Opinion ID: 783483
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Scope of Hearing of Alleged Juror Misconduct

Text: 93 We review for an abuse of discretion the district court's decisions regarding incidents of jury misconduct. United States v. Beard, 161 F.3d 1190, 1194 (9th Cir.1998). We review for clear error the district court's factual findings relating to the issue of juror misconduct. United States v. Matta-Ballesteros, 71 F.3d 754, 766 (9th Cir.1995), as amended by 98 F.3d 1100 (9th Cir.1996). 94 The verdicts were filed on Friday, May 30, 1997. On the following Monday morning, the press officer for the United States Attorney's Office received a phone call from an individual claiming that Juror 69 discussed the case publicly during trial. The district court held a hearing on June 17, 1997, where it questioned the press officer and Juror 69. At the hearing, the press officer stated that he had only one telephone conversation for approximately four minutes with the caller (referred to as person B). B told the press officer that Juror 69 had discussed his role on the jury with person A. B also told the press officer that B was acquainted with A and not Juror 69, and had no first-hand knowledge of the communications between Juror 69 and A. 95 The court then questioned Juror 69. Juror 69 stated that he had told five work supervisors that he had to cancel certain work commitments because he was a juror, and identified the trial for which he served as a juror. During the hearing, Juror 69 repeatedly and unequivocally stated that (1) he did not know B, (2) he had no direct contact with A concerning the trial, (3) any information he provided his employers that they may have conveyed to A was limited to the fact of his service on the jury, and (4) he did not receive extrinsic information about the trial from his employers. 96 The district court ruled that Juror 69 was credible, and that the communications did not rise to the level of misconduct because they were limited to Juror 69's need to be in court for jury service. Furthermore, the district court ruled that even if the communications constituted misconduct, no prejudice resulted from the communications. 97 Appellants argue that the district court abused its discretion by not revealing the identities of A, B, and Juror 69, thereby precluding a full investigation of the misconduct allegations. We have previously held that when a district court holds a hearing in response to allegations of juror misconduct, [t]he district court has discretion to determine the extent and nature of the hearing. Price v. Kramer, 200 F.3d 1237, 1254 (9th Cir.2000); United States v. Hendrix, 549 F.2d 1225, 1227 (9th Cir.1977) (finding that a trial judge in making these decisions will necessarily be directed by the content of the allegations, including the seriousness of the alleged misconduct or bias, and the credibility of the source). Because of the facts presented in the record and the district court's finding of Juror 69's credibility, we hold that the district court's decision concerning the nature of the evidentiary hearing was not an abuse of discretion. 98 II Constitutional Right to a Public Trial and Courtroom Security Procedures 99 Appellants contend that the limited audience seating in the courtroom amounted to a  de facto closed courtroom that violated their right to a public trial, a right guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment and emphasized in Waller v. Georgia, 467 U.S. 39, 104 S.Ct. 2210, 81 L.Ed.2d 31 (1984). Specifically, Appellants claim that given the number of defendants, counsel, jurors, and alternates, the space dedicated to electronic machinery used to play audio and videotapes for the jury, and that the chairs in the courtroom were frequently taken by members of the press, there remained inadequate seating for Appellants' family members. They assert also that security measures exacerbated the situation by discouraging Appellants' family members from attending the trial. These security measures were established by the district court in a November 16, 1995 order, which required everyone attending the trial to pass through a metal detector, show identification, and sign a log-in form. 100 We review de novo a Sixth Amendment claim for violation of defendants' right to a public trial. United States v. Ivester, 316 F.3d 955, 958 (9th Cir.2003). We review for an abuse of discretion the district court's decision to impose security measures. Wilson v. McCarthy, 770 F.2d 1482, 1485 (9th Cir.1985); see also United States v. Evans, 272 F.3d 1069, 1093 (8th Cir.2001) ([t]he need for and extent of security measures in a courtroom during trial are within the sound discretion of the trial court). 101 The denial of a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to a public trial requires some affirmative act by the trial court meant to exclude persons from the courtroom. United States v. Al Smadi, 15 F.3d 153, 155 (10th Cir.1994) (citations omitted). Accordingly, a defendant's right to a public trial is only implicated by a closure. See Ivester, 316 F.3d at 959-60 (holding that some closures are too trivial to implicate the Sixth Amendment right to a public trial, and finding (1) the closed courtroom discussions between the district court and counsel concerning how to handle the questioning of jurors, and (2) mid-trial questioning of a juror in a closed courtroom with counsel and defendant present were trivial closures that did not violate the right to a public trial). 102 In Estes v. Texas, 381 U.S. 532, 588-89, 85 S.Ct. 1628, 14 L.Ed.2d 543 (1965), Justice Harlan stated in concurrence: 103 Obviously, the public trial guarantee is not violated if an individual member of the public cannot gain admittance to a courtroom because there are no available seats.... A public trial implies only that the court must be open to those who wish to come, sit in the available seats, conduct themselves with decorum, and observe the trial process. 