Opinion ID: 2977532
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony About Prior Drug Raids.

Text: Robson argues that the district court erred by permitting testimony about prior drug raids at 5799 Seneca Street, the house in which he was arrested. Robson points to Federal Rule of Evidence 403, which states that relevant evidence “may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury.” According to Robson, this testimony should have been excluded under Federal Rule of Evidence 403 because it was unfairly prejudicial and not relevant to or probative of any of the contested issues in his case. Because Robson did not object to this testimony in the district court, we review only for plain error. See United States v. Emuegbunam, 268 F.3d 377, 406 (6th Cir. 2001); Fed. R. Crim. P. 52(b). Plain error requires us to determine whether “(1) an error occurred in the district court; (2) the error was obvious or clear; (3) the error affected defendant’s substantial rights; and (4) this adverse impact seriously affected the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of the judicial proceedings.” Emuegbunam, 268 F.3d at 406. We conclude that the district court did not err — let alone plainly err — by allowing this testimony. The history at 5799 Seneca Street was probative and relevant, because it explained why the police officers’ suspicions were aroused when they saw three men enter the house, and because it put Robson’s conduct in context. He was in a known drug area, in a house that was known to have been the site of drug distribution in the past, facts that would reinforce the government’s theory that Robson was intending to distribute the crack cocaine that he was cutting when the officers found him. Furthermore, the testimony was not unfairly prejudicial, because the jury knew that Robson was not affiliated with the previous activity. 4