Opinion ID: 388113
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Exclusion & Admission of Certain Evidence.

Text: 25 We need not discuss the documents at length. The documents offered by Ylda and excluded by the trial court tended to show Ylda's prior accumulation of wealth, but had no probative value as to whether he was accepting bribes. These documents provided no defense to the bribery or mail fraud charges. Evidence of noncriminal conduct to negate the inference of criminal conduct is generally irrelevant. United States v. Grimm, 568 F.2d 1136, 1138 (5th Cir.1978). Any effect they would have had on the other charges is irrelevant in light of the verdict of acquittal on those counts. 26 Appellant also urges that the trial court erred in admitting the plea agreement of Robert Peffers, who owned half of two companies implicated in illegal activities with the AAFES. These activities involved the bribes paid to Ylda for toy sales. Ylda himself offered for admission another plea agreement signed by Mr. Peffers on behalf of one of the two companies. Moreover, before the government sought to introduce Peffers' plea agreement, Ylda elicited testimony from Peffers' partner regarding plea agreements signed by Peffers. 27 The trial court has broad discretion in determining the admission of evidence based on relevancy and materiality. United States v. Grimm, 568 F.2d at 1138; United States v. Castell, 584 F.2d 87, 89 (5th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 925, 99 S.Ct. 1256-57, 59 L.Ed.2d 480 (1979). The trial court's rulings on relevancy and materiality of evidence will be overturned when abuse of that discretion is clearly shown. United States v. Castell, 584 F.2d at 89. We find no abuse of discretion in either the admission of the government's proffered evidence or the exclusion of the documents offered by Ylda. 28 For these reasons, the conviction is AFFIRMED.