Opinion ID: 725455
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: a.c. allen

Text: 26 Allen claims that the district court's refusal to give an accomplice instruction as to Sims constituted prejudicial error. In reviewing a particular instruction, this court must consider whether the jury instructions, as a whole, accurately represent the applicable law. United States v. Knott, 894 F.2d 1119, 1121 (9th Cir.1988), cert. denied, 111 S.Ct. 197 (1990). 27 Defendant's proposed accomplice instructions were rejected by the district court, however, the district court gave both an informer instruction and a general credibility instruction. This court has held that where the court gives a general instruction charging jurors to weigh the other evidence, the specific caution about accomplice witnesses may not be required. United States v. McSweaney, 517 F.2d 298, 301 (9th Cir.1974). Furthermore, failure to give an instruction combining the reasons for greater caution regarding witness credibility is not, by itself, reversible error. United States v. Bernard, 625 F.2d 854, 857-58 (9th Cir.1980). There is no significant difference between a cautionary instruction on the testimony of an accomplice and a cautionary instruction on an informant. Both instruct the jury that the testimony be received with caution and weighed with care. Id. at 858, quoting United States v. Morgan, 555 F.2d 238, 242-43 (9th Cir.1977). 28 Failure to give the accomplice instruction may be prejudicial error when other, corroborating evidence is weak and the determination of guilt rests largely on the accomplice's testimony. Id. However, that is not this case. Sims' testimony was corroborated by various tape-recorded conversations between Sims and T. Cooper, L. Cooper and Allen. Additionally, bank and food stamp records were introduced to show that L. Cooper redeemed far more food stamps than his store sold food. Thus, the government's case did not rest primarily on Sims' testimony. 29 Viewed as a whole, the court's general credibility and additional cautionary instruction on informer testimony made defendant's accomplice witness instruction unnecessary. The district court did not err in failing to give defendants' proposed accomplice instruction.