Opinion ID: 487476
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Jewell Instruction

Text: 21 In light of the evidence adduced at trial in this case, the district court's decision to instruct the jury on the doctrine of deliberate avoidance was error. The relevant evidence points to actual knowledge, rather than deliberate avoidance, and therefore does not support the giving of a Jewell instruction. See United States v. Pacific Hide & Fur Depot, Inc., 768 F.2d 1096, 1098-99 (9th Cir.1985). See also United States v. Jewell, 532 F.2d 697 (9th Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, 426 U.S. 951, 96 S.Ct. 3173, 49 L.Ed.2d 1188 (1976). 22 A Jewell instruction is properly given only when [the] defendant claims a lack of guilty knowledge and the proof at trial supports an inference of deliberate ignorance. Pacific Hide, 768 F.2d at 1098. See United States v. McAllister, 747 F.2d 1273, 1275 (9th Cir.1984), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 106 S.Ct. 92, 88 L.Ed.2d 76 (1985); United States v. Henderson, 721 F.2d 276, 277-79 (9th Cir.1983). The cases in which the facts point to deliberate ignorance are relatively rare. McAllister, 747 F.2d at 1275. The instruction should, therefore, be given rarely because of the risk that the jury will convict on a standard of negligence: that the defendant should have known the conduct was illegal. United States v. Garzon, 688 F.2d 607 (9th Cir.1982). Instead, the facts must support the inference that the defendant was aware of a high probability of the existence of the fact in question and purposely contrived to avoid learning all of the facts in order to have a defense in the event of a subsequent prosecution. Pacific Hide, 768 F.2d at 1098; McAllister, 747 F.2d at 1275. 23 In determining whether a Jewell instruction is appropriate in this case, the government must present evidence supporting an inference that Alvarado and Oqueli purposely avoided obtaining actual knowledge that the suitcase contained the cocaine. See United States v. Nicholson, 677 F.2d 706, 711 (9th Cir.1982). If the evidence indicates that Alvarado and Oqueli had either actual knowledge or lacked any knowledge of the presence of the cocaine, then giving the Jewell instruction was inappropriate.
24 In what is clearly a change in position from that taken before the trial court, counsel for Alvarado argues on appeal to this court that the facts established by the government support a finding of actual knowledge, not deliberate avoidance or lack of knowledge. 1 We agree. 25 The government claims that the evidence it presented at trial established a plethora of suspicious circumstances that represented not only conscious avoidance, but strong and persuasive proof of the existence of a conspiracy between the defendants to import cocaine which could only have been unknown to the defendants because of deliberate ignorance. (Emphasis in original). The government points to the following evidence: 26 1. Alvarado and Oqueli were the last passengers off the plane and the last to pass through the prescreening and control points. The government argued at trial that defendants were hoping that the customs inspectors would be less diligent. 27 2. Alvarado retrieved and carried from the luggage carousel, not his luggage, but two suitcases belonging to codefendant Oqueli. 28 3. Alvarado appeared nervous and trembling during his contacts with customs officers. 29 4. Alvarado had two airplane tickets, one of which he used to fly home on Varig Airlines and was paid for with cash, and a valid, but unused, Japanese Airline ticket. Alvarado testified that Oqueli gave him the Varig ticket. Oqueli denied giving the ticket to Alvarado. 30 5. Alvarado made inconsistent statements to customs officials about the purpose of his trip. He told the inspector at prescreening that he was returning from Rio de Janeiro alone after a one-week vacation. After his arrest, he told DEA agents he had been on a ten-day trip to Rio for a medical conference. At trial, he testified that he went to Rio with Oqueli to price leather for a contemplated import/export business. 31 6. Alvarado appeared to avoid opening the black suitcase which contained the cocaine. After he was requested to obtain the keys to open the black suitcase, he presented keys that fit the brown suitcase, not the black one. He readily agreed to open the brown suitcase. 32 7. Alvarado made inconsistent statements regarding the ownership of the black suitcase. At the secondary search area, he claimed ownership of both the black and brown suitcases and presented the appropriate baggage claim tags. He further stated that he had set the combination on the black suitcase when he purchased it. Later, when he was given a crowbar to force open the black suitcase, he stated that the suitcase was Oscar's, not his, and that he was not responsible for its contents. 