United States v. Rodriguez

924 F. Supp. 2d 1108, 2013 WL 628530, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6604
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedJanuary 11, 2013
DocketCase No. SACR 05-107 JVS
StatusPublished

This text of 924 F. Supp. 2d 1108 (United States v. Rodriguez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Rodriguez, 924 F. Supp. 2d 1108, 2013 WL 628530, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6604 (C.D. Cal. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER RE: MOTION TO DISMISS INDICTMENT OR GRANT A NEW TRIAL & ALTERNATIVE MOTION FOR DISCOVERY

JAMES V. SELNA, District Judge.

Defendant Francisco Rodriguez (“Rodriguez”) moves the Court to dismiss the indictment or grant a new trial pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 12(b)(3)(A) and 28 U.S.C. § 1867(a). (Motion, Docket No. 1190.) The United States (“the Government”) timely opposed. (Government Opposition, Docket No. 1212.) Alternatively, Rodriguez moves to compel the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court for the Central District of California (“CDCA”), Terry Nafisi (“the Clerk”), to produce additional discovery relating to the adoption and management of the Central District’s Jury Selection Plan. (Motion, Docket No. 1190.) The Clerk timely opposed. (Clerk Opposition, Docket No. 1199.) Rodriguez timely replied. (Reply, Docket No. 1233.) For the following reasons, the Court DENIES the motions.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural Background

This is a criminal prosecution for alleged conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), and conspiracy to violate the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Statute (“VICAR”), 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5). The October 2004 [1112]*1112Grand Jury for the Southern Division of CDCA1 indicted Rodriguez on May 18, 2005. (Indictment, Docket No. 1.) The third trial in the matter commenced on August 10, 2011, and the petit jury found Rodriguez guilty.2 (Jury Verdict, Docket No. 1136.)

Rodriguez first indicated his intent to challenge the petit jury venire orally on August 12, 2011. (Reporter’s Transcript (8/12/11), Docket No. 1214, at 23-24.) The Court informed Rodriguez that he must file a written motion and suggested waiting until additional individuals were summoned as jurors the next week. (Id. at 24.) On August 22, 2011, Rodriguez filed his initial motion challenging the petit jury venire. (Motion to Strike Venire, Stay Proceedings, and Order Discovery of Jury Information, Docket No. 1073.) In response, the Government argued, inter alia, that Rodriguez’s motion was untimely under 28 U.S.C. § 1867(a).3 The Court disagreed. It reasoned that “the circumstance[s] which brought into play Rodriguez’[s] duty of diligence were the results of the questionnaires for the current trial and the availability of 2010 Census data,” so “Rodriguez acted diligently and within the time requirements of Section 1867(a).”4 (Order re: Motion to Strike Venire and Other Relief, Docket No. 1080, at 7.)

The Court never addressed the timeliness of the challenge to the grand jury composition. During a hearing on August 26, 2011, the Government noted that “the grand jury was selected in 2004” and “[tjhere is no record of anything relating to that prima facie case or otherwise,” and asked if the Court is still “leaving that open.” (Reporter’s Transcript (8/26/11), Docket No. 1088, at 39.) The Court responded, “If we are going to talk about one, we might as well talk about both,” and suggested seeking out any available data. (Id.)

Rodriguez moves to dismiss the indictment, for a new trial, or for additional discovery. He argues that by adopting and maintaining a jury selection plan that systematically underrepresents Hispanics on grand and petit juries, the Southern Division has violated his rights under the Jury Selection and Service Act of 1963 (“JSSA”), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1861-78, and the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.5 (See gen[1113]*1113erally Motion.) The following factual summary details the available, relevant data on the Southern Division’s Hispanic population and Jury Selection Plan.

B. Population Data6

1. U.S. Census Bureau Data

Table 1: Citizenship & Voter Registration Data— California7

% Citizens % Non-Hispanic White % Hispanic

Year Registered (18 +)_Citizens Registered_Citizens Registered

2000 65.84%_70.93%_55.00%_

2004 68.59%_76.22%_55.38%_

2008 68.23%_72.90%_;_62.83%_

2010 60.90%_68.39%_52.01%_

Table 2: Hispanic Population Data — Orange County8

Hispanics in General Year Population (18 +)_% Hispanic % Hispanic Citizens

2000 549,509 26.4% 15.54% _(253,565 Persons)9

2010 669,206_29.4%10_N/A_

2. ACS: Age-Eligible Citizens by Ethnicity in Orange County

Table 3: Citizenship & Ethnicity Status — Orange County

Population % Population Citizens Hispanic % Citizens

Year (18 + )_Hispanic —Hispanic (18 +)_Citizens —Hispanic

200511 2,144,727 602,199 28.01%_1,706,257 305,465 17.90%

[1114]*1114200712 2,230,800 640,658 28.72%_1,777,750 326,940 18.39%
2008 2,245,108 654,045 29.13%_1,799,668 345,701 19.21%
2009 2,271,237 671,359 29.56%_1,833,803 379,091 20,67%
2010 2,280,716 673,441 29.53%_1,863,822 391,542 21.01%
2011 2,318,625 693,633 29.92%_1,891,999 404,433 21.38%

According to the Clerk, in Orange County, there were 1,554,792 registered voters in 2009, and 1,589,950 registered voters in 2010. (Terry Nafísi, Memorandum re: Status of Jury Representation Issue, Wilke Decl. Ex. U, at 1.) Thus, 84.79% of eighteen-and-over citizens in Orange County were registered in 2009, and 85.31% of eighteen-and-over citizens were registered in 2010.

C. The Jury Selection Plan and the Jury Pool in Southern Division

1. Jury Selection Plan

The Jury Selection Plan adopted by the Article III judges in CDCA and approved by the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit governs the selection of grand and petit jury venires. See 28 U.S.C. § 1863(a); 28 U.S.C. § 132(b). The Clerk does not participate in the decision to approve or reject the Jury Selection Plan. (Clerk Opposition, at 1.) The Jury Selection Plan, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1863

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
924 F. Supp. 2d 1108, 2013 WL 628530, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6604, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-rodriguez-cacd-2013.