JUAN R. SÁNCHEZ, Chief District Judge.
The origins of this prosecution can be traced to the years-long unsupervised relationship between an American lawyer and Russian boy, plucked from his home by promises of elite ballet training, and their travels between Russia and the United States. The boy claimed the lawyer regularly abused him during their time together, and the lawyer denied it. The jury heard from both and believed the boy, finding the lawyer—Defendant Kenneth Schneider—guilty on both counts of the indictment.
This case stems from Defendant Kenneth Schneider's sexual abuse of an underage Russian ballet student, the years Schneider and the child shared an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and their travel between the United States and the Russian Federation on August 22, 2001.
After extensive motion practice,
After the Government rested, Schneider moved for judgment of acquittal pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 29(a). The Court denied the motion as to Count I and reserved ruling on as to Count II. Schneider's legal team then put on his own case, which was nearly as extensive as the Government's case-in-chief. He took the stand in his own defense and called a number of additional witnesses, including various members of his family (who were parties to the companion civil litigation between the victim and Schneider, but not named in the criminal case), the victim's civil counsel and therapist, another young Eastern European boy who had traveled extensively with Schneider, and the victim's wife and mother-in-law, who were involved in the victim's decision to come forward. Schneider was unable to call his Russian teacher or the former vice-rector of the Bolshoi Academy, both of whom he claims would have provided exculpatory testimony.
On the ninth day, the jury returned a guilty verdict on both counts of the indictment. Schneider's counsel renewed their motion for judgment of acquittal, which the Court ultimately granted on Count II, but denied on Count I. See Order, Sept. 21, 2011, ECF No. 175. A sentencing hearing was conducted on November 30, 2011, and December 1, 2011. The Court imposed a sentence of 180 months' incarceration, three years of supervised release, a special assessment of $100, a fine of $20,000, and restitution of $30,000. See J. & Commitment Order, Dec. 13, 2011, ECF No. 212. On January 17, 2012, Schneider appealed the Judgment and Commitment Order. See Notice of Appeal, Jan. 17, 2012, ECF No. 220.
While the appeal was pending before the Third Circuit, Schneider sought a new trial based on evidence produced during the civil case, which, purportedly, established the victim perjured himself during his testimony at Schneider's criminal trial. See Mot. for New Trial, Aug. 20, 2012, ECF No. 247. On February 13, 2013, the Court denied the motion, and, again, Schneider appealed. See Notice of Appeal, Feb. 21, 2013, ECF No. 263. After hearing argument on both of Schneider's appeals, the Third Circuit affirmed both the Judgment and Commitment Order and the Order denying Schneider's request for a new trial. See Judgment, Sept. 9, 2015, ECF No. 295. The Supreme Court subsequently denied certiorari on February 29, 2016. See Schneider v. United States, 136 S.Ct. 1217 (2016).
On February 28, 2017, Schneider timely filed the instant Motion to Vacate, Set Aside or Correct a Sentence By a Person in Federal Custody Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (the Motion). The matter is now ripe for a decision.
Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, a prisoner in federal custody or may seek to have his sentence vacated, set aside, or corrected if it was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States, or is otherwise subject to collateral attack. Here, Schneider claims his sentence was imposed in violation of his Sixth Amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel, and his due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court will address the grounds for relief in the order in which they appear in Schneider's motion. In so doing, the Court "must accept the truth of the movant's factual allegations unless they are clearly frivolous on the basis of the existing record." United States v. Tolliver, 800 F.3d 138, 141 (3d Cir. 2015).
All but two of Schneider's assert claims for violation of his Sixth Amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel, see U.S. Const. amend. VI. ("In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence."), and so the Court begins by discussing the legal standard applicable to those claims. A criminal defendant establishes a viable claim for violation of his Sixth Amendment right by producing evidence (1) counsel's performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness (the "performance" prong) and (2) the deficient performance resulted in prejudice to the defendant (the "prejudice" prong). Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687 (1984).
To satisfy the performance prong, a petitioner must show his counsel's conduct fell below an objective standard of reasonableness. Id. at 688. When evaluating counsel's performance, there is a "strong presumption that counsel's conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance." Id. at 689. The mere fact that a tactic has been unsuccessful does not necessarily indicate such a tactic was unreasonable, and a court cannot use the benefit of hindsight to second-guess tactical decisions. Id. at 690; see also Diggs v. Owens, 833 F.2d 439, 444-45 (3d Cir. 1987) ("An attorney is presumed to possess skill and knowledge in sufficient degree to preserve the reliability of the adversarial process and afford his client the benefit of a fair trial. Consequently, judicial scrutiny of an attorney's competence is highly deferential."). Indeed, it is "only the rare claim of ineffective assistance of counsel that should succeed under the properly deferential standard to be applied in scrutinizing counsel's performance." United States v. Gray, 878 F.2d 702, 711 (3d Cir.1989).
To satisfy the prejudice prong, "[t]he defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsels' unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different." Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694. This standard requires the petitioner to show more than "that the errors had some conceivable effect on the outcome of the proceeding." Id. at 693. Rather, those errors must be of sufficient magnitude "to undermine confidence in the outcome" of the trial. Id. at 694. In ruling on a § 2255 motion, a court may address the prejudice prong first "and reject an ineffectiveness claim solely on the ground that the defendant was not prejudiced." Rolan v. Vaughn, 445 F.3d 671, 678 (3d Cir.2006).
Claim I involves Schneider's counsels' use of an article appearing in the Russian newspaper, Kommersant, accusing Schneider of being a homosexual and pedophile, see Mot. A.3 ("They assure that one American, Mr. Schneider, who is a pedophile and homosexual, has started playing a big role in the school."), which was later retracted by the newspaper, see id. A.5 ("On April 10, 2002[,] . . . groundless and unfair accusations were made against US citizen Kenneth Schneider, who was financially and [in] other way[s] assisting [the Bolshoi Academy].").
