Case o' The Week: Evidentiary Errors Just the Tip of the Berg - Preston, Lay Witness Testimony, FRE 404(b), and Prosecutorial Misconduct

 "Preston raises over fifteen individual trial errors, across seven different categories."

 (But three suffice).

United States v. Preston, 2017 WL 4638022 (9th Cir. Oct. 17, 2017), decision available here.

The Honorable Judges Alex Kozinski and Stephen Reinhardt

Players: Decision by visiting District Judge Berg, ED Mich., joined by Judge Reinhardt. Concurrence by Judge Kozinski.

  Big win for appellate counsel AFPD M. Edith (“Edie”) Cunningham, for trial counsel AFPD Jay Sagar, and Jon Sands, Federal Public Defender, District of Arizona.

Facts: As an adult, Mitchell Rosenberg alleged that he had been molested by the defendant, Preston, 14 years before while on a reservation in Arizona. Id. at *2. Preston was charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a child in federal court. Id. 

  During the jury trial, Rosenberg’s testimony was the only direct evidence for the government. Id. A therapist, Bussert, who had worked with Rosenberg testified: over defense objection, she opined on whether Rosenberg was telling the truth about the allegations of sexual abuse. 

  Preston was convicted and sentenced to 162 months. Id.

Issue(s): “On appeal, Preston argues that the district court and the prosecutor committed a variety of errors and that these errors – either independently or cumulatively – deprived him of his right to a fair trial.” Id. at *2.  

Held: “Preston raises over fifteen individual trial errors, across seven different categories. We reverse based on the cumulative effect of the following: (1) improper witness testimony that bolstered Rosenberg's credibility and offered opinion on the credibility of sex abuse allegations in general; (2) prejudicial propensity evidence in the form of Preston's ex-wife's testimony regarding a child incest fantasy Preston allegedly had in 2003; and (3) prosecutorial misconduct, namely: commenting on Preston's decision not to testify, witness vouching, and misstating the evidence in summation.” Id. at *3.

  “In addition to improper opinion testimony indicating that she believed Rosenberg individually, Bussart gave improper opinion testimony as a lay witness about whether sex abuse victims generally tell the truth.” Id. at *5.

  “In sum, the district court abused its discretion in (1) allowing the government's line of questioning that led to Bussart's three improper statements indicating that she believed Rosenberg's allegations, and (2) permitting a juror's question to be asked regarding whether Rosenberg demonstrated his emotions in a manner consistent with sex abuse victims generally. In addition, it was plainly erroneous for the district court to allow Bussart to state that allegations of sexual abuse in her patients had normally been true.” Id.

   “The cumulative effect of these [and additional] errors rendered Preston’s trial fundamentally unfair, and his conviction must therefore be reversed and the case remanded for a new trial.” Id. at *12.

Of Note: This debacle of a trial spawned enough error holdings on appeal for a dozen Case o’ The Week memos. It is a must-read.

  In addition to the above “lay witness” holding, the Court also delivers an important FRE 404(b) holding. Id. at *7. Preston’s ex-wife testified – over defense objection – that she had caught Preston masturbating to an image of his eight-year old stepson, years after the alleged crime. Id. The Ninth holds the district court abused its discretion in admitting this testimony under both FRE 404(b) and 403.

  Preston offers a thoughtful and valuable FRE 404(b) / FRE 403 discussion, that recognizes the extraordinarily prejudicial impact of “collateral” sexual evidence in these cases. Add it to your trial arsenal for in limine battles.  

How to Use: Lay witness errors, evidentiary errors - but wait, there’s more. Prosecutorial misconduct also infests this cornucopia of trial problems. The AUSA improperly commented on the lack of defense testimony, and vouched for the government witness, Rosenberg. Id. at *10-*11. Other holdings aside, Preston would still be a very important decision solely for its discussion of prosecutorial misconduct during closing argument. Id. at *10.

                                               

For Further Reading: Two particularly well-known jurists (and famed friends) were on Preston: Judges Reinhardt and Kozinski. 

  For a thoughtful piece mentioning both judges, and discussing some core facts in the morass of myth surrounding the Circuit split brouhaha, see Has the 9th Circuit gone ‘bananas?’ And can Trump break it up?, available here.

Image of Judge Kozinski and Judge Reinhardt from https://www.flickr.com/photos/aclu_socal/5927007238/in/photostream/ .

Steven Kalar, Federal Public Defender, N.D. Cal. Website at www.ndcalfpd.org

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