Opinion ID: 64228
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Cumulative Effect of Exclusions

Text: Arledge maintains that the cumulative effect of these exclusions was to deny him a fair trial. In support of his defense, Arledge argued to the jury that he was not criminally liable because other similarly-situated attorneys had not discovered any fraudulent claims submitted by their clients and that their lack of knowledge was evidence that Arledge also was not aware of the fraud being conducted by his clients. Arledge maintains that the district court's evidentiary rulings prevented him from providing support for this argument to the jury. However, this argument is not relevant to whether Arledge had actual knowledge of the fraud and had knowingly participated in the scheme to defraud; therefore, it was properly excluded. See FED.R.EVID. 402 (Evidence which is not relevant is not admissible.) As we explained earlier, a rational trier of fact could have found that Arledge had actual knowledge of the Fen Phen I fraud. This actual knowledge put him on notice of the Fen Phen II fraud in a way that other similarly-situated attorneys were not. Therefore, evidence that other similarly-situated attorneys had not discovered the fraud is not relevant to Arledge's actual knowledge of or deliberate indifference to the fraud. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion in its evidentiary rulings.