Opinion ID: 1444814
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidentiary Ruling on Gibeault's Testimony

Text: Goosby filed a pre-trial motion in limine that sought to prohibit the testimony of Investigative Analyst Gibeault. The district court allowed Gibeault's testimony. Goosby argues that the testimony was inadmissible hearsay and that it was in violation of the Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause, FRE 404(b), and FRE 403. We review the evidentiary rulings of the district court for abuse of discretion. United States v. Lloyd, 462 F.3d 510, 516 (6th Cir.2006). We have allowed similar background testimony in other contexts. In United States v. Aguwa, DEA agents were permitted to testify about information they received from an informant, which precipitated a controlled purchase of heroin from the defendant. 123 F.3d 418, 421 (6th Cir.1997) (The statements were not offered `for the truth of the matter asserted,' see Fed.R.Evid. 801(c), but only to provide background information and to explain how and why the agents even came to be involved with this particular defendant.). As in Aguwa, the testimony here was limited to constructing the sequence of events in the investigation and did not directly implicate the defendant in criminal activity. Id. (brackets omitted). Likewise, the purpose of Gibeault's testimony was to provide background information about the investigation, not to discuss the character or prior bad acts of the defendant; thus, FRE 404(b) is not implicated. There is also no Confrontation Clause violation because Gibeault did not make statements that would be characterized as testimonial hearsay. See Davis v. Washington, 547 U.S. 813, 126 S.Ct. 2266, 2273-74, 165 L.Ed.2d 224 (2006). Goosby's final evidentiary argument is that Gibeault's testimony violates FRE 403 because its prejudicial effect outweighs its probative value. The only statement by Gibeault that approaches having an unduly prejudicial effect is that he was able to find fifteen returns with a suspicious ratio very quickly. However, that statement was not before the district court when it ruled on the motion in limine and cannot be considered in determining whether the district court abused its discretion in denying the motion. [1]