33 8. After forcing open the black suitcase with a crowbar, Alvarado immediately turned pale even though there was no cocaine yet visible. 34 9. Alvarado allegedly made a post-arrest statement that he agreed to carry the black suitcase as a favor for a friend and, upon his return to the United States, his friend would give him $5,000 as a gift for carrying the suitcase. 35 Most, if not all of these facts, point to Alvarado's actual knowledge of the cocaine and his attempt to prevent its discovery. Facts number three and eight, his nervousness and turning pale, by themselves, could support either theory--either that he knew, or was afraid to find out. However, when combined with the other facts, these two facts strongly support actual knowledge. The government's strongest evidence of conscious avoidance is Alvarado's alleged post-arrest statement that a friend promised him $5,000 as a gift if he delivered the black suitcase. See United States v. Suttiswad, 696 F.2d 645, 651 (9th Cir.1982) (deliberate ignorance instruction proper where defendant was given an airplane ticket, clothing, and a substantial amount of cash to deliver a suitcase to Mr. Tom upon arrival in the United States). However, the evidence on whether this statement was actually made is, at best, contradictory. Even if the statement was made, this fact alone, in light of the other evidence in the case, did not justify the Jewell instruction. 2 Because there is insufficient evidence for a trier of fact to reasonably conclude that Alvarado purposely contrived to avoid learning of the presence of the cocaine, it was inappropriate for the district court to give the Jewell instruction. See Garzon, 688 F.2d at 609.
36 Counsel for Oqueli also argues that much of the evidence adduced by the government at trial points toward actual knowledge or guilty conscience on the part of Oqueli rather than deliberate avoidance. 3 Once again, we agree. 37 The government relied on the following evidence to show conscious avoidance by Oqueli:1. Oqueli carried, not his, but Alvarado's suitcases through customs. 38 2. Oqueli used an invalid diplomatic passport to pass through customs. Oqueli had been General Consul to the United States from Honduras for one year but his diplomatic pass had expired. 39 3. Oqueli, along with his son Yuri and Katan, apparently abandoned Alvarado at the airport while Alvarado was being questioned and searched by customs. This was deemed by the government to be suspicious because Alvarado and Oqueli were close friends. 40 4. Oqueli failed to appear at the Marriot Hotel to retrieve his suitcases at Alvarado's request. However, Oqueli's sister arrived at the hotel, asked Alvarado for change, and without engaging him in any other conversation, left and made a phone call. The government claimed the sister was sent to conduct counter-surveillance on behalf of Oqueli. 41 5. Oqueli's peculiar method of retrieving his suitcase. Oqueli arrived at the airport in a taxi. It passed by Alvarado. Alvarado waved. Oqueli did not acknowledge. Oqueli exited the cab a short distance from Alvarado, motioned for him to remain where he was, then walked to a nearby telephone booth and made a telephone call. A telephone near Alvarado began to ring. Alvarado did not answer it. Oqueli hung up and walked hurriedly toward Alvarado. He picked up the suitcases, motioned for Alvarado to follow and walked hurriedly away. When DEA agents attempted to stop Oqueli, he resisted. 42 6. All of Alvarado's telephone calls attempting to set up a meeting to return the suitcases emphasized Alvarado's desire to relinquish the black suitcase to Oqueli. In one telephone call to Oqueli's son Yuri, Alvarado threatened to throw the black suitcase away unless Oqueli appeared. 43 7. Oqueli, in his post-arrest statement, claimed ownership of the black suitcase, but said he had loaned it to his friend before boarding the plane on a return trip. However, at trial he asserted the suitcase belonged to him and that its entire contents were his. 44 These facts, along with the facts relating to Alvarado, point to Oqueli's actual knowledge of the presence of cocaine in the black suitcase and tend to establish a consciousness of guilt. Because there is insufficient evidence for a trier of fact to reasonably conclude that Oqueli contrived to avoid learning of the cocaine, it was inappropriate for the district court to give the Jewell instruction. See Garzon, 688 F.2d at 609.