Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Claude BLACKBURN, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1979-01-29
Citations: 592 F.2d 300
Docket Number: No. 78-5269
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Claude BLACKBURN, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Reporter 2d Series
Volume: 592
Pages: 300–301

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Claude BLACKBURN, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 78-5269.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.
Jan. 29, 1979.
Richard E. Plymale, Deputy Federal Defender, Lexington, Ky., for defendant-appellant.
Patrick H. Molloy, U. S. Atty., Robert F. Trevey, Jesse Crenshaw, Lexington, Ky., for plaintiff-appellee.
Before EDWARDS and ENGEL, Circuit Judges, and DeMASCIO, District Judge.
Hon. Robert E. DeMascio, Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, sitting by designation.

Opinion:
ORDER
Appellant Claude Blackburn was convicted, following a jury trial, of possession of a firearm by one having been previously convicted of a felony. 18 U.S.C. § 1202(a)(1) (Appendix) (1976).
In his appeal Blackburn asserts that it was error for the trial court to have refused his offer to stipulate that he had committed the felonies described in the indictment in order to avoid disclosing their nature to the jury. In short, the appellant asks this court to reconsider its earlier opinion in United States v. Burkhart, 545 F.2d 14 (6th Cir. 1976). Upon consideration, the court adheres to its decision in Burkhart, supra, particularly under the facts of this case.
Appellant also claims that it was error for the court to have permitted the government to impeach him on cross-examination by use of a felony more than ten years old, in violation of Rule 609(b), Fed.R.Evid. While the court is of the opinion that the admission of the proof of this third felony did not conform to the standards of Rule 609(b), as set forth in this court's opinion in United States v. Sims, 588 F.2d 1145 (6th Cir. 1978), it is further of the opinion that any error in this regard was harmless within the meaning of Rule 52(a), Fed.R.Crim.P., particularly since the jury already had before it the evidence of Blackburn's commission of the felonies described in the indictment. Accordingly,
IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the district court is affirmed.