Opinion ID: 165290
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Particularized Showing of Prejudice

Text: 31 We assess whether Mr. Jackson has made a particularized showing of prejudice by considering the three interests that the speedy trial right was designed to protect: (1) prevention of oppressive pretrial incarceration, (2) minimization of the accused's anxiety and concern, and (3) minimization of the possibility that a delay will hinder the defense. Barker, 407 U.S. at 532, 92 S.Ct. 2182. Impairment of the defense is the most important interest. Id. Because the seriousness of a post-accusation delay worsens when the wait is accompanied by pretrial incarceration, oppressive pretrial incarceration is the second most important factor. See id. at 533, 92 S.Ct. 2182 (noting serious disadvantages caused by pretrial incarceration). The burden of showing all types of prejudice lies with the individual claiming the violation and the mere possibility of prejudice is not sufficient to support [the] position that ... speedy trial rights [are] violated. United States v. Loud Hawk, 474 U.S. 302, 315, 106 S.Ct. 648, 88 L.Ed.2d 640 (1986). 32 Here, even though we construe Mr. Jackson's pro se briefing liberally, Cummings v. Evans, 161 F.3d 610, 613 (10th Cir.1998), Mr. Jackson did not raise the issues of oppressive pretrial detention and increased anxiety below. As the Magistrate Judge stated, Petitioner notes, under Barker, the third interest — a defense unhampered by delay — is the most important interest.... Petitioner's argument addresses only this element of prejudice. Our inquiry, then, is limited to the third interest under Barker, prejudice to the defense. See United States v. Cervini, 379 F.3d 987, 994 n. 5 (10th Cir.2004). 33 Mr. Jackson argues that the OCCA's decision finding his defense not impaired was objectively unreasonable, because his key witness, Mr. Brown, died before he knew about the pending information against him. Mr. Jackson argues that Mr. Brown's death constitutes obvious prejudice. See Barker, 407 U.S. at 532, 92 S.Ct. 2182 (If witnesses die or disappear during a delay, the prejudice is obvious.); see also Moore v. Arizona, 414 U.S. 25, 27 n. 2, 94 S.Ct. 188, 38 L.Ed.2d 183 (1973) (quoting Barker ). To the extent that Mr. Jackson advocates a per se rule that the death of a witness during delay impairs the defense, we agree with the District Court and reject this argument as inconsistent with Barker itself, see 407 U.S. at 532-33, 92 S.Ct. 2182, and unsupported by any lower court rulings applying Barker. 34 On the other hand, the question is much closer as to whether the unique circumstances of this case caused Mr. Brown's death to impair Mr. Jackson's defense. In arguing that the unavailability of a witness impaired the defense, a defendant must state[] with particularity what exculpatory testimony would have been offered. United States v. Tranakos, 911 F.2d 1422, 1429 (10th Cir.1990) (internal quotations, citations, and alterations omitted). The defendant must also present evidence that the delay caused the witness's unavailability. Gutierrez v. Moriarty, 922 F.2d 1464, 1472 (10th Cir.1991). Mr. Jackson satisfies both of these criteria. 35 Despite the State's contention that Mr. Jackson's recounting of Mr. Brown's testimony is speculative, see Perez v. Sullivan, 793 F.2d 249, 257 (10th Cir.1986) (Speculative allegations of injury are unpersuasive.), we find that Mr. Jackson set forth Mr. Brown's probable testimony with sufficient clarity and particularity to support his prejudice claim, see Tranakos, 911 F.2d at 1429. The State relies on three cases to support its position: Tranakos, 911 F.2d at 1429, United States v. Schlei, 122 F.3d 944, 988 (11th Cir.1997), and United States v. Neal, 27 F.3d 1035, 1043 (5th Cir.1994). Although the unavailable witness died during the delay in all three cases, in every instance the accused knew of the pending indictment before the witness died but took no steps to preserve testimony. Id. The courts in those cases based their holdings in large part on the fact that a defendant must take steps, when possible, to preserve testimony. See, e.g., Neal, 27 F.3d at 1043 (Moreover, [the defendant] has not explained why neither he nor his attorney took steps to preserve the