Opinion ID: 196811
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Appellant's Motion for a New Trial and Motion in Limine

Text: 44 Third, Appellant appeals the denial of his motion for a new trial, arguing that the district court abused its discretion in denying his motion in limine 11 to exclude from evidence four tapes of recorded conversations between himself and Schaller in February, March and May 1994. As the motion for a new trial is not properly before us on appeal, 12 we only address Appellant's motion in limine. 13 Appellant argued below, as he does now, that the tapes should have been excluded in their entirety from evidence because (i) their probative value was substantially outweighed by their prejudicial effect under Fed.R.Evid. 403, even after certain portions were redacted; (ii) they were improperly admitted as evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b); and (iii) portions of them were partially or wholly unintelligible which thereby rendered them more misleading than helpful. 14 45 Here, the court listened to the four tapes, reviewed their respective transcripts, and heard arguments of counsel on the admissibility of both the tapes and the transcripts. In denying Appellant's motion in limine to exclude the tapes in their entirety under Fed.R.Evid. 403 and 404(b), the district court found that they were admissible as probative of the issues raised in the case and that they were overall more relevant than prejudicial. (Transcript, Vol. 2 at 12-13). The district court, however, did allow Appellant to make specific objections of undue prejudice. (Transcript, Vol. 2 at 13-15). After hearing argument from counsel, (Transcript, Vol. 4 at 4-47), the district court agreed with most of Appellant's specific objections and excluded those portions. With respect to Appellant's audibility argument, the district court only found the March 1, 1994, tape troubling in that it seems ... just woefully inadequate for any reasonable person to understand. (Transcript, Vol. 2-17). The district court's concern was that the only way to understand the tape was to read the transcript which resulted in the transcript--and the Government's view--being given too much weight. After considering alternatives and hearing arguments from counsel, the district court decided to admit the tape and allow the transcript because both parties had stipulated to the accuracy of the transcript as a true rendition of the recording. (Transcript, Vol. 2 at 4; Vol. 4 at 4). Finally, the district court gave cautionary instructions to the jury that the tapes were evidence but that the transcripts were not. The district court also ruled that the transcripts would not be permitted during deliberations. 15 (Transcript, Vol. 4 at 4-5). 46 We turn to Appellant's arguments, reviewing the district court's decision to admit or exclude evidence under Fed.R.Evid. 403 and 404(b) for abuse of discretion. See, e.g., United States v. Frankhauser, 80 F.3d 641, 648 (1st Cir.1996); United States v. Cruz-Kuilan, 75 F.3d 59, 61 (1st Cir.1996). The same standard of review applies regarding the district court's decision to admit the tapes over Appellant's audibility argument. See United States v. Jadusingh, 12 F.3d 1162, 1167 (1st Cir.1994) (As we have held on numerous occasions, a trial judge's ruling on the admission of recordings is afforded 'broad discretion,' even where portions of the taped conversation are unintelligible.).