Schneider's reliance on a number of out-of-context references is misplaced. Nearly every reference to the article by his counsel was accompanied by reference to the retraction of the article, thus curing whatever prejudice may have resulted from reference to the unfounded allegation in isolation. However, the Court need not decide this aspect of the Motion on the prejudice prong alone because the Court is satisfied its repeated reference was in the service of counsel's trial strategy, and thus Schneider's claim also fails on Strickland's performance prong. As the Government points out, it was reasonable for counsel to cite the article and its retraction in order to preempt the Government's reliance on the document, as well as to try to: (1) establish Schneider was being unfairly targeted; (2) demonstrate no one—including the victim, his parents, or other individuals regularly in contact with him—actually believed Schneider was a pedophile at the time the article came out; and, (3) garner sympathy for Schneider. As a result, the Court also finds the use of the Kommersant article did not fall below an objective standard of reasonableness, and thus Schneider has failed to meet his burden under Strickland's performance prong. Relief will be denied on Claim I.
In Claim II, Schneider asserts his counsel was ineffective because he conceded Schneider's guilt. As evidence, Schneider points to his counsel's argument that the Government failed to show that the dominant purpose of the 2001 return trip to Moscow was sexual, Tr. 1.45, and that under Russian law, the victim was not "materially dependent" on Schneider, Tr.8.106-07. In other words, Schneider claims his counsel was constitutionally ineffective by making arguments in favor of acquittal rather than solely denying any sexual contact between Schneider and the victim ever occurred. Relief is not warranted.
First, Schneider's gloss on counsel's arguments is not supported by the record. At no time—including when arguing that the Government failed to satisfy its burden on other elements of the crimes charged—did counsel ever concede Schneider's guilt. Indeed, counsel, in both his opening and closing arguments, repeatedly proclaimed Schneider's innocence and sought to undermine the victim's credibility. See e.g., Tr. 1.30 ("Ken denies it, absolutely, and he will tell you so."); 1.43 ("Ken didn't offer to pay any money [after receiving the victim's civil demand], `cause he didn't do anything wrong . . . he's endured a horrific two years that you'll hear about, but he's endured it, cause he did nothing wrong."); 8.74 ("And when you first hearing something like this, you must think it's true, who would make this up? Why would anybody make this up? You heard about twenty million reasons why people would make this up."); Tr. 8.95 ("Does it make sense that he's going to call [the Bolshoi medical staff] out like that at a time when he's raping a child across the street? I'd suggest that's unlikely."); Tr. 8.108 ("He didn't pay these people off. He didn't offer them ten cents and the reason, it's because he didn't do anything and he's counting on justice."). As Schneider concedes, his trial was ultimately a credibility contest between he and the victim, and counsel aggressively sought to undermine the victim's version of events.
Second, the Court also rejects Schneider's argument counsel was ineffective for conceding, during his closing, that characterizing the charges against Schneider as "made up, is maybe, too strong." Mot. 19 (quoting Tr. 8.106). The Court is not persuaded Schneider met his burden on either Strickland's prongs. The Court can envision a number of strategies such a conciliatory gesture might serve, including ingratiating counsel with the jury (something he sought to do repeatedly throughout the trial
Finally, in further support of Claim II, Schneider cites pieces of counsel's cross examination of case agent Emily Arnold. To the extent this aspect of his argument is based on counsel's one-time use of the phrase "any relevant time," the Court is not persuaded relief is justified. As the Government points out, Arnold never answered the question which included this modifier, and the Court instructed in its closing charge that counsels' questions were not evidence—a rule to which defense counsel alluded in his own closing. See Tr. 8.120 ("Questions by the lawyers and questions that I might have asked, is not evidence . . . objections by the lawyers including objections in which the lawyer stated facts, is not evidence."); see also Tr. 8.74-75 ("But you shouldn't decide the case based on whether you think the demand is reasonable or the conduct of the lawyers is appropriate or not, that's not appropriate, I'd suggest. What's appropriate is to look at the evidence in the courtroom . . . And I'd like to invite you to look at the evidence in this case, not the emotions, look at the evidence."). The Court is also persuaded by the Government's argument with respect to Strickland's prejudice prong. Although not all aspects of counsel's cross examination were necessarily helpful—particularly those questions about the limitations on Arnold's investigation, which could reasonably be construed to support the inference other victims might have been out there—on the whole, the Court does not find this single line of questioning, which was part of an extended cross examination, was so damaging as to undermine confidence in the jury's unanimous verdict. For these reasons, the Court will deny Schneider's second claim for relief.
Claim III attacks his counsel's decision to call two witness, a therapist who had attempted to treat the victim, Christina Bates, and the victim's attorney in the parallel civil proceedings, E. William Hevenor. Although the Court questions whether the testimony of these witnesses was helpful to Schneider's defense, it will nevertheless deny relief because counsels' decision to call these witnesses did not fall below an objective standard of reasonableness.
Regarding the decision to call Bates, the victim's therapist, Schneider argues counsel was ineffective because aspects of her testimony corroborated the victim's claimed trauma. Schneider specifically focuses on Bates's testimony that the victim related to her that a "trigger for him was when his wife would approach him from behind, maybe, to come up behind him and hug up to him, that was very bothersome for him." Tr. 6.37. She testified further this "was the only trigger he reported to me that I noted was a direct influence or result of his reported molestation." Id. Schneider claims this testimony bolstered the Government's case by corroborating the victim's testimony and was based on "ignorance of the sequelae of trauma." Mot. 26. Schneider also complains his counsel's decision to call Bates created the opportunity for the Government to cross Bates in a way that confirmed the victim suffered many of the classic signs of trauma—inadequate eye contact, soft voice, flat affect, and a difficult time volunteering information. See Mot. 27-28.
