Opinion ID: 153666
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Mr. Veatch's Opportunity to Present a Defense

Text: 105 Defendant Veatch claims the court erred by not allowing him the opportunity to present a defense. We review the trial court's evidentiary rulings for an abuse of discretion, and we will not overrule the trial court's evidentiary rulings unless we have a definite and firm conviction that the trial judge made a clear error of judgment. United States v. Gonzales-Acosta, 989 F.2d 384, 388-89 (10th Cir.1993). We generally will defer to the judgment of the trial court because it has the advantage of viewing the witnesses and assessing the credibility and probative value of offered evidence. Id. at 388. 106 In this claim, Mr. Veatch asserts that he was unconstitutionally denied the opportunity to present a defense. Mr. Veatch informed the court that he intended to call approximately 800 witnesses, and the court correctly responded that he could not call witnesses whose testimony would be cumulative. Limitations exist to a defendant's right to testify and to call witnesses in his favor under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments. See Chambers v. Mississippi, 410 U.S. 284, 295 (1973). Both the accused and the government must comply with established rules of procedure which are designed to promote fairness in the trial. Federal Rule of Evidence 403 permits a court to exclude relevant evidence which would be a waste of time or cumulative. The district court did not abuse its discretion in placing limits on Mr. Veatch's presentation of witnesses which were in accord with established rules of procedure. 107 Mr. Veatch also argues that he did not have enough time to prepare for trial because he did not know of the trial date until one week prior to trial. In one of his many motions, however, Mr. Veatch acknowledges that he knew the date of the trial with twelve days advance notice. In an earlier pleading, Mr. Veatch agreed to a continuance of the trial until September 1994. The trial commenced on September 12, 1994, and Mr. Veatch did not have to begin presentation of his defense until September 16, 1994. Mr. Veatch had ample time to prepare his defense and subpoena witnesses for trial. 108 Additionally, Mr. Veatch claims the court should have allowed him to subpoena witnesses at the government's expense. On May 13, 1994, Mr. Veatch's request to proceed in forma pauperis was granted by the trial court, even though he failed to establish that he was indigent. On August, 5, 1994, he withdrew his prior request to proceed in forma pauperis because he did not want to disclose financial information about himself. A defendant cannot proceed in forma pauperis unless he first establishes a financial inability to pay the required filing fees. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). Thus, this issue is without merit.