47 Evidence is excludable under Fed.R.Evid. 403 if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. 16 After reviewing the transcript, 17 we find no abuse of discretion in the district court's decision to not exclude the tapes in their entirety. In support of his argument, Appellant claims that (i) none of Appellant's statements prove any element of the alleged crimes or show consciousness of guilt; (ii) the recorded conversations took place two years after the predicate offenses occurred; (iii) many of Appellant's arguments were made in response to questions instigated by the government witness; and, (iv) any relevant conversations were intertwined with others that were not relevant. We find none of these arguments persuasive. 48 As the district court found, the tapes included highly probative evidence regarding Appellant's consciousness of guilt, including admissions. The tapes were directly relevant to the government's theory regarding both Appellant's involvement in the attempted arson and the conspiracy. Indeed, we note that Appellant's counsel conceded as much during the hearing on the tapes' admissibility: I concede, Judge, that there were parts that, given the Government's position and its interpretation, are relevant. (Transcript, Vol. 2 at 12). 49 For example, the February 24, 1994, tape includes a conversation regarding the payment of Schaller's legal fees. Not only did it corroborate Schaller's testimony that Appellant assisted in the payment of Schaller's legal fees, this conversation included evidence from which the jury could draw an inference that this money is being paid because these gentlemen were in on the deal together. (Transcript, Vol. 4 at 9). The March 1, 1994, tape includes an admission by Appellant that he threw matches to light the fire during the first attempt: You weren't there when I threw the [expletive] matches the first time. The March 4, 1994, tape includes an adoptive admission by Appellant regarding his attempts to burn the restaurant during a conversation about whether Appellant had told anyone about those efforts. While Appellant denies telling anybody else about his efforts, he responds to Schaller's questions directly without ever disputing the veracity of what Schaller's questions imply--that Appellant tried to burn it. The May 25, 1994, tape provides evidence of the conspiracy between Schaller and Appellant. The conversation demonstrates that, although they were confused as to their recollection of what they believed to be their respective roles, they clearly had conspired to burn the restaurant. This sampling of each of the four tapes clearly shows that, contrary to Appellant's claims, the recordings include statements by Appellant that are directly probative of both attempts and the conspiracy. 50 Appellant also points to the fact that the recorded conversations occurred two years after the alleged offenses, arguing that the recordings are neither closely intertwined with the charged offenses nor helpful in establishing Appellant's intent to commit the crimes charged. Appellant cites to three cases addressing the admissibility of evidence under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). See United States v. Huff, 959 F.2d 731, 736 (8th Cir.1992); United States v. Brookins, 919 F.2d 281, 286 (5th Cir.1990); United States v. Hodges, 770 F.2d 1475, 1480 n. 4 (9th Cir.1985). We agree with these cases that proximity in time is a factor to be considered in determining relevancy under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) of other crimes, wrongs, or acts. See, e.g., United States v. Fields, 871 F.2d 188, 197 (1st Cir.1989) (Probative value must be considered in light of the remoteness in time of the other act and the degree of the resemblance to the crime charged.); United States v. Currier, 836 F.2d 11, 17 (1st Cir.1987) (noting that the prior bad acts were both close in time and in nature to the crime charged). 18 In addition, Appellant also points out that the tapes here are distinguishable from those admitted in Currier, based on the fact that the recorded conversations in that case occurred immediately prior to and after the crime charged and were, thus, found to help[ ] establish appellant's intent to commit the crime charged. Id. Because the conversations here occurred two years after the predicate offenses, Appellant contends that the tapes cannot be said to be so closely intertwined with the predicate offenses so as to help establish Appellant's intent to commit the crimes charged. 51 We are unswayed by Appellant's arguments. Here, as we discuss below, no evidence of prior bad acts was admitted in this case; and, because Appellant has not cited to any cases holding that proximity in time is a prerequisite for determining relevance under Fed.R.Evid. 403, and because we have not found any, we are unconvinced that the timing of the conversations is of any consequence or otherwise undermines their strong relevance. See, e.g., United States v. Perkins, 926 F.2d 1271, 1279-80 (1st Cir.1991) (finding no error in admission of post-conspiracy statements made to a government informant where court found statements were an admission corroborating trial testimony and reflected complicity and consciousness of guilt). Even assuming, arguendo, that proximity must be considered in determining relevance, we nonetheless find that even though the conversations occur two years after the attempt and conspiracy, they are closely intertwined with the charged offense[s] ... [and] [ ] provid[e] ... significant contextual material for the jury. Currier, 836 F.2d at 17 (citations omitted). As discussed above, while they do not necessarily show Appellant's intent to commit the attempted arson or to enter into a conspiracy, they do show Appellant's consciousness of guilt and complicity as well as the existence of a conspiracy. See Perkins, 926 F.2d at 1279-80. 