The Court will not grant Schneider's request for relief on this claim. On balance, the Court agrees that Bates's testimony was likely more harmful to Schneider than it was helpful.
The Court will also deny Schneider's request for relief to the extent it is premised on counsels' decision to call E. William Hevenor, the victim's civil counsel. The primary thrusts of Schneider's argument are that counsel's decision to call Hevenor (who his counsel declined to treat as hostile) prejudiced Schneider by (1) creating the opportunity for Hevenor to express his obvious contempt for Schneider and (2) questioning Hevenor in a way which undermined the credibility of Schneider's parents, who had testified earlier on his behalf.
The Court will deny relief on this aspect of Schneider's claim because he has not satisfied Strickland's performance prong. Again, as with Bates's testimony, Hevenor's testimony was probably not as helpful to Schneider as his counsel may have hoped. Indeed, the guilty verdict suggests counsel's attempts to use Hevenor's testimony to establish a motivation for the victim to fabricate his claims was unsuccessful. However, counsels' decision to call Hevenor in the service of this strategy—regardless of whether Hevenor was treated as a hostile witness—was reasonable. As has been noted throughout, Schneider's counsel repeatedly framed the matter as a credibility contest between Schneider and his victim. Hevenor's testimony regarding the value of the civil case was clearly germane to Schneider's counsel's attempts to show the victim was motivated by the prospect of a large civil award, and not because Schneider had actually abused him. Similarly, Hevenor's testimony as to his involvement in the victim's mental health treatment, which counsel suggested was for the purpose of finding a more litigation-friendly provider, was also clearly related to counsel's attempts to undermine the victim's credibility. Ultimately, Schneider's complaint is really about Hevenor's lack of cooperation on the stand, and a series of unresponsive outbursts in which Hevenor expressed his clear disdain for Schneider. However, by its very nature, counsel could not have anticipated Hevenor's indecorous conduct (especially for a member of the bar), and thus cannot be found ineffective for calling him on this basis.
Schneider also takes issue with a portion of Hevenor's questioning related to Schneider's parents, Marjorie and Bernard, who had previously testified on their son's behalf. Specifically, he claims his counsel's attempts to question Hevenor about his investigation into the merits of the victim's civil case undermined Marjorie and Bernard's testimony. Having reviewed the testimony at issue, it is readily apparent counsel was attempting to probe Hevenor's factual basis for filing the civil claims against Marjorie and Bernard, as well as Schneider's sister, Susan (about whom counsel had questioned Hevenor immediately beforehand). Doing so was reasonable in light of the connection between the civil case against Schneider—in which Marjorie, Bernard, and Susan, were named—and the criminal prosecution. That Hevenor did not provide answers counsel could then use does not mean his questioning was deficient. Even if Schneider's claim succeeded on Strickland's performance prong, the Court would nevertheless decline to grant relief because Schneider has failed to establish that, had counsel not asked these questions, the result of the trial may have been different (i.e., success on the prejudice prong). Despite Schneider's argument to the contrary, no reasonable review of the testimony at issue supports his position that counsel's questioning "provided powerful corroboration of . . . an uncharged conspiracy involving other members of [Schneider's] family." Mot. 29-30. Schneider's request for relief on this basis will, therefore, be denied.
In Claim IV, Schneider alleges counsel's deficiency with respect to the "innocent round trip" exception stated in Mortensen v. United States, 332 U.S. 369 (1944) and its application to Schneider's charge for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b). More specifically, Schneider claims counsel was ineffective for failing to (1) object to the "dominant purpose" instruction, which he claims improperly split his trip into two parts, Mot. 35; (2) request an instruction on the innocent round trip exception, which he claims was required to cure the prejudice caused by the "dominant purpose" instruction's improper severing of his trip id. 36; and, (3) present "readily available evidence" in support of the innocent round trip exception, id. 38. None of Schneider's allegations warrants relief.
Each of the three sub-grounds Schneider relies upon would require this Court to extend the innocent round trip exception from its traditional confines as an exception to a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2421 (which the Court applied to dismiss one of Schneider's convictions, post-trial) to a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b). This is the third time Schneider has asked a Court to do so (although the first in this procedural posture), and because it is the third time, the Court need not repeat the exhaustive treatment the issue received both before this Court and the Third Circuit. See United States v. Schneider, 817 F.Supp.2d 586, 599 (E.D. Pa. 2011) (noting "the rationale of Mortensen does not apply, and it is not improper to focus only on Schneider's intent in making the trip from Philadelphia to Russia"), aff'd, 801 F.3d 186, 195 ("Because the trip was part of Schneider's calculated plan to manipulate and abuse the victim, the Mortensen exception is inapplicable."). It suffices to say Schneider's counsels' failure to undertake certain actions based on law that does not apply cannot serve as the basis for a claim for the ineffective assistance of counsel. Claim IV will be denied.
In Claim V, Schneider asserts he is entitled to relief based on counsel's purported failure to object to four different instances of prejudicial testimony. Specifically, he claims his counsel should have objected to (1) the victim's father's insinuation that homosexuality equated to pedophilia; (2) the victim's mother's testimony stating she observed the victim making sexual motions in his sleep; (3) questions suggesting that, because he was not a ballet instructor, Schneider's presence at the Bolshoi Academy must have meant he was a pedophile; and, (4) testimony attempting to show Schneider supplanted the victim's parents' authority. Schneider also complains his counsel failed to refute testimony that Schneider "related" to the victim "in an inappropriately familiar manner." Mot. 43. None of these grounds warrant relief.
