Opinion ID: 1434221
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Van Arsdall Factors for Determining Harmless Error under Brecht

Text: For the purposes of habeas corpus review, we assess the prejudicial impact of constitutional trial errors under the substantial and injurious effect standard set forth in Brecht, examining the error by applying the Van Arsdall factors to the facts in the case. If the constitutional error had no material effect, the verdict must stand. However, if the court has grave doubts whether the error had a substantial or injurious effect or influence in determining the jury's verdict, we must treat the error as if it were harmful and grant the petitioner's writ. O'Neal 513 U.S. at 432, 435-36; Stallings, 464 F.3d at 582. [5]
First, Lieutenant Wolter's testimony was important to the prosecution's case. The prosecution stressed similarities between Jensen's past sexual offense and the current case, relying heavily upon Lieutenant Wolter's detailed description of the earlier event to show the alleged similarities. The prosecution drew detailed parallels between the two offenses throughout voir dire, opening statement, trial and closing argument, hypothesizing that the consistency in Jensen's behavior when perpetuating the two offenses suggested that he had a deliberate method or scheme of having sexual contact with young girls. The jury received an instruction that they might consider the two alleged events together as indicative of a deliberate scheme, an instruction tending to bolster A.M.'s credibility and undermine Jensen's testimony. Although Jensen admitted at trial that he been convicted of a prior offense, he provided no details; the details used by the prosecution to draw parallels between the two offenses came solely from Lieutenant's Wolter's erroneously admitted evidence. The prosecution urged the jury to consider that both girls were young girls known to Jensen. Both were near the same age. Both were alone when approached by Jensen. He touched both of them on the breast through their clothing. He touched one on her butt, the other between her legs. He complimented them both on their looks. Without those details, the prosecution could not have drawn meaningful comparisons between Jensen's past offense and the current case. Because the details of Lieutenant Wolter's testimony were a significant part of the prosecutor's case, the testimony likely substantially impacted the jury's verdict.
Wolter's testimony was not cumulative. Although other evidence of the 1989 conviction was raised at trial, Lieutenant Wolter's testimony provided the only details of the 1989 complainant's testimony. Lieutenant Wolter's testimony revealed new facts regarding how Jensen knew the 1989 complainant, how and where he touched her, and what he said to her. Not only were these details not cumulative, but jurors could have easily found that these details bolstered the current case by establishing a pattern of behavior indicative of Jensen's scheme to molest young girls. This potential bolstering weighs against finding harmless error. Vasquez, F.3d at 576 ( citing Arizona v. Fuliminante, 499 U.S. 279, 299 (1991)).
When Detective Randall, who prepared the envelope of purple tell-tale powder interrogated Jensen shortly after he opened the rigged envelope, Jensen admitted that he had engaged in the conduct for which he was convicted in 1989. He also testified that he pled guilty (though he actually pled no-contest) and that he was guilty of the offense. Though no physical evidence connects Jensen to the 1989 conviction, Jensen's own testimony corroborated Lieutenant Wolter's testimony. However, no evidence corroborated the details of the prior conviction; those details came solely from Lieutenant Wolter's testimonial evidence. Thus, though Jensen corroborated the existence of the 1989 conviction, none of the details used by the prosecution in building its case for Jensen's scheme to have physical interactions with young girls were corroborated.
The district court, after examining transcripts from arraignment, pretrial conference, a no-contest plea, and sentencing for the 1989 offense, found that none of these proceedings included an opportunity to cross-examine the 1989 complainant.
Without Lieutenant Wolter's testimony, the prosecution's case was substantial but not overwhelming. Jensen testified before the jury that he had been convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and that he had done many other things of which the police were not aware. He admitted to Lieutenant Wolter at the time of the 1989 conviction that he had deep sexual feelings for young girls and had trouble controlling his behavior, that he was undergoing psychological treatment, and that he had an alcohol and drug problem. As the district court points out, however, these admissions were indicative of character traits in the past, not of guilt in the present case. Little physical evidence linked Jensen to A.M. Although it seems clear that Jensen had been in A.M.'s house on at least one occasion and opened an envelope of purple powder, no physical evidence linked Jensen to A.M. on the day of the alleged incident. Because no witnesses but Jensen and A.M. were present, the case was essentially a credibility contest between Jensen and A.M. Both Jensen and A.M. made statements to investigators that they either revised at trial or were shown to be false at trial. Although Jensen's own admissions and past criminal conduct conviction were certainly damaging, they do not necessarily provide a compelling case for the prosecution. The jury might have believed that A.M.'s family was retaliating against him because Jensen had served them with eviction papers shortly before the alleged incident. Without Lieutenant Wolter's testimony, the jury may have found A.M.'s testimony less credible. Though it is impossible to speculate how the trial may have played out under different circumstances, it is clear that the prosecution's case was materially weaker without Lieutenant Wolter's testimony.