Opinion ID: 790011
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admission of Puckett's Previous Conviction

Text: 17 We review the judge's decision to admit evidence under Rule 404(b) of the Federal Rules of Evidence for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Jones, 389 F.3d 753, 756 (7th Cir.2004). The trial judge allowed the government to introduce evidence of Puckett's prior 1996 conviction for drug trafficking for the limited purpose of demonstrating Puckett's knowledge and intent as it related to the drug charge. In accordance with Rule 404(b), evidence of a prior conviction is not admissible to show that a defendant has a propensity to commit crime and that he acted in conformity with that propensity on the occasion in question. United States v. Best, 250 F.3d 1084, 1090 (7th Cir.2001). Such evidence may be admissible, however, to demonstrate motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge or identity. Id. The admissibility of prior convictions under Rule 404(b) is judged according to a four-part test which requires the government to demonstrate that: 18 (1) the evidence is directed toward establishing a matter in issue other than the defendant's propensity to commit the crime charged; (2) the evidence shows that the other act is similar enough and close enough in time to be relevant to the matter in issue; (3) the evidence is sufficient to support a jury finding that the defendant committed the similar act; and (4) the probative value of the evidence is not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. 19 Jones, 389 F.3d at 757. After considering the evidence and the law applicable thereto, we conclude that the introduction of evidence concerning the defendant's prior conviction is in compliance with the requirements of the four-part test referred to above. 20 Puckett argues that the evidence of his prior conviction demonstrated nothing but his propensity to engage in criminal conduct. We disagree. It is well settled in this circuit that, when a defendant is charged with a specific intent crime, such as possession with intent to distribute ... evidence of past action is probative if used to establish an essential element of the crime charged. United States v. Macedo, 371 F.3d 957, 967 (7th Cir.2004), accord United States v. Long, 86 F.3d 81, 84 (7th Cir.1996). The crime of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), is a specific intent crime making the defendant's state of mind an element of the crime which is to be determined by the finder of fact. Long, 86 F.3d at 84. Puckett's defense to the drug charge was premised on his claim that he lacked the requisite intent to distribute the drugs due to the fact that the cocaine was for personal use only; thus the government was entitled to introduce evidence of prior drug trafficking convictions in order to prove this element of the crime, Puckett's intent. Id. at 84-85. Indeed, evidence of a prior conviction for possession of narcotics with intent to distribute is especially relevant and probative when, as here, Puckett conceded that he was in possession of an unusually large amount of cocaine, but denied that the drugs were intended for anything other than personal consumption. Jones, 389 F.3d at 757-58. Puckett's prior (1996) drug trafficking conviction was relevant and probative as to his intent to distribute the drugs and was not introduced to establish, as Puckett argued, his criminal character or to show [his] action in conformity therewith. Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). 7 21 Puckett also argues that his 1996 conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine was too remote in time and dissimilar to the drug charge in this case to be considered as probative of his intent to distribute the large amount of cocaine he possessed at the time of his arrest. This argument is equally without merit. The conviction, entered in 1996, was close enough in time to the facts of this case — the arrest in this case took place in October of 2002 and Puckett was indicted on November 5, 2002 — to constitute probative evidence of his intent. We have previously held that convictions entered as long as thirteen years prior to subsequent prosecutions which the government has sought to introduce are admissible, in spite of the length of time between the crimes. See United States v. Tringali, 71 F.3d 1375, 1379 (7th Cir.1995) (nine years); United States v. Wimberly, 60 F.3d 281, 285 (7th Cir.1995) (thirteen years). Puckett's prior drug trafficking conviction occurred only six years prior to the charged crimes in this case (2002), a fact which weighs in favor of admissibility. See Wimberly, 60 F.3d at 285. 22 Further support for the prior conviction's admissibility can be found in the similarity of the nature of the criminal conduct underlying Puckett's 1996 conviction and that of the acts charged here. It is true that Puckett's 1996 conviction involved possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine and the crime in the instant case involves powder cocaine. However, this is a distinction without substance. Both crimes involve the possession with intent to distribute a chemical composition of cocaine. 8 Differences in the form of the drug involved in a prior crime or even type or category of narcotics is irrelevant to the admissibility of that evidence when both incidents concerned distribution amounts of drugs. See United States v. Hernandez, 84 F.3d 931, 935 (7th Cir.1996). Puckett's 1996 conviction and the crime charged here each involved possession of large, distribution-level amounts of narcotics. In 1996 Puckett was arrested while in possession of 51 rocks of crack cocaine, and when arrested in 2002 he admitted to possessing 63 grams of powdered cocaine. Both of these amounts are far greater than what could be considered a small amount of cocaine and therefore Puckett's contention that the form and amount of the drug seized in both instances creates a dissimilarity in the crimes is without merit. United States v. Wash, 231 F.3d 366, 369 (7th Cir.2000) (holding that 5.4 grams of crack cocaine could be considered a distribution amount) (citing Hernandez, 84 F.3d at 935); United States v. Tanner, 941 F.2d 574, 587 (7th Cir.1991) (55.5 grams of cocaine, in conjunction with other evidence, sufficient for a jury to infer that defendant possessed cocaine with intent to distribute). 