Opinion ID: 699628
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: admission of drug-related evidence

Text: 8 Over Karterman's objection, the district court admitted into evidence various items seized from Karterman's residence in December 1990. The challenged evidence consists of a nearly empty bottle of Mannitol (a laxative that is often used as a cutting agent for cocaine), a cocaine spoon, a box of baggies, a piece of paper with trace amounts of cocaine, and marijuana roaches. Karterman asserts that the items are merely evidence of drug use and that as such, their admission to show drug distribution violated Federal Rules of Evidence 404(b) and 403. 9 We do not believe that the district court abused its discretion by admitting the challenged evidence. See United States v. Brooke, 4 F.3d 1480, 1487 (9th Cir.1993) (evidentiary rulings are reviewed for an abuse of discretion). Even if it did, however, we hold that reversal is not required because the error did not affect the jury's verdict. See United States v. Chu Kong Yin, 935 F.2d 990, 994 (9th Cir.1991) (reversal for nonconstitutional evidentiary error is not appropriate unless the error more likely than not affected the verdict). 10 The evidence that Karterman alleges should have been excluded was most directly relevant to the drug counts. It seems to us quite implausible that the jury was unduly swayed on the false tax return counts by evidence that was more relevant to the drug counts on which it acquitted Karterman. Moreover, there was an abundance of other evidence from which the jury could find Karterman guilty on counts 1 and 2, including documentary evidence of underreported income; Karterman's own figures showing that his income for the relevant years was underreported; and his admission that he intentionally falsified financial loan documents.