Opinion ID: 377910
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Picardo's Testimony About Use of Fear and Intimidation

Text: 26 Appellants assert that their convictions must be reversed because the jury heard Picardo testify to other wrongs that the appellants committed, specifically loan-sharking and gambling (A958); to appellants' use of fear and intimidation (A1000); to their threatening Picardo should he fail to deliver on his obligations (A1090); to their fixing of horse races (A1114); and to their threatening to kill Picardo in jail (A1759). The district court admonished Picardo against testifying about appellants' other wrongs, and twice even the Government was surprised by Picardo's responses (A966 loan-sharking and gambling; A1115 fixing of horse races), and disclaimed any attempt to prove them. 27 Of course, evidence of such alleged criminal activity is not admissible to prove that the appellants were guilty of the crimes charged. Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). Nevertheless, evidence of other crimes is admissible for other purposes, such as to show motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident, id. Although the Government never attempted to justify introduction of appellants' other wrongs on any of these grounds when appellants objected, and the district court did not explain its reasons for admitting the testimony, such a specification is not necessary, as long as the statements were in fact admissible. See United States v. Rosenstein, 474 F.2d 705, 711-13 (2d Cir. 1973) (appellate court may affirm admission of evidence on ground never urged or decided in trial court, as long as evidence is admissible under ground relied on by appellate court for same purpose for which it was admitted by trial court); 10 cf. PAAC v. Rizzo, 502 F.2d 306, 308 & n.1 (3d Cir. 1974) (appellate court may affirm correct decision on ground not relied upon by district court), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1108, 95 S.Ct. 780, 42 L.Ed.2d 804 (1975). 28 Evidence of the use or intended use of fear and intimidation to control the piers (A1000) was relevant to show both the opportunity to carry out the scheme and the plan of how to carry out the scheme. Picardo's testimony as to his fears of reprisals by the others should he fail to come up with the money (A1090) was relevant to show both knowledge of the others and how the others controlled Picardo's role (plan), as opposed to the defense theory that the entire operation was merely a larceny of Picardo's own doing. Evidence of the death threat Stephen Andretta made to Picardo while Picardo was incarcerated (A1758-59) was relevant to show how the others controlled Picardo's role (plan), to the extent that they forced him to sell Lift-Van when he, being incarcerated, could no longer operate it. Moreover, defense counsel had already elicited from Picardo on cross-examination that he was angry during his incarceration at Stephen Andretta (for reasons defense counsel would not let Picardo explain) (A1611-13), and that Picardo had already told an FBI agent that Stephen Andretta had made (unspecified) threats to him (A1669). Defense counsel had thus cast doubts on Picardo's credibility, and evidence of the reason for his anger at Stephen i. e., a one-time death threat should Picardo not follow orders was independently relevant to rebut or explain Picardo's motive to lie against his associates, as might be suggested by a general anger at their not helping him out of jail over a long period. Finally, defense counsel had already elicited the fact that Stephen Andretta had threatened Picardo in some way; so the elucidation of the precise nature of the threat was, on balance, not prejudicial. 11 29 Some of Picardo's answers, however, i. e., those relating first to loan-sharking and gambling, and second to the fixing of horse races, were clearly irrelevant for any purpose. When Picardo gave these answers, the court promptly told the jury to disregard the testimony (A958-59, A1119). Moreover, in the charge to the jury, the district court again stated that they must disregard questions and answers, objections to which were sustained (A3799-800), as well as remarks that the court had stricken (A3800). In each instance, the prosecutor claimed that he had not expected such answers, and that he had told Picardo to avoid inserting extraneous matters (A966, A1114-16). Both responses came after questions that were designed to elicit other information. 30 As to the first, the Assistant United States Attorney asked Picardo to identify the types of businesses in which the association, Picardo and the appellants, engaged, expecting Picardo to reply that only trucking was involved. Instead, Picardo answered, Trucking, loan-sharking, gambling (A958). As to the second, Picardo had previously testified that North Jersey Feed Company was for the purpose of getting into the race track and to be able to tranquilize horses and fix races (A1114). The Assistant United States Attorney then asked whether Picardo had involved his associates with that business, expecting Picardo to explain that his associates were not involved, and that, on the contrary, it was Picardo's way to siphon money secretly from them (A1114-15). Instead, Picardo answered that he had involved his associates with North Jersey Feed Company (A1114). 31 Under these circumstances, we cannot say that the unsolicited references to loansharking, gambling, and the fixing of horse races were so inflammatory or prejudicial that they could not be cured by jury instructions, which, as noted, were given. We therefore conclude that defendants were not prejudiced. Nor do we think that this case falls within the rule of Government of Virgin Islands v. Toto, 529 F.2d 278 (3d Cir. 1976), requiring reversal despite the district court's striking of the testimony. The testimony here was not of other convictions, but rather consisted of an offhand mention that the appellants were also involved peripherally in other common illegal activities. Given the long and complex descriptions of the RICO violations, we are satisfied that the casual mention of others did not constitute reversible error.