104 See also United States v. Kobli, 172 F.2d 919, 923 (3d Cir.1949) (stating that the constitutional right to a public trial does not require holding trial in a place large enough to accommodate all those who desire to attend). 105 We hold that the size of the courtroom did not amount to a closure, and therefore did not implicate Appellants' Sixth Amendment right to a public trial. Appellants' trial was always open to the public. Specifically, the district court always allowed Appellants' family members and the general public to use the available seating. Appellants only point to two occasions were there was insufficient seating for family members, (1) when the jury received their questionnaires, and (2) at the return of the verdict. In fact, before opening statements, the district court noted that the greater bulk of the chairs in the last three rows are basically reserved for the public including the family. I'm glad to see that there are still vacant chairs available in that sector. Although there was a hue and cry that family members would not be accommodated. Appellants did not have a Sixth Amendment right to force the district court to expand what was sufficient courtroom seating to accommodate family members who did not attend the trial. 106 We hold also that the district court did not abuse its discretion by imposing appropriate security measures. The district court's security measures were eminently reasonable in light of the large number of defendants, the allegations of extraordinarily violent crimes committed by the defendants, and the Mexican Mafia's history of using violent actions to disrupt the judicial process. Requiring members of the public to proceed through a metal detector, show identification, and sign a log-in form are similar to the security methods used in many government and private office buildings in this country. 107 III Motions to Suppress the Wiretap and Videotape Evidence A. Wiretap Evidence 108 On September 22, 1994, the district court authorized the interception of wire communications on J. Hernandez's telephone. Various district judges subsequently approved seven applications for continued authority to maintain the wiretap. The subsequent applications incorporated a forty-five-page affidavit (Affidavit) submitted by FBI Agent Joseph C. Ways (Agent Ways) in support of the original wiretap. The wiretap terminated on May 2, 1995. 109 Appellants contend that the Affidavit did not satisfy the necessity requirement for issuing a wiretap. Appellants contend also that the district court erred by denying them a hearing pursuant to Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154, 98 S.Ct. 2674, 57 L.Ed.2d 667 (1978), to determine whether Agent Ways made false statements in the Affidavit. We disagree. 110 We review motions to suppress de novo. United States v. Jones, 286 F.3d 1146, 1150 (9th Cir.2002). We review de novo whether the government submitted the requisite full and complete statement of facts in compliance with 18 U.S.C. § 2518(1)(c), and review for an abuse of discretion the district judge's decision that the wiretap was necessary. United States v. Blackmon, 273 F.3d 1204, 1207 (9th Cir.2001). Moreover, we review de novo the district court's denial of a Franks hearing, and review for clear error the district court's underlying finding that the government did not intentionally or recklessly make false statements. United States v. Jordan, 291 F.3d 1091, 1099 (9th Cir.2002); United States v. Reeves, 210 F.3d 1041, 1044 (9th Cir.2000).
111 To establish that a wiretap is necessary, the application must provide a full and complete statement as to whether or not other investigative procedures have been tried and failed or why they reasonably appear to be unlikely to succeed if tried or to be too dangerous. 18 U.S.C. § 2518(1)(c). The issuing judge must then determine whether normal investigative procedures have been tried and have failed or reasonably appear to be unlikely to succeed if tried or to be too dangerous. 18 U.S.C. § 2518(3)(c). 112 The Affidavit averred that normal investigative procedures had been tried and failed, and reasonably appeared to be unlikely to succeed or were too dangerous. The Affidavit stated that traditional investigative techniques were unlikely to reveal the full nature and extent of the criminal activities of all of the major participants in [the Mexican Mafia] and to gather sufficient evidence to successfully prosecute the participants for the target offenses. In addition, the Affidavit stated that the government had used seven cooperating individuals in the investigation who had provided a wealth of information and evidence, but are not likely to realize[] all of the investigative objectives. 113 With respect to E. Castro and his help in recording meetings with the Mexican Mafia members and associates, the Affidavit in which E. Castro was referred to CW #1 stated: 114 With CW #1's assistance, the investigating agents have succeeded in consensually monitoring and recording numerous contacts with members of the Mexican Mafia. However, CW #1 is not [in] a position to be privy to all of the activities of the targets of this investigation. In particular, CW #1 cannot control, nor be a participant in, the numerous telephone calls being made from the county jail to and through the [s]ubject [t]elephone or the numerous calls made from the subject telephone to people other than CW #1. 