Opinion ID: 411111
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Relevancy of Extrinsic Evidence

Text: 14 Appellant first argues that the extrinsic evidence was irrelevant and should not have been admitted. Courts generally have concluded that the doing of similar acts is not relevant to the doing of a particular act. 2 J. WIGMORE, EVIDENCE Sec. 304 at 249-251 (Chadbourn rev. 1979). Under this principle of law, appellant claims that examples of his allegedly passing other money orders cannot be used to prove that he passed the twenty orders which were the subject of the indictment. 15 Appellant's statement of the law is correct, but beside the point. The extrinsic evidence was not admitted to show that appellant committed similar acts and that he therefore committed the indicted acts. Rather, the testimony was admitted to show that appellant had a scheme which included the offenses for which he was on trial. 21 The rules of evidence specifically establish the relevancy of extrinsic evidence submitted to prove motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. 22 The testimony of Ms. Bottoms, Mr. Nicks and Mr. Williams substantiated appellant's possession of the needed check-writing machine, linked appellant to the stolen money orders, and showed appellant had a system for passing such orders. The testimony thereby supported the existence of a definite project intended to facilitate completion of the crime in question. United States v. O'Connor, 580 F.2d 38, 42 (D.C.Cir.1978). See also United States v. Murphy, 480 F.2d 256, 260 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 912, 94 S.Ct. 253, 38 L.Ed.2d 151 (1973) (no plain error in admitting evidence of other bribes); United States v. Light, 394 F.2d 908 (2d Cir.1968) (government permitted to prove cover-up of securities fraud with evidence that included unindicted instances of larceny and forgery); Tomlinson v. United States, 93 F.2d 652 (D.C.Cir.1937) (admitting testimony of earlier planning to commit same crime). This evidence covered the same time period as the transactions charged in the indictment, showed appellant's possession of the tools necessary to commit the crimes charged, and tended to show a design or plan to commit crimes of this sort. 2 J. WIGMORE, EVIDENCE Secs. 237, 304, 305 (Chadbourn rev. 1979); see Payne v. United States, 294 F.2d 723 (D.C.Cir.1961) (admitting evidence showing defendant's possession of tools of confidence man). The witnesses' testimony was therefore relevant. 23