Opinion ID: 425171
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Kelly's January 8 Meeting with Amoroso

Text: 120 On the evening of January 8, 1980, Kelly met privately with Amoroso in the library of Abdul Enterprises' Washington, D.C., townhouse. They discussed the assistance required by the wealthy Arabs and the investments the Arabs planned to make in order to protect their friends in Congress. Toward the end of the meeting, after agreeing to help the Arabs with their immigration difficulties, Kelly accepted $25,000 from Amoroso and stuffed the cash into the pockets of his suit. 103 Unbeknownst to Kelly and the others, the FBI recorded the meeting on video tape. 121 Prior to trial, Ciuzio and Weisz objected to the introduction of the FBI video tape of the meeting. Both contended that the probative value [of the video tape was] substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, Fed.R.Evid. 403, because the sight of a United States Congressman stuffing $25,000 into his pockets would so inflame the jury that it would convict those associated with Kelly irrespective of the evidence. 104 Ciuzio objected to the playing of the entire video tape, 105 while Weisz sought principally to have the offensive money stuffing scene redacted from the tape. 106 The district court concluded that the video tape had considerable probative value, but was concerned that the money stuffing scene added nothing to the government's case. 107 Noting that [t]o see a Congressman stuffing any amount of money in his pockets is a disgusting, revolting sight, the district court suggested that the prejudice [of the money stuffing scene] far outweighs the probative value. 108 Nevertheless, the district court reserved its ruling on the admissibility of the money stuffing scene and, at trial, permitted the entire video tape to be played for the jury. 109 122 Ciuzio and Weisz now contend that the district court's admission of the video tape of the Kelly-Amoroso meeting was reversible error, once again arguing that the probative value of the tape was outweighed by the prejudice associated with the money stuffing scene. However, the balancing of probative value against potential for unfair prejudice called for by Fed.R.Evid. 403 is a task committed to the sound discretion of the district court; its decision will not be disturbed on appeal except for grave abuse. United States v. Allen, 629 F.2d 51, 58 (D.C.Cir.1980); United States v. Day, 591 F.2d 861, 878 (D.C.Cir.1978); United States v. Wright, 489 F.2d 1181, 1186 (D.C.Cir.1973). We cannot say that the district court abused its discretion in allowing the government to play the entire video tape for the jury. 123 The probative value of the video tape of Kelly's meeting with Amoroso, including the money stuffing scene, cannot be gainsaid. The meeting provided direct evidence of Kelly's relationship with Ciuzio when, during the meeting, Kelly asked to talk to Ciuzio and later requested that Amoroso deal with Gino [Ciuzio] about Kelly's $25,000. 110 The video tape itself allowed the jury the unique opportunity to observe Kelly's demeanor as Amoroso explained and Kelly accepted the obviously corrupt proposal. Kelly registered no surprise or protest during Amoroso's discourse, but rather demonstrated familiarity with the proposal by revealing that he understood the purpose for the Arabs' investments in his district. 111 When Amoroso offered the $25,000 in cash, Kelly calmly stuffed the five packets of bills into his suit, all the while continuing his conversation with Amoroso about a possible investment for the Arabs in Florida. 112 These facts indicate that Kelly was already familiar with the proposal, i.e., that Ciuzio had explained the Arabs' proposal to Kelly prior to January 8. Finally, the video tape was irrefutable evidence that Kelly had, in fact, been bribed, thus proving one element of the aiding and abetting charge lodged against Ciuzio and Weisz. See United States v. Staten, 581 F.2d 878, 886-87 (D.C.Cir.1978). 124 Nor can we agree that Ciuzio and Weisz were unfairly prejudiced by the district court's admission of the video tape. The tape, after all, simply permitted the jury to see the commission of the very crime which Ciuzio and Weisz were charged with assisting and conspiring to commit. While such direct evidence of crime is certainly prejudicial to a defendant's case, without more it is not unfairly so. United States v. Day, supra, 591 F.2d at 878; Fed.R.Evid. 403. Ciuzio and Weisz argue that the visually recorded evidence of Congressman Kelly selling his office would so influence some jurors that they would be incapable of rendering an objective verdict. However we believe it more likely that jurors would correctly find such evidence to be strongly probative of guilt. Furthermore, we suspect that viewing Kelly's acceptance of the money on the video tape, as opposed to hearing a stipulation of that fact as suggested by Weisz, 113 could create little incremental unfair prejudice since jurors would have learned of Kelly's misdeed in either case. 125 In any event, whatever potential for unfair prejudice that might have inhered in the money stuffing scene was dissipated by the district court's careful voir dire of the prospective jurors. The district court described to each prospective juror the conduct alleged by the government and asked each whether the nature of that conduct or, in particular, the sight of a Congressman accepting $25,000 would so offend them that they would find all those persons associated with the Congressman guilty. 114 In at least one instance, a prospective juror responded positively and was excused for cause. 115 We have previously recognized the value of voir dire as a means to identify prospective jurors who might be prejudiced against a defendant by the nature of evidence to be presented at trial, United States v. Chapin, 515 F.2d 1274, 1284-85 (D.C.Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1015, 96 S.Ct. 449, 46 L.Ed.2d 387 (1975), and we again commend the practice to the district courts. Here, the district court's exhaustive voir dire permitted the parties to assemble a jury not likely to be unfairly prejudiced by the sight of Kelly accepting $25,000 from Amoroso. Accordingly, given the very considerable evidentiary value of the video tape of Kelly's meeting with Amoroso, we are of the opinion that the district court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the entire video tape into evidence. 116