Opinion ID: 431092
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admission of Eighteen Firearms

Text: 44 Smith was convicted on Count XVIII--illegal possession of firearms--based on the four guns found within his reach at the time of his arrest. Smith asserts that the prejudicial effect of the admission into evidence of eighteen other firearms found within the house outweighed the probative value of the evidence, constituting prejudicial error under Fed.R.Evid. 403. We disagree. 45 This court will review a trial judge's decision regarding the admission or exclusion of evidence under Rule 403 for abuse of discretion. United States v. Watkins, 600 F.2d 201, 204 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 871, 100 S.Ct. 148, 62 L.Ed.2d 96 (1979). On the record before us, we do not find such an abuse. The firearms were relevant under Rule 404(b) as proof of the predicate acts required for establishing a pattern of racketeering activity under RICO. One of those predicate acts is dealing in narcotic or other dangerous drugs. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1961(1)(A). In United States v. Martin, 599 F.2d 880, 889 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 441 U.S. 962, 99 S.Ct. 2407, 60 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1979), we held that firearms may be relevant to show an accused's involvement in the narcotics trade. 46 In any event, it is more probable than not that the admission of the eighteen firearms did not materially affect the verdict. See United States v. Valle-Valdez, 554 F.2d 911 (9th Cir.1977) (adopting the more-probable-than-not standard of determining harmlessness of nonconstitutional error); Fed.R.Evid. 103(a) (Error may not be predicated upon a ruling which admits or excludes evidence unless a substantial right of the party is affected); Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(a) (Any error, defect, irregularity or variance which does not affect substantial rights shall be disregarded.). The firearms were admitted as evidence on the RICO counts, yet Smith was not convicted on those counts. We conclude that the prejudice resulting from the admission of this evidence, if any, was minimal. 47