Three guards from a Texas state mental hospital challenge the sufficiency of the evidence supporting their conviction, under 18 U.S.C. § 241, of conspiring to violate the civil rights of a patient. Becаuse we hold that the jury’s conspiracy verdict was supported by substantial evidence, we affirm.
Robert Anderson Davis, Jr., Leo Glen Nash, Anthony G. Baker, Harold E. Hicks and Frank Southerland worked, in June 1983, as Psychiatric Seсurity Technicians (hereinafter “guards”) on the night shift at the Maximum Security Unit of the Rusk State Hospital in Texas. William A. Tyer worked as shift supervisor. Gary Lee Salas and Troy Volk were patients in Dormitory 4 at the same unit. Salas was an admitted drug user who had been committed following a long history of convictions for burglary, theft, robbery, and retaliation against a witness. Volk had a history of suicide attempts, drug use, and other psychiatric problems; had two rape convictions; and had been committed to Rusk for pretrial evaluation.
On the night of June 21, 1983, another Dormitory 4 patient, Jay Banks, was beaten and suffered an epileptiс seizure. Salas testified that he had seen guards beating Banks in the dormitory in the middle of the night. One of the guards noticed Salas watching from his bed and according to Salas, told him to “cover up or [he] would get more of the same.” Record Vol. 4 at 138. Salas also testified that the next day the guards warned the patients, “[Y]ou all quit messing with us, and we'll quit messing with you all.” Record Vol. 4 at 139. Troy Volk also heard the disturbance and got оut of bed. He testified that he saw another patient trying to help Banks and heard a guard yell “that you better get in bed, or you’ll get the same.” Record Vol. 4 at 206.
Banks’ beating was investigated by a hospital pаtient abuse committee on June 22, 23, and 24. Tyer was not called, because June 21 was his night off; Davis, Nash, Baker, and Hicks did testify. Tyer admitted at trial, however, that he knew of the investigation. Salas and Volk testified in supрort of Banks. Witnesses in such investigations waited to testify in a room where they were visible; moreover, the hospital had an active “grapevine” about abuse committee investigations.
On June 24, 1983, the night shift gathеred in the nurse’s station around 10 p.m. There was conflicting testimony at trial about the topic of conversation. Davis, Nash, and Southerland testified that the guards talked about the abuse committee hearing; Tyer testified that they did not. Southerland also testified that all the guards knew that patients had talked to the committee and that Salas and Volk’s names were mentioned specifically.
Rusk State Hospitаl has a video system that normally is set to rotate and provide surveillance from one area to another every few minutes. The pictures can be monitored from the nurse’s station and are аlso stored on tape. The guards could see that Salas and Volk were watching television in Dormitory 4, and Tyer proposed that the guards go and turn the set off. Tyer, Davis, Nash and Hicks headed for the dorm, in Sоutherland’s words, “looking for trouble.” Record Vol. 5 at 426.
The video tape, which was shown at trial, shows the four guards walking down the hall and entering the dorm together. It shows Davis, Nash, and Hicks grabbing a patient and taking him to the floor. Tyer apparently is standing behind. At that point, Baker, who had remained at the nurse’s station, switched the camera away and joined the others.
Salas and Volk testified that the four guards went first to Bank’s bed and asked him who testified at the abuse committee hearing. Banks replied, “[I]t's the Mexican out on the couch.” Record Vol. 4 at 147. The four guards encircled the couch and, according to Volk, Tyer said, “[D]on’t you s.o.b.’s know that we get paid to kick — kick ass.” Record Vol. 4 at 216. The guards demanded Salas’ belt, claiming that he was going to hang himself with it, although in fact Salas had permission to wear a belt and had nо record of suicidal tendencies. Salas testified that, before he could answer, he was grabbed by the hair, knocked to the floor, kicked, and kneed in the chest and back. Salas stated that he thought all four guards participated. Volk testified that Tyer announced to the patients in the
The four guards carried Salas down the hallway to an isolation room. Baker joined them in the hall and punched Salas several times. In the isolation room, Salas was beaten again by “four or five” guаrds for five to ten minutes. Record Vol. 4 at 153-54. Salas was then taken to Dormitory 1, where the guard meeting Tyer’s description 1 ordered another patient, Cleo Austin, to beat Salas. Because the two pаtients were friends, Austin only pretended to hit Salas. Salas testified that the guard meeting Tyer’s description said, “[I]f you talk, you’re going to be hanging in the morning; if anybody talks, we’re going to kill them.” Record Vol. 4 at 156. Salas remained in Dormitory 1 and reported his injuries the next morning.
