Opinion ID: 565242
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Gavin Gaskins' Testimony

Text: 25 The defendants argue that their due process rights under the fifth amendment were abridged because the government submitted Gavin Gaskins' testimony regarding the conspiracy notwithstanding its knowledge that Gaskins had perjured himself in roughly five statements. Gaskins testified, among other things: (1) that he did not know that there was cocaine in the football that Ransom sent him in September 1987; (2) that he distributed only one ounce of cocaine between October 1987 and January 1988; (3) that he did not know that any of his contacts with Ransom were connected with the distribution of cocaine before September 25, 1987; (4) that he was at Bettie Brown's residence only on one or two occasions; and (5) that he did not deal in cocaine with Ransom at Brown's home when Brown was present. The defendants claim that each of these statements was false and that the government knew of Gaskins' perjury. 26 It is true that a conviction obtained by the knowing use of perjured testimony is fundamentally unfair, and must be set aside if there is any reasonable likelihood that the false testimony could have affected the judgment of the jury. United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 103, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 2397, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976) (footnotes omitted). We recognize, however, that it is not enough that the testimony is challenged by another witness or is inconsistent with prior statements, and not every contradiction in fact or argument is material. United States v. Bigeleisen, 625 F.2d 203, 208 (8th Cir.1980). 27 The defendants argue that the reasoning of Sanders v. Sullivan, 863 F.2d 218 (2nd Cir.1988), requires us to reverse their convictions. We do not perceive Gaskins' testimony to rise to the level of tainted evidence discussed in Sanders and the cases examined therein. In Sanders, a witness recanted the key testimony on which the defendant's conviction was based. A credible recantation of perjured testimony, however, differs from Gaskins' testimony in kind rather than just in degree. The same distinction can be drawn between the present case and Bigeleisen. In Bigeleisen, the witness denied the existence of the plea-bargained arrangement for testimony he had with the government, and the prosecution failed to correct the falsehood. There, we held that the failure to disclose such material information likely affected the outcome of a trial. Bigeleisen, 625 F.2d at 208-09. We cannot say the same here. 28 The inconsistencies in Gaskins' allegedly false statements were brought out during trial. The defendants had access to information, such as police reports and other witness' testimony, which revealed contradictions between what Gaskins told to investigators and what he testified to at trial. Although Gaskins may have understated his involvement in the conspiracy, he did not falsely implicate anyone. In fact, we note that had Gaskins testified to what the defendants claim is the truth, his testimony would have been more damaging to the defendants than was the testimony he actually gave. 29 The truth is an elusive concept. It is the function of the jury to decide just what the truth is, and just who is telling it. We regard the jury as the vehicle which determines issues such as this with the requisite level of good sense and wisdom, and the district court rightly left the jury to its task. 30 Ransom, Bogan, Hicks, Maier, Cuellar, and Payne argue that the district court erred in not instructing the jury as they requested regarding Brown's and Gaskins' testimony. The defendants requested a particularly worded instruction on informant credibility and a falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus instruction. Neither instruction was required. The district court properly instructed the jury that their role was to judge the credibility of the witnesses and to gauge the weight that should be given to a particular witness' testimony. 31 Having reviewed the defendants' other arguments concerning the admissibility of evidence of documents from Western Union, Florida drivers' licenses, the identification procedures, and the statements of co-conspirators, we conclude that reversal of the defendants' convictions is not required. The district court's well-reasoned memorandum denying defendants' motions for judgment of acquittal answers the defendants' arguments, and we find little to add to its comprehensive explanation. The overwhelming evidence of the defendants' involvement in a complex and extensive drug conspiracy compels us to affirm all of the convictions.