Opinion ID: 2747298
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Defendants’ Motion for a Mistrial

Text: We review a district court’s denial of a motion for a mistrial for abuse of discretion. United States v. Rodriguez, 587 F.3d 573, 583 (2d Cir. 2009). “The decision to declare a mistrial is left to the ‘sound discretion’ of the judge, but ‘the power ought to be used with the greatest caution, under urgent circumstances, and for very plain and obvious causes.’” Renico v. Lett, 559 U.S. 766, 774 (2010). We conclude that the District Court was well within its discretion in denying defendants’ motion for a mistrial. The District Court quickly issued a curative instruction to the jury after the Government unintentionally elicited testimony regarding an incident in which Reyes discharged a handgun at a co-conspirator. The testimony was ordered stricken from the record, and, in view of the overwhelming evidence against defendants, there is no showing of prejudice. Accordingly, the District Court’s denial of defendants’ motion for a mistrial was not an abuse of discretion.