Opinion ID: 3065290
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Shackling During Trial

Text: Two months before the trial began, Petitioner’s counsel reported to the trial court, outside of Petitioner’s presence, that there was “some possibility of an escape attempt.” Consequently, the trial court ordered that Petitioner be handcuffed to his chair during the first day of trial. On the first day of trial, Petitioner’s counsel objected to the use of a single handcuff and requested its removal. The trial court denied that request and, on the second day of trial, ordered that Petitioner 16254 COX v. AYERS be placed in additional leg restraints because of a rumor reported by a courtroom bailiff that Petitioner intended to escape. Although Petitioner’s counsel asked the trial court to remove the shackles, Petitioner remained in some form of shackles throughout the remainder of the guilt phase of the trial. At least four jurors saw the restraints restricting Petitioner during the guilt phase. But Petitioner was not shackled during the penalty phase. [2] The appearance of a defendant in shackles before a jury in either the guilt phase or the penalty phase of a trial may constitute a violation of the defendant’s right to due process. Deck v. Missouri, 544 U.S. 622 (2005). We have held that “a defendant has the right to be free of shackles and handcuffs in the presence of the jury, unless shackling is justified by an essential state interest.” Ghent v. Woodford, 279 F.3d 1121, 1132 (9th Cir. 2002); see also Rhoden v. Rowland, 172 F.3d 633, 636 (9th Cir. 1999) (“Because visible shackling during trial is so likely to cause a defendant prejudice, it is permitted only when justified by an essential state interest specific to each trial.”). To demonstrate that his shackling at trial amounted to a constitutional violation, Petitioner must demonstrate: (1) that he was “physically restrained in the presence of the jury,” (2) that “the shackling was seen by the jury,” (3) that the “physical restraint was not justified by state interests,” and (4) that “he suffered prejudice as a result.” Ghent, 279 F.3d at 1132 (citing United States v. Olano, 62 F.3d 1180, 1190 (9th Cir. 1995)). [3] Here, Petitioner meets the first three prongs of the inquiry. First, it is undisputed that Petitioner was shackled during the guilt phase of the trial. Second, as noted, at least four jurors observed Petitioner in shackles. Third, the shackling was not justified by state interests. A trial court may order that a defendant be shackled during trial only if the court first is “persuaded by compelling circumstances that some measure is needed to maintain security of the courtroom” and if the court pursues “less restrictive alternatives COX v. AYERS 16255 before imposing physical restraints.” Duckett v. Godinez, 67 F.3d 734, 748 (9th Cir. 1995) (internal quotation marks omitted). The California Supreme Court held, and the State does not dispute, that the trial court erred in ordering Petitioner shackled because the court had not attempted less restrictive means and had not made an adequate inquiry into the need for shackles. Accordingly, the resolution of Petitioner’s claim turns on whether the shackling prejudiced either the guilty verdict or the death sentence.
[4] In the context of a habeas proceeding, a trial error prejudices a defendant if it “had substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury’s verdict.” Brecht v. Abrahamson, 507 U.S. 619, 623 (1993) (internal quotation marks omitted). “[S]hackling during trial carries a high risk of prejudice because it indicates that the court believes there is a need to separate the defendant from the community at large, creating an inherent danger that a jury may form the impression that the defendant is dangerous or untrustworthy.” Dyas v. Poole, 317 F.3d 934, 937 (9th Cir. 2003) (per curiam) (internal quotation marks omitted). Nevertheless, we have held that the unconstitutional shackling of a defendant results in prejudice only if the evidence of guilt is not “overwhelming.” Id. In particular, if a case is “close, an otherwise marginal bias created by the shackles may . . . play[ ] a significant role in the jury’s decision.” Id. [5] Here, we find no prejudice at the guilt phase. The evidence presented by the State was overwhelming. Petitioner’s palm print was found at the center of the crime scene. Two eyewitnesses testified that, just before the they heard gunshots, Petitioner and Williams entered the home where the murders occurred. Ballistics tests proved that a rifle in Petitioner’s possession was used to fire four of the bullets found at the crime scene. Immediately after the shootings, Petitioner bragged to his compatriots that he “just blew the bitch’s head 16256 COX v. AYERS off.” He then tried to have a friend destroy evidence—the rifle used to kill the victims, and Petitioner’s jacket, which bore gunpowder residue. Accordingly, we hold that the evidence against Petitioner was so “overwhelming” that the “marginal bias created by the shackles” had no prejudicial effect on the guilty verdict. Dyas, 317 F.3d at 937.
