Opinion ID: 660058
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admission of Opinion Evidence

Text: 7 Oklahoma City Police Officer Phil Long testified at trial that, in his opinion, certain figures, initials and telephone numbers depicted in a loose leaf notebook and a spiral notebook found at Mr. Rendon's Dallas apartment were drug related. Officer Long also expressed his opinion that the amounts of heroin and cocaine discovered inside Mr. Rendon's apartment were very much consistent with a distribution person. Mr. Rendon argues that Officer Long's testimony was inadmissible because it is tantamount to rendering an opinion on Mr. Rendon's mental state in violation of Fed.R.Evid. 704(b). We disagree. 8 Rule 704(b) only prevents experts from expressly stating the final conclusion or inference as to a defendant's actual mental state. The rule does not prevent the expert from testifying to facts or opinions from which the jury could conclude or infer the defendant had the requisite mental state. Richard, 969 F.2d at 854-55. Here, Officer Long merely expressed his opinion that the evidence found in Mr. Rendon's Dallas apartment was drug related and consistent with the profile of an individual involved in drug distribution. Officer Long did not state a final conclusion or inference regarding Mr. Rendon's knowledge of, or intent to engage in, the conspiracy to distribute drugs. Thus, Officer Long's testimony was not prohibited by Rule 704(b), and the district court did not err in admitting it.