Opinion ID: 223527
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Morales's Separate Claim

Text: Morales challenges his conviction, [9] arguing that the district court's admission of statements about his criminal history during the trial phase was erroneous because he did not testify as Federal Rule of Evidence 609(a)(1) requires for the admission of such evidence. We review the district court's evidentiary decision for an abuse of discretion, disturbing the ruling only if no reasonable person could agree with it. United States v. Dinga, 609 F.3d 904, 908 (7th Cir.2010). Even if we find the ruling to be erroneous, we will reverse the conviction only if the evidentiary error was not harmless. Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(a); United States v. Thornton, 642 F.3d 599, 604, (7th Cir.2011). Morales did not testify during the trial, but the government introduced evidence of his own statements made to agents after his arrest: [Morales] said he had gone in and out of the Illinois Department of Corrections for narcotics-related offenses, and He said he went to the Illinois Department of Corrections in 1995 for delivery of cannabis. The district court overruled Morales's objection to the testimony. After the jury returned its verdicts, Morales moved for a new trial based on the admission of his criminal history. The district court denied his motion, noting both that the evidence was properly introduced to prove the Deuces' activities in the prison system and also that any erroneous admission could not justify a new trial because of the overwhelming evidence against him. We likewise find that the challenged testimony could not have affected the verdict at issue, so we need not determine whether the admission represented an abuse of the district court's discretion. See United States v. Simmons, 599 F.3d 777, 780 (7th Cir.2010). Special Agent Mark Anton testified as to statements Morales made during an interview conducted after Morales's arrest to assess his potential as a cooperating witness. Among those statements were comments  to which Morales did not object  confirming that he had been involved in narcotics trafficking, and some of his proceeds or profits from his narcotic trafficking would go to the Insane Deuces. (Tr. 11/13/08 at 3699.) Morales also told Special Agent Anton that he was made the Junior Enforcer on July 5, 2002, (Tr. 11/13/08 at 3702, 3704), and that all Insane Deuce gang members that were involved in narcotics drug trafficking were expected to pay a part of the proceeds into the caja, as well as any of the Insane Deuce gang members that were high level narcotic drug dealers, (Tr. 11/13/08 at 3705). The admission of a statement that Morales had gone to jail for delivering marijuana could not have affected the jury's decision-making process when his admission to having engaged in the trafficking conduct for the Insane Deuces' benefit during the period alleged in the indictment was already before the jury without any objection. See United States v. Courtright, 632 F.3d 363, 370 (7th Cir. 2011). Accordingly, we will not reverse Morales's conviction.