witnesses' testimony for trial.). Here, however, Mr. Brown died before Mr. Jackson even learned of the pending LSD information. Mr. Jackson was not, therefore, on notice of the need to preserve testimony, nor did he have a realistic opportunity to do so. 36 Given this key distinction, we find the State's speculative argument misplaced. Initially, we note that the State does not contest that Mr. Brown was in fact a police informant who associated with Mr. Jackson. Thus, there is no allegation that Mr. Jackson is merely conjuring up potential witnesses. Also, in the context of an entrapment defense, which generally involves only the alleged entrapper and the accused, if the defendant learns of the indictment after the death of the entrapping witness, the proffered testimony will necessarily be speculative in the sense the State urges. If we adopted the State's rule, we would essentially foreclose speedy trial relief to every defendant who learns of the indictment after a witness — who is the sole source of the relevant testimony — dies, even if this situation arises through no fault of the defendant. Thus, while we continue to adhere to our general rule against speculative allegations of prejudice, see Perez, 793 F.2d at 257, we find Perez inapplicable to the unique factual scenario presented here. See also Jackson, F-2000-387, at 4 (Chapel, J., dissenting) (Despite the State's suggestion that Jackson's claim is equally speculative, the record amply shows what Jackson believed Brown would have testified about.). 37 Second, we find that the unavailability of Mr. Brown resulted directly from the delay. See Gutierrez, 922 F.2d at 1472. When a key witness dies within a year of the indictment (the time after which a speedy trial inquiry is triggered), the delay does not impair the defense because the witness would not have been available for trial even if the proceedings had occurred in a timely manner. See, e.g., Hakeem v. Beyer, 990 F.2d 750, 763 (3d Cir.1993) (finding no defense impairment when a witness died four months after [the defendant's] arrest, [because] the delay had [not] progressed to the point at which any speedy trial inquiry would have been triggered). Here, however, Mr. Brown died at least one and one-half years after the State entered the information against Mr. Jackson. 5 Thus, Mr. Jackson could have used Mr. Brown's testimony if his trial had proceeded in a timely manner. 38 We must also consider factors that weigh against a finding that the delay impaired Mr. Jackson's defense. First, the jury heard the substance of Mr. Brown's probable testimony at trial as recounted by Mr. Jackson. Cf. United States v. Gomez, 67 F.3d 1515, 1522-23 (10th Cir.1995) (finding no prejudice because the substance of the unavailable witness's testimony was available in a transcript from a previous trial). Second, had Mr. Brown testified in the manner suggested by Mr. Jackson and had the jury heard testimony that Mr. Jackson was a drug addict at the time, a reasonable jury could still have rejected the entrapment defense. Under Oklahoma law, [e]ven if induced to commit the crime, [Mr. Jackson] may not avail himself of the [entrapment] defense if he otherwise [was] predisposed to commit it. Carney v. State, 679 P.2d 1303, 1304 (Okla.Ct.Crim.App.1984). While Mr. Brown's testimony, as hypothesized by Mr. Jackson, would have shown inducement, it would have left open the question of whether Mr. Jackson was predisposed to traffic in LSD. Mr. Jackson, however, testified that, at the time of the incident: (1) he was a drug addict; (2) he wanted to secure drugs for his personal use; and (3) he was motivated to sell LSD by the prospect of getting free LSD in return. Given this testimony, a reasonable jury could have found Mr. Jackson predisposed to traffic in LSD and rejected his entrapment defense. 6 39 These competing factors leave us in doubt as to whether the delay, in fact, impaired Mr. Jackson's defense. Our doubt, however, is not determinative here. Under AEDPA, we may only make a finding that differs from the OCCA's if the OCCA's finding was contrary to clearly established Supreme Court precedent. Here, clearly established Supreme Court precedent does not preclude a finding by the OCCA that Mr. Jackson failed to establish an impairment to his defense.