Opinion ID: 555478
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Government Witnesses' Perjury

Text: 19 Michaud also argues Rodio deficiently failed to expose perjury on the part of government witnesses Induisi and Friedberg. These witnesses indicated that Michaud had reason to know his LSC deductions were not legitimate. Friedberg testified to telling Michaud that the Life Science Church was a scam and to Michaud's having joked about the scheme. Induisi testified to telling Michaud that the IRS was auditing Induisi as a result of the latter's LSC deduction. 20 Michaud asserts that Induisi's testimony that he told Michaud of the audit was a fabrication. He submits that Induisi purposely held back information of the LSC deduction's invalidity because he wanted Michaud to be investigated in order to divert attention from Induisi's embezzlement from Michaud. Michaud had himself testified at trial that Induisi did not tell him of an audit of Induisi's LSC deduction and did not tell him that the LSC deduction might be inappropriate. However, Michaud proffers no specifics as to Induisi's alleged embezzlement nor does Michaud refer to any new evidence to substantiate his claim of perjury or to establish that Attorney Rodio's performance was deficient in failing to attack Induisi's credibility on this basis. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687-88, 104 S.Ct. at 2064. Michaud's general and unsubstantiated assertions are insufficient to raise an issue warranting further inquiry. 21 Michaud asserts that Mayer Friedberg also committed perjury by stating that the courts had resolved in his favor a lawsuit Michaud brought against him regarding Friedberg's theft of a Michaud company. 7 In his pro se memorandum to the district court Michaud states that his appeal in his suit against Friedberg was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction due to a belated notice of appeal, rather than on the merits. Even accepting Michaud's version of the lawsuit's resolution as accurate, it is doubtful if Friedberg's description reached the level of perjury. In addition, proof of the statement's inaccuracy related solely to Friedberg's credibility; it did not go to direct proof of Michaud's guilt. Attorney Dimitri highlighted on cross-examination of Friedberg the latter's unfriendly relationship with Michaud. The mere failure to have attacked Friedberg's credibility on the submitted additional ground would not have rendered Michaud's representation below an objective standard of reasonableness. See Strickland, supra. 8