United States v. Angulo Mosquera

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Defendants Angulo, Acosta, Varela, and Lopez's conviction of charges related to their involvement in a cocaine conspiracy. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to sever Acosta, Varela, and Lopez's trial from Angulo's where they have failed to show that there was any likelihood that impermissible prejudice would arise from polygraph evidence, or that they were in fact prejudiced in any way; the district court did not deny Acosta, Varela, and Lopez's right to be present during trial; there was no reversible error in a discovery violation that occurred when the Government failed to turn over a report about Angulo's 1998 detention in connection with a different cocaine-smuggling ship, and then asked Angulo questions based on the undisclosed report during cross-examination; the district court did not abuse its broad discretion in allowing the prosecutor to ask Angulo whether he was a "load guard;" and the court rejected defendants' remaining claims. View "United States v. Angulo Mosquera" on Justia Law