Opinion ID: 427700
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Indirect references to prior bad acts

Text: 17 During the course of Jordan's trial, the prosecutor made several indirect statements concerning the act which had caused Jordan to be debarred from the Air Force Base. 1 The prosecutor couched these references in vague and unspecific terms. Jordan contends that the prosecutor's references to the act causing his debarment violated Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) and denied him a fair trial. This Court disagrees. Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) provides: 18 Evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show that he acted in conformity therewith. It may, however, be admissible for other purposes, such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. 19 The rule does not exhaust the purposes for which evidence of other wrongs or acts may be admitted. The draftsmen of Rule 404(b) intended it to be construed as one of 'inclusion,' and not 'exclusion.' They intended to emphasize the admissibility of 'other crime' evidence. United States v. Long, 574 F.2d 761, 766 (3d Cir.1978), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 985, 99 S.Ct. 577, 58 L.Ed.2d 657 (1978). [T]he trial judge may exclude it [evidence of other acts] only on the basis of those considerations set forth in Rule 403, i.e. prejudice, confusion or waste of time. S.Rep. No. 1277, 93d Cong., 2d Sess. (1974), reprinted in 1974 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 7051, 7071. When one party offers evidence of prior bad acts and the opposing party objects: 20 [n]o mechanical solution is offered. The determination must be made whether the danger of undue prejudice outweighs the probative value of the evidence in view of the availability of other means of proof and other facts appropriate for making decisions of this kind under Rule 403. 21 Fed.R.Evid. 404(b), advisory committee notes. 22 When balancing prejudice and probative value, the courts of the various circuits have found the scale tipped in favor of admitting evidence of prior bad acts in cases where the acts involved, or explained, the circumstances of the crime charged, Buatte v. United States, 350 F.2d 389, 395 (9th Cir.1965), cert. denied, 385 U.S. 856, 87 S.Ct. 104, 17 L.Ed.2d 83 (1966); United States v. Spatuzza, 331 F.2d 214, 217 (7th Cir.1964), cert. denied, 379 U.S. 829, 85 S.Ct. 58, 13 L.Ed.2d 38 (1964), where the acts provided the background for, or development of, the crime charged, United States v. Nadler, 698 F.2d 995, 1000 (9th Cir.1983); United States v. Magnano, 543 F.2d 431, 435 (2d Cir.1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1091, 97 S.Ct. 1101, 51 L.Ed.2d 536 (1977), and where the acts completed the story of the crime on trial, United States v. Wilson, 578 F.2d 67, 72 (5th Cir.1978); United States v. D'Alora, 585 F.2d 16, 20 (1st Cir.1978). When the evidence offered only implies a vague notion that the appellant was a party to other mischief, and when the evidence is offered for one of the purposes set forth in Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) or in similar instances, the testimony is not more prejudicial than probative. See, e.g., United States v. Czarnecki, 552 F.2d 698, 703 (6th Cir.1977), cert. denied, 431 U.S. 939, 97 S.Ct. 2652, 53 L.Ed.2d 257 (1977). 23 The present case arises from Jordan's presence on Chanute Air Force Base because of an earlier incident which led to his debarment. That earlier incident constituted part of the background and circumstance of the crime charged and completed the story for the jury. The prosecutor made indirect references to this incident couched in vague and indirect terms. 24 In reviewing the admissibility of this evidence, this Court notes that [t]he trial judge, who saw and heard the evidence firsthand, can best balance probity and prejudice, and the reviewing court may reverse only upon a showing of abuse of discretion. United States v. Brown, 688 F.2d 1112, 1117 (7th Cir.1982). Since the references were vague and indirect, and since the references supplied the background and surrounding circumstances of the crime charged, the district court properly denied Jordan's motion for a mistrial.