Opinion ID: 221476
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Evidence of Foreclosure on Foster's Home

Text: Foster complains that one of his exhibits was not presented to the jury during his case-in-chief. During a jury recess after the government rested its case, Foster offered into evidence an exhibit showing that his mortgaged home had gone into foreclosure some time after his alleged participation in the Acme robbery. The court admitted this exhibit into evidence without objection from the government. When the jury returned from its recess, however, neither the court nor defense counsel told the jury that any exhibit had been offered into evidence in its absence. Instead, the court told the jury that the parties had rested and allowed the government to begin its closing argument. Almost immediately, Foster requested a sidebar conference and told the court that his exhibit had never been published to the jury. The district court then told the jury: When I said both sides rested, we had been doing some work when you were out for your lunch break, and during that time the defense offered some exhibits into evidence which were accepted into evidence and that they will address during their case. And that was part of their case. The rule is that you ordinarily don't offer exhibits except during your own case. They used that opportunity when you were out to offer those exhibits which are in. So you'll hear them discuss that during their closing arguments. As the district court promised, Foster highlighted this exhibit during his closing argument, arguing that if he really had stolen $100,000 from Acme, he could have saved his home from foreclosure. On appeal, Foster argues that the failure to allow him to present this exhibit during his case-in-chief tended to diminish its importance and greatly prejudiced him. We disagree. When Foster brought the omission of his exhibit to the court's attention, the court explained the mistake to the jury and gave Foster's counsel ample opportunity to discuss the omitted exhibit in his closing argument. Only after the jury found him guilty did Foster complain that this issue should have been handled differently. Absent a contemporaneous objection, our review is for plain error. See United States v. Broadnax, 536 F.3d 695, 699 (7th Cir.2008); United States v. Thompson, 27 F.3d 671, 673 (D.C.Cir. 1994). On plain error review, we may reverse only if the jury probably would have acquitted Foster if it had seen the omitted exhibit during Foster's case-in-chief rather than during closing arguments. See United States v. Collins, 604 F.3d 481, 487 (7th Cir.2010). Foster suffered no such prejudice from the inadvertent omission of a single exhibit from his case-in-chief, an exhibit he presented to the jury and used to argue that the foreclosure showed his innocence. Foster argues that reversal is still required because the district court had already told the jury that any statements made during closing arguments may not be considered as evidence of innocence or guilt. But the district court also informed the jury that, notwithstanding its prior instruction to the contrary, Foster would be allowed to present his omitted exhibit during his closing argument. Absent extraordinary circumstances not present in this case, we presume that the jury heeded this instruction and gave Foster's exhibit the consideration it deserved. E.g., United States v. Ochoa-Zarate, 540 F.3d 613, 620 (7th Cir.2008). Foster suffered no prejudice here, let alone such substantial prejudice as would call for reversal on plain error review.