U.S. v. Honken

• Decision Date: 21 July 2004
• Docket Number: No. CR 01-3047-MWB.,CR 01-3047-MWB.
• Citation: 378 F.Supp.2d 1010
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff, v. Dustin Lee HONKEN, Defendant.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Northern District of Iowa

378 F.Supp.2d 1010

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 21, 2004.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

Charles J, Williams, U.S. Attorney's Office, Cedar Rapids, IA, for Plaintiff.

Alfredo G. Parrish, Parrish Kruidenier Moss Dunn Montgomery Boles & Gribble, LLP, Des Moines, IA, for Defendant.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER REGARDING THE GOVERNMENT'S MOTION TO HAVE THE DEFENDANT WEAR SHACKLES AT TRIAL

BENNETT, Chief Judge.

                TABLE OF CONTENTS
                I.  INTRODUCTION .......................................................1013
                      A.  Background .....................................................1013
                          1.  The 1993 case ..............................................1013
                          2.  The 1996 case ..............................................1013
                          3.  Indictments in the present case ............................1014
                      B.  The Motion To Shackle The Defendant ............................1018
                          1.  Procedural background ......................................1018
                          2.  Factual background .........................................1018
                

                II.  LEGAL ANALYSIS .....................................................1023
                      A.  The Evidentiary Issue ..........................................1023
                          1.  Arguments of the parties ...................................1023
                          2.  Analysis ...................................................1023
                              a.  Rules 1101(d) and 46(b) ................................1023
                              b.  The pertinent record ...................................1024
                      B.  The Motion To Shackle The Defendant ............................1026
                          1.  Arguments of the parties ...................................1026
                          2.  Applicable standards .......................................1027
                              a.  Supreme Court precedent ................................1027
                              b.  Standards applied by the lower courts ..................1029
                                  i.  Analysis for the guilt phase .......................1029
                                 ii.  Analysis for the penalty phase .....................1031
                          3.  Application of the standards ...............................1031
                              a.  Locking brace ..........................................1031
                              b.  Additional security personnel ..........................1032
                              c.  Shackles ...............................................1032
                              d.  Stun belt ..............................................1035
                              e.  Stun belt and shackles .................................1038
                III.  CONCLUSION .........................................................1039
                

In this death penalty case, involving the alleged murder of five witnesses to the defendant's drug-trafficking or other alleged criminal conduct,¹ the government has filed under seal a motion to have the defendant wear shackles and other restraints at trial. In resolving the motion, the court must balance, inter alia, the need for such extreme security measures against the defendant's rights to a fair trial, the assistance of counsel, and the presumption of innocence.

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background

1. The 1993 case

As in the rulings on other pre-trial motions, the background to the present motion begins with a survey of the prior prosecutions of defendant Dustin Lee Honken in this judicial district. Honken was first prosecuted for drug-trafficking offenses in this district in 1993 in Case No. CR 93-3019 ("the 1993 case"). As the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals explained,

In April 1993, a grand jury in the Northern District of Iowa indicted appellee for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. After the disappearance of one or more prospective prosecution witnesses, the government dismissed the indictment.

United States v. Honken, 184 F.3d 961, 963 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 1056, 120 S.Ct. 602, 145 L.Ed.2d 500 (1999). Thus, the first prosecution of Honken in this district did not lead to a conviction.

2. The 1996 case

Honken was again indicted on drug-trafficking charges on April 11, 1996, this time with co-defendant Timothy Cutkomp, in Case No. CR 96-3004-MWB ("the 1996 case"). Count 1 of the Indictment in the 1996 case charged Honken and Cutkomp with conspiracy, between about 1993 and February 7, 1996, to distribute, manufacture and attempt to manufacture 1000 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 100 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Indictment in Case No. CR 96-3004-MWB (N.D.Iowa). Count 2 of the original Indictment in the 1996 case charged Honken with possessing and aiding and abetting the possession of listed chemicals, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(d) and 18 U.S.C. § 2, and Count 3 charged possession and aiding and abetting the possession of drug paraphernalia intending to use such paraphernalia to manufacture and attempt to manufacture methamphetamine and listed chemicals, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(a)(6) and 18 U.S.C. § 2, respectively. Id., Counts 2 & 3. A superseding indictment filed later in the 1996 case restated the first three charges and added a fourth charge of attempting to manufacture methamphetamine. See Superseding Indictment in Case No. CR 96-3004-MWB (N.D.Iowa).

