Opinion ID: 216269
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Summerlin Interview Summary

Text: Yarrington's second argument is that the district court abused its discretion in allowing portions of the report of the September 8 interview of Summerlin to be read into evidence. The government argues that defense counsel took portions of the report out of context, and the court allowed the jury to hear Summerlin's reported statements in proper context. It cites the doctrine of completeness. We review the court's evidentiary ruling for an abuse of discretion. See United States v. Lewis, ___ F.3d ___, (7th Cir.2011). The doctrine of completeness, codified in Federal Rule of Evidence 106, is applied to oral statements. Id. at ___, Under this doctrine, a complete statement is required to be read or heard when `it is necessary to (1) explain the admitted portion, (2) place the admitted portion in context, (3) avoid misleading the trier of fact, or (4) insure a fair and impartial understanding.' Id. (quoting United States v. Sweiss, 814 F.2d 1208, 1211-12 (7th Cir. 1987)). The government argues that defense counsel used one sentence out of context from the September 8 statement to claim that Wallace was the only person from whom Summerlin reported purchasing cocaine. The government asserts that the report clarifies that Summerlin informed Agent Rollins that he bought cocaine from both Wallace and Yarrington. The reading of the portions of the report does not seem to fit within the rule of completeness. The jury had already heard that Summerlin stated during his September 8 interview with Agent Rollins that he purchased cocaine from both Wallace and Yarrington. Agent Rollins had testified that in that interview, Summerlin said that during the early part of his relationship with Wallace, he purchased cocaine only from Wallace, but in the later part of the relationship, he purchased from Wallace and Yarrington. Although Summerlin's testimony may have been confusing with respect to the time periods in which he purchased cocaine from Wallace and Yarrington, the reading of portions of the report was unnecessary to provide the jury with a complete view of Summerlin's statements in the September 8 interview. The reading of portions of the report likely served the purpose of rehabilitating Summerlin. Even if the district court abused its discretion in allowing Agent Rollins to read portions of his report, we would not reverse if the evidentiary mistake was harmless error. An error is harmless if, in the mind of the average juror, the prosecution's case would have been `significantly less persuasive' had the improper evidence been excluded. United States v. Vasquez, 635 F.3d 889, 898 (7th Cir.2011) (quoting United States v. Emerson, 501 F.3d 804, 813 (7th Cir. 2007)). In other words, an error is harmless if it did not have a `substantial and injurious effect or influence on the jury's verdict.' United States v. Oros, 578 F.3d 703, 709 (7th Cir.2009) (quoting United States v. Jarrett, 133 F.3d 519, 526 (7th Cir.1998)). The government bears the burden of proving that a reasonable jury would have reached the same verdict without the challenged evidence. Vasquez, 635 F.3d at 898. The government has done so here. We highlight just some of the evidence. Law enforcement recovered from the apartment Yarrington shared with his girlfriend several bags containing cocaine, several empty baggies, a digital scale, Inositol powder (which is commonly used to cut cocaine), and approximately $14,000 in cash. A special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration testified that all of these items were consistent with cocaine distribution. The agent also testified that the amount of cocaine found in the apartment was not consistent with possession for personal use but for distribution or sale. The jury heard that Yarrington had claimed responsibility for the cocaine. Government witnesses testified that Yarrington told them that he stored, cut, weighed, and packed the cocaine for Wallace in return for money. The jury heard other testimony pointing to Yarrington's guilt, including that he had admitted he had a large sum of cash in the apartment, some of which was drug money, and that his fingerprints were found on a bag of cocaine found in the apartment. Not to mention, the jury was entitled to credit Summerlin's testimony that he bought cocaine from Yarrington and distributed it to others to sell, despite Summerlin's difficulty in recalling dates and quantities. In addition, the court gave the jury a limiting instruction, telling it that the portions of the report were read for the purpose of showing what Agent Rollins recorded in his report of his interview with Summerlin, not to prove the truth of the statements. This limiting instruction mitigated whatever unfair prejudice may have existed. United States v. Samuels, 521 F.3d 804, 814 (7th Cir.2008) (quoting United States v. Lane, 323 F.3d 568, 582 (7th Cir.2003)). Given the substantial evidence against Yarrington, the reading of portions of the report was harmless error.