Opinion ID: 507327
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Vallejo and Gomez

Text: 38 For the reasons discussed above concerning Shanks-Carrera's motion for severance, we also affirm the denial of Vallejo's and Gomez's motions for severance. IV Evidentiary Issues A. Rule 105 Limiting Instructions 39 Vallejo and Gomez assert that the failure to grant a severance coupled with the trial court's limiting instructions unduly impaired their trial. The trial court denied Vallejo's and Gomez's requests that limiting instructions be given contemporaneously with the admission of each piece of physical evidence, delimiting which defendant(s) the evidence was admissible against. Judge McLaughlin did give contemporaneous limiting instructions when co-conspirator statements were admissible against some--but not all--defendants. In addition, the trial court gave a general instruction to the jury in his charge: 40 Some of the charges in this case have been made against some of the defendants and not against others. You must decide what the evidence shows about each defendant without considering any evidence that may have been received solely against some other defendant or defendants. 41 Each defendant is entitled to have the case against that defendant decided solely on the evidence and the law that applies to him. 42 Appellants argue that Fed.R.Evid. 105, which provides that when evidence is admissible against one party but not another, the court shall instruct the jury as to the limited admissibility, requires that instructions accompany every exhibit at the time admitted. Although there is some support for the proposition that Rule 105 mandates a contemporaneous limiting instruction when any type of evidence is admitted for a limited purpose, see 21 C. Wright & K. Graham, Federal Practice and Procedure Sec. 5065 (1977 & Supp.1987), the weight of authority is to the contrary. See United States v. Carson, 702 F.2d 351, 367 (2d Cir.) (trial court instructed jury on numerous occasions to accord each defendant separate consideration; no mention of contemporaneous instruction), cert. denied, 462 U.S. 1108, 103 S.Ct. 2457, 77 L.Ed.2d 1335 (1983); United States v. Losada, 674 F.2d 167, 171-72 (2d Cir.) (instructions in charge alone adequately protected against prejudice), cert. denied, 457 U.S. 1125, 102 S.Ct. 2945, 73 L.Ed.2d 1341 (1982); see also 1 J. Weinstein, Weinstein's Evidence p 105, at 105-44 (1986) (The jury may be instructed either as the [limited] evidence is admitted or as part of the general charge.) (emphasis added; footnote omitted). 43 The timing of Rule 105 limiting instructions with regard to physical evidence is best left to the trial court's discretion. See United States v. Oxford, 735 F.2d 276, 280 (7th Cir.1984); United States v. Dabish, 708 F.2d 240, 243 (6th Cir.1983). Accordingly, the record must be examined to ascertain whether Vallejo and Gomez suffered any harm from the trial court's refusal to give contemporaneous limiting instructions when admitting each piece of physical evidence that was not relevant to them. See Losada, 674 F.2d at 171-72 (looking for prejudice); Weisman, 624 F.2d at 1130 (same); United States v. Toliver, 541 F.2d 958, 963 (2d Cir.1976) (same). 44 We conclude that Judge McLaughlin's limiting instruction in his general charge, together with his contemporaneous limiting instructions upon the admission of co-conspirator statements, adequately protected appellants. Where, as here, there are a limited number of defendants, the jury is able more easily to separate the evidence admitted against each of them. See United States v. Teitler, 802 F.2d 606, 617 (2d Cir.1986). Further, the evidence admitted without contemporaneous instructions was physical evidence that lent itself to compartmentalized consideration. See, e.g., Toliver, 541 F.2d at 963 (documents). As a consequence, the refusal of the court to give contemporaneous limiting instructions at each introduction of evidence with limited admissibility did not unfairly prejudice Vallejo and Gomez. B. DEA Expert Testimony 45 Appellants object to the admission of a DEA expert's testimony concerning the meaning of certain recorded coded telephone conversations between them. Such testimony is subject to challenge only when the expert interprets and draws conclusions from the evidence instead of simply testifying as to the jargon of the drug trade. See Nersesian, 824 F.2d at 1308; United States v. Brown, 776 F.2d 397, 400-01 (2d Cir.1985), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1141, 106 S.Ct. 1793, 90 L.Ed.2d 339 (1986); United States v. Young, 745 F.2d 733, 760-61 (2d Cir.1984), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1084, 105 S.Ct. 1842, 85 L.Ed.2d 142 (1985). Appellants do not allege that the agent's testimony included his interpretations or conclusions. This claim is therefore also without merit. C. Sufficiency of the Evidence 46 Chavez-Tesina, Vallejo, and