Opinion ID: 453009
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The GABAR envelope.

Text: 53 More problematical is the appellant Wilhelmina Weinstein's argument that the government failed to authenticate an envelope attached to the government's Exhibit 230. Government's Exhibit 230 is a copy of a letter dated June 9, 1977 from Richman and GABAR in Belgium addressed to the AMC offices of Philip Weinstein in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The June 9th letter summarized the sales and purchases between GABAR and AMC from November, 1976, to February, 1977. The letter also voiced concern about the appearance of pharmaceutical products diverted through AMC on the pharmaceutical diversion market and the pharmaceutical manufacturers' awareness of these appearances. The letter also set out proposed conditions for continued business between GABAR and AMC. The June 9 letter was seized by the FBI at the AMC offices pursuant to the second warrant executed on July 18, 1977. The letter was identified at trial by the FBI officer in charge of the investigation. Counsel for Wilhelmina Weinstein objected to the connection of the letter and envelope at the close of the government's case. The court reserved ruling on the envelope's admissibility until further evidence was received. 54 The June 9th letter was addressed to Philip Weinstein. Attached to the letter at trial was an envelope, postmarked June 21, 1977, Brussels, addressed to Wilhelmina Weinstein at her residence. The envelope was evidently seized at the same time and place as the letter. Wilhelmina Weinstein does not contest the content of the letter, but argues that the envelope which connects her to that content was not part of the original exhibit, and was improperly admitted because it was not independently authenticated. At the close of all evidence in the case she moved for judgment of acquittal or new trial on this ground, pointing out that there was no testimony whatsoever as to the envelope. The government responded that the envelope was at all times attached to the letter and that, as early as the grand jury investigation, the document was described as a letter addressed to Ms. Wilma Harich postmarked June 21, 1977, at Brussels, Belgium. Moreover, the government now argues that certain remarks of appellants' counsel at a pretrial hearing indicate their awareness that an envelope was attached to the letter. The district court permitted the envelope to remain stapled to the government's exhibit and denied without opinion the defendant's motion for judgment of acquittal or new trial on this issue. 6 55 In our careful review of this record we have been unable to find (and counsel for the government has been unable to point out) any evidence linking the envelope addressed to Wilhelmina Harich Weinstein to the letter addressed to Philip Weinstein. Indeed the only connection between these two documents which the evidence in this case supports is the fact that the letter and the envelope were stapled together at the time of their production before the grand jury. If this letter were sent in the envelope at issue, the defense of the appellant Wilhelmina Harich Weinstein would have been substantially impaired. One claiming to be a non-participating bystander would be hard put to explain the receipt of such a conspiratorial writing. The acceptance of the letter and the envelope into evidence as one exhibit, stapled together, with no testimony or other evidence linking the two documents, was error and prejudicial to Wilhelmina Weinstein's defense. The harm accruing from this error being unquestionable, the conviction of appellant Wilhelmina Weinstein must be vacated and the case against her remanded for a new trial. 56