115 In regards to inmates' telephone calls, the Affidavit stated: The telephone calls made by inmates from the Los Angeles [County] jail are not monitored or recorded on a regular basis. Therefore, consensual recordings of these conversations are not available to the government for use in this case. 116 Appellants contend that the Affidavit failed to satisfy the necessity requirement because it misrepresented the success of normal investigative techniques. Specifically, Appellants contend that the Affidavit failed to disclose the government's video surveillance of Appellants' meetings. 117 We have reviewed the factual allegations of the Affidavit as a whole. Although not a flawless affidavit, we hold that the Affidavit was sufficient to support a reasonable judge's conclusion that the necessity requirement was satisfied. The Affidavit stated that the government had monitored and recorded numerous contacts between Mexican Mafia members. Moreover, the Mexican Mafia is a broad-based organization with several hundred members and an unknown number of associates. Several informants—including former members of the Mexican Mafia such as E. Castro—could not possibly reveal the full nature and extent of the enterprise and its countless, and at times disjointed, criminal tentacles. Compare United States v. McGuire, 307 F.3d 1192, 1196-99 (9th Cir.2002) (holding that necessity existed despite the existence of informants because infiltration alone could not determine the scope of the conspiracy), with United States v. Ippolito, 774 F.2d 1482, 1486-87 (9th Cir.1985) (holding that necessity was absent where an informant existed within the organization who was willing to testify and had the potential for uncovering the entirety of the conspiracy under investigation).
118 Appellants contend that the district court erred by denying them a Franks hearing. Specifically, Appellants assert a Franks hearing was appropriate because the Affidavit: (1) omitted material information regarding the value of E. Castro's cooperation and the government's video surveillance of Appellants' meetings; (2) stated that the government needed a wiretap to record inmates calls; and (3) relied on an informant, identified as CW #1, but did not disclose that CW #1 was E. Castro. 119 A Franks hearing is appropriate where the defendant makes a substantial preliminary showing that a false statement was (1) deliberately or recklessly included in an affidavit submitted in support of a wiretap, and (2) material to the district court's finding of necessity. United States v. Bennett, 219 F.3d 1117, 1124 (9th Cir.2000). 120 Because Appellants do not meet either threshold requirement, we hold that the district court correctly denied Appellants' motion for a Franks hearing. First, the district court ruled that Appellants did not make a substantial showing that the government had made intentional or reckless misrepresentations or omissions in the Affidavit. Appellants have not provided any facts on which we could find that the district court clearly erred. In fact, the opposite is true. Contrary to Appellants' contention, the Affidavit stated that the informants had produced a wealth of information and evidence, that with the help of CW #1 the government had monitored and recorded numerous meetings with Mexican Mafia members, and that inmates' telephone calls were not available because those calls were not monitored on a regular basis. 121 Second, even assuming the Affidavit contained the misleading statements and omissions asserted by Appellants, those statements and omissions were not necessary to the district court's finding of necessity. Even if the Affidavit disclosed E. Castro's identity, more robustly described his contributions, and acknowledged that the County Jail calls were sometimes monitored, the district court would still have been reasonable to find the wiretap necessary. As mentioned above, the Mexican Mafia is a broad-based organization and investigators were unlikely to discovery the full nature and extent of the enterprise without wiretaps. B. Videotape Evidence 122 Pursuant to E. Castro's consent, the government videotaped fourteen meetings of Mexican Mafia members between March 27, 1994 and April 9, 1995. All fourteen meetings took place in hotel rooms. On most occasions, E. Castro rented the hotel rooms. Appellants allege that Shryock rented the hotel room for the August 28, 1994 meeting and that Barela rented the room on another occasion. Before trial, Appellants moved to suppress the videotapes. Appellants argued before the district court and now on appeal that the warrantless videotaping of those meetings violated Appellants' Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The district court denied Appellants' motion to suppress, holding that because E. Castro consented to the videotaping, Appellants did not have an objectively reasonable expectation of privacy and therefore the Fourth Amendment did not protect them from being video recorded. 123 We review motions to suppress de novo. Jones, 286 F.3d at 1150. We review for clear error the district court's underlying factual findings, and review de novo the lawfulness of a search and seizure. United States v. Nerber, 222 F.3d 597, 599 (9th Cir.2000). We review de novo whether a citizen's expectation of privacy was objectively reasonable. Id. 124 The videotapes contained both video and audio portions. The audio portions are governed by the federal wiretap statute, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510 et seq., which contains an exception permitting warrantless audio-recording where one of the participants in the monitored conversation consents. 18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(c). E. Castro consented to the videotapes. Thus, under the statutory exception of § 2511(2)(c), the audio portions of the videotapes would be admissible. Those portions must also be admissible under the Constitution. United States v. Keen, 508 F.2d 986, 989 (9th Cir.1974) (holding that to be admissible, wiretap evidence must be obtained in violation of neither the Constitution nor federal law). We need not decide this constitutional issue because, as we conclude hereafter, any error in admitting the videotapes, which included the audio portions, was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt as to the only Appellants with standing to challenge their admissibility. Cf. United States v. Padilla, 520 F.2d 526, 527-28 (1st Cir.1975); United States v. Yonn, 702 F.2d 1341, 1346-47 (11th Cir.1983). 