First, Schneider argues he is entitled to relief because his counsel interjected, and failed to intercede in the Government's attempts to interject, the inference that homosexuality equated with pedophilia. The Court is not persuaded. The animus from which the false equivalence between homosexuality and pedophilia stems is obvious—and discrediting—and so counsels' decision to allow the victim's father to express such prejudice, and later confirm it through Tatiana Dokukina, was reasonable.
Second, Schneider claims his counsel was deficient for failing to object to the victim's mother's testimony that she observed the victim making motions of an "obviously . . . sexual character" in his sleep. Tr. 2.134. This claim also fails on both the performance and prejudice prongs. The mother's observations were obviously relevant to whether Schneider was abusing her son, and counsels' decision not to make a meritless objection—which would have drawn more attention to a damaging piece of testimony—was thus reasonable. The Court also disagrees with Schneider's assertion that it would have granted an objection. Under even the most favorable circumstances, an objection would likely have resulted in the Court requiring the Government to lay a more thorough foundation for the mother's conclusion, such as by having her describe the precise motions she observed. Avoiding this unquestionably more damaging possibility by refraining from objecting was also reasonable. Moreover, Schneider's claim on Strickland's prejudice prong is undercut by the testimony of the victim's therapist, Christina Bates, who explained the victim had post-traumatic stress disorder which manifested as a fear of being approached from behind. Thus, even had the Court done exactly what Schneider claims it would have done (i.e., grant the objection and bar the mother's testimony), evidence of the victim's response to trauma would have been before the jury.
Schneider also claims relief is warranted because his counsel failed to object to the Government's attempt to establish he was a pedophile by eliciting testimony Schneider (1) was involved with the Bolshoi, notwithstanding his lack of formal ballet training, and (2) had, in the eyes of the victim's mother, supplanted her and her husband's parental authority. As to his involvement with the Bolshoi, Schneider offers no specific objection. At best, this ground for relief is merely a disagreement with the inference the Government asked the jury to make, i.e., he was involved with the Bolshoi to find and groom victims. His disagreement does not entitle him to relief. With respect to the mother's testimony, Schneider is somewhat more specific, positing the testimony was impermissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 701. But the isolated comment upon which Schneider relies is out of context. Considered as part of the larger line of questioning to which it belongs, it is clear the victim's mother's testimony is rationally based on her perception, helpful to understanding her testimony, and not based on any specialized knowledge within the scope of Rule 702. This ground for relief will be denied.
The final aspect of this portion of Schneider's motion faults counsel for failing to rebut the Government's attempt to demonstrate Schneider and the victim conversed in an inappropriate manner by using the Russian language's familiar forms of address. The Court need not address whether Schneider has met Strickland's performance prong because Schneider has not made a compelling case on the prejudice prong. At best, the use of the familiar form was a piece of exceptionally weak circumstantial evidence supporting the Government's case. No reasonable review of the trial transcript supports the conclusion that, had counsel drawn more attention to the issue by presenting the testimony of Schneider's translator, there is a reasonable probability the outcome might have been different. As a result, the Court finds Schneider has failed to establish the prejudice prong of the Strickland analysis and will deny relief on this basis.
In Claim VI, Schneider claims he is entitled to relief because the Government violated his due process rights during its cross-examination of SG,
Because Schneider's claims involve allegations of perjury vis-à-vis SG's testimony concerning Schneider's purported hostility to SaG's presence during the New Orleans trip, including by initially refusing to pay for her tickets, the Court's analysis begins with an in-depth review of the written statements and trial testimony. On July 23, 2009, Special Agents Emily Arnold and Glenn Spindel conducted an interview of SG (then 13 years old), his sister, SaG (then 23 years old), and their mother, RG. See Opp'n Ex. A at 3. On August 4, 2009, Special Agent Arnold prepared a Report of Investigation (the Report) summarizing the information provided by the interviewees. See id. at 1. Although the Report refers to each of the interviewees, the Report does not consistently identify which statements are attributable to which of the three interviewees. In a portion attributable to RG, SG's mother, RG recounts Schneider as asking whether SG "could attend summer school and perform in a concert in the United States." Opp'n Ex. A at 3. According to the Report, "[RG] stated that she agreed to let [SG] travel to the United States if his sister, [SaG], accompanied him." Id. Crucially, the Report explains further:
Id. The Report also includes five paragraphs, which appear to reflect statements given by SG. Id. at 5-6. Although the statements describe the circumstances of his, his sister's, and Schneider's time in New Orleans (i.e., the things he did while there), they do not reference the crucial issues of who paid for the trip and whether Schneider was at all hostile to SaG's presence. Id.
Finally, the Report includes statements which appear to be given by SaG, who, as noted, is SG's older sister and accompanied him on the trip to New Orleans. SaG recounted she first met Schneider after Schneider awarded SG a scholarship. During their correspondence, Schneider offered to arrange a trip to the United States for SG. "When it was planned for [SaG] to attend to supervise [SG]," the Report states, "Schneider stated that it would be easier for [SaG] to obtain a visa if she was listed as a `Regional Coordinator' of the Apogee Foundation."
Id.
Three days before the beginning of the trial in this matter, on September 17, 2010, RG gave a second statement to Special Agent Michael C. Ruibal. See Opp'n Ex. B at 1. The individuals present for this interview were RG, Special Agent Ruibal, Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan, and a translator, Lee Roth. Id. In this statement, RG stated:
Id. Without any supporting evidence, the Government contends this statement was produced to Schneider's counsel mid-trial, a claim which Schneider disputes.