23 In addition, both crimes involved the discovery of large amounts of cocaine in Puckett's possession. Puckett unpersuasively attempts to distinguish his 1996 conviction from the offense charged in this case by pointing to the fact that when arrested in 1996, the crack cocaine he possessed was discovered underneath the back seat of a squad car after he was placed there following his arrest on an unrelated charge, whereas the narcotics in this case (which he admitted ownership of) were found in the glove box of a vehicle in which Puckett was a passenger. However, simple differences in the conduct at issue cannot defeat the similarity requirement .... `[t]he prior acts need not be duplicates of the one for which the defendant is now being tried.' Long, 86 F.3d at 84 (quoting United States v. Lloyd, 71 F.3d 1256, 1264-65 (7th Cir.1995)). The mere fact that Puckett did not attempt to conceal the drugs in this case in the same manner as he did in 1996, bears no relation whatsoever to the relevant issue in this case — whether he intended to distribute this large amount of narcotics that he freely admitted to owning. 9 See Long, 86 F.3d at 84 (when evidence is offered to prove intent, the degree of similarity is relevant only insofar as the acts are sufficiently alike to support an inference of criminal intent). Accordingly, Puckett's 1996 Winnebago County conviction was close enough in time and factually similar enough to the charge in this case to be relevant evidence of his intent to possess and distribute 63 grams of cocaine. 24 Puckett also argues that the marginal probative value of his previous conviction was far outweighed by its prejudicial effect. In determining whether the admission of evidence of prior bad acts unfairly prejudiced a defendant, we begin with the understanding that `our decisions have emphasized that most relevant evidence is, by its very nature, prejudicial, and that evidence must be unfairly prejudicial to be excluded.' Long, 86 F.3d at 86 (quoting United States v. Curry, 79 F.3d 1489, 1496 (7th Cir.1996)) (emphasis in original). Evidence of this nature is only considered to be unfairly prejudicial if it induce[s] the jury to decide the case on an improper basis, commonly an emotional one, rather than on the evidence presented. Id. As discussed above, the evidence of Puckett's prior conviction for possession and intent to distribute a large amount of crack cocaine was highly relevant and probative as to his intent to possess and distribute cocaine. For this is a matter which constituted an element of the crime and which Puckett made an issue in this case when he himself concede[d] that he possessed the drugs but denie[d] that he planned to distribute them. Jones, 389 F.3d at 757-58. Thus, there is no doubt that the fact that he had been convicted in 1996 of a strikingly similar crime (possession with intent to distribute a large amount of crack cocaine) somewhat prejudiced Puckett's case, but the only legal question is whether Puckett was unfairly prejudiced. Best, 250 F.3d at 1093. 25 Puckett contends that the evidence of his prior conviction unfairly prejudiced his case by influencing the jury's verdict against him on the other charged crimes; armed bank robbery and use of a firearm during a violent crime. Puckett states that, although the jury had no trouble reaching a unanimous verdict on the possession with intent to distribute charge, it reported to the trial judge that it was deadlocked on the remaining two charges, an impasse that it subsequently resolved after the judge ordered further deliberations. The implication being that the jury relied on the prior conviction for drug trafficking to paint him as a criminal who would also carry out a bank robbery. However, Puckett's argument is based on nothing but pure, self-serving speculation, and finds no support in the record. Juries frequently encounter an impasse in their deliberations for reasons that are a mystery to all but the jurors on the panel, and aside from his own self-serving intimation and conjecture Puckett proffers no logical basis or factual evidence that would support a conclusion that the jury ended its impasse and returned guilty verdicts on all counts, based upon its consideration of evidence of his prior conviction for drug trafficking. See id. The court specifically instructed the jury during the trial in accordance with the approved Seventh Circuit jury pattern instruction on two separate occasions: once during trial shortly after the evidence of Puckett's prior conviction was offered, that [you] should consider this evidence only as it relates to this case for the purpose of intent or knowledge. It may not be considered as evidence of anything else, and [may only be considered] for the purpose of knowledge or intent as related to a charge here against the defendant; and then again before the jury began deliberating, that [y]ou have heard evidence of acts of the defendant other than those charged in the indictment. You may consider this evidence only on the question of the defendant's knowledge and intent as to Count 3 [the drug charge]. You should only consider this evidence for these limited purposes.  We are convinced that this limiting instruction given to a jury (especially when taken nearly verbatim from the Seventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions) is most effective in reducing or eliminating any possible unfair prejudice from the introduction of [evidence of prior bad acts]. 10 Id. We presume that jurors, conscious of the gravity of their task, attend closely the particular language of the trial court's instructions in a criminal case and strive to understand, make sense of, and follow the instruction given them. United States v. Linwood, 142 F.3d 418, 426 (7th Cir.1998) (quoting Francis v. Franklin, 471 U.S. 307, 324 n. 9, 105 S.Ct. 1965, 85 L.Ed.2d 344 (1985)). And this presumption can only [be] overcome if there is an `overwhelming probability' that the jury was unable to follow the instruction as given. Id. (quoting Doe v. Johnson, 52 F.3d 1448, 1458 (7th Cir.1995)). Based on this record we are confident that the jury diligently assumed their duty and obligation under the law and followed the court's instructions to consider the evidence of Puckett's prior conviction for the limited purposes of his knowledge and intent as it related to the drug charge, Gregory-Bey v. Hanks, 332 F.3d 1036, 1049 (7th Cir.2003). Puckett has failed to demonstrate that the jury disregarded the judge's instructions, or that the admission of the evidence of his prior conviction induce[d] the jury to decide the case on an improper basis ... rather than on the evidence presented. 11 Long, 86 F.3d at 86. Accordingly, he has failed to demonstrate that the admission of@ the evidence was unfairly prejudicial. 26 Because evidence of Puckett's prior conviction for possession and distribution of crack cocaine was probative, relevant and not unfairly prejudicial pursuant to Rule 404(b), we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the evidence of his prior conviction. 27