Opinion ID: 461002
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Appellant Palow

Text: 2 1. Palow first argues that the district court erred in not severing his trial from that of co-defendant Paul C. Alvarado. As Palow did not move for severance below, we may entertain his argument only insofar as he is able to demonstrate that the district court committed plain error in failing to sever sua sponte. See United States v. Barbosa, 666 F.2d 704, 707 (1st Cir.1981). Palow argues that he is entitled to a more liberal standard of review on the grounds that, because the district court denied severance motions made by his two co-defendants, it would have been futile for him to move for severance below. We disagree. 3 Prejudice is key to any severance argument, and therefore one defendant's argument for severance is not necessarily transferable to a co-defendant. See United States v. Flick, 516 F.2d 489, 494-95 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 931, 96 S.Ct. 282, 46 L.Ed.2d 260 (1975). In a multi-defendant case, some defendants might favor joinder while other defendants oppose it, and of the latter each defendant is likely to advance unique arguments why joinder is prejudicial as to him. 4 Since Palow failed to show plain error stemming from the joint trial, we find his severance claim to be without merit. 5 2. Appellant next contends that the district court erred in not excluding on due process grounds the testimony of an informant paid on a contingent basis according to the quantity and quality of drugs seized. Again we disagree. 6 Courts have generally allowed paid informants to testify as long as the agreements are not contingent upon the conviction of particular persons. See, e.g., United States v. Walker, 720 F.2d 1527, 1539-40 (11th Cir.1983), cert. denied, Gustin v. United States, 465 U.S. 1108, 104 S.Ct. 1614, 80 L.Ed.2d 143 (1984) (informant's testimony admissible because reward was not dependent upon making a case against particular persons specified in advance); United States v. Gray, 626 F.2d 494, 499 (5th Cir.1980), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1091, 101 S.Ct. 887, 66 L.Ed.2d 820 (1981) (same). Cf. United States v. Dailey, 759 F.2d 192, 201 n. 9 (1st Cir.1985) (... [B]enefits made contingent upon subsequent indictments or convictions skate very close to, if indeed they do not cross, the limits imposed by the due process clause.). The record shows that the convictions had nothing to do with the contingent agreement at issue. Accordingly, we see no reason here to exclude on due process grounds the informant's testimony. 7 3. Appellant Palow's last claim of error refers to the trial court's instructions on the issue of entrapment. A government witness testified as to statements appellant had made regarding future transactions involving cocaine. Palow claims that the district court should have instructed the jury to disregard these statements in assessing appellant's pre-disposition to commit offenses. This claim lacks merit. 8 A defendant's statements concerning future narcotics transactions are relevant to establish his predisposition to commit crimes for which the entrapment defense is asserted. See, e.g., United States v. Jenkins, 480 F.2d 1198, 1200 (5th Cir.1973) (per curiam). As noted in United States v. Parsi, 674 F.2d 126 (1st Cir.1982), however, an entrapped defendant will always be willing and ready to commit the offense after the inducement and immediately before the crime's commission. Id. at 128. Thus, the factfinder's focus in assessing predisposition should be on the defendant's state of mind prior to the inducement. See Kadis v. United States, 373 F.2d 370, 373-74 (1st Cir.1967). The court here instructed the jury to focus on Palow's state of mind prior to the inducement. Consequently, we see nothing wrong with the court's refusal to instruct the jury not to consider appellant's statements regarding future cocaine deals. 9 In view of the foregoing, Palow's conviction should stand.