Opinion ID: 441811
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Monforton, Hill and MMI

Text: 19
20 All of the defendants argue that the trial court committed reversible error by admitting evidence of the Fuller-Banks Energy transaction. The defendants contend that the evidence was offered as evidence of other crimes admissible under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) only upon a trial court's determination under Fed.R.Evid. 403 that the probative value of the evidence is not substantially outweighed by its prejudicial effect. Defendants assert that the trial court failed to make this determination. 21 In United States v. Bailleaux, supra, this court enunciated the following principles for admission of evidence of other criminal acts: 22 Before evidence of [other] criminal conduct may be admitted for these other purposes, the following prerequisites must be met: (1) proof that the defendant committed the other crime must be clear and convincing; (2) the prior criminal conduct must not be too remote in time from the commission of the crime charged; (3) the prior criminal conduct must, in some cases, be similar to the offense charged; and (4) the prior criminal conduct must be introduced to prove an element of the charged offense that is a material issue in the case. See United States v. Herrera-Medina, 609 F.2d 376 (9th Cir.1979); United States v. Myers, 550 F.2d 1036 (5th Cir.1977); United States v. Frederickson, 601 F.2d 1358 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 934, 100 S.Ct. 281, 62 L.Ed.2d 193 (1979). Once these prerequisites have been satisfied, the evidence is admissible for those purposes permitted by Rule 404(b) if the court determines that the probative value of the evidence is not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Fed.R.Evid. 403. This balancing is committed to the sound discretion of the district court. United States v. Federico, 658 F.2d 1337 (9th Cir.1981). 23 685 F.2d at 1109-10 (footnote omitted). The evidence of the Fuller-Banks Energy transaction was properly admitted as proof of the existence of the conspiracy charged, United States v. Bonanno, 467 F.2d 14, 17 (9th Cir.1972), cert. denied, 410 U.S. 909, 93 S.Ct. 964, 35 L.Ed.2d 271 (1973), and of a common plan or intent, United States v. Testa, 548 F.2d 847, 851-52 (9th Cir.1977). Each of the four prerequisites stated in Bailleaux, supra, were met. The probative value of the evidence was not substantially outweighed by any prejudicial effect. In sum, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the evidence. United States v. Nadler, 698 F.2d 995, 1000 (9th Cir.1983). 24 Hill and MMI argue, however, that the trial court, sua sponte, should have given a limiting instruction, even though, as they concede, they did not request one. This argument is meritless. It is well-settled that where no limiting instruction is requested concerning evidence of other criminal acts, the failure of the trial court to give such an instruction sua sponte is not reversible error. United States v. Bradshaw, 690 F.2d 704, 709 (9th Cir.1982), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 103 S.Ct. 3543, 77 L.Ed.2d 1392 (1983); United States v. Aims Back, 588 F.2d 1283, 1287 (9th Cir.1979). 25 Monforton argues that the admission of the evidence without a cautionary or limiting instruction in his case was reversible error because he not only requested such an instruction but proposed one. 3 Again, we do not agree. We approve the giving of a proper limiting instruction in circumstances such as these, in which the evidence may be considered by the jury only as it relates to the existence of the conspiracy or the intent or common plan of the defendants. Cf. United States v. Miller, 725 F.2d 462, 466 (8th Cir.1984). We decline to hold, however, that the trial court's refusal to give an instruction, such as the one proposed, which is manifestly intended to present the defendant's construction of the evidence as opposed to the government's, is an abuse of discretion. See United States v. Hall, 552 F.2d 273, 275 (9th Cir.1977).
26 At the beginning of the government's rebuttal argument to the jury, the prosecutor made a statement that the government conceded at oral argument to have been improper. 4 Counsel for Hill and MMI immediately objected and the trial court directed the jury to disregard the prosecutor's remarks. In response to a request from counsel for Monforton, the trial court gave a further cautionary instruction concerning the grand jury. 27 All defendants contend that the statement was improper and warrants reversal of their convictions, arguing that improper prosecutorial references to the grand jury warrant reversal and a new trial. See, e.g., United States v. Cummings, 468 F.2d 274, 278 (9th Cir.1972). Although we do not condone the comments of the prosecutor, the admonition and the instruction of the trial court was sufficient to remove any prejudicial impact. See United States v. Polizzi, 500 F.2d 856, 889-90 (9th Cir.1974), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1120, 95 S.Ct. 802, 42 L.Ed.2d 820 (1975); United States v. Sutton, 446 F.2d 916, 922 (9th Cir.1971), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 1025, 92 S.Ct. 699, 30 L.Ed.2d 675 (1972). Accordingly, we hold that the comments of the prosecutor do not warrant reversal.