Eventually, in 1997, Honken pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and the charge of attempting to manufacture methamphetamine, i.e., Counts 1 and 4, and the government dismissed Counts 2 and 3. See, e.g., Honken, 184 F.3d at 963. The court held an episodic sentencing hearing on December 15 and 16, 1997, and February 17, 18, and 24, 1998. Honken testified under oath on February 18 and 24, 1998. After the government's appeal of the sentence originally imposed by the undersigned, see id., Honken was resentenced on January 25, 2000. Honken then unsuccessfully appealed his sentence, see United States v. Honken, 2 Fed.Appx. 611, 2001 WL 66287 (8th Cir.2001). Honken is now serving his sentence on Counts 1 and 4 in the 1996 case.

3. Indictments in the present case

The present prosecution began with the filing of a seventeen-count indictment against Honken on August 30, 2001, which brought a variety of charges arising from Honken's alleged murder and solicitation of murder of witnesses to his alleged drug-trafficking and other criminal activity, which had, for example, allegedly brought the 1993 prosecution to its abrupt conclusion and had been intended to impede prosecution of the 1996 case. On August 23, 2002, a Superseding Indictment was handed down in this case, amending Counts 8 through 17. See Superseding Indictment (docket no. 46). The court will examine the charges in this case in more detail as a prelude to a discussion of the admissibility of certain evidence at trial of those charges.

Counts 1 through 5 of the Superseding Indictment charge "witness tampering." More specifically, each count alleges that Honken "did willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation and malice aforethought, unlawfully kill" one of five witnesses: Gregory Nicholson, Lori Duncan (Nicholson's girlfriend), Amber Duncan and Kandi Duncan (Lori Duncan's daughters, ages 6 and 10), and Terry DeGeus. Count 1 alleges that Gregory Nicholson was murdered

1) with the intent to prevent Gregory Nicholson from attending or providing testimony at an official proceeding in the Northern District of Iowa, Case Nos. 93-20 M and CR 93-3019 [the 1993 case]; 2) with intent to prevent Gregory Nicholson from communicating to a law enforcement officer of the United States, information relating to the commission or possible commission of federal offenses, including: the distribution of methamphetamine, the manufacture of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance, in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Sections 841 and 846; and 3) with intent to retaliate against Gregory Nicholson for providing information to law enforcement relating to the commission or possible commission of federal offenses, including: the distribution of methamphetamine, the manufacture of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance, in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Sections 841 and 846[;] and 4) with intent to retaliate against Gregory Nicholson for testifying before the Federal Grand Jury investigating the drug trafficking activities of DUSTIN LEE HONKEN and others, which killing is a first degree murder as defined by Title 18, United States Code, Section 1111.

This is in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(a)(1)(A) & (C); 1513(a)(1)(A) & (B) and 1111.

Superseding Indictment, Count 1. Counts 2, 3, and 4 allege that Lori Duncan, Kandi Duncan, and Amber Duncan, respectively, were murdered

with the intent to prevent [them] from communicating to a law enforcement officer of the United States, information relating to the commission or possible commission of federal offenses, that is: the tampering with Gregory Nicholson, a federal witness, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512; and DUSTIN LEE HONKEN's unlawful contact with Gregory Nicholson, in contempt of court and in violation of DUSTIN LEE HONKEN's conditions of federal pretrial release in Case Nos. 93-20 M and CR 93-3019 [the 1993 case], in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 3148 and 401, which killing of [each witness] is a first degree murder, as defined by Title 18, United States Code, Section 1111.

This is in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(a)(1)(C), 1512(a)(2)(A), and 1111.

Superseding Indictment, Counts 2-4. Count 5 alleges that Terry DeGeus was murdered

with intent to prevent Terry DeGeus from communicating to a law enforcement officer of the United States, information relating to the...