Opinion ID: 1442968
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Videos of Chi and Lian

Text: Zheng and Liu both contend the district court committed reversible error by denying their requests to admit video evidence of Chi and Lian engaging in prostitution of their own free will. We review the district court's decision to admit or exclude evidence for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Plancarte-Alvarez, 366 F.3d 1058, 1062 (9th Cir.2004). Such rulings will be reversed only if the error more likely than not affected the verdict. United States v. Edwards, 235 F.3d 1173, 1179 (9th Cir. 2000); United States v. Ramirez, 176 F.3d 1179, 1182 (9th Cir.1999). The videos include lengthy footage of people outside an adult video store, people going in and out of the store, and nothing more. Viewers cannot hear what the people outside the store are saying and cannot see what, if anything, happens inside the store. The footage was filmed after Chi and Lian left the Tea House and after Zheng was indicted. The district court found the videos were irrelevant and thereby excluded by Federal Rule of Evidence 402. The district court also concluded the videos should be excluded under Federal Rule of Evidence 403 as their admission would result in unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, and would constitute undue delay and concomitant waste of time. Additionally, the court concluded the videos were barred by Federal Rule of Evidence 608, which prohibits extrinsic evidence offered to prove specific conduct of a witness. We conclude the district court did not abuse its discretion by excluding the videos. The videos are long and devoid of admissible evidence. Chi and Lian admitted they engaged in prostitution to support themselves after Zheng's arrest and the closing of the Tea House. The defendants were not entitled to present extrinsic evidence of specific acts that Lian and Chi admitted they committed. We conclude the district judge properly relied upon Federal Rules of Evidence 402, 403, and 608.