Holding Salas’ belt, Tyer and Davis went to Volk’s room. They asked Volk if he had seen Salas try to attack Tyer with the belt. Volk denied the attack. Volk testified that Tyer said, “[Tjhis son-of-a-bitch is going to cause us trouble.” Record Vol. 4 at 225. Then “at least four” of the night guards began to beat Volk. Id. The next day, a doctor’s report noted that Volk had a black eye, a two-inch bruisе on the neck, a chest bruise, and scratches on his ankle.
Tyer submitted conflicting reports of the events of June 24. In his “Progress Note” on Salas for that date, he stated that Salas had attacked a guard and had to be restrained and transferred to another dormitory. In a Day Book entry for June 24, Tyer wrote that Volk and Salas had been abusing other patients. Although the hospital required an “Unusual Occurrence Report” whenever a patient attacked either a guard or another patient, none of the guards filed such a report. Nash and Baker both admitted that Tyer’s Progress Note was false.
A grand jury indicted Dаvis, Nash, Baker, Hicks, and Tyer with three counts of conspiracy against constitutional rights (18 U.S.C. § 241) and deprivation of rights under color of state law (18 U.S.C. § 242). Baker pleaded guilty to the section 242 violation of Salas’ rights. A jury convicted the other defendants on the conspiracy charges and on the section 242 charges concerning Salas. The defendants were acquitted on the section 242 charges concerning Volk. The district court sentenced the defendants to three years’ imprisonment, suspended all but six months, and required them to render community service. Davis, Nash, and Tyer appeal.
II. DISCUSSION
Davis, Nash and Tyer do nоt dispute that they beat Salas, but they argue that the jury did not have sufficient evidence to find that they acted as part of a conspiracy. This Court will uphold a jury verdict in a criminal case so long as “thеre is substantial evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the Government, to uphold the jury’s decision.”
United States v. Malatesta,
In order to obtain a conviction for criminal conspiracy, the Government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that (1) a conspiracy directed to an unlawful purpose existed; (2) the defendant knew of the conspiracy; and (3) the defendant voluntarily agreed to join that conspiracy.
United States v. Aguirre Aguirre,
The defendants argue that the Government has not proved that they acted in agreement, rather than independently, when they beat Salas. It is true that the record contains no statements to the effect of “Let’s go and beat up Salas for testifying against us.” However, the agreement element of conspiracy can be proved by circumstantial evidence.
United States v. Holcomb,
Most of these factors are shown by substantial evidence in the instant case. The guards had the common motive of discouraging patients from testifying to the abuse committee. Southerland, Nash, and Davis told the jury that the night shift guards were complaining about the abusе committee just before starting toward Dormitory 4. Tyer denied this, but the jury was entitled to resolve the credibility issue against him.
McKenzie,
There was testimony that Tyer, Davis, Nash, Hicks, and Baker all beat patients in one another’s presence. None of the guards protested the beatings or attempted to stoр them. The beatings were repeated several times over the course of several hours. The guards acted jointly, encircling Salas; some helped the others by holding him while the others delivered blows. During the beatings, the guards spoke to each other about them. Finally, they cooperated in a cover up: Baker switched the video camera away, and Tyer filed admittedly inaccurate reports of the incidents. In sum, the evidence negates individual, spontaneous action. Instead, it strongly supports the jury’s conclusion that the beatings formed part of a conspiracy which eaсh defendant joined knowingly and voluntarily.
III. CONCLUSION
The jury heard substantial evidence to prove that there was a conspiracy to violate patients’ civil rights and that each defendant guard agreed to join that conspiracy. Accordingly, the convictions are
AFFIEMED.
Notes
. Salas did not know the guards’ names, but he and the other patients consistently identified Tyer as "short,” "fat,” and with a "funny nose.” E.g., Record Vol. 4. at 155. The defendants do not contest their identifications on appeal.