U.S. v. Honken

381 F.Supp.2d 936

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff, v. Dustin Lee HONKEN, Defendant.

No. CR 01-3047-MWB.

United States District Court, N.D. Iowa, Central Division.

July 29, 2005.

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Alfredo G. Parrish, Parrish, Kruidenier, Moss, Dunn, Montgomery, Boles & Gribble, LLP, Des Moines, IA, Charles Myers Rogers, Wyrsch, Hobbs & Mirakian, PC, Kansas City, MO, Leon F. Spies, Mellon & Spies, Iowa City, IA, for Defendant.

Charles J. Williams, Patrick J. Reinert, U.S. Attorney's Office Northern District of Iowa, Thomas Henry Miller, AAG, Des Moines, IA, for Plaintiff.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER REGARDING THE DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT OF ACQUITTAL OR NEW TRIAL

BENNETT, Chief Judge.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.  SYNOPSIS AND SUMMARY OF DISPOSITION .....................................................949
 II.  INTRODUCTION ............................................................................951
      A.  Background ..........................................................................951
          1.  The 1993 case ...................................................................951
          2.  The 1996 case ...................................................................952
          3.  Discovery of the murder victims' bodies .........................................952
          4.  The indictments in this case ....................................................953
              a.  Non-capital charges .........................................................953
              b.  Capital charges .............................................................953
          5.  Significant pre-trial rulings ...................................................954
          6.  Honken's trial and conviction ...................................................956
              a.  Jury selection ..............................................................956
              b.  The "merits phase" ..........................................................957
              c.  The "penalty phase" .........................................................958
          7.  Post-trial proceedings ..........................................................960
              a.  The motion for judgment of acquittal or new trial ...........................960
              b.  The motion to investigate juror misconduct ..................................960
              c.  Oral arguments ..............................................................962
III.  LEGAL ANALYSIS ..........................................................................962
      A.  Applicable Standards ................................................................962
          1.  Judgment of acquittal ...........................................................962
          2.  New trial .......................................................................963
      C.  Alleged Erroneous Pre-trial Rulings .................................................964
          1.  Former jeopardy .................................................................964
              a.  The prior ruling ............................................................964
              b.  Arguments of the parties ....................................................966
              c.  Analysis of the renewed challenge ...........................................966
          2.  Disqualification of the trial judge .............................................967
              a.  Factual background ..........................................................967
              b.  Arguments of the parties ....................................................968
              c.  Applicable standards ........................................................969
              d.  Analysis ....................................................................973
          3.  Shackling of the defendant during trial .........................................977

a.  The prior ruling ............................................................977
              b.  Arguments of the parties ....................................................978
              c.  Analysis ....................................................................979
          4.  Use of an "anonymous" jury ......................................................981
              a.  The prior ruling ............................................................981
              b.  Arguments of the parties ....................................................982
              c.  Analysis ....................................................................983
      D.  Alleged Errors During Jury Selection ................................................984
          1.  Factual background ..............................................................984
              a.  Juror 902 ...................................................................984
              b.  Prospective Juror 538 .......................................................986
              c.  Prospective Juror 813 .......................................................987
          2.  Arguments of the parties ........................................................989
          3.  Analysis ........................................................................990
              a.  Applicable standards ........................................................990
                     i.  Jurors on whom the claim can be based ................................990
                    ii.  The standard for an "impartial" juror ................................991
                   iii.  The standard for erroneous rulings on motions to strike
                           jurors ..............................................................992
              b.  Application of the standards ................................................993
                    i.  Juror 902 .............................................................993
                   ii.  Prospective Juror 538 .................................................994
                  iii.  Prospective Juror 813 .................................................994
      E.  Alleged Errors During Trial .........................................................995
          1.  Hearsay and Confrontation Clause errors .........................................996
              a.  Statements of Nicholson and DeGeus ..........................................996
              b.  Co-conspirator hearsay ......................................................997
                   i.  Angela Johnson's writings and maps .....................................997
                  ii.  The telephone call to Rick Held ........................................998
              c.  Agent Mizell's testimony ....................................................999
                    i.  The evidence in question ..............................................999
                   ii.  Arguments of the parties ..............................................999
                  iii.  Analysis .............................................................1000
          2.  Restrictions on cross-examination of Timothy Cutkomp ...........................1001
          3.  Denial of the motion for mistrial based on Scott Gahn's testimony ..............1002
              a.  The testimony in question ..................................................1003
              b.  Arguments of the parties ...................................................1003
              c.  Analysis ...................................................................1004
          4.  Cumulative effect of erroneous evidentiary rulings .............................1005
          5.  Alleged errors in "penalty phase" jury instructions ............................1005
              a.  Arguments of the parties ...................................................1005
              b.  Analysis ...................................................................1006
                    i.  Improper weighing of mental state as an aggravating
                          factor .............................................................1006
                   ii.  Improper consideration of obstruction of justice as an
                          aggravating factor .................................................1007
      F.  Alleged Insufficiency Of The Evidence ..............................................1009
          1.  Non-capital offenses ...........................................................1009
          2.  Capital offenses ...............................................................1010
              a.  Alleged insufficiency of the circumstantial case ...........................1010
              b.  Alleged insufficiency of the evidence on specific Counts ...................1010
                    i.  Insufficiency of the evidence on the "conspiracy murder"
                          counts .............................................................1010
                   ii.  Insufficiency of the evidence on the "CCE murder"
                          counts .............................................................1012
      G.  Alleged Jury Misconduct Revealed By Johnson Juror 16 ...............................1014
          1.  Factual and procedural background ..............................................1014
          2.  Arguments of the parties .......................................................1014
          3.  Analysis .......................................................................1015
      H.  Alleged Jury "Taint" Relating To Honken Juror 523

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