Opinion ID: 185285
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Publicity of Ahn's Case

Text: 36 After two television stations broadcast reports detailing Ahn's arrest, Ahn moved to withdraw his plea, claiming that the Government had breached the plea agreement by leaking information to the reporters. The district court denied this motion, ruling that Ahn had not proved the Government expressly or impliedly had promised to keep Ahn's cooperation secret, that Ahn failed to establish that the Government had leaked the information, and that any harm to Ahn was speculative. Ahn appeals from this denial. 37 We review a district court's factual determinations concerning a plea agreement, including its determination of whether a breach occurred, for clear error. See United States v. Pollard, 295 U.S. App. D.C. 7, 959 F.2d 1011, 1023-24 (D.C. Cir. 1992). In considering whether a plea agreement has been breached, we look to principles of contract law. See United States v. Jones, 313 U.S. App. D.C. 128, 58 F.3d 688, 691 (D.C. Cir. 1995). Although reducing an agreement to a writing which in view of its completeness and specificity reasonably appears to be a complete agreement creates a presumption that the agreement is integrated, the ultimate determination of integration is a question of fact to be determined in accordance with all relevant evidence. Bowden v. United States, 323 U.S. App. D.C. 164, 106 F.3d 433, 439-40 (D.C. Cir. 1997) (cites and internal quotes omitted). Likewise, as in all contracts, plea agreements are accompanied by an implied obligationof good faith and fair dealing. Jones, 58 F.3d at 692. In the context of plea agreements, the defendant maintains the burden of proving that the agreement has been breached. See United States v. Kilroy, 307 U.S. App. D.C. 229, 27 F.3d 679, 684 (D.C. Cir. 1994). 38 On appeal, Ahn argues that his plea agreement included an implied promise by the Government that it would maintain the secrecy of his arrest. According to Ahn, the Government breached this promise by leaking the circumstances of his arrest and plea to two television reporters. Ahn also alleges that the Government violated its duty of good faith through the leak. 39 It is clear from the record that Ahn desired to keep his plea and cooperation secret in order to shield himself, his family, and the Korean community. The Government's desire for secrecy is equally clear--secrecy was imperative for successfully executing the sting on then-Mayor Marion Barry. Nevertheless, as the district court found, these desires do not constitute implied promises. 40 Ahn acknowledges that a promise of secrecy was not expressed in the plea agreement. The agreement did, however, include an integration clause, which specifically stated that no other agreements or promises existed between the parties. Standing alone, such a clause would be strong evidence that no implied promises existed--after all, integration clauses establish that the written plea bargain was 'adopted by the parties as a complete and exclusive statement of the terms of the agreement.'  United States v. Fentress, 792 F.2d 461, 464 (4th Cir. 1986) (quoting RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF CONTRACTS 210 (1981)); accord United States v. Hunt, 205 F.3d 931, 935 (6th Cir. 2000) (holding that a merger clause normally prevents a criminal defendant, who has entered into a plea agreement, from asserting that the government made oral promises to him not contained in the plea agreement itself); United States v. Alegria, 192 F.3d 179, 185 (1st Cir. 1999) (Where, as here, an unambiguous plea agreement contains an unqualified integration clause, it normally should be enforced according to its tenor.); United States v. Doyle, 981 F.2d 591, 594 n.3 (1st Cir. 1992) (explaining that this rule has particular applicability when, as in this case, the plea agreement itself specifically states that 'there are no further or other agreements, either express or implied,' other than those explicitly set forth in the document). 41 But the integration clause does not stand alone; there is substantial evidence that the agreement did not contain an implied promise of secrecy, the most damning of which comes from the Appellant himself. In accepting the agreement, Ahn reaffirmed that absolutely no promises ... have been made or entered into in connection with my decision to plead guilty except those set forth in this plea agreement. At the plea hearing, Ahn again recognized that no promise had induced him to plead guilty other than those promises made in the plea agreement. See Transcript of Plea, Mar. 11, 1998, at 22. 42 As a veteran of the police force represented by experienced defense counsel, Appellant was aware that he could have bargained for specific terms in the plea agreement. Yet he knew that secrecy was not an explicit term. In fact, he agreed to a merger clause stating that there were no other promises made. During the hearing on the withdrawal motion, there was no testimony from the law enforcement officers who investigated Ahn's crime that the Government would--or could--guarantee secrecy to him. See, e.g., Transcript of Proceedings on Defendant's Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea, Oct. 6, 1998, at 110. Likewise, the FBI translator who spoke to Ahn when he was arrested did not know of any such promise. See Transcript of Proceedings on Defendant's Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea, Oct. 8, 1998, at 164. 43 Based on this record, the district court found that the Government had not impliedly promised Ahn that it would guaranteehis cooperation would be kept secret. Because the defendant failed to carry his burden of proof, these findings were not in clear error. Certainly, when a plea rests in any significant degree on a promise or agreement of the prosecutor, so that it can be said to be part of the inducement or consideration, such promise must be fulfilled. Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257, 262, 30 L. Ed. 2d 427, 92 S. Ct. 495 (1971). Yet, while the government must be held to the promises it made, it will not be bound to those it did not make. To do otherwise is to strip the bargaining process itself of meaning and content. Fentress, 792 F.2d at 464-65. 44 The district court likewise did not plainly err in finding that Ahn failed to carry his burden of proving that the Government caused the leak and consequently breached its obligation of good faith. All of the agents who had access to the information testified under oath or by affidavit that they did not divulge anything about Ahn's case to the media. Ahn failed to present a single witness or any evidence to contradict the agents' sworn statements. As the district court noted, numerous people outside the prosecution team could have given the information to the television reporters, from police officers in Ahn's district who knew about the massage parlor investigation, to massage parlor operators who knew about Mr. Ahn, Transcript of Proceedings on Defendant's Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea, Oct. 6, 1998, at 124, to court personnel who had access to information about Ahn's case. 45 Ahn contends that only one way exists for him to prove that the Government caused the leak and thereby breached its duty of good faith: by subpoenaing the reporters to reveal their sources. When Ahn sought to subpoena the reporters, they filed a motion to quash arguing that reporters possess a qualified privilege not to disclose confidential sources. Cf. Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665, 33 L. Ed. 2d 626, 92 S. Ct. 2646 (1972) (addressing whether requiring reporters to testify before grand juries concerning their confidential sources' criminal conduct violates the First Amendment). The district court found that the reporters' testimony was not essential and crucial to Ahn's case and was not relevant to determining Ahn's guilt or innocence. Therefore, the court concluded that Ahn had not demonstrated that the reporters' qualified privilege should be overcome. In granting the motion to quash, the district court did not focus on the government's duty of good faith, yet it was plainly aware of that duty. Because we agree that Ahn failed to carry his burden, we hold that the district court did not make an error of law or abuse its discretion in granting the reporters' motion.