PER CURIAM:
Dexter Tyson appeals his convictions entered after a jury trial for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and five kilograms or more of cocaine (Count I), possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base (Count II), possession with intent to distribute cocaine (Count III), possession with intent to distribute cocaine (Count IV), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Count V), possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number (Count VI), felon in possession of a firearm (Count VII), and felon in possession of ammunition (Count VIII). We affirm.
Tyson initially went to trial on June 21, 2004. The jury convicted him of Counts I, II, III, and IV. The district court declared a mistrial on the remaining charges. Prior to sentencing, Tyson filed a motion for a new trial based upon the perjurious testimony of a Government witness, Jimmie Troutman. The Government acknowledged the perjury and agreed to a new trial.
Prior to Tyson's second trial, the Government filed a motion in limine seeking to exclude any reference, testimony or evidence regarding Troutman's testimony at the first trial or the fact that Tyson had been previously convicted but had received a new trial. Tyson opposed the motion, arguing that the evidence was relevant to show ownership of the drugs and handgun found at the subject apartment. Specifically, the evidence showed that Tyson's co-conspirator Rennie Price asked Troutman to perjure himself and supplied him with false information about Tyson. Tyson argues that Price did this to protect himself and his girlfriend Agrario Estevez and to punish Tyson for refusing to take responsibility for all the drugs. Tyson avers that, if the drugs did in fact belong to Tyson, Price would not have had to frame him and the fact that Price did frame him tends to show that, in fact, the drugs belonged to Price and Estevez and not to Tyson.
The district court granted the motion in limine, reasoning that the Troutman evidence was not probative of possession and, even if it was, the evidence was unfairly prejudicial. We review a district court's evidentiary rulings for abuse of discretion.
We review a district court's decision to exclude evidence under Fed. R. Evid. 403 and 401 "under a broadly deferential standard, and will not overturn a district court's ruling in the absence of the most extraordinary circumstances in which the court's discretion has been plainly abused."
At Tyson's first trial, Troutman testified that he purchased narcotics from Tyson at his apartment, where he saw tools of the drug trade present. He also testified that Tyson told him he kept a handgun in the house. He stated he saw three kilograms of cocaine present and that he and Tyson cooked the cocaine into crack at the apartment. Notably, however, Troutman's testimony did not exonerate Price and Estevez, who were present in the apartment with the drugs when the police executed the search warrant; in fact, Troutman testified (falsely) that he did not know Price.
We conclude that the district court's ruling was neither arbitrary nor irrational. The relevance of the evidence was tangential, requiring assumptions regarding Price's state of mind when he arranged for Troutman's perjury. Moreover, since such assumptions were required, the district court reasonably determined that the evidence might be misleading and confusing to the jury and might require exploration of tangential issues. The record simply does not support a finding of extraordinary circumstances requiring reversal. Moreover, given the evidence at trial connecting Tyson to the apartment,
Next, Tyson asserts that the district court incorrectly denied his motion for a mistrial made after a Government witness improperly testified about Tyson's past arrests and warrants. Specifically, the district court ruled prior to trial that the only prior conviction of Tyson's that could be introduced was a conviction in 1997 arising out of a search and seizure warrant executed in October 1996. Lieutenant Davis of the Anne Arundel County Police Department testified regarding the events in 1996-97. When asked about the execution of the 1996 search warrant, Davis answered that they recognized Tyson at the time because "he was wanted on a couple of warrants." Then, when asked about Tyson's relationship to the place being searched, Davis stated that Tyson "had listed it as an address on previous arrest documents." After denying Tyson's motion for a mistrial, the court gave a cautionary instruction to the jury telling them to "completely disregard any remarks that may have been made about a prior arrest or warrant. . . . That is completely irrelevant."
The denial of a mistrial is reviewed for an abuse of discretion.
Here, assuming that Davis's testimony violated the court's pre-trial ruling, we conclude that the effect was negligible. The references to "arrest" and "warrants" were vague and brief. In addition, the improper evidence was likely cured by the district court's cautionary instructions. Finally, even assuming that the improper evidence influenced the jury, Tyson has failed to show that he suffered prejudice. Given the evidence against Tyson, it is unlikely that this nonspecific testimony, even if considered, would have swayed the jury. Thus, Tyson's motion for a mistrial was properly denied.
At trial, the Government introduced claims filed by Tyson with the DEA for the return of over $55,000 seized on January 9, 2003. In these documents, Tyson claimed that he was the sole owner of the money seized from his apartment and person. The Government argued in closing that there was no legitimate explanation for how Tyson could earn so much money and contended that it was drug proceeds. At trial, Tyson objected to the admission of the DEA claims on grounds of hearsay and relevance.
On appeal, Tyson for the first time argues that admission of the DEA claims violated his Fifth Amendment rights because he was forced to either surrender his due process rights to a meaningful forfeiture hearing or his right to remain silent. Tyson claims that his position is supported by an extension of the Supreme Court's decision in
First, assuming without deciding that there was error, Tyson cannot show that the error was plain. Tyson admits that we have not yet addressed this particular issue.
Tyson asserts that he was prejudiced by joinder of the charges against him because he wished to testify regarding Count IV, but wished to remain silent with regard to the remaining counts. Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 8 provides that "[t]he indictment or information may charge a defendant in separate counts with 2 or more offenses if the offenses charged. . . are of the same or similar character, or are based on the same act or transaction, or are connected with or constitute parts of a common scheme or plan." Fed. R. Crim. P. 8(a). Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 14 provides, however, that "[i]f the joinder of offenses . . . in an indictment, an information, or a consolidation for trial appears to prejudice a defendant . . . the court may order separate trials of counts." Under Rule 14, "[t]he party seeking severance bears the burden of demonstrating a strong showing of prejudice."
We previously articulated the legal principles governing this argument as follows:
Here, Tyson indicated that he "may wish" to testify regarding conversations between himself and a Detective, requesting that Tyson bring drugs to the police station as part of his cooperation (Count IV). However, he feared that, by taking the stand, he would implicate himself on the other counts through cross-examination. The district court denied the motion to sever, reasoning that Tyson had not made a sufficient showing of prejudice because the evidence supporting Count IV would be admissible in a trial based upon only the other counts and vice versa. Thus, severance would not insulate Tyson from cross-examination about all the evidence in the case in both trials.
Because Tyson's desire to testify was not definite and because the evidence supporting each of the counts would be mutually admissible in separate trials,
Finally, Tyson asserts that the district court erred in failing to hold a hearing on his allegations that Detective Caputo included false statements in his affidavit in support of the search warrant. The alleged falsities are as follows: (1) stating that he surveilled Tyson on dates when Tyson was actually incarcerated; (2) stating that he conducted a criminal history check on Tyson on December 6, 2002, when he did not actually conduct the check until December 18;
Caputo's affidavit was dated January 2, 2003. The affidavit described surveillance conducted on Tyson, his brother (Brent Pariag), and Tyson's apartment during the month of December 2002 based upon a tip from a confidential informant. Caputo alleges that he saw Tyson conducting what "appeared to be controlled dangerous substance related" actions on December 2.
For a criminal defendant to be entitled to a Franks
The defendant carries a heavy burden in showing that a Franks hearing is necessary.
We conclude that Tyson has not established that he was entitled to a
Based on the foregoing, we affirm Tyson's convictions. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.