Opinion ID: 758809
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Challenge to the jury instruction

Text: 24 Parise Jr. next challenges--as he did at trial--the district court's jury instructions in which the district court advised the jury that the Government has alleged that defendant Louis Parise Jr. was associated with the enterprise through his dealing[s] with various NMU officials you have heard testify. 6 Parise Jr. contends that this statement led the jury to believe that it could find proof of the requisite association by virtue of the alleged bribery of port agents Jones, Pegan, and Rywelski even if there was no other proof that Parise Jr. had associated with the NMU Enterprise. However, giving the term dealings its plain meaning, we interpret it to mean all interactions or contacts between the union officials and Parise Jr. during which they had the opportunity to learn about his role in the NMU Enterprise. There is no basis either in the context of the instruction or the evidence of the case to equate the word dealings with payoffs or bribes. The substance of the testimony of NMU employees such as Pegan and Rywelski was not limited to their discussion of payoffs for legal referrals, but also included testimony in which they described Parise Jr.'s overall involvement with the NMU Enterprise. Furthermore this jury instruction referred to various NMU officials who testified, including James Overstreet, a business agent for the NMU, and Kenneth Gerasimos, a former Vice President of the union. Both of these officials testified that Parise Jr. was present at union meetings and events. The entire testimony of the officials as to dealings with NMU officials formed the evidentiary basis for a jury determination that Parise Jr. was associated with the enterprise. 25 Finally, it is important that the challenged portion of the charge be read in the context of the entire set of instructions. The district court did instruct the jury as to the need for proof of Parise Jr.'s involvement with the enterprise and its affairs as such: 26 [T]he Government must establish that each defendant was able to commit the racketeering offense solely by virtue of his position in the enterprise or his involvement in or participation in or control over the affairs of the enterprise. The Government must also establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the alleged racketeering acts were committed in the conduct of the affairs of the enterprise. 27 The court's instructions made clear that conduct relating to the NMU Enterprise must form the basis for RICO liability. Therefore, we find that the district court's instructions correctly conveyed the substance of the law and fairly and adequately submitted this issue to the jury.