52 While not all evidence with probative value is admissible, we do not find that its value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Fed.R.Evid. 403. In reviewing the balancing undertaken by the district court, we give great deference to the district court's judgment, and [o]nly in exceptional circumstances will we reverse the exercise of a district court's informed discretion vis-a-vis the relative weighing of probative value and unfairly prejudicial effect. Currier, 836 F.2d at 18 (quoting United States v. Griffin, 818 F.2d 97, 101-02 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 844, 108 S.Ct. 137, 98 L.Ed.2d 94 (1987)). Based on our review of the record, we do not find that the probative value of the tapes--as edited 19 --was outweighed by unfairly prejudicial evidence. See, e.g., United States v. Munoz, 36 F.3d 1229, 1233 (1st Cir.1994) (noting that the question under Rule 403 is one of unfair prejudice, not prejudice alone); Currier, 836 F.2d at 18 (Unfairly prejudicial evidence is evidence ... that 'triggers [the] mainsprings of human action [in such a way as to] cause the jury to base its decision on something other than the established proposition in the case.' ) (quoting 1 Weinstein's Evidence § 403, 36-39 (1986)). Neither the fact that many of Appellant's remarks were made in response to questions or comments by the government witness, nor that relevant conversations were intertwined with non-relevant ones, persuades us to reach a different conclusion. Even the fact that the recordings reveal that Appellant had initially wanted to hire a guy from organized crime so to speak to burn the restaurant, (Transcript, Vol. 4 at 32), or that Appellant tells Schaller what to say about pouring the gasoline, (Transcript, Vol. 4 at 44), does not make them unfairly prejudicial. Finally, we do not find that any exceptional circumstances 20 exist which warrant reversal of the district court's rulings. 21
53 We find Appellant's reliance on Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) to be irrelevant on appeal. 22 While the transcript of the pre-trial hearing regarding the admissibility of the tapes shows that there were references to previous fires which arguably fall within Fed.R.Evid. 404(b), the record shows that these references were excised by agreement of the parties. (Transcript, Vol. 4 at 21). Not only does Appellant not specify on appeal what other crimes, wrongs, or acts under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) were erroneously admitted into evidence, we find no mention of any in the portions that were admitted into evidence. Accordingly, we do not address this argument further.
54 Lastly, as to Appellant's audibility argument, in exercising its broad discretion in ruling on the admissibility of tape recordings, even where portions are unintelligible, Font-Ramirez, 944 F.2d at 47, the district court must decide whether 'the inaudible parts are so substantial as to make the rest more misleading than helpful.'  Id. (citations omitted) (quoting Gorin v. United States, 313 F.2d 641, 652 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 374 U.S. 829, 83 S.Ct. 1870, 10 L.Ed.2d 1052 (1963)). While the district court found that there were segments of poor audio and static, the district court nonetheless decided to admit them. The district court was swayed by the fact that the parties stipulated to the accuracy of the transcript as a true recording of the tapes. 23 We are similarly swayed and find no abuse of the court's broad discretion, even as to the March 1, 1994, tape about which the district court was most concerned. Based on our review of the transcript, 24 we disagree with Appellant's claim that the inaudible parts, when taken as a whole, were so substantial as to make the rest more misleading than helpful, because the transcript clearly evidences that sufficient portions of the tapes, including statements by both Schaller and Appellant, are audible. As discussed earlier, these segments are relevant because they include, inter alia, admissions by Appellant, tending to show consciousness of guilt and corroborate trial testimony. Furthermore, the district court gave a cautionary instruction to the jury that not only informed them that the tapes, but not the transcript, were evidence, but also that the jurors had to draw their own conclusions regarding their content and probative value based on what they themselves heard on the tapes. 25 United States v. Carbone, 798 F.2d 21, 26 (1st Cir.1986) (finding that the judge's handling of the transcript was in accord with the law where the record shows that the judge carefully instructed the jurors that the tapes, not the transcripts, were evidence and that any differences between the two must be resolved in favor of what was heard on the recording). Based on the record, and particularly in light of Appellant's stipulation to the accuracy of the transcript as a true recording of the tapes, we find no abuse of discretion by the district court in admitting the tapes over Appellant's audibility objection.