McClary v. Pepe

November 17, 1995 [NOT FOR PUBLICATION] [NOT FOR PUBLICATION] UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT No. 94-2294 No. 94-2294 ROBERT E. McCLARY, ROBERT E. McCLARY, Petitoner, Appellant, Petitoner, Appellant, v. v. PETER A. PEPE, JR., ET AL., PETER A. PEPE, JR., ET AL., Respondents, Appellees. Respondents, Appellees. ERRATA SHEET ERRATA SHEET The opinion of this Court issued on November 9, 1995, is The opinion of this Court issued on November 9, 1995, is amended as follows: amended as follows: On page 2, footnote 27 is changed to footnote 1. On page 2, footnote 27 is changed to footnote 1. November 9, 1995 [NOT FOR PUBLICATION] UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT No. 94-2294 ROBERT E. McCLARY, Petitoner, Appellant, v. PETER A. PEPE, JR., ET AL., Respondents, Appellees. APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS [Hon. Joseph L. Tauro, U.S. District Judge] Before Torruella, Chief Judge, Selya and Boudin, Circuit Judges. Robert E. McClary on brief pro se. Scott Harshbarger, Attorney General, and Pamela L. Hunt, Assistant Attorney General, on brief for appellees. Per Curiam. Pro se plaintiff Robert McClary appeals from the summary dismissal of his habeas corpus petition. He claims that his conviction for trafficking cocaine is unconstitutional because the prosecutor violated Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610 (1976), by improperly cross-examining McClary and commenting on McClary's post-arrest silence in his closing argument. We have thoroughly reviewed the record and the parties' briefs on appeal. We are persuaded that the habeas petition was properly dismissed under Anderson v. Charles, 447 U.S. 404, 408-09 (1981), (per curiam), and Grieco v. Hall, 641 F.2d 1029, 1032-36 (1st Cir. 1981). We note that even if we assumed arguendo that Doyle error is present, habeas relief is not warranted here. The record discloses that the evidence against McClary was strong and that the error could not have had a substantial and injurious effect on the verdict. See Brecht v. Abrahamson, 113 S. Ct. 1711, 1722 (1993). While we need not decide whether the "harmless beyond a reasonable doubt" test of Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24 (1967), should be applied to this appeal1, the evidence indicates that any alleged Doyle error was harmless under this test as well. Accordingly, the judgment of the 1. While McClary made this argument below, he has failed to develop it on appeal. Thus, the point has been waived. See United States v. Zannino, 895 F.2d 1, 17 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 494 U.S. 1082 (1990). district court is affirmed. -2-