Opinion ID: 295786
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Improper Reference to Photographs.

Text: 24 Defendants Aloisio and Bartoli contend that they were denied a fair trial because references to their so-called mug shots informed the jury of their prior criminal records. We have carefully studied the three brief passages in the transcript concerning these photographs and note that the references were not elicited by the Government but occurred in cross-examination by defense counsel. Although the testimony revealed that the photographs were seen by Agents Sheriff and Tucker in the Chicago office of the Secret Service, they were merely described as bust photos with their names written on the reverse sides. The evidence did not disclose that these were mug shots or contained police numbers thereon, nor was there any mention of prior criminal activities of these two defendants. No reversible error resulted from the innocuous comments concerning the two photographs. United States v. Robinson, 406 F.2d 64, 66 (7th Cir. 1969); United States v. Schwartz, 398 F.2d 464, 470 (7th Cir. 1969). 25