Opinion ID: 323383
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: alleged confusion at trial

Text: 33 All defendants on this appeal argue that they were prejudiced by what they termed confusing, inconsistent and disorderly conduct of the trial. It is clear, of course, that the Government labored under difficulties in the absence of Allen who was a central figure. Evidence that might readily have been admissible against him was admissible against the defendants on trial only conditionally and upon a representation that when all the evidence was in its relevancy and probative force against defendants on trial, would become apparent. The same was true of evidence of transactions by other persons not on trial but allegedly establishing a similar pattern with such clarity as to be circumstantial evidence that the transactions in which the defendants were directly involved were part of the same overall scheme. Evidence as to the activity of one defendant was not only immediately admissible against that defendant but when combined with a cumulation of evidence of the activity of others could properly be considered circumstantially as evidence against all defendants. 34 The Government began the trial by offering various items of proof with the representation that they would ultimately be connected up. At first the district court accepted this procedure. Counsel for defendants meticulously objected to all proof not obviously and directly relevant to the respective defendants. The district court carefully sought during the course of trial to restrict for the time being the consideration of evidence offered by the Government to the defendant directly involved. In several instances the district court sustained defense objections to evidence of transactions which might, we think, within the court's proper discretion, have been admitted conditionally. The court did not instruct the jury at any time during trial that the Government had made a prima facie case of joint enterprise sufficient to permit consideration of evidence admitted against one defendant against others, but in the instructions after the close of trial the court told the jury that, subject to the usual qualifications, statements and acts by any person found to be a member of a criminal joint enterprise may be considered by the jury as evidence as to any defendant found to have been a member of the criminal joint enterprise. 35 Our own reading of the record persuades us that the evidence and rulings made in the presence of the jury did not result in confusion likely to cause the jury to misapprehend the issues and the proofs. Surely the defense is in no position to object to rulings or instructions more favorable than the law requires. 36 The peculiarity of this case as against all defendants except Collins, as to whose transactions with Allen there was eyewitness testimony, is that the jury could not convict unless it considered the characteristics of the transactions of all defendants as circumstantial evidence sufficient to establish the participation of that defendant with Allen in his scheme. 37 Notwithstanding the fact that much of the evidence was admitted with the limitation that it was to be considered against only one defendant, and that limiting instruction was not withdrawn during trial, we think the jury must have done what common sense would clearly require, and have considered all the similarities between the transactions and the other facts tending circumstantially to link the transactions together, set forth under Part I, in order to determine whether there was an Allen scheme as described in the indictment, adhered to by each defendant on trial, and furthered by the particular mailing charged to each defendant. 38