125 Turning to the admissibility of the video portions of the videotapes, the Fourth Amendment protects people not places. Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 351, 88 S.Ct. 507, 19 L.Ed.2d 576 (1967). To invoke the Fourth Amendment protections, a person must show that he had a legitimate expectation of privacy. Smith v. Maryland, 442 U.S. 735, 740, 99 S.Ct. 2577, 61 L.Ed.2d 220 (1979). A person demonstrates a legitimate expectation of privacy when that person has a (1) subjective expectation of privacy, and (2) an objectively reasonable expectation of privacy. Id. Moreover, a person's expectation of privacy may depend on the nature of the intrusion. Minnesota v. Carter, 525 U.S. 83, 88, 119 S.Ct. 469, 142 L.Ed.2d 373 (1998). 126 In Nerber, we analyzed the circumstances under which secret videotaping of events occurring in a hotel room may be justified under the Fourth Amendment. 222 F.3d 597. There, the FBI and local police rented a hotel room and installed a hidden video camera without obtaining a warrant. Id. at 599. Informants brought the defendants to the hotel room to conduct a narcotics transaction. Id. The videotape captured six minutes of the informants and defendants engaging in the narcotics transaction, and three hours of the defendants' activity in the hotel room after the informants left. Id. We noted that the intrusion was severe, but stated that [the defendants] were not `residents' of the hotel, they were not overnight guests of the occupants, and they were there solely to conduct a business transaction at the invitation of the occupants, with whom they were only minimally acquainted. Id. at 604. As a result, we held that the defendants did not have an objectively reasonable expectation of privacy when the informants were present because (1) the informants consented to the videotaping, (2) and the defendants bore the risk that the government was monitoring their activities with the informants. Id. We also held, however, that the Fourth Amendment protected against the warrantless video surveillance that continued after the informants left the premises. Id. at 606. 127 Nerber governs the video recordings made when E. Castro rented the hotel room. Although the video recordings were for longer periods than those in Nerber, and captured some peripheral conversations that did not strictly concern the Mexican Mafia, Nerber turns on the fact that the defendants in that case came to the hotel room to conduct a drug transaction and bore the risk that the other parties were informants. Here, Appellants were present at the hotel rooms to conduct the criminal business of the Mexican Mafia, and they bore the risk that one of their members was an informant. In any human conversation, there is some peripheral discussion of matters not pertaining to the main subject of the conversation (such as asking how one's family is doing). In addition, the videotape only recorded while the informant, E. Castro, was present. 128 Nerber, however, left open the novel issue of whether defendants had an objectively reasonable expectation of privacy where an informant consented to the video recording, but the hotel room was rented by one of the defendants. 5 It is not necessary to decide this constitutional issue because assuming the videotape was unconstitutional, the error is clearly harmless beyond a reasonable doubt as to Shryock and Barela, the Appellants who rented the rooms on two occasions and thus had standing. Any evidence flowing from this error was inconsequential when reviewed in light of the overwhelming evidence of their guilt. 129 Appellants challenge also the district court's conclusion that E. Castro consented to the video recordings. The district court found that E. Castro consented to the videotape surveillance, based on the testimony of a law enforcement officer. E. Castro also testified at trial that he consented to the video recordings. Appellants argue that the government failed to carry its burden to show consent because E. Castro was a drug addict undergoing methadone treatment and he could not voluntarily consent. Appellants, however, do not offer any evidence to refute consent. Rather, they merely argue that the government did not meet its burden. Thus, we conclude that the district court did not clearly err by holding that E. Castro consented. IV The District Court's Trial Rulings A. Rulings Regarding Cross Examination 130 Appellants contend that the district court erred by issuing rulings that limited their cross-examination of several witnesses. We disagree. 1. Deputy Valdemar 131 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 705, Appellants moved that the district court order Deputy Valdemar to produce the records and identity of informants on which he relied in giving his expert testimony. The records sought were held by the California Department of Corrections (CDC), which was not a member of the task force investigating Appellants. Appellants argue that the district court's denial of this motion limited their cross-examination of Deputy Valdemar so severely as to violate their constitutional right to confront witnesses testifying against them. 132 Whether limitations on cross-examination are so severe as to violate the Confrontation Clause is a question of law we review de novo. United States v. Adamson, 291 F.3d 606, 612 (9th Cir.2002). Confrontation Clause violations are subject to harmless error analysis. United States v. Orellana-Blanco, 294 F.3d 1143, 1148 (9th Cir.2002). 