On September 27, 2010, ten days after RG's second statement and on the fifth day of trial, Schneider's counsel called SG to the stand. On direct, Schneider's counsel elicited from SG information concerning the New Orleans trip. See Tr. 5.155 ("Q. Did there come a time when you took a trip to America to perform? A. Yes."); id. 5.156 ("Q. Where did you go in America to perform? A. New Orleans."). Counsel specifically asked SG about who paid for the trip and whether his sister, SaG, accompanied him:
Id. 5.157. Having had the door opened to details about the New Orleans trip, the Government proceeded to ask SG about it on cross:
Id. 5.160. After the Government concluded, Schneider's counsel declined to conduct any re-direct examination. See id. 5.161-62.
Based on the above, Schneider claims his due process rights were violated, and his counsel was ineffective for failing to correct the errors on re-direct. Specifically, he claims (1) the Government knowingly elicited false testimony by suggesting, via leading questions, that Schneider actively opposed SaG's trip to New Orleans, despite the fact the Report indicates Schneider worked to actively facilitate her joining the trip; and, (2) counsel was ineffective for failing to correct the false record created by the Government. In response, the Government claims it did not elicit false testimony from SG because his testimony was consistent with RG's second statement and aspects of her first statement.
In Napue v. Illinois, the Supreme Court held that the government violates a defendant's due process right by knowingly presenting or failing to correct false testimony in a criminal proceeding. See 360 U.S. at 269. In this Circuit, a Napue violation is established where a § 2255 movant shows: "(1) [the government's witness] committed perjury; (2) the government knew or should have known of his perjury; (3) the testimony went uncorrected; and (4) there is any reasonable likelihood that the false testimony could have affected the verdict." United States v. John-Baptiste, 747 F.3d 186, 210 (3d Cir. 2014) (alterations in original and quoting Lambert v. Blackwell, 387 F.3d 210, 242 (3d Cir. 2004)). "A witness commits perjury if he or she `gives false testimony concerning a material matter with the willful intent to provide false testimony, rather than as a result of confusion, mistake, or faulty memory.'" United States v. Hoffecker, 530 F.3d 137, 183 (3d Cir. 2008) (quoting United States v. Dunnigan, 507 U.S. 87, 94 (1993)).
Although Schneider has satisfied at least some of the elements for Napue relief, he has failed to establish SG committed perjury and thus is not entitled to relief. In the absence of such evidence—which Schneider has not described, much less proffered—there is simply no basis in the record to conclude SG's testimony, as inconsistent as it might have been with what others are reported to have said, was falsely made with "willful intent." Id. at 183.
In Claim VII, Schneider claims counsel was ineffective for calling SG as a witness without having interviewed him prior to his testimony. In support of his position, Schneider attaches affidavits from SG and SaG in which they outline the favorable testimony they might have provided. See A18-A23. The Government only obliquely responds, opposing relief on the basis that counsels' decision to call SG was a reasonable trial strategy. Opp'n 22. The Court denies relief on other grounds.
Ineffectiveness claims based on counsel's failure to investigate, like this one, call for a sliding scale approach to the reasonableness of counsel's conduct under Strickland's first prong. At one end are "strategic choices made after thorough investigation of law and facts relevant to plausible options," which are "virtually unchallengeable." United States v. Gray, 878 F.2d 702, 710 (3d Cir. 1989) (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690)). At the other extreme are those cases in which there is a "complete failure to investigate," in which case, a Sixth Amendment violation is "generally clear." Id. at 711. Somewhere in the middle lie "strategic choices made after less than complete investigation," which are protected from second-guessing "precisely to the extent that reasonable professional judgments support the limitations on investigation." Id. (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690-91); see also Berryman v. Morton, 100 F.3d 1089, 1101 (3d Cir. 1996) ("An attorney need not fully investigate every potential avenue if he or she has reasonable grounds for not doing so."). This sliding scale of deference notwithstanding, a movant must still establish prejudice. See United States v. Travillion, 759 F.3d 281, 293 n. 23 (3d Cir. 2014) (finding counsel's failure to investigate was a "per se deficiency" but noting the deficiency was "not dispositive," having found the movant "was not prejudiced by the actions of trial counsel.").
Initially, the Court must consider the level of deference to apply to counsels' conduct. On one hand, Schneider insinuates the Court should find counsels' conduct was per se deficient because counsel never interviewed SG, despite the witness's week-long presence in Philadelphia. See Mot. 57 ("Not having spoken with SG, trial counsel was not in a position to know what influenced SG, nor how he might express his perceptions of experiences with Petitioner. Thus, when trial counsel called SG, trial counsel was shooting blindly, and paid dearly."). On the other, the Government's argument suggests that, because counsels' decision to call SG accords with counsels' strategy, it is, in Strickland parlance, virtually unchallengeable. See Opp'n 22 (noting SG's "testimony was part of trial counsel's strategy and cannot be second-guessed").
Having reviewed the pertinent records, the Court finds neither parties' position to be supported. Counsel had clearly done some amount of research into SG's potential testimony—after all, his questioning does track aspects of SG's statements in the Report. Thus, there is no basis to support the conclusion counsel completely failed to investigate how SG might testify and find a "per se" deficiency. See Travillion, 759 F.3d at 293 n. 23. On the other hand, the Government's argument that counsel's questioning of SG is outside the bounds of Strickland review because it fit within his purported strategy presumes that counsel conducted a thorough investigation of SG's potential testimony—which is the very presumption Schneider challenges. Schneider's counsel was by no means obligated to conduct a comprehensive background check into SG and his family, but the end point of counsel's investigation, where it appears to have been less than exhaustive, is subject to review. See Berryman, 100 F.3d at 1101 ("An attorney need not fully investigate every potential avenue if he or she has reasonable grounds for not doing so."). Thus, the Court can neither summarily conclude counsels' conduct fell below an objective standard of reasonableness, nor summarily deny relief because counsel's conduct was objectively reasonable.