Because of the nature of the evidence, Petitioner also was not prejudiced by the guilt-phase shackles during the later penalty phase of his trial. When the jurors were considering the proper punishment, they already had concluded that Petitioner was a very dangerous person by convicting him of four cold-blooded killings. [6] The Supreme Court has observed that “[v]isible shackling undermines the presumption of innocence and the related fairness of the factfinding process” because it “suggests to the jury that the justice system itself sees a ‘need to separate a defendant from the community at large.’ ” Deck, 544 U.S. at 630 (quoting Holbrook v. Flynn, 475 U.S. 560, 569 (1986)). Upon conviction, Petitioner lost the benefit of the presumption of innocence. But even assuming that the potential prejudicial effects of shackling generally would carry over from the guilt phase to the penalty phase of a trial, they did not do so here. Notably, first, Petitioner was not shackled during the penalty phase. Thus, even though Petitioner already had been convicted, and could have been viewed as even more dangerous than before conviction, if the jury drew any conclusion about the removal of the shackles it likely was that authorities no longer viewed Petitioner as particularly dangerous to society at large. Such an inference directly undercuts one of the Supreme Court’s main rationales for finding prejudice when a defendant is visibly shackled during the penalty phase. See Deck, 544 U.S. at 633. [7] Second, with or without shackling, we are convinced that the jury would not have spared Petitioner’s life. Petitioner COX v. AYERS 16257 murdered four people in the space of a few minutes. He gunned down four members of the Alexander family execution-style. Two of the victims were only 8 and 10 years old, shot in their beds where they lay sleeping. A third victim was a young woman, also asleep in her bed. The fourth and only awake victim was an elderly grandmother, drinking her morning coffee at the breakfast table. The desperate efforts of a 14-year-old to stop the rampage had no effect on Petitioner. The circumstances of these heinous crimes lead us to conclude that the fact that four members of the jury saw Petitioner in shackles during the guilt phase a few weeks earlier did not have a “substantial and injurious” effect on the jury’s consideration of the death sentence. Brecht, 507 U.S. at 623. Other circumstances of the crimes also had demonstrated to the jury Petitioner’s extreme disregard for human life. Plaintiff and his companions set out for the Alexander home with murder in mind. After killing the four victims, Petitioner said to his co-defendants, “I just blew the bitch’s head off. So drive.” Petitioner gave the rifle that he used to kill the family members to a friend to destroy. Finally, the evidence showed that these were coldly premeditated murders for hire. The killings were committed execution-style. In addition, Petitioner bought a $3,000 Cadillac with cash on the afternoon after the murders.2 Petitioner’s counsel argued to the jury that the death penalty was not warranted (and argues to us that there is prejudice) because Williams, not Petitioner, was the actual shooter. But the jury rejected that theory on the facts. After three days of deliberation, during which the jury asked for readbacks of testimony regarding the identity of the shooter and for pictures of both Petitioner and Williams, the jury returned a 2 The penalty-phase evidence offered by the defense, that Petitioner’s great-grandmother had given him the money for the car, was discredited by a disinterested third-party bank representative. 16258 COX v. AYERS death sentence. And, as we have explained, the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to Petitioner, the wielder of the rifle, as the killer. [8] Considering these facts, we cannot find that even one member of the jury would have voted for a sentence of life in prison. Shackling Petitioner at the guilt phase did not have a substantial and injurious effect or influence at the penalty phase.