Opinion ID: 593168
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Beltran Testimony

Text: 32 Paula Beltran, Bello-Perez' girlfriend, twice blurted out at trial that Bello-Perez had sustained a gunshot wound in an event unrelated to the alleged conspiracy. The district court denied the ensuing motion for mistrial, choosing instead on each occasion to give a cautionary jury instruction. 33 Motions for mistrial address the discretion of the trial court. United States v. Chamorro, 687 F.2d 1, 6 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1043, 103 S.Ct. 462, 74 L.Ed.2d 613 (1982); United States v. Pappas, 611 F.2d 399, 406 (1st Cir.1979). There was no abuse of discretion in this instance. First, there is no evidence that Beltran's statements were deliberate, or the result of bad faith on the part of the government or its witness. Bello-Perez nevertheless urges that Beltran's statements left the jury with the unmistakable impression that Bello-Perez was involved in violent activities. In our view, however, such an impression was neither inevitable nor unmistakable, considering the context, as Beltran merely mentioned the gunshot wounds, not their source or the surrounding circumstances. Second, through independent evidence Bello-Perez already had been tied to the possession and use of firearms. Third, the independent evidence of guilt against Bello-Perez was overwhelming. See United States v. Sclamo, 578 F.2d 888, 891 (1st Cir.1978) (denial of mistrial inappropriate in light of cautionary instruction and strong case and substantial evidence produced by the government); see also United States v. Scelzo, 810 F.2d 2, 5 (1st Cir.1987) (considering extremely strong case against defendant in upholding denial of mistrial). Finally, we conclude that any significant risk of unfair prejudice resulting from Beltran's statements was efficaciously dispelled by the district court's strong cautionary instructions. See Chamorro, 687 F.2d at 6.