Opinion
Nos. 08-10326, 09-10043.
Argued and Submitted August 11, 2009.
Filed August 27, 2009.
Robert Lawrence Ellman, Esquire, Assistant U.S., Office of the U.S. Attorney, Las Vegas, NV, for Plaintiff-Appellant.
Alan M. Dershowitz, Esquire, Harvard University Law School, Cambridge, MA, Pamela L. Johnston, Esquire, Foley Lardner LLP, Los Angeles, CA, Thomas F. Pitaro, Esquire, Law Offices of Thomas F. Pitaro, Las Vegas, NV, for Defendant-Appellee, Noel Gage.
Adam Harland Braun, Law Offices of Adam H. Braun, Los Angeles, CA, for Defendant-Appellee, Howard Awand.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada; Justin L. Quackenbush, Senior District Judge, Presiding. D.C. Nos. 2:07-cr-00039-JLQ-LRL, 2:07-cr-00039-JLQ-LRL-1.
Before KOZINSKI, Chief Judge, REINHARDT and SILVERMAN, Circuit Judges.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
Due process compels use immunity only for defense witnesses who will offer testimony that directly contradicts the testimony of a government witness who has been given use immunity. See, e.g., United States v. Straub, 538 F.3d 1147, 1161-62 (9th Cir. 2008); United States v. Alvarez, 358 F.3d 1194, 1216 (9th Cir. 2004). Direct contradiction means more than just different subjective interpretations of the same facts. Because Dr. Kabins would not have directly contradicted a government witness who received use immunity, the indictment must be reinstated.
REVERSED.