133 We need not decide the constitutional issue because assuming that the district court's refusal to require Deputy Valdemar to produce the CDC records and identity of informants on which he relied violated the Appellants' constitutional rights of confrontation, the error was harmless. The government offered Deputy Valdemar's testimony solely to describe the history and operation of the Mexican Mafia, and identify Appellants as members or associates of the Mexican Mafia. The government had an overwhelming case without this testimony. Specifically, the video recordings, wiretaps, consensual recordings, prison tapes, and testimony of other witnesses, such as E. Castro, provided ample evidence of the existence and practices of the Mexican Mafia and each Appellant's participation in its activities. See United States v. Bowman, 215 F.3d 951, 961 (9th Cir.2000) (Evidence erroneously admitted in violation of the Confrontation Clause must be shown harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, with courts considering the importance of the evidence, whether the evidence was cumulative, the presence of corroborating evidence, and the overall strength of the prosecution's case). 2. E. Castro and Law Enforcement Officers 134 Appellants contend that the district court improperly sustained objections to their cross-examination of E. Castro and various law enforcement witnesses as argumentative. They contend also that the district court precluded them from impeaching E. Castro about several alleged prior inconsistent statements. We review for an abuse of discretion the district court's limitation of cross-examination. United States v. Castellanos-Garcia, 270 F.3d 773, 775 (9th Cir.2001). 135 Appellants point to several instances where the district court sustained the government's objection to Appellants' questions on cross-examination of E. Castro and various law enforcement witnesses. A review of the instances cited by Appellants shows that the district court properly sustained the objections as argumentative, and did not abuse its discretion. For example, the following colloquy took place during Appellants' cross-examination of E. Castro: 136 Q. Mr. Castro, isn't that exactly what you did in this case, didn't you act like a friend with various of the individuals who are charged here and then you stabbed everyone in the back by going to the government and telling stories? 137 [Government]: Objection, Your Honor; argumentative. 138 The Court: Sustained. 139 Sustaining the government's objection to this question as argumentative was not an abuse of discretion. 140 Appellants point also to several instances where the district court allegedly precluded them from impeaching E. Castro with alleged prior inconsistent statements. A review of these instances does not support Appellants' argument. For example, E. Castro testified during cross-examination that around December 16, 1994, he obtained a 9 millimeter handgun from J. Hernandez, and that he did not record conversations between himself and J. Hernandez about the gun. E. Castro testified further that he knew he did not have permission to obtain the weapon, and that he did not record the conversations because he did not have immunity from prosecution if the officers found out about his possession of the gun. Finally, E. Castro testified that he obtained an M1 rifle from J. Hernandez and also failed to record that conversation. 141 During Appellants' case-in-chief, Appellants asked FBI Agent Myers whether E. Castro tape-recorded these particular conversations. Appellants then asked Agent Myers whether E. Castro recorded other conversations between himself and J. Hernandez, and the district court sustained the government's objection that the questions were cumulative and constituted improper impeachment under Federal Rule of Evidence 608(b). Rule 608(b) prohibits the introduction of specific instances of conduct of a witness to attack or support the credibility of that witness. 142 On appeal, Appellants contend that they were trying to impeach E. Castro's statement that he did not recall whether he recorded the conversations regarding the 9 millimeter handgun and M1 rifle. As discussed above, however, E. Castro testified that he did not record the conversations. Appellants simply misread the record. Because E. Castro testified that he did not record his conversations concerning the gun, the district court correctly denied Appellants an opportunity to elicit testimony from Agent Myers showing that E. Castro failed to record those conversations under the guise that E. Castro made prior inconsistent statements. B. Evidentiary Rulings 143 Shryock and Gallardo contest certain evidentiary rulings made by the district court. We review for an abuse of discretion the district court's evidentiary rulings during trial, including the exclusion of evidence under the hearsay rule. United States v. Parks, 285 F.3d 1133, 1138 (9th Cir.2002); Orr v. Bank of America, 285 F.3d 764, 773 (9th Cir.2002). We review for an abuse of discretion the district court's decision to admit coconspirators' statements, and review for clear error the district court's underlying factual determinations that a conspiracy existed and that the statements were made in furtherance of that conspiracy. Bowman, 215 F.3d at 960. 1. Shryock 144 The indictment charged Shryock with the murder of Albert Orosco and attempted murder of Hector Galvez, whom Larry Hernandez shot at Hernandez's residence in Chino, California. Hernandez told police he shot the victims in self-defense. Hernandez was not available for trial, and Shryock sought to introduce Hernandez's statement under the declaration against-penal-interest and residual exceptions to the hearsay rule. The district court ruled that the statement was inadmissible.
