United States v. Owen, Docket No. 06-1078-cr (2d Cir. September 4, 2006 [sic]) (Parker, Raggi, Wesley, CJJ)
In case you were wondering, Rule 33 applies only to “newly discovered” evidence, and not “newly available” evidence.
Facts: Lance Owen and two co-defendants loaded five years worth of marijuana into a truck from a warehouse in the Bronx. Owen was pulled over while driving the truck, and explained, not very convincingly, that he was a mover, in the process of moving personal items to Florida for a client. When DEA agents found the marijuana in the truck, they arrested him.
Owen and the two others, Samuels and Baroody, went to trial. No defendant testified, but each, through counsel, pointed his finger at the others. All were convicted, and Judge Patterson sentenced Owen to five years’ imprisonment.
At Samuels’ sentencing, before sentence was imposed, Samuels exculpated Owen. He said that he had “hired …