Opinion ID: 160828
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Testimony of Dr. Gerlach

Text: 46 Mr. Magleby argues that the district court erred in allowing Dr. Larry Gerlach to testify as an expert on hate groups and the Ku Klux Klan. Mr. Magleby did not object to this testimony at trial, so we review for plain error. Mills, 194 F.3d at 1113. 47 At trial, Dr. Gerlach testified that he is a history professor who specializes in the history of hate groups in America, particularly the Ku Klux Klan. He testified that he had authored a book on the history of the Klan in Utah. He testified briefly regarding the history of the Klan in both the United States and Utah, the symbols it used, and the groups it targeted. Finally, he testified regarding the symbol of a burning cross as used by the Klan. 48 The admission of this testimony raises concerns similar to those faced by the Eighth Circuit in United States v. J.H.H., 22 F.3d 821 (8th Cir. 1994). In J.H.H., a skinhead expert was permitted to testify in a cross-burning trial even though there was no evidence in the record that the defendant was a skinhead. Id. at 829. The Eighth Circuit expressed concern that the testimony implied that the defendant was, in fact, a skinhead and that it came close to permitting the factfinder to conclude that the defendant was guilty by association. Id. 49 We share these concerns and find the admission of this testimony troubling in a number of respects. First, the record contains no evidence that Mr. Magleby was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Indeed, the record is completely devoid of any evidence indicating or suggesting that Mr. Magleby was a member or sympathizer of the Ku Klux Klan or any other hate group. At most, the evidence shows that Mr. Magleby harbored similar prejudicial attitudes toward African-Americans. This does not provide a sufficient foundation for Dr. Gerlach's testimony. Second, even if the government's testimony did establish an adequate foundation for Dr. Gerlach's testimony, the admission of his testimony, like the testimony in J.H.H., comes dangerously close to inviting the jury to find Mr. Magleby guilty by association. Id. 50 Notwithstanding its concerns regarding the expert testimony, the Eighth Circuit held that any error in its admission was harmless due to the ample evidence of the defendants' guilt. Id. at 829-30. In J.H.H., however, the Eighth Circuit reviewed the admission of evidence in a bench trial. Id. at 829. Consequently, the court reasoned that the prejudicial impact of inflammatory evidence was lessened. Id. In contrast, Mr. Magleby's trial was before a jury, and the prejudicial impact of inflammatory evidence may therefore be heightened. See 1 McCormick on Evidence 60, at 262-63 (John W. Strong ed., 5th ed. 1999). Nevertheless, we need not decide whether the admission of Dr. Gerlach's testimony was either an error or plain under our plain error analysis because we too find that any error was harmless. A non-constitutional error, such as a decision whether to admit or exclude evidence, is considered harmless 'unless a substantial right of [a] party is affected.' United States v. Charley, 189 F.3d 1251, 1270 (10th Cir. 1999) (quoting Fed. R. Evid. 103(a)). We have held that an error affects a substantial right when it has a 'substantial influence' on the outcome or leaves one in 'grave doubt' as to whether it had such effect. United States v. Rivera, 900 F.2d 1462, 1469 (10th Cir.1990) (en banc) (quoting Kotteakos v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 765 (1946)). We review the record as a whole de novo to evaluate whether the error is harmless, examining the context, timing and use of the erroneously admitted evidence at trial and how it compares to properly admitted evidence. United States v. Hanzlicek, 187 F.3d 1228, 1237 (10th Cir. 1999). The burden of persuasion is on the defendant to show that the error affected the outcome of the district court proceedings. Olano, 507 U.S. at 734 (1993). 51 We find that Dr. Gerlach's testimony did not affect the outcome of Mr. Magleby's trial. As discussed above, the record contains substantial evidence to support Mr. Magleby's convictions. Moreover, Dr. Gerlach's testimony regarding the history of the Ku Klux Klan in America and in Utah was brief and was the only evidence regarding the Ku Klux Klan presented at trial. In addition, Dr. Gerlach's testimony regarding the symbolism of a burning cross was rendered harmless by Mr. Magleby's own admission on cross-examination that he understood the racial hatred nature of a cross burned by the Klan. Tr. at 980. Mr. Magleby also admitted that he understood that a burning cross, like a swastika, is a universal symbol of hatred. 52 Given the amount of evidence supporting Mr. Magleby's convictions, we are confident that the jury would have reached the same result even without Dr. Gerlach's testimony. We find, therefore, that any error in admitting Dr. Gerlach's testimony was harmless.