145 Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b)(3) is an exception to the hearsay rule that provides for the admissibility of statements when the proponent shows that: (1) the declarant is unavailable as a witness; (2) the statement so far tended to subject the declarant to criminal liability that a reasonable person in the declarant's position would not have made the statement unless he believes it to be true; and (3) corroborating circumstances clearly indicate the trustworthiness of the statement. United States v. Paguio, 114 F.3d 928, 932 (9th Cir.1997). The government concedes that the first element is satisfied. 146 The district court did not abuse its discretion by excluding Hernandez's statement that he shot the victims in self-defense because the statement was exculpatory, and not against his penal interest. In Paguio, we stated that the statement at issue must be examined in context, to see whether as a matter of common sense the portion at issue was against interest and would not have been made by a reasonable person unless he believed it to be true. Id. at 934. Obviously, this test is not met here. Hernandez could have made the statement to serve his own penal interest — self defense would absolve him of criminal liability — and not because he believed the statement to be true. See, e.g., LaGrand v. Stewart, 133 F.3d 1253, 1268 (9th Cir. 1998) (noting that the reliability that attends a declarant's inculpatory statement does not afford any reliability to the part of the statement that merely exculpates another person).
147 Federal Rule of Evidence 807 is an exception to the hearsay rule that provides for the admissibility of statements that have equivalent circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness as the other hearsay exceptions. The district court did not abuse its discretion by excluding Hernandez's statement under this exception because the statement did not have circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness-Hernandez was merely exculpating himself. It is clear that Larry Hernandez's words were so unreliable that there was a need to subject them to adversarial testing in a trial setting. 2. Gallardo 148 Gallardo argues that the district court erred by admitting audio recordings of statements Peters made to his mother, Paz Gutierrez, that Gallardo murdered Manuel Luna and Ricardo Gonzales. The district court admitted this evidence under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(E), which excludes from the definition of hearsay those statements made by a coconspirator during the course and in furtherance of the conspiracy. 149 Gallardo argues that the statements were mere idle conversation, and not in furtherance of the conspiracy. See United States v. Bibbero, 749 F.2d 581, 584 (9th Cir.1984) (holding that idle conversation is not in furtherance of the conspiracy). However, Gallardo has not pointed us to any facts on which we could find that the district court clearly erred. 150 Gallardo also argues that the district court improperly allowed the government to call Humberto Madrigal solely to impeach him with his prior identification as a guise to use the hearsay statement as substantive evidence against Gallardo. United States v. Crouch, 731 F.2d 621, 623 (9th Cir.1984). The indictment charged Gallardo with the attempted murder of Madrigal. At trial, Madrigal testified that he was shot but could not identify his assailant or pick out the assailant from a photo lineup. Madrigal testified also that at Gallardo's parole revocation hearing he testified that Gallardo did not shoot him. On cross-examination, Madrigal again testified that he could not identify the assailant. Subsequently, the government called LAPD Detective Martinez who testified that Madrigal identified Gallardo as the assailant during an interview at the hospital, and when shown a later photo line-up at Madrigal's home. 151 Madrigal's prior identification of Gallardo was admissible nonhearsay under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(C), which permits out-of-court statements of identification of a person if the declarant is subject to cross-examination. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion by admitting the evidence of Madrigal's prior identification. 152 V Motion to Unseal and the District Court's Discovery Rulings A. Motion to Unseal 153 On November 23, 1998, we entered an order remanding to the district court for the limited purpose of considering whether Appellants' request to unseal documents filed by the government under seal and in camera should be granted. Subsequently in response to a district court order, Appellants identified 583 sealed and in camera documents at issue, of which 145 were arguably filed under seal or in camera by the government. On May 29, 2000, the district court entered an order unsealing several documents and retaining others under seal. On January 24, 2001, Appellants filed with this court a renewed motion to unseal the filings. On April 13, 2001, we denied the motion without prejudice to raising the issue in the opening briefs. 154 Although Appellants creatively argue for a constitutional right of access, they are clearly challenging the district court's discovery rulings regarding sealed and in camera documents. We review a district court's discovery rulings for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Chon, 210 F.3d 990, 994 (9th Cir.2000). We review for clear error the district court's decision to refuse a defendant access to information in a government document produced pursuant to Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). United States v. Monroe, 943 F.2d 1007, 1011 (9th Cir. 1991). We review for an abuse of discretion the district court's denial of a motion to produce documents pursuant to the Jencks Act. United States v. Guagliardo, 278 F.3d 868, 871 (9th Cir.2002). Because the district court has the inherent power to seal documents, we review for an abuse of discretion the district court's decision to retain filings under seal. United States v. Mann, 829 F.2d 849, 853 (9th Cir.1987). 