Shanks-Carrera contend that there is insufficient evidence to support their convictions. It is a familiar litany that the standard for appellate review of an insufficiency claim places a very heavy burden on the appellant. Losada, 674 F.2d at 173. Our inquiry is whether the jury, drawing reasonable inferences from the evidence, may fairly and logically have concluded that the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 317, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2788, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); United States v. Barnes, 604 F.2d 121, 157 (2d Cir.1979), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 907, 100 S.Ct. 1833, 64 L.Ed.2d 260 (1980). In making this determination, the evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the government, Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80, 62 S.Ct. 457, 469, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942), and all permissible inferences construed in its favor, United States v. Dazzo, 672 F.2d 284, 288 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 836, 103 S.Ct. 81, 74 L.Ed.2d 77 (1982). In addition, the [e]xistence of and participation in a conspiracy with the requisite criminal intent may be established ... through circumstantial evidence. United States v. Sanzo, 673 F.2d 64, 69 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 858, 103 S.Ct. 128, 74 L.Ed.2d 111 (1982). We examine in turn the evidence against each appellant.
47 Chavez-Tesina's convictions arose primarily out of his involvement in the 50 kilogram transaction. Salazar described his partner to de la Cova as a Colombian of Japanese descent who had lived in London. Chavez-Tesina matched the physical description and possessed a British driver's license and Colombian passport when he was arrested. When Salazar told de la Cova that his partner was travelling in New Orleans, independent evidence established that Chavez-Tesina was in fact then in New Orleans. 48 More important, there was testimony to the effect that Chavez-Tesina was in New Orleans looking for cocaine that would be acceptable in the New York market. As the transaction approached accomplishment, Salazar made telephone calls to Chavez-Tesina's home, confirmed by a pen register. The subject of these calls was the cocaine transaction. In one call, Salazar referred to the other party as Diego, Chavez-Tesina's first name. The jury was entitled to believe that this evidence linked Chavez-Tesina to Salazar, the RICO enterprise, and the 50-kilogram deal.
49 Vallejo, a less active participant in the affairs providing the basis for the charges, was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine and possession with intent to distribute arising out of the March 17, 1986 two kilogram cocaine sale to de la Cova. Vallejo argues that there was no proof that he was involved in the conspiracy. The evidence, he argues, shows at best mere association with a drug dealer. 50 Agent de la Cova heard Salazar tell Vallejo on March 15th that he had something very, very good. From this the jury could reasonably conclude that Salazar referred to cocaine and that Vallejo comprehended this meaning. Just two days later, in Vallejo's presence, Gomez delivered two favors to Salazar. It is beyond dispute that Gomez delivered cocaine because Gomez said shortly before he was arrested that the favors were kilograms of cocaine. This cocaine subsequently was transported to Vallejo's house. 51 Further support for the inference that Vallejo was involved in a narcotics conspiracy and distributed cocaine is the fact that he delivered a small amount of cocaine to Salazar on March 21st--only moments after Salazar called and asked for some. When he was arrested, Vallejo had a beeper, $2000 in cash, a small amount of drugs and drug paraphernalia, again evidencing that his business relationship with Salazar related to the narcotics trade. See Carson, 702 F.2d at 368. This proof, as well as the reasonable inferences arising from it, supports the jury's finding that Vallejo was a knowing participant in the conspiracy.
52 Shanks-Carrera was alleged to be a supporting player in the 50-kilogram transaction. It was he whom the DEA observed carrying a duffel bag--later found to be filled with cocaine--into the apartment arranged as the delivery site. Shanks-Carrera was acquitted of conspiracy, but convicted of possession. 53 Testifying at trial, he claimed that he had no knowledge that the duffel bag contained cocaine. Appellant explained that incriminating statements made at the time of his arrest--and hiding when DEA agents arrived--were the results of fear and a desire to protect his brother, who allegedly gave him the duffel bag. The jury was in a better position to assess these issues of credibility. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, we find it sufficient to establish that the appellant possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it.