Opinion ID: 472207
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: admissibility of guilty plea

Text: 21 The trial court admitted evidence of appellant's prior plea of guilty on a state court charge of theft by receipt of stolen property. The plea recited that on July 13, 1982, [appellant] did unlawfully and knowingly receive stolen property, a model 1586 International Harvester tractor, serial number 2650133U009736. The tractor identified in the charge was the same tractor listed on the forged bill of sale submitted to the FmHA in proof of substitution of collateral. The guilty plea therefore went to prove that appellant knew the statement he made to the FmHA concerning the manner of his acquisition of the tractor was false. Such knowledge of falsity constitutes an element of the offense charged under Sec. 1001. 22 A guilty plea is admissible in a subsequent collateral criminal trial as evidence of an admission by a party opponent under Rule 801(d)(1), Fed.R.Evid. United States v. Riley, 684 F.2d 542, 545 (8th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1111, 103 S.Ct. 742, 74 L.Ed.2d 962 (1983). The district court did not err in permitting the prosecution to introduce appellant's state court plea into evidence.