155 We have reviewed every document filed under seal or in camera, and conclude that the district court did not err. B. Discovery Rulings 156 We review for an abuse of discretion the district court's discovery rulings. Chon, 210 F.3d at 994. To reverse a conviction for a discovery violation, we must find not only that the district court abused its discretion, but that the error resulted in prejudice to substantial rights. United States v. Amlani, 111 F.3d 705, 712 (9th Cir.1997). We review de novo challenges to convictions based on alleged Brady violations. United States v. Smith, 282 F.3d 758, 770 (9th Cir.2002). 157 First, Appellants contend that the district court abused its discretion by issuing protective orders for certain discovery materials, whereby the government provided defense counsel with one copy of the covered documents to be kept in a secure location accessible only to defense counsel. The district court issued five protective orders encompassing: (1) twenty-five pages; (2) seven pages; (3) ten pages; (4) a copy of the transcript of the proceeding concerning the first wiretap; and (5) early production of certain witness statements. The covered documents were a minuscule portion of the entire discovery for an eight-month trial, and simply do not support Appellants' contention that they were crippled by these protective orders. After reviewing the record, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion by issuing the protective orders. 158 Appellants contend also that they were hampered by the government's late discovery responses to which the district court acquiesced. However, Appellants only cite a few isolated instances that do not rise to the level of discovery violations. The district court did not abuse its discretion. 159 Finally, Appellants maintain that the district court erred by ruling that the government did not have to produce an alleged CDC debriefing of E. Castro in the CDC's possession. Prosecutors must turn over Brady materials when the prosecutors have knowledge of and access to the documents sought by the defendant. United States v. Santiago, 46 F.3d 885, 893 (9th Cir.1995). 160 The district court correctly ruled that the government did not have to turn over the alleged CDC debriefing of E. Castro. First, CDC is a state agency and the government in this case did not have access to its files. United States v. Aichele, 941 F.2d 761, 764 (9th Cir.1991) (holding that federal prosecutors were not in possession of CDC materials). Second, assuming that the government did have access to the debriefing, the knowledge requirement is not satisfied. A government representative testified that the government did not know whether the debriefing took place, and Appellants do not cite any evidence to indicate otherwise. VI Jury Instructions 161 Appellants argue that the district court erred in several of its jury instructions. We address each disputed instruction. 162 A. RICO's Interstate Commerce Jurisdictional Element 163 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c) (RICO) contains the following jurisdiction element: It shall be unlawful for any person employed by or associated with any enterprise engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce.... Appellants argue that the district court erroneously instructed the jury that this element could be satisfied if the the activities of the enterprise affect interstate commerce in some minimal way. According to Appellants, the correct standard requires the jury to find that the enterprise had a substantial effect on interstate commerce. Appellants also argue that the district court's supplemental jury instruction defining a de minimis effect did not accurately capture that standard. We disagree. 164 Whether a jury instruction misstates elements of a statutory crime is a question of law, which we review de novo. United States v. Patterson, 292 F.3d 615, 629-30 (9th Cir.2002). We review de novo claims of insufficient evidence. United States v. Carranza, 289 F.3d 634, 641 (9th Cir.2002). There is sufficient evidence to support a conviction if, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. at 641-42. 165 In United States v. Juvenile Male, we held that all that is required to establish federal jurisdiction in a RICO prosecution is a showing that the individual predicate racketeering acts have a de minimis impact on interstate commerce. 118 F.3d 1344, 1347-49 (9th Cir.1997). The district court, therefore, correctly instructed the jury that a de minimis affect on interstate commerce was sufficient to establish jurisdiction under RICO. 6 166 Appellants allege also that (1) the district court erred by giving the following supplemental instruction: the jurisdiction requirement is met if the enterprise or its activities engaged in or involved interstate or international drug trafficking, use of interstate communication devices, or possession or use of weapons which traveled in interstate commerce, and (2) insufficient evidence supported the jury's finding that the jurisdictional requirement was met. The district court did not err because this instruction adequately reflected the jurisdiction requirement. Moreover, sufficient evidence supported the jury's finding that the crimes charged had at least a de minimis affect on interstate commerce, including evidence offered by the government that: (1) Appellants engaged in extensive drug trafficking; (2) firearms manufactured outside California were found at J. Hernandez's residence; (3) several