Opinion ID: 820508
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Gregory’s Testimony

Text: Wells argues that the district court abused its discretion when it admitted special agent Gregory’s testimony that the pseudoephedrine logs showed patterns consistent with the purchase of pseudoephedrine for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine. Specifically, Wells argues that the testimony was inadmissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 704(b), which precludes an expert from testifying as to “whether the defendant did or did not have a mental state or condition that constitutes an element of the crime charged[.]” “Testimony that, when combined with other evidence, might imply or otherwise cause a jury to infer this ultimate conclusion, however, is permitted under the rule.” United States v. Vesey, 338 F.3d 913, 916 (8th Cir. 2003). Gregory’s testimony focused on government Exhibit 30, which summarized the pseudoephedrine logs and displayed the Wells family’s purchases on a calendar. The government identified particular groupings of pseudoephedrine pill purchases on the calendar and asked Gregory whether, given his training and experience, these groupings of purchases were significant. On several occasions, Gregory responded that “[t]his pseudoephedrine is being purchased to be used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.” -6- Wells argues that Gregory’s testimony impermissibly commented on his intent. When viewed in its entirety, however, Gregory’s testimony makes clear that his opinions concerning the pseudoephedrine logs were based on his knowledge of the purchasing patterns of someone using pseudoephedrine to manufacture methamphetamine, rather than on any special knowledge of Wells’s thought processes. Before testifying about the pseudoephedrine logs in question, Gregory stated that he was looking for certain patterns and that Exhibit 30 would help him illustrate these patterns. Gregory explained that the patterns of someone who is purchasing pseudoephedrine pills to manufacture methamphetamine are different from the patterns of someone who is purchasing the pills for a legitimate purpose. The government then identified a particular grouping of pseudoephedrine pill purchases and asked Gregory whether, given his training and experience, the grouping of purchases was “consistent with someone who’s buying pills for use in manufacturing methamphetamine.” Gregory responded affirmatively. It was not until later in his testimony, after the government had asked him about the significance of other groupings, that Gregory began to respond that “[t]his pseudoephedrine is being purchased to be used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.” By then, however, Gregory’s earlier testimony and the form of the government’s questions had established that Gregory was merely describing the Wells family’s pseudoephedrine pill purchasing patterns as consistent with someone who was purchasing the pills to manufacture methamphetamine. It was for the jury to draw from Gregory’s testimony about the pattern of purchases the inference that Wells made the purchases with the intent to use the purchased products to manufacture methamphetamine.