Opinion ID: 532591
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admission of the Loaded Gun

Text: 21 Mr. Rush contends that the district court committed reversible error when it admitted into evidence a loaded .38 caliber revolver that was found in the defendant's car. The weapon was discovered when, several months after the arrest, an investigative assistant was removing a cellular phone from the impounded vehicle. It appears that Mr. Rush did not object to the admission of this weapon at trial. 2 Therefore, we must review its admission under the plain error standard. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b); see also United States v. DeSoto, 885 F.2d 354, 362 n. 4, 363 (7th Cir.1989) (plain error standard of 52(b) applies because defendants did not object to evidence during trial); United States v. Moya-Gomez, 860 F.2d 706, 717 n. 11 (7th Cir.1988) (A defendant may not argue as a ground for reversal an issue that was not presented to the trial court. The waiver rule is, of course, subject to the plain error doctrine of Rule 52(b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.) (citations omitted), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 3221, 106 L.Ed.2d 571 (1989). A plain error is one that results in 'an actual miscarriage of justice.'  United States v. Wynn, 845 F.2d 1439, 1442-43 (7th Cir.1988) (quoting United States v. Silverstein, 732 F.2d 1338, 1349 (7th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1111, 105 S.Ct. 792, 83 L.Ed.2d 785 (1985)). 22 District courts have, of course, broad discretion on evidentiary matters--including the issue of relevancy. United States v. Alvarez, 860 F.2d 801, 829 (7th Cir.1988), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 1966, 104 L.Ed.2d 434 (1989). Moreover, we have acknowledged that a weapon is a tool of the trade in the illegal drug industry. Id. at 830. Our colleagues in the Second Circuit have stated the rationale succinctly and realistically: [e]xperience on the trial and appellate benches has taught that substantial dealers in narcotics keep firearms on their premises as tools of the trade almost to the same extent as they keep scales, glassine bags, cutting equipment and other narcotics equipment. United States v. Wiener, 534 F.2d 15, 18 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 820, 97 S.Ct. 66, 50 L.Ed.2d 80 (1976). 23 Here, the evidence at trial established that Mr. Rush drove his automobile to Union Station in order to pick up Ramirez and his illegal cargo and transport them to another location. Mr. Rush had assured Ramirez that he had his car right outside. Tr. at 19. The car was located immediately outside the station and, at the time of their arrest, Mr. Rush and his confederate were walking toward an exit that led immediately to the car. Moreover, Mr. Rush had a set of car keys with him at the time of his arrest. The government was entitled to argue--and the jury entitled to conclude--that the weapon was in the car to protect Mr. Rush and his illegal cargo. The weapon also was relevant to rebut the defendant's contention that he was unaware of the contents of the suitcase. We are not impressed with the arguments that the gun cannot be considered a tool of the trade because the defendant was not in the car at the time of the arrest and because it was not discovered immediately by the arresting officers. The weapon was part of the equipment with which Mr. Rush outfitted his car in order to permit him to engage in this illegal undertaking. The district court acted well within its discretion in admitting the weapon into evidence.