Bouyea v. United States

263 F. Supp. 2d 403, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8411, 2003 WL 21183549
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedMay 12, 2003
DocketNo. 3:96 CR 00047 AVC; No. 3:00 CV 01898 AVC
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 263 F. Supp. 2d 403 (Bouyea v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bouyea v. United States, 263 F. Supp. 2d 403, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8411, 2003 WL 21183549 (D. Conn. 2003).

Opinion

RULING ON THE PETITIONER’S MOTION TO VACATE, SET ASIDE OR CORRECT THE SENTENCE

COVELLO, District Judge.

This is a motion brought pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 challenging the constitutionality of the trial proceedings that led to the petitioner’s conviction for wire fraud and bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1344. The petitioner seeks to vacate the sentence imposed by the court on February 12, 1997, and a new trial.'

The issues presented are: (1) whether the court constitutionally impaired the trial proceedings that led to the petitioner’s conviction by charging the jury that the rules governing the standard for reasonable doubt and the presumption of innocence are “designed to protect the innocent and not the guilty;” (2)(a) whether the court similarly erred by failing to instruct jurors that, in connection with the count of wire fraud, the government was required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the fraudulent conduct affected a financial institution, and instead improperly minimized the government’s burden of proof by stating “all the government must show..(b) whether the court erred in failing to instruct jurors that the government was required to prove that the fraud affected a financial institution; (c) whether the court erred in failing to instruct jurors of the definition of “financial institution”; and (3) whether the petitioner’s attorney was constitutionally ineffective for failing to object to the jury charge to the extent it stated that the standard for reasonable doubt and the presumption of innocence are rules designed to protect the innocent and not the guilty, and for failing pursue the claim on direct appeal.

For the reasons hereinafter set forth, the court concludes: (1) the petitioner has failed to show cause for failing to raise his challenge to the jury charge on direct appeal and, accordingly, he is procedurally barred from asserting the claim here; (2) the petitioner has also failed to show cause for failing to raise his challenge to the jury [406]*406charge on the law applicable to the federal wire fraud statute and, in any event, the petitioner’s contentions are without merit; and (3) the petitioner has failed to demonstrate that his counsel was constitutionally ineffective. The motion is therefore denied.

FACTS

Examination of the motion to vacate, set aside, or correct the sentence, and the responses thereto, disclose the following undisputed, material facts. On February 22, 1996, a grand jury returned a three count indictment charging the petitioner, Jeffrey P. Bouyea, with two counts of bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344, and once count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. On October 29, 1996, the parties proceeded to jury trial and, after five days of evidence, on November 7, 1996, the court charged the jury on the law relevant to their deliberations and the crimes charged. As part of that charge, the court instructed the jury on the burden of proof required for a criminal conviction, and a defendant’s right to be presumed innocent, stating:

A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The presumption of innocence alone is sufficient to acquit a defendant if the government has failed to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. As I previously instructed you, the indictment is an accusation, and only that. It is not proof of anything at all nor is it evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until you, the jury decides, unanimously that the government has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This presumption was with the defendant when the trial began. It remains with him now as I speak to you, and it will continue with the defendant into your deliberations unless and until you are convinced that the government has proven the defendant’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

(Jury Charge at 2). The court further instructed the jury on the meaning of the term “beyond a reasonable doubt,” stating:

Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant’s guilt. There are very few things in this world that we know with absolute certainty, and in criminal cases the law does not require proof that overcomes every possible doubt. If, based upon your consideration of the evidence, you are firmly convinced that a defendant is guilty of the crime charged, you must find him guilty. If, on the other hand, you think there is a real possibility that he is not guilty, you must give that defendant the benefit of the doubt and find him not guilty.

(Jury Charge at 3).

In connection with count two, the court charged the jury on the elements of the offense of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Before moving into a substantive discussion of the elements, the court offered a preliminary description of the offense, instructing that:

In order for the defendant to be found guilty of wire fraud, ... the government must prove each of the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
First, that there was a scheme to obtain money by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, misrepresentations or promises;
Second, that the defendant knowingly and willfully participated in the scheme or artifice to defraud, with knowledge of its fraudulent nature and with specific intent to defraud; and
Third, that in the execution of that scheme, the defendant used or caused [407]*407the use of the interstate wires as specified in the indictment.

(Jury Charge at 14). The court did not articulate at this juncture the added requirement that the fraudulent scheme affect a financial institution. In the usual wire fraud case, the government need not prove this element. See 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Because, however, in this case the indictment was filed beyond the five year limitations period for wire fraud, the government was required to prove that the fraud affected a financial institution. See United States v. Bouyea, 152 F.3d 192, 194 (2d Cir.1998) (when the wire fraud involves a financial institution, the limitations period is extended from five years to ten years by 18 U.S.C. § 3293(2)). Consequently, immediately following the preliminary description of the wire fraud elements, the court more fully defined the elements applicable here, and specifically stated that:

In order to find a defendant guilty of count two, you must also find that a defendant engaged in a fraudulent scheme that affected a financial institution.

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Related

Hsu v. United States
954 F. Supp. 2d 215 (S.D. New York, 2013)
Bouyea v. United States
121 F. App'x 923 (Second Circuit, 2005)
Bouyer v. United States
263 F. Supp. 2d 403 (D. Connecticut, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
263 F. Supp. 2d 403, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8411, 2003 WL 21183549, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bouyea-v-united-states-ctd-2003.