Opinion ID: 1433971
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whitfield's evidentiary claims

Text: Whitfield claims that the district court erred in: (1) excluding the billing records of Richard Salloum, counsel for Diamond Offshore in Marks; (2) denying appellants access to an FBI report made after interviewing Radlauer; (3) admitting the transcript from his divorce proceeding; and (4) allowing expert testimony from Government witnesses designated as fact witnesses; (5) admitting a summary witness and summary charts offered by the Government.
Whitfield argues that the district court violated his rights under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment when it excluded Salloum's billing records from his representation of Diamond Offshore in Marks. A defendant is granted substantial leeway in cross-examining a witness to discover bias. E.g., United States v. Anderson, 933 F.2d 1261, 1276 (5th Cir. 1991). However, the Supreme Court has clearly stated: It does not follow, of course, that the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment prevents a trial judge from imposing any limits on defense counsel's inquiry into the potential bias of a prosecution witness. On the contrary, trial judges retain wide latitude insofar as the Confrontation Clause is concerned to impose reasonable limits on such cross-examination based on concerns about, among other things, harassment, prejudice, confusion of the issues, the witness' safety, or interrogation that is repetitive or only marginally relevant. And as we observed earlier this Term, `the Confrontation Clause guarantees an opportunity for effective cross-examination, not cross-examination that is effective in whatever way, and to whatever extent, the defense might wish.' Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 106 S.Ct. 1431, 1435, 89 L.Ed.2d 674 (1986) (quoting Delaware v. Fensterer, 474 U.S. 15, 106 S.Ct. 292, 295, 88 L.Ed.2d 15 (1985) ( per curiam ) (emphasis in original)). Appellants were permitted to cross-examine Salloum as to whether he was billing Diamond Offshore for the time he spent testifying at trial. Salloum was unsure as to whether he would be charging Diamond Offshore for his time, but he did admit to billing them for his legal services in the past. The district court concluded that evidence of the precise amount that Salloum's firm was paid in Marks was irrelevant. We agree. The exact amount of fees that Salloum's firm charged its client for its services in the Marks case had little or no bearing on the proceedings below. The district court did not abuse its discretion in excluding that information from cross-examination.
Whitfield claims that the district court erred in refusing to force the Government to produce and in failing to admit into evidence a 302 report created by the FBI following an interview conducted with Leonard Radlauer during the FBI's investigation of the Whitfield loan. Whitfield contends that Radlauer's testimony at the second trial contradicted his testimony before the grand jury and at the first trial, therefore he should been allowed to use the report for impeachment. In fact, Whitfield never requested that the FBI report be admitted into evidence. Therefore, he may not now claim error in respect to the report not being admitted. [28] See Montemayor, 703 F.2d at 114 n. 7. Rather, during a recess in the cross-examination of Radlauer, Whitfield's attorney requested that the district court review the report in camera to determine whether it contained any statements that were inconsistent with Radlauer's testimony at trial. When Whitfield sought to subpoena the FBI agent, the Government provided the district court with the report. The district court reviewed the report, and, finding no discrepancies, declined to disclose its contents to the defense. Where a district court has reviewed FBI reports in camera and determined that the material was not discoverable, we review only for clear error. See United States v. Williams, 998 F.2d 258, 269 (5th Cir.1993). After reviewing the record, we find nothing to suggest that the district court's ruling was clearly erroneous. See id. Moreover, Whitfield was free to use Radlauer's sworn testimony from the previous proceedings to impeach him during cross-examination at the second trial. See FED.R.EVID. 801(d)(1). Defense counsel was also permitted to, and did, cross-examine Radlauer concerning his statements to the FBI. We find no clear error.
Whitfield asserts that the district court abused its discretion by admitting the transcript from his 1999 divorce proceedings, in which he testified falsely that he was the only guarantor on the $40,000 campaign loan and that he had not contributed the purchase of the home he shared with his then-girlfriend. Whitfield claims this evidence was irrelevant and prejudicial. We disagree. It was relevant because it helped the government establish Whitfield's culpable mental state and the pattern of deception surrounding the loans he accepted from Minor. The district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the transcript.
Whitfield argues that the district court erred in allowing Richard Salloum, Wayne Drinkwater, and Leonard Radlauer to offer expert testimony in regard to the legal and ethical issues relevant to this case when they were not designated as experts by the Government. The record reveals that the witnesses provided fact testimony, not expert testimony under FED.R.EVID. 702. Moreover, Whitfield provides no citations to the expert testimony offered by these witnesses. Accordingly, this argument is waived. See De la O v. Hous. Auth. of City of El Paso, Tex., 417 F.3d 495, 501 (5th Cir.2005).
Finally, Whitfield contends that the district court abused its discretion by admitting charts summarizing the financial transactions at issue in the case and by allowing Kim Mitchell, a summary witness for the Government, to explain those charts to the jury. FED.R.EVID. 1006 provides in part: The contents of voluminous writings, recordings, or photographs which cannot conveniently be examined in court may be presented in the form of a chart, summary, or calculation. This Court has properly expressed some reluctance to generally endorse the use of summary evidence. See United States v. Fullwood, 342 F.3d 409, 413-14 (5th Cir.2003) (The use of summary evidence serves an important purpose, but that purpose is not simply to allow the Government to repeat its entire case-in-chief shortly before jury deliberations. Moreover, there are obvious potential dangers associated with its use.). However, a district court does not abuse its discretion by admitting summary testimony where the evidence presented is voluminous and complex. See Ollison, 555 F.3d at 162. Describing the admission of summary charts and use of summary witnesses, this court has explained: Rule 1006 allows admission of summaries when (1) the evidence previously admitted is voluminous, and (2) review by the jury would be inconvenient. A summary may include only evidence favoring one party, so long as the witness does not represent to the jury that he is summarizing all the evidence in the case. Summary evidence must have an adequate foundation in evidence that is already admitted, and should be accompanied by a cautionary jury instruction. Full cross-examination and admonitions to the jury minimize the risk of prejudice. United States v. Bishop, 264 F.3d 535, 547 (5th Cir.2001) (internal citations omitted). In this case, the testimony of Mitchell and the admission of summary charts was neither cumulative nor prejudicial. The information presented to the jury synthesized bank records and checks that were properly admitted, in order to explain the voluminous records supporting the transfer of money from Minor to Whitfield and Teel. Appellants were permitted to cross-examine Mitchell fully. Whitfield does not contend that the charts were incorrect or misleading. Such evidence does not implicate this Court's concerns in Fullwood, since the exhibits and testimony were not a summary of the Government's case; instead, they summarized complex records and documents for the benefit of the jury. In addition, the district court properly instructed the jury as to the limited purposes of the summary charts, minimizing any risk of prejudice. [29] There was no abuse of discretion.