 Arias-Villanueva argues that the district court's instructing the jury that every witness is presumed to speak the truth when he did not testify or offer any witnesses violated his right to a presumption of innocence. We normally review this issue of law de novo. United States v. Gomez-Osorio, 957 F.2d 636, 642 (9th Cir.1992). We may also exercise our supervisory powers in determining that an instruction should be limited or prohibited even if it does not violate a statute or the constitution. United States v. Rubio-Villareal, 967 F.2d 294, 298 (9th Cir.1992) (en banc). However, because Arias-Villanueva did not object to this instruction at trial, we review for plain error. United States v. Gomez-Norena, 908 F.2d 497, 500 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 947, 111 S.Ct. 363, 112 L.Ed.2d 326 (1990); see also Estrella v. United States, 429 F.2d 397, 399 (9th Cir.1970), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 1011, 91 S.Ct. 575, 27 L.Ed.2d 624 (1971) (holding that requesting the court to exercise its supervisory powers should not aid the defendant when he has failed to raise the issue below). To merit reversal, such an error must affect a criminal defendant's substantial rights. Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 52(b). Reversal based on plain error is exceptional and occurs only when necessary to prevent a miscarriage of justice or to preserve the integrity and reputation of the judicial process. United States v. Kennedy, 14 F.2d 968, 977 (9th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1034, 104 S.Ct. 1305, 79 L.Ed.2d 704 (1984) (citations omitted). 44 An instruction stating that witnesses are presumed to speak the truth does not violate due process. Cupp v. Naughten, 414 U.S. 141, 146-148, 94 S.Ct. 396, 400-01, 38 L.Ed.2d 368 (1973); United States v. Anderson, 642 F.2d 281, 286 (9th Cir.1981). However, we recently noted that such an instruction is disapproved. Rubio-Villareal 967 F.2d at 297 (citing United States v. Gutierrez-Espinosa, 516 F.2d 249, 250 (9th Cir.1975) (per curiam)). We, like many other circuits, have exercised our supervisory powers in disapproving the 'presumption of truth' instruction because jurors are the sole judges of the credibility of witnesses and the weight to be given to their testimony. This important function should not be encumbered by an assumption that witnesses speak the truth. Id. (citation omitted). 45 The instruction at issue in this case was as follows: 46 The testimony of one witness, whom you believe, is sufficient to prove any fact in dispute. In other words, you are not simply to count the witnesses on each side; but you are to weigh the evidence. By witness, I include any defendant who testifies. 47 Every witness is presumed to speak the truth. The presumption may be overcome by the manner in which the witness testifies, by the nature of his or her testimony, by evidence affecting his or her character, interest or motives, by contradictory evidence. 48 If you find that a witness has testified falsely in any one material part of his or her testimony, you may look with distrust upon the other evidence given by that witness. If you find that any witness has willfully testified falsely, then you are free to entirely disregard all the evidence given by that witness, unless corroborated by other evidence which you do believe. 49 There was no plain error in this case. While the disputed portion of the instruction is confusing and useless, Gutierrez-Espinosa, 516 F.2d at 250, the instruction as a whole does not take the duty to make credibility determinations away from the jury. See Cupp, 414 U.S. at 149, 94 S.Ct. at 401-02 (holding that a similarly instructed jury remained free to exercise its collective judgment to reject what it did not find trustworthy or plausible). Furthermore, while Arias-Villanueva did not himself offer any witnesses, some of his codefendants, particularly Orantes-Arriaga, offered testimony that was favorable to him, thereby allowing him to benefit from the erroneous instruction. See Gutierrez-Espinosa, 516 F.2d at 250 (finding no harmless error where instruction was advantageous to defendant). Finally, the evidence against Arias-Villanueva was substantial. See United States v. Rhodes, 713 F.2d 463, 476 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 1012, 104 S.Ct. 535, 78 L.Ed.2d 715 (1983). The district court's instruction does not require reversal. 50