United States v. Clifton

406 F.3d 1173, 67 Fed. R. Serv. 70, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 7057, 2005 WL 941581
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedApril 25, 2005
Docket04-2046
StatusPublished
Cited by90 cases

This text of 406 F.3d 1173 (United States v. Clifton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Clifton, 406 F.3d 1173, 67 Fed. R. Serv. 70, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 7057, 2005 WL 941581 (10th Cir. 2005).

Opinions

BALDOCK, Circuit Judge.

A jury convicted Defendant Carla Lyn Clifton on three counts of knowingly making false declarations before a Federal grand jury in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1623(a). The district court sentenced her to forty-one months imprisonment. Defendant appeals her conviction and sentence. She argues the district court (1) improperly instructed the jury on reasonable doubt, (2) improperly allowed the Government to introduce inadmissible evidence under the guise of impeachment, and (3) imposed an incorrect and unconstitutional sentence under the United States Sentencing Guidelines (“Guidelines”).1 We have jurisdiction, 28 U.S.C. § 1291, affirm in part, and remand for re-sentencing.

[1176]*1176I.

The historical facts in this case arise out of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) investigation into a cocaine distribution ring in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The story, as portrayed in the light most favorable to the jury verdict, begins when the DEA seized 1.4 kilograms of crack cocaine from the home of Robert Beal. DEA agents thereafter learned an individual named “Jamie” with the cellular telephone number 450-5251 (the “5251-cell phone”) supplied Beal with cocaine. The agents discovered that Defendant subscribed to the 5251-cell phone.

DEA agents Marcus West and David Tyree arrived unannounced at Defendant’s home on January 27, 2003. Defendant’s father, Douglas Clifton, answered the door and explained his daughter lived there with him, but she was not presently home. The agents asked Mr. Clifton if he knew anything about a “Jamie Mendoza” or the 5251-cell phone. Mr. Clifton responded that his daughter may have obtained a cellular telephone for Mendoza because she had obtained cellular telephones for other individuals who, like Mendoza, had credit problems. The agents concluded their interview with Mr. Clifton and waited outside for Defendant to return home.

Defendant arrived at the house approximately an hour later. The agents approached Defendant, identified themselves, and asked her about Mendoza and the 5251-cell phone. Defendant told the agents she obtained the 5251-cell phone for Mendoza because he had credit problems. The agents thereafter agreed, upon Defendant’s request, to finish the interview at a nearby gas station. At the gas station, Defendant reiterated she obtained the 5251-cell phone for Mendoza because of his credit problems. Defendant also informed the agents she cancelled the 5251-cell phone in October 2002 after Mendoza told her it had been stolen.

Defendant called Agent West the next morning. Defendant told the agent she wanted to “take back” everything she said during, their interview the previous day. Defendant explained that she exclusively used the 5251-cell phone, Mendoza had never used it, and she had never said anything to the contrary. A grand jury subsequently subpoenaed Defendant. She appeared before the grand jury in February 2003 and testified, among other things, that (1) nobody except herself had used the 5251-cell phone, and (2) she had never told the agents anything to the contrary. Defendant’s testimony caused the DEA’s investigation to “hit a brick wall” and prevented the grand jury from indicting Mendoza.

The Government suspected Defendant of perjury. The Government provided Defendant an opportunity to re-testify before the grand jury and, if necessary, recant her previous testimony. Defendant appeared voluntarily before the grand jury in May 2003, but did not recant her previous testimony. Instead, Defendant testified that “[i]n regards to [the 5251-cell phone], I had purchased that phone for myself. I have never given it to anybody to use. I have never knowingly let anybody use it.”

Defendant’s perjury indictment followed. The case proceeded to trial and a jury convicted Defendant on all three counts charged. With respect to the first count, the jury found Defendant falsely declared before the grand jury that “nobody” except herself had used the 5251-cell phone. With respect to the second count, the jury found Defendant falsely declared before the grand jury that she did not tell the DEA agents she had obtained a cellular telephone for Mendoza. With respect to the third count, the jury found Defendant falsely declared before the grand jury that she obtained the 5251-cell phone for her[1177]*1177self and never knowingly let anyone use the telephone.

II.

The grand jury functions as a barrier to reckless and unfounded charges the Executive Branch might otherwise bring against an individual. United States v. Cotton, 535 U.S. 625, 634, 122 S.Ct. 1781, 152 L.Ed.2d 860 (2002). The “historic office” can only provide such a shield to arbitrary and oppressive executive action when the grand jury acts pursuant to the truthful testimony of witnesses compelled to provide it information. United States v. Mandujano, 425 U.S. 564, 571, 576, 96 S.Ct. 1768, 48 L.Ed.2d 212 (1976). Congress, recognizing the importance of a citizen’s testimony before the grand jury, enacted § 1623 to facilitate perjury prosecutions and thereby enhance the reliability of testimony before Federal grand juries. Dunn v. United States, 442 U.S. 100, 107, 99 S.Ct. 2190, 60 L.Ed.2d 743 (1979); see also Mandujano, 425 U.S. at 576 n. 3, 96 S.Ct. 1768.

The statute prohibits any person from knowingly making false material declarations under oath before a grand jury. See 18 U.S.C. § 1623(a). The Government must prove the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt under § 1623: (1) the defendant made.a declaration under oath before a grand jury; (2) such declaration was false; (3) the defendant knew the declaration was false; and (4) the false declaration was material to the. grand jury’s inquiry. See Johnson v. United States, 520 U.S. 461, 465, 117 S.Ct. 1544, 137 L.Ed.2d 718 (1997); United States v. Durham, 139 F.3d 1325, 1331 (10th Cir.1998). With this backdrop, we turn to Defendant’s specific claims of error.

A.

To begin, Defendant argues the district court improperly instructed the jury on reasonable doubt. We review the sufficiency of a reasonable doubt instruction de novo. Tillman v. Cook, 215 F.3d 1116, 1123 (10th Cir.2000). The Due Process Clause prohibits the criminal conviction of any person except upon proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Sullivan v. Louisiana, 508 U.S. 275, 278, 113 S.Ct. 2078, 124 L.Ed.2d 182 (1993). The reasonable doubt standard operates to give “concrete substance” to the presumption of innocence. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 315, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979).

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Bluebook (online)
406 F.3d 1173, 67 Fed. R. Serv. 70, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 7057, 2005 WL 941581, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-clifton-ca10-2005.