The Court finds the appropriate inquiry is whether it was reasonable for counsel to have called SG having only reviewed the Report, without having interviewed him or reviewed the email written by the International Center for Women Rights Protection and Promotion attached to it,
The Court concludes counsels' decision to call SG having only the Report as a guide to SG's putative testimony was reasonable under the circumstances. Nothing in the Report, considered in isolation, would have compelled further investigation. At worst, SG's statement as recorded in the Report suggests he thought Schneider's touching was "unnecessary." See Opp'n Ex. A at 6. However, conspicuously absent from the Report is any mention by SG of any sexual—or inappropriate—contact, a fact Schneider's counsel brought out on direct examination. See Tr. 5.158:24-25 ("Q. Did Kenneth Schneider ever do anything improper with you? A. No."). Thus, it was reasonable for counsel to call SG to get that fact into the record.
The reasonableness of counsels' decision is further underscored when considered against the backdrop of the events unfolding out of court at that time. SG was called by the defense at the end of the fifth day of trial. At this point, SG and RG had been brought to the United States from Moldova by the Government, housed in a hotel for days at Government expense, questioned by Government lawyers and agents, and then dismissed. See Tr. 8.82:8-16.
In Claim VIII, Schneider asserts the ineffective assistance of counsel in connection with the testimony of his housekeeper, Ludmilla Ivanovna Kozyreva.
First, the Court does not find counsel was constitutionally ineffective for "allowing any evidence relating to alleged illicit sexual conduct that occurred in the first apartment." Mot. 67. This claim flows from Schneider's misinterpretation of the Court's September 3, 2010, evidentiary ruling limiting the Government's ability to introduce "testimonial evidence" of Schneider's sexual misconduct "if such misconduct occurred during the period between August 22, 2000 and November 22, 2001." See Mem. & Order, Sept. 3, 2010, ECF No. 95. The same Order also permitted the Government to introduce "evidence regarding the formation of the relationship between Schneider and the victim . . . outside the period from August 22, 2000 to November 22, 2001." Id. In his Motion, Schneider claims his counsel was ineffective for allowing Kozyreva to testify that bed linens were found on only one bed in the first apartment Schneider shared with the victim, which the pair vacated in June, 2000. Presumably, this testimony supported the inference that Schneider and the victim shared a bed, which, in turn, supported the inference that Schneider was sexually abusing the victim.
Schneider's claim rests on the faulty premise the September 23, 2010, Order would have prohibited Kozyreva's testimony about the bedding. However, having reviewed the record surrounding the Order, which included the specific statements giving rise to the Order, see Gov't's Response to Court's Order of Aug. 19, 2019, Aug. 24, 2010, ECF No. 91, it is clear the "testimonial evidence" to which the Court's Order refers is the victim's graphic recounting to the FBI of the manner and method of Schneider's sexual abuse. After conducting the requisite balancing, the Court concluded that, although the descriptions were clearly probative, the statements' graphic details risked unfair prejudice. The Court thus limited the admissibility to statements describing the abuse during a certain time period. See Mem. & Order, Sept. 3, 2010, ECF No. 95. It is not at all clear, and Schneider has not explained, how the Court's narrow ruling could have been construed to prohibit Kozyreva's testimony concerning the bedding. And, because counsel cannot be ineffective for failing to raise an otherwise meritless objection, no relief is due. See Werts v. Vaughn, 228 F.3d 178, 203 (3d Cir. 2000) (noting "counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to raise a meritless claim.").
Second, Schneider claims counsel was ineffective for failing to adequately interview Kozyreva. The thrust of Schneider's claim appears to be that, had counsel conducted a "proper" interview of Kozyreva, he would have discovered certain "relevant and extremely helpful" information, which is contained in an affidavit signed by Kozyreva and attached to his Motion. Mot. 68; see also A25-28. Relief will be denied because this claim engenders the sort of hindsight bias that Strickland and its progeny unambiguously proscribe. See Yarborough, 540 U.S. at 6 ("The Sixth Amendment guarantees reasonable competence, not perfect advocacy judged with the benefit of hindsight.").
The evidence in the record reflects that Schneider's representatives—including his American and Russian counsel, a translator, and Tatiana Dokukina—met with Kozyreva on several occasions prior to her testimony. See Tr. (LK) 39:22-40:7 (confirming American and Russian counsel, and a translator, visited Kozyreva at her apartment, and that Russian counsel had, on at least one prior occasion, also interviewed her); see also id. 36:4-7 ("Q. And Tatiana [Dokukina] did, in fact, come to visit you? A. Well, she probably lives here in Moscow. Yes, she came." (emphasis added)). It is not clear—and Schneider has not explained—how the answers Kozyreva gave in the first three meetings (one with Dokokina, one with Russian counsel, and one with both Russian and American counsel) justified a fourth, see Berryman, 100 F.3d at 1101 ("An attorney need not fully investigate every potential avenue if he or she has reasonable grounds for not doing so."), and the Court will not second-guess the specific questions counsel asked of Kozyreva, see Strickland, 466 U.S. 689 ("It is all too tempting for a defendant to second-guess counsel's assistance after conviction or adverse sentence, and it is all too easy for a court, examining counsel's defense after is has proved unsuccessful, to conclude that particular act or omission of counsel was unreasonable."). As a result, this aspect of Schneider's motion will be denied.
