T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

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o rn ia B e f or e : T A S H I M A a nd R A W L I N S O N , C i r c ui tJ udge s , a nd R A K O F F , S e ni or D i stri ctJudg e. ** F e rna ndo S a l di va r - G a de a appe a l s f r om hi s j ury c onvi c t i on of one c ountof c ons pi r a c y t o tr a ns por ti l l e ga l a l i e ns a nd thr e e c ount s of tr a ns por t i ng a l i e ns f

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profi t . H e c on t ends thatthe di stri ctcourterre d i n fai l i ng t o g ra nta m i stri al or a ne w tr i a l be c a us e the pr os e c ut i on i m pr ope r l y c om m e nt e d dur i ng i t s ope ni ng st at em entthaton e of hi s c o-conspi ra t ors w as a j uv eni l e a nd thatanother c o - c o n s p ir a to rh a d p r e v io u s ly b e e n c o n v ic te d o f a lie n s m u g g lin g . H e a ls o a s s e r ts thatthe tri al courterre d b y a l l ow i ng the adm i ss i on of evi dence thatS al di var- G adea h a d b e e n a rr e s te d o n s u s p ic io n o f a lie n s m u g g lin g f

o u ry e a r s p r io rto h is a rr e s t. I. P rose cu tori al M i sc on d u ct A n ap p el l an tm u std em o n strat e m i sco n d u ctan d p rej u d i ce t o est ab l i sh p r o s e c u to r ia l m is c o n d u c t. Se e U ni te d State s v . W

r i ght , 6 2 5 F .3 d 5 8 3 , 6 0 9 - 6 1 0 ( 9 th C i r. 20 10 ). T hi s m ea ns thatthe appel l antm ustshow thati ti s “ m ore probabl e than no t ” thatthe prosecut or’ s c om m ent s “ af fe ct ed the j ury’ s ver di ct . . . . ” U ni ted S ta tes v. N

o b a ri , 57 4 F . 3d 10 65 , 10 82 (9th C i r. 20 09 ). A ny po t ent i al prej ud i ce c a us e d by the pr os e c ut or ’ s c om m e nt s a nd que s t i on w a s m i t i ga t e d by the ov erw hel m i ng evi dence of S al di var- G adea ’ s gui l tpres ent ed attri al and the di stri ct c o u r t’s c u r a tiv e in s tru c tio n . Se e U ni te d State s v . W

e athe rs poon , 410 F . 3d 1142, 1 1 5 1 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . T h u s , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id n o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n w h e n it d e n ie d S a ld iv a r - G a d e a ’s m o tio n f o ra m is tr ia l. Se e U

ni te d State s v . P i ne da- D ov al , 6 1 4 F .3 d 1 0 1 9 , 1 0 3 6 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) . II. F R E 4 0 4 (b ) E v i d en ce o f S a l d i v a r-G a d ea ’s P ri o r A rrest3

E vi dence of pri or bad act s m ay be adm i tt ed “ i f i t(1) t ends t o p rove a m at er i al po i nt ; (2) i s nott oo re m ot e i n t i m e; (3) i s bas ed up on suff i ci entevi dence; a n d , ( 4 ) in s o m e c a s e s , is s im ila rto th e o f f e n s e c h a r g e d . . . .” U

ni ted Stat es v. B an ks , 514 F . 3d 959, 976 ( 9th C i r . 2008) ( c i t a t i on a nd i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a r ks o m itte d ) . T he G ove rnm e ntw a s r e qui r e d t o pr ove tha tS a l di va r - G a de a know i ngl y or r e c k le s s ly tr a n s p o r te d th e ille g a l a lie n s in to th e c o u n try f o rp r o f it. See 8 U .S .C . § 1324( a ) ( 1) ( A ) ( i i ) . T he e vi de nc e r e ga r di ng the pr e vi ous a rr e s tf ors us pi c i on of a l i e n s m uggl i ng t e nde d t o s how know l e dge of how t o s m uggl e a l i e ns i nt o the c o u n try . See U

ni te d State s v . L oz ano , 62 3 F . 3d 10 55 , 10 59 (9th C i r. 20 10 ) ( per c u r ia m ) . A d mi s s i o n o f

a p r i o ra c tth a to c c u rr e d f o u ry e a r s p r i o rt o th e c h a r g e d c r i me w a s n o t a n ab u s e o f

d is c r e tio n . Se e U

ni te d State s v . Es tr ada , 453 F . 3d 1208, 1213 (9th C i r. 20 06 ) ( “ C ou rt s have a l l ow ed R ul e 404 (b) e vi dence t o b e a dm i tt ed w here t e n y e a r s orl onge rpe r i ods of t i m e ha ve pa s s e d” be tw e e n the pr i ora c ta nd the in s ta n t o f

f e n s e .) ( c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . T he di s tr i c tc our ta c t e d w i thi n i t s di s c r e t i on w he n i tf ound tha tthe pr oba t i ve v a lu e o f th e e v id e n c e o f

th e p r io ra rr e s t w a s n o t s u b s ta n tia lly o u tw e ig h e d b y its p o te n tia l p r e

ju d ic ia l e f

f e c t. See U

ni te d State s v . W

i nn , 76 7 F . 2d 52 7, 53 0 (9th C i r.4

1 9 8 5 ) ( p e rc u r ia m ) , as am ended . B e c a u s e th e d is tr ic t c o u r t p r o p e r ly e x e r c is e d its di s c r e t i on i n m a ki ng the c ha l l e nge d rul i ngs , the de ni a l of S a l di va r - G a de a ’ s m ot i on f o ra n e w tr ia l w a s n o t a n ab u s e o f d is c r e tio n . Se e S. E . C . v . T odd , 642 F . 3d 1207, 1225 ( 9th C i r . 2011) ( r e vi e w i ng de ni a l of m ot i on f ora ne w tr i a l f

orabus e of d is c r e tio n ) . AF F I RME D.