United States v. Jose Barraza , 384 F. App'x 392 ( 2010 )


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  •      Case: 09-50780     Document: 00511159397          Page: 1    Date Filed: 06/30/2010
    IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT  United States Court of Appeals
    Fifth Circuit
    FILED
    June 30, 2010
    No. 09-50780
    Summary Calendar                         Lyle W. Cayce
    Clerk
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff - Appellee
    v.
    JOSE BARRAZA,
    Defendant - Appellant
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Western District of Texas
    USDC No. 3:08-CR-3177-1
    Before WIENER, DeMOSS, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:*
    Jose Barraza appeals his conviction on 14 counts of making false
    statements to the United States Postal Service and the United States
    Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (OWCP)
    concerning his ability to work, in order to induce the payment of worker’s
    compensation and other benefits. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 1001, 1920. We affirm.
    Barraza argues that the evidence was insufficient to show that he
    knowingly made false statements because he was entitled to rely on the opinions
    *
    Pursuant to 5TH CIR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not
    be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR .
    R. 47.5.4.
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    No. 09-50780
    of a physician and a physical therapist who testified that, at one time, they
    thought Barraza was actually injured. Ordinarily, in assessing the sufficiency
    of the evidence, we determine whether “after viewing the evidence in the light
    most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the
    essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson v. Virginia,
    
    443 U.S. 307
    , 319 (1979) (emphasis in original). However, because Barraza did
    not renew his motion for acquittal at the close of the evidence, “we review his
    claim to determine whether there was a manifest miscarriage of justice.” United
    States v. Burton, 
    324 F.3d 768
    , 770 (5th Cir. 2003) (citation and marks omitted).
    There is a manifest miscarriage of justice when “the record is devoid of evidence
    pointing to guilt or contains evidence on a key element of the offense that is so
    tenuous that a conviction would be shocking.” United States v. McIntosh, 
    280 F.3d 47
    , 483 (5th Cir. 2002) (citation and marks omitted).
    To establish a violation of § 1001, the Government was required to prove
    that Barraza made an intentional false statement that was material to some
    inquiry or decision within a government agency’s jurisdiction. See United States
    v. Najera Jimenez, 
    593 F.3d 391
    , 399-400 (5th Cir. 2010). To prove the offense
    of making false statements for purposes of fraudulently obtaining OWCP
    benefits in violation of § 1920, the Government was required to show that
    Barraza knowingly and willfully made a material false or fraudulent statement
    in connection with his application for OWCP compensation or other benefits. See
    United States v. Harms, 
    442 F.3d 367
    , 372-73 (5th Cir. 2006).
    The Government presented visual documentation of Barraza performing
    activities that were contrary to his statements that he was unable to work. The
    physician testified that Barazza’s assertions during treatment concerning his
    inability to work were not consistent with the evidence of his activities presented
    at trial. Barraza was not entitled, as a matter of law, to rely on the opinions of
    experts whom he was misleading. See United States v. Smith, 
    523 F.2d 771
    , 778
    (5th Cir. 1975).    The Government also presented evidence that Barraza
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    No. 09-50780
    persistently and falsely denied any ability to work.        His assertions of his
    inability to work were inconsistent with the surveillance evidence and the
    opinion of his physical therapist.     Viewing the evidence in the light most
    favorable to the jury’s verdict, the record is not devoid of evidence pointing to
    guilt and does not contain evidence on a key element of the offense that is so
    tenuous that a conviction would be shocking. See 
    McIntosh, 280 F.3d at 483
    .
    Consequently, there was no miscarriage of justice. See 
    Burton, 324 F.3d at 770
    .
    Barraza also challenges the district court’s supplemental instruction to the
    jury regarding the requirement of unanimity of the verdict on all counts. The
    jury originally found Barraza guilty on two counts and not guilty on the
    remaining counts. When the district court began to poll the jury, the jury
    foreman revealed that the jury had misunderstood the requirement of a
    unanimous verdict with respect to acquittals and that the not guilty verdicts
    were not unanimous. The court therefore clarified its instruction and instructed
    the jury to resume deliberations and return unanimous verdicts of guilty or not
    guilty as to each count. After further deliberation, the jury returned unanimous
    verdicts of guilty on all counts.
    Although Barraza moved for a mistrial after the jury resumed
    deliberations on the ground that the jury had returned an illegal verdict, he did
    not object to the court’s clarifying instruction. Review is thus for plain error. To
    show plain error, Barraza must show a forfeited error that is clear or obvious
    and that affects his substantial rights. See Puckett v. United States, 
    129 S. Ct. 1423
    , 1429 (2009). If he makes such a showing, we have the discretion to correct
    the error but only if it “seriously affects the fairness, integrity or public
    reputation of judicial proceedings.” 
    Id. (citation and
    marks omitted). “Plain
    error occurs only when [a jury] instruction, considered as a whole, was so clearly
    erroneous as to result in the likelihood of a grave miscarriage of justice.” United
    States v. Davis, 
    19 F.3d 166
    , 169 (5th Cir. 1994) (citation omitted).
    3
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    No. 09-50780
    The court’s instruction was a correct statement of the law. See F ED.
    R. C RIM. P. 31(a) & (d); cf. also United States v. Miles, 
    360 F.3d 472
    , 482-83 (5th
    Cir. 2004) (approving similar instruction); United States v. Jones, 
    132 F.3d 232
    ,
    245 (5th Cir. 1998) (finding no constitutional requirement that a court “inform
    the jury of the consequences of failing to reach a unanimous verdict”). Moreover,
    Barraza fails to show “that the circumstances surrounding the charge caused the
    jury to be unduly coerced into reaching a verdict.”         See United States v.
    McClatchy, 
    249 F.3d 348
    , 359 (5th Cir. 2001). The district court committed no
    error, plain or otherwise. Further, there is no likelihood that the instruction
    resulted in a miscarriage of justice. See 
    Davis, 19 F.3d at 169
    .
    The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.
    4