Third, Schneider claims trial counsel was constitutionally ineffective for "failing to move to strike the Kozyreva testimony as a structural violation of the United States Constitution" and appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to raise the issue on direct appeal (to whatever extent it had been preserved).
In Claim IX, Schneider asserts counsel was ineffective for failing to arrange the testimony of Tatiana Ponomorova, a Russian citizen who tutored Schneider in the Russian language and occasionally provided translation services to him in the course of his business. Schneider claims Ponomorova would have testified to his efforts to secure housing for the victim outside his own apartment—thus negating the government's theory that "a man in his early thirties who insists that a twelve-year-old boy live alone with him is just the type of man who would molest such a boy." Mot. 72. The government opposes relief on the basis Schneider cannot show prejudice. The Court agrees with the government.
At issue here is whether counsel's failure to secure Ponomorova's testimony about Schneider's alleged request that she house the victim and his inquiry into her awareness of possible alternative placements when she said that she could not house the boy, was so deficient that, but for counsel's failure, "there is a reasonable probability . . . the result of the proceeding would have been different." Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694. The Court concludes counsels' failure does not create such a probability. As the Government points out, Schneider himself testified as to his efforts to secure alternative housing for the victim. See Tr. 7.112:10-14 ("Q. What steps did you take to find housing for [RZ] in that neighborhood? A. I contacted everyone I knew in the neighborhood to see whether they could host him or who knew someone who could, for example."). When asked whether he could recalled any "specific conversations," Schneider testified as having specifically asked Ponomorova and the housekeeper, Kozyrema, whether either of them could house the boy. See Tr. 7.112:15-22.
The issue was also presented earlier in the trial through the testimony of Tatiana Dokukina. During her cross-examination, counsel broached the subject of Schneider's attempts to secure alternate housing. In response to counsel's questions, Dokukina confirmed (1) she had had conversations about the victim's housing with Schneider, see Tr. 4.63:21-25; (2) she was aware the Bolshoi's administrators had, at least according to the victim's parents, forbidden him from living in the dormitory, see Tr. 4.65:7-11; and (3) her belief there were two options for the victim's living situation: "for him to live separately and hire some kind of a governess" and "to put [the victim] at Ken's and then his housekeeper would be taking care of him," Tr. 4.65:13-19. Although this testimony is, perhaps, not as affirmatively supportive of Schneider's version of events as the Government suggests, Dokukina's answers clearly support the inference Schneider's counsel asked the jury to make—that Schneider did not engineer the victim's living situation such that the victim had no choice but to reside with Schneider. See Tr. 8.101 ("Counsel keeps saying and witnesses have been encouraged to say that [RZ] went back to the dormitory and then, Ken got him out of the dormitory and took him in to his apartment. That's not true. How do you know it's not true? There's no order readmitting him to the dormitory.").
Because the justification for Schneider's housing the victim was properly raised by Schneider himself, discussed by Tatiana Dokukina during her cross-examination by Schneider's counsel, and at least indirectly referred to by counsel during his closing, it is not clear what more Ponomorova's putative testimony would have added to the mix. See Hess v. Mazurkiewicz, 135 F.3d 905, 909 (3d Cir. 1998) (noting § 2254 petitioner failed to establish Strickland prejudice based on counsel's failure to call additional alibi witnesses where the alibi defense was presented by witnesses who testified). Accordingly, Schneider has failed to establish the missing testimony undermined confidence in the outcome of his trial. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694. Relief will be denied on this ground.
Claim X stems from the victim's purported perjury and trial and appellate counsels' purported failure to accurately present it to this Court and the Third Circuit.
Schneider has not shown a right to relief. It is not clear, and Schneider has failed to identify with any precision, what aspects of counsels' presentation to this Court or the Third Circuit were deficient. Schneider cites no specific portion of trial or appellate counsels' briefing, or the transcript of the argument before this Court or the Third Circuit, and the Court is not obligated to mine the voluminous record on his behalf. Thus, Schneider has failed to establish that counsels' conduct fell below an objective standard of reasonableness. See United States v. Thomas, 221 F.3d 430, 437 (3d Cir. 2000) (noting "vague and conclusory allegations contained in a § 2255 petition may be disposed of without further investigation by the District Court"); see also Cross, 308 F.3d at 315 (noting a § 2255 movant must show appellate counsel's representation fell below Strickland's "objective standard of reasonableness" to obtain relief).
More problematic, the Court is not persuaded Schneider can show prejudice with respect to counsels' performance, i.e., that either this Court would have granted his motion for a new trial or the Third Circuit reversed this Court's denial of his motion for a new trial, had counsel performed in the way Schneider claims they should have.
In Claim XI, Schneider asserts counsel was ineffective in connection with certain evidence located abroad. Specifically, Schneider claims counsel was ineffective for failing to move to dismiss the indictment on the basis of a structural error after it became clear the defense would have to proceed without the testimony of Yuri Palchikov, the Bolshoi Academy's former vice-rector, and the victim's medical records from Bolshoi doctors created during the period of the alleged abuse. The Court will deny relief because its inability to secure Palchikov's testimony or the victim's records was not a structural error, thus a motion by defense counsel suggesting the contrary would have been meritless, and the failure to make a meritless motion cannot serve as the basis for § 2255 relief.