Appellants sold narcotics grown outside California; (4) Barela and Mendez had discussions with Mexican drug traffickers regarding their possible involvement in an impending narcotics transaction; (5) R. Castro was involved in a telephone call from Oregon to California that discussed illegal activities; and (6) Moreno made a comment regarding a future letter he might receive from out of state. B. Other RICO Elements 167 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c), provides in relevant part: It shall be unlawful for any person... associated with any enterprise ... to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise's affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity.... Appellants contend that the district court's jury instructions improperly defined the elements of (1) to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise's affairs; and (2) pattern of racketeering activity. 168 Whether a jury instruction misstates elements of a statutory crime is a question of law that we review de novo. Patterson, 292 F.3d at 629-30. We review for an abuse of discretion the district court's formulation of jury instructions. United States v. Stapleton, 293 F.3d 1111, 1114 (9th Cir.2002). 169 1. [T]o conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise's affairs 170 The district court gave the following instruction with respect to the to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise's affairs element: 171 The phrase to conduct or participate in the affairs of the enterprise relates to the performance of the acts, functions, or duties which are necessary or helpful in the operation of the enterprise. 172 A defendant conducts or participates in the affairs of the enterprise when that defendant participates, in some degree, in the operation, direction or management of the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity. 173 In Reves v. Ernst & Young, the Supreme Court held `to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise's affairs,' one must participate in the operation or management of the enterprise itself. 507 U.S. 170, 185, 113 S.Ct. 1163, 122 L.Ed.2d 525 (1993) (citation omitted). The Court concluded that the word conduct indicated some degree of direction over the affairs of the enterprise. Id. at 178, 113 S.Ct. 1163. The Court concluded also that the term participate meant to take part in, and not to aid and abet. Id. at 178-79, 113 S.Ct. 1163. Appellants contend that to capture Reves's operation and management test, the district court should have replaced the underlined language with have some part in the operation or management of the enterprise. 7 174 The district court improperly defined to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise's affairs because the instruction did not clarify that Appellants had to be involved in the operation or management of the Mexican Mafia. We conclude, however, that the error was harmless. The district court's failure to instruct the jury on an element of a crime is harmless if we conclude that it is clear beyond a reasonable doubt that a rational jury would have found the defendant guilty absent the error. United States v. Gracidas-Ulibarry, 231 F.3d 1188, 1197 (9th Cir.2000) (en banc) (internal quotation omitted). Here, the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrated that each Appellant met Reves's operation and management test. For example, the evidence showed that during meetings Appellants voted on membership and authorization to assault or kill opponents, divided territory for the purpose of taxing drug dealers and street gangs, planned several crimes including murders, coordinated their drug trafficking activities, resolved disputes among members, and made other important decisions concerning the Mexican Mafia's affairs. The Appellants, except J. Hernandez, were not only involved in the operation and management of the Mexican Mafia, they were the members/leaders of the enterprise. J. Hernandez, on the other hand, clearly participated in the operation and management of the Mexican Mafia because he served as a messenger between incarcerated members and members on the street, and helped organize criminal activities on behalf of the organization. 175 2. Pattern of Racketeering Activity 176 The district court gave the following instruction with respect to the pattern element: 177 A person engages in a pattern of racketeering activity if he commits at least two related acts of racketeering within ten years. The two racketeering acts may not be isolated or disconnected, but must be related to each other by a common scheme, plan, or motive. The two racketeering acts must also amount to, or pose a threat of, continued criminal activity. 178 In determining whether the racketeering acts constitute a pattern, you may consider, among other things, whether the acts were closely related in time and whether they shared a similarity of purpose or method. 179 Appellants contend that this instruction is deficient because it failed to define isolated. 180 We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion by declining to define isolated. In reviewing jury instructions, the relevant inquiry is whether the instructions as a whole are misleading or inadequate to guide the jury's deliberation. United States v. Dixon, 201 F.3d 1223, 1230 (9th Cir.2000). Accordingly, the district court need not define common terms that are readily understandable to the jury. United States v. Hicks, 217 F.3d 1038, 1045 (9th Cir.2000) (holding that false and statement were common terms that the district court need not define). Here, Appellants have not cited any case law for the proposition that the district court had to define isolated, nor is there any. The term isolated is simply a common term that is readily understandable to the jury.