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

Heading: jury instruction on character evidence

Text: 11 Karterman claims that the district court's failure to give his proposed instruction on character evidence allowed the jury to convict him on the false tax return counts without properly considering relevant, exculpatory evidence of his good character. Karterman did not timely object to the jury instructions, and he raises this argument for the first time on appeal. Therefore, we review the district court's ruling for plain error, United States v. Kessi, 868 F.2d 1097, 1102 (9th Cir.1989), which means we must find clear or obvious error that affect[ed] [the defendant's] substantial rights, United States v. Olano, --- U.S. ----, ---- - ----, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 1777-78, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993). The defendant generally must also show that the error affected the outcome of the District Court proceedings. Id. at ----, 113 S.Ct. at 1778. 12 On the facts of this case, the lower court's refusal to give Karterman's requested instruction did not amount to clear or obvious error that affected Karterman's substantial rights. Several witnesses testified to Karterman's character for truth and honesty. Karterman testified that he did not intentionally underreport any income, and his counsel emphasized Karterman's honest intent during closing argument. The district court instructed the jury to consider all of the evidence introduced by all parties, to carefully scrutinize all the testimony given, and to consider every matter in evidence which tends to show whether a witness is worthy of belief. 13 Moreover, in light of the previously described evidence supporting the jury's guilty verdicts, Karterman has not demonstrated that the alleged instructional error affected the outcome of his trial. See United States v. Armijo, 5 F.3d 1229, 1233-34 (9th Cir.1993) (no plain error where evidence other than the erroneously admitted evidence supported the determination of guilt). We therefore hold that the district court's refusal to give Karterman's requested instruction on character evidence does not amount to plain error.