Opinion ID: 453222
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admissibility of Entrapment Evidence

Text: 9 At trial, appellant Coldiron attempted to introduce testimony of United States Congressman Carrol Hubbard pertaining to his entrapment defense. Essentially, Congressman Hubbard's proffered testimony would have dealt with attempts by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in March of 1979, to persuade Hubbard to enlist Coldiron in an investigation of the then Kentucky Governor and Coldiron's old friend, Julian Carroll. According to Coldiron, this testimony was relevant to show a motive for the FBI to entrap him in the present case; the government needed the pending federal charges in this case as leverage to induce Coldiron into aiding the government in their investigation of Governor Carroll. 6 10 We do not believe the district court abused its discretion, see, e.g., Texas Eastern Transmission Corp. v. Marine Office-Appleton & Cox Corp., 579 F.2d 561, 566 (10th Cir.1978); United States v. Coast of Maine Lobster Co., Inc., 557 F.2d 905, 908 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 862, 98 S.Ct. 191, 54 L.Ed.2d 136 (1977), in concluding that Congressman Hubbard's testimony was irrelevant. The conversations between Congressman Hubbard and the FBI agents took place approximately seven months after the conspiracy at issue had been formed. Thus, even assuming that the FBI in March of 1979 wanted to obtain Coldiron's cooperation, this testimony is not in any way probative of the motive of the FBI agents in setting up this undercover operation in July of 1978. See Fed.R.Evid. 401. Moreover, no evidence was introduced establishing that any FBI agent participated in both setting up the undercover operation in question in July 1978 and arranging the investigation of Governor Carroll. 7 In addition, the principal issue in an entrapment defense is whether the defendant was predisposed to commit the offense. E.g., United States v. Russell, 411 U.S. 423, 429, 93 S.Ct. 1637, 1641, 36 L.Ed.2d 366 (1973); Sherman v. United States, 356 U.S. 369, 373, 78 S.Ct. 819, 821, 2 L.Ed.2d 848 (1958); Sorrells v. United States, 287 U.S. 435, 442, 53 S.Ct. 210, 212, 77 L.Ed. 413 (1932); United States v. Lasuita, 752 F.2d 249, 252-53 (6th Cir.1985). In our view, the government's motive is irrelevant to this issue, see Fed.R.Evid. 401, because even assuming that the government wanted to entrap Coldiron, this motive would not affect Coldiron's readiness and willingness to commit the crime, United States v. Eddings, 478 F.2d 67, 72 n. 1 (6th Cir.1973). The district court, accordingly, did not abuse its discretion in excluding Congressman Hubbard's testimony.