There are two types of constitutional errors for which relief may be granted: "`trial errors,' which are subject to constitutional harmless error analysis, and `structural defects,' which require automatic reversal or vacatur." Palmer v. Hendricks, 592 F.3d 386, 397 (quoting United States v. Stevens, 223 F.3d 239, 244 (3d Cir. 2000)). "Structural defects are `defects in the constitution of the trial mechanism' that affect `the framework within which the trial proceeds,' with such a resulting impairment in the trial's function of determining guilt or innocence that `no criminal punishment may be regarded as fundamentally fair.'" United States v. Vazquez, 271 F.3d 93, 103 (3d Cir. 2001) (quoting Arizona v. v. Fulminante, 499 U.S. 279, 309-10 (1991) (opinion of Rehnquist, C.J.)). The Supreme Court has recognized structural errors "only in a very limited class of cases." Johnson v. United States, 520 U.S. 461, 468-69 (1997) (collecting cases). The list "includes complete denial of counsel, biased judges, racial discrimination in selection of grand jury, denial of self-representation at trial, denial of public trial, and a seriously defective reasonable doubt instruction." Palmer, 223 F.3d at 397 (quoting Stevens, 223 F.3d at 244)).
Schneider claims the Court's inability to compel Palchikov to testify or obtain the medical records from the victim's time at the Bolshoi Academy were structural errors because the Government was able to make use of the United States' Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Russia to secure evidence in its favor, and he was not. Schneider asserts "a defendant's rights to a fair trial, due process and compulsory process do not permit the government to have a greater ability [to] obtain necessary trial evidence through compulsory process than a defendant." Mot. 79. Schneider does not, however, cite any legal authority in support of his position (as intuitive as parity in access to evidence may sound in the abstract) and the Court finds none, having conducted its own research. For this reason, the Court will decline Schneider's invitation to find the asymmetrical access to information resulted in a structural error requiring vacatur of his conviction, which has the cascading effect of foreclosing Schneider's claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to move to dismiss the indictment on this basis. See Werts, 228 F.3d at 203 (noting "counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to raise a meritless claim").
The Court's conclusion accords with decisions from other courts recognizing limitations on the right to compulsory process in the context of evidence located abroad. See United States v. Theresius Filippi, 918 F.2d 244, 247 (1st Cir. 1990) (noting "the right of compulsory process does not ordinarily extend beyond the boundaries of the United States"). These out-of-circuit cases suggest a criminal defendant's right to compulsory process in this context is co-extensive with the Court's authority to command a subject's participation, as distinct from the Executive's ability to secure such evidence through its own agreements with other countries. See United States v. Rosen, 240 F.R.D. 204, 214 (E.D. Va. 2007) (noting "it is quite clear that the right to compulsory process extends only to forms of process a court can issue of its own power, not to forms of process that require the cooperation of the Executive Branch or foreign courts."); see also United States v. Sedaghaty, 728 F.3d 885, 917 (9th Cir. 2013) (holding the district court "had no authority to order the Executive Branch to invoke the treaty process to obtain evidence abroad for a private citizen").
In Claim XII, Schneider asserts appellate counsel was constitutionally ineffective in connection with his statute of limitations defense. Before this Court and the Third Circuit, Schneider argued his conviction was barred by the five-year statute of limitations generally applicable to federal crimes.
On collateral review, Schneider argues that counsel was constitutionally deficient by advancing the essential ingredient test. Instead, Schneider now claims, counsel should have argued for a categorical approach—i.e., one considering only the elements of the offense charged, without respect to his particular offense conduct. He also challenges § 3283's use of the term "sexual abuse" as vague, and subject to attack in the same manner as the residual clause of the Armed Career Criminal Act. See Johnson v. United States, 135 S.Ct. 2551, 2557 (2015) ("We are convinced that the indeterminacy of the wide-ranging inquiry required by the residual clause denies fair notice to defendants and invites arbitrary enforcement by judges."). The Court need not actually engage with the merits of Schneider's arguments because he has made no discernible effort to show that counsels' decisions to make the essential ingredient argument and leave out the vagueness challenge were objectively unreasonable. Surely, counsel could have made the arguments Schneider now advances with the benefit of hindsight, but he has not shown counsel should have made those arguments to satisfy constitutional minimums (to say nothing of showing that, had counsel made these arguments, the appellate court was reasonably likely to remand the matter). See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689 ("A fair assessment of attorney performance requires that every effort be made to eliminate the distorting effects of hindsight.") The Court thus finds Schneider is not entitled to relief on Claim XII.
Finally, in Claim XIII, Schneider asserts his counsels' cumulative errors justify § 2255 relief.
Schneider is not entitled to relief. At the outset, the Court's consideration of cumulative prejudice is limited to only those items which may have caused prejudice notwithstanding the Court's determination that Strickland relief was not warranted because counsel's conduct in connection with those items was reasonable. Of the numerous grounds for relief discussed above, the Court discerns only three which fall into this category: counsels' decision to call E. William Hevenor, Christina Bates, and SG. Although the strategy for calling these individuals was clear enough, no person who sat through the trial or reviewed the transcript could deny that aspects of these individuals' testimony were unhelpful to Schneider's cause.
The final issue the Court must address is whether Schneider is entitled to a certificate of appealability, which is required by 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1) as a precondition to his right to seek review of this decision by the Third Circuit. A certificate may only issue where a movant makes "a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right," 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2), which, after a determination of the merits of a § 2255 motion, requires a showing "that reasonable jurists would find the district court's assessment of the constitutional claims debatable or wrong," Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000). Schneider has failed to make a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right, and the Court finds it unlikely reasonable jurists would disagree with its determination of the merits of his motion. Consequently, the Court will not issue a certificate of appealability.
For the reasons stated above, the Court will deny Schneider's § 2255 motion in its entirety without an evidentiary hearing and will not issue a certificate of appealability.
An appropriate order follows.
Tr. 8.82:8-16.
