Opinion ID: 179299
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence of Prior Robberies and Attempted Burglary Elicited During Cross-Examination

Text: Mr. Hall next contends that his cross-examination by the prosecutor exceeded the scope of what the district court said it would permit regarding his prior offenses. The prosecutorial misconduct, he argues, deprived him of due process and a fair trial. In our view, however, the complained-of cross-examination was too trivial in importance to have prejudiced him. After the prosecutor elicited Mr. Hall's admission that he had used his mother's car to commit the 1984 robbery, she began to question him about other similarities between the 1984 robbery and the charged offense: Q. And when you went in there, you had something covering your head, correct? A. Uh, I think I had a pillow case over my head, yeah, that's correct. Q. Okay. And you had a gun, correct? Trial Tr., Doc. 148 (Hall Testimony) at 61. Defense counsel did not object, but the court called the prosecutor to the bench and advised her that it had not intended to allow questioning about the details of the prior robberies, only whether or not Mr. Hall's cars were used in their commission. The prosecutor responded that she would move on. Id. at 61-62. The prosecutor then asked Mr. Hall about his attempted burglary of a gas station in June 1990, two months after completing his prison sentence for the 1984 bank robbery. He admitted that he had parked his own car in the parking lot of the gas station. She next asked Mr. Hall about the three August 1990 bank robberies that had already been brought out on direct examination. He admitted that in committing one of the robberies he had used a car that was registered to his mother but belonged to him. He also admitted to having worked with an accomplice in those robberies, and committing at gunpoint the one to which he pleaded guilty. Again, defense counsel did not object. On appeal Mr. Hall argues that this questioning exceeded the limits of what the district court had set. Defense counsel, however, failed to object in district court to the cross-examination that he challenges on appeal. Therefore, we review only for plain error. See United States v. Caraway, 534 F.3d 1290, 1298 (10th Cir.2008). Plain error occurs when there is (1) error, (2) that is plain, which (3) affects [the defendant's] substantial rights, and which (4) seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted) The defendant has the burden of establishing all four elements of plain error. See United States v. Gonzales, 558 F.3d 1193, 1199 (10th Cir.2009). We agree with Mr. Hall that the prosecutor's questioning about his prior offenses went beyond what the district court had approved. But he has failed to establish the third element of plain errorthat the error substantially prejudiced him. In light of the history of his criminality that was properly presented to the jury, we fail to see how the jury would be influenced by the additional evidence that he had an accomplice, used a gun, or wore a mask during a prior robbery. The obvious reason why defense counsel did not object at trial is that it was not worth the effort. Cf. United States v. Short, 947 F.2d 1445, 1455 (10th Cir.1991) (prosecutor's questioning that exceeded the scope of the court's evidentiary ruling and brought out details about the defendant's prior conviction was harmless error in light of the overwhelming evidence against the defendant and defense counsel's failure to request the court to strike the testimony or to give a limiting instruction).