Filed: Jun. 08, 2011
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ FILED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS No. 10-13887 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT Non-Argument Calendar JUNE 8, 2011 _ JOHN LEY CLERK D.C. Docket No. 1:08-cv-20705-FAM EDUARDO GALIANA, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Petitioner-Appellant, versus SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Respondent-Appellee. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Flori
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ FILED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS No. 10-13887 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT Non-Argument Calendar JUNE 8, 2011 _ JOHN LEY CLERK D.C. Docket No. 1:08-cv-20705-FAM EDUARDO GALIANA, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Petitioner-Appellant, versus SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Respondent-Appellee. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florid..
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[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________ FILED
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
No. 10-13887 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
Non-Argument Calendar JUNE 8, 2011
________________________ JOHN LEY
CLERK
D.C. Docket No. 1:08-cv-20705-FAM
EDUARDO GALIANA,
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Petitioner-Appellant,
versus
SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS,
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Respondent-Appellee.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Florida
________________________
(June 8, 2011)
Before BARKETT, MARCUS and BLACK, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Eduardo Galiana appeals the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2254
habeas corpus petition. Galiana argued the state trial court erred by violating his
Confrontation Clause rights under Crawford v. Washington,
541 U.S. 36, 124 S.
Ct. 1354 (2004), in denying his motion to exclude the results of one of his blood
alcohol tests. The district court denied Galiana’s § 2254 petition, concluding the
supervisory lab technician’s in-court testimony did not violate Crawford. The
district court then granted Galiana a certificate of appealability on his claim
disputing the admissibility of the supervisor’s testimony.1
On appeal, Galiana argues the district court erred in holding the state court’s
admission of the lab supervisor’s in-court testimony, who did not actually conduct
the test, was proper and not a violation of his Confrontation Clause rights under
Crawford. Additionally, Galiana argues the admission of the supervisory
technician’s testimony was not harmless error, as it had a substantial and injurious
effect or influence on the jury’s verdict.
If a federal court determines there has been a constitutional error, habeas
relief may not be warranted if the error was “harmless.” Brecht v. Abrahamson,
507 U.S. 619, 622-23,
113 S. Ct. 1710, 1713-14 (1993). We ask “whether the
1
We review a district court's dismissal of a § 2254 federal habeas petition de novo.
Rolling v. Crosby,
438 F.3d 1296, 1299 (11th Cir. 2006).
2
error had substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury’s
verdict.”
Id. at 637, 113 S. Ct. at 1722. “Under this standard, habeas petitioners
may obtain plenary review of their constitutional claims, but they are not entitled
to habeas relief based on trial error unless they can establish that it resulted in
actual prejudice.”
Id.
Even if the district court erred in admitting the testimony of the supervisory
lab technician, it resulted in harmless error. The jury heard testimony from
multiple law enforcement personnel and paramedics that alcohol could be smelled
on Galiana’s breath, he had bloodshot eyes, mumbled, and was unsteady on his
feet, all indicia of intoxication. Galiana even told a state trooper while he was in
the hospital he had blacked out right before the accident. Additionally, the
emergency room physician who treated Galiana testified the results from the
toxicology test run on Galiana’s blood while he was at the hospital determined his
blood alcohol content was .272, well over the legal limit. Given all of the
testimony presented, the supervising lab technician’s testimony did not have a
substantial effect or influence on the jury’s verdict. Thus, the district court did not
err in concluding any Confrontation Clause error was harmless. Accordingly, we
affirm.
AFFIRMED.
3