Opinion ID: 2999254
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Parson’s Claim of Cumulative Errors

Text: Parsons argues that the cumulative prejudice of three additional errors denied her a fair trial. Like her other claims, Parsons raises this one for the first time on appeal, so our review is for plain error. First, Parsons claims her trial should have been severed from Anderson’s. There is a presumption, however, that coconspirators will be tried jointly, United States v. McClurge, 311 F.3d 866, 871 (7th Cir. 2002), and to overcome that presumption, Parsons must show actual prejudice, United States v. Wilson, 237 F.3d 827, 835 (7th Cir. 2001). She argues she was prejudiced by the spill-over effect of evidence about the informants’ long-standing relationships with Anderson, buying drugs for use or resale. But Parsons delivered the drugs in the five controlled buys and witnesses testified that they dealt with her, too. There was crack cocaine in her apartment and in the van that was linked to the drug sales, to which she had the key. Cell phone records showed she communicated with Anderson often. Any spill-over evidence could hardly have tipped the scales against her. Parsons also contends that when Anderson took the stand and testified that “Derek Mitchell” is actually someone else—not him—and that Parsons was dating Derek Mitchell, she was effectively forced to fend off two prosecutors. Parsons argues that she had to choose between adopting the government’s theory that her codefendant Anderson was Derek Mitchell or Anderson’s theory that Derek Mitchell was someone else. Why? Parsons’ defense was that she was not Ebony and she did not sell drugs. Whether “Derek Mitchell” was Anderson’s alias or an unrelated third party had no bearing on her defense that she was not Ebony. At any rate, a showing of actual prejudice requires that Parsons did not have a fair trial, not that she would have had a better shot in a separate one. United States v. Hughes, 310 F.3d 557, 563 (7th Cir. 2002). The joint trial did not prejudice Parsons. Nos. 04-4113 & 04-4173 11 Parsons also contends that a witness’s mention of having seen a “booking photo” of Parsons was prejudicial, especially because the judge did not give a curative instruction. But the witness corrected himself on cross-examination and stated that the photo was from a government-issued identification card, not a booking photo. Parsons’ attorney reiterated the point during closing argument: “[Y]ou heard the reference to a mug shot. But there is no mug shot of Valencia Parsons. She’s not that kind of person. It was a Government I.D. application.” On this point, Parsons cites United States v. Reed, 376 F.2d 226 (7th Cir. 1967), but the case is distinguishable. Reed involved repeated references to an investigator’s use of the defendant’s “mug shots” taken in prison, and the prejudice to the defendant flowed from the fact that the photos in question actually were prison mug shots of the defendant. This court held that although objections to the “mug shot” references were sustained, the damage to the presumption of innocence was done. Id. at 228. Here, unlike in Reed, the single reference to a “booking photo” of Parsons was corrected on cross-examination, and the jury was reminded of the correction during closing argument. The judge gave no curative instruction because none was needed. No prejudice resulted. Finally, Agent Bolf testified about statements made to him during his investigation by three of the informants who testified at the trial. Parsons maintains that this, too, was prejudicial error. She argues that the informants’ statements to Bolf were hearsay and nothing more than “a backdoor attempt” by the prosecutor to bolster the credibility of “admitted drug users and dealers” who testified for the government seeking “consideration or immunity for their testimony.” If so, then there was no error in the first place; prior consistent statements of a testifying witness are admissible for this purpose and are not hearsay. See FED. R. EVID. 801(d)(1)(B); United States v. Green, 258 F.3d 683, 12 Nos. 04-4113 & 04-4173 690-92 (7th Cir. 2001); United States v. Anderson, 303 F.3d 847, 858-59 (7th Cir. 2002). All three informants testified at trial, were subjected to cross-examination, and their credibility was attacked. Regardless, there was no prejudice. No fewer than five witnesses familiar with the defendants’ crack dealing told such similar stories that the evidence supporting guilt was overwhelming even without Bolf’s testimony about the informants’ statements to him.