Opinion ID: 4270652
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: July 13 and August 10, 2015 Status Conferences

Text: At the status conference on July 13, 2015, the district court stated that it had reviewed all of the information and pleadings submitted by counsel and would allow Benitez to plead guilty to Count One but still contest his guilt on the firearm offense charged in Count Two. In other words, because the firearm phrase in Count One was surplusage, Benitez could admit that the weapon used in the bank robbery was a dangerous weapon (a “toy” or replica gun). Thus, Benitez would not have to admit that the dangerous weapon was an actual firearm. Nearly a month later, on August 10, Benitez’s counsel informed the district court that Benitez no longer intended to plead guilty on Count One. The district court then scheduled the trial for September. Before trial, the government gave notice that if Benitez testified, it intended to use Benitez’s seven prior convictions for impeachment purposes at trial. These convictions were a 1988 Florida conviction for burglary of a structure, a 1989 6 Case: 16-10476 Date Filed: 04/27/2018 Page: 7 of 24 Florida conviction for resisting an officer with violence, a 1994 Florida conviction for aggravated battery, 1996 Florida convictions for bank robbery without a weapon, grand theft, and battery on an EMT or firefighter, and a 1996 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics. Ultimately, the district court allowed the government to question Benitez on only the 1996 convictions for grand theft, battery on an EMT or firefighter, and conspiracy to distribute narcotics. On appeal, Benitez challenges the admission of these three 1996 convictions.