Opinion ID: 195901
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Genco's Testimony

Text: 29 Jackman's final arguments are that the district court abused its discretion, first in permitting the Connecticut prosecutor Genco to testify about the lineup in which Megna identified Jackman as the Revere robber, and then in refusing to grant a mistrial when Genco alluded to a description the government apparently obtained in investigating the Connecticut robbery. Neither point merits extensive discussion. 30 Genco only identified himself as an Assistant United States Attorney; no mention was made of the fact that he lived and worked in Connecticut. His testimony was offered to authenticate the videotape of the lineup, to explain how it was arranged and to identify for the jury the points on the videotape at which Megna entered and exited the viewing room. This testimony, the government contends, enabled it to argue in closing that Megna needed little time in the viewing room before identifying Jackman. Jackman offered to stipulate to the videotape's authenticity, but no offer was made to stipulate to the other aspects of Genco's testimony. While the testimony might have been of marginal utility, it was not wholly cumulative or overly lengthy, and its admission did not constitute an abuse of discretion. 31 As for Genco's slip concerning a description of the robber that did not comport with the description provided by Megna, a mistrial was not called for. The reference was allusive enough and the curative instruction sufficient such that we seriously doubt that the jury was able to draw any inference damaging to Jackman based on Genco's blunder. See United States v. Sepulveda, 15 F.3d 1161, 1184 (1st Cir.1993) (Declaring a mistrial is a last resort, only to be implemented ... if the trial judge believes that the jury's exposure to the evidence is likely to prove beyond realistic hope of repair.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 2714, 129 L.Ed.2d 840 (1994). 32 Affirmed.