Opinion ID: 791529
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The 404(b) Issue.

Text: 6 At trial, the government introduced evidence of three prior drug convictions — a 2000 conviction for illegal possession of cocaine base; a 1994 conviction for second-degree drug trafficking; and a 1991 conviction for sale of a controlled substance (cocaine base). The district court instructed the jury as to the limited purposes for which this evidence may be used, both before it was admitted and again at the end of the trial. Love argues that the district court erred in admitting evidence of the two earlier convictions under Rule 404(b) of the Federal Rules of Evidence because the convictions were too remote in time and unduly prejudicial. 7 Rule 404(b) provides that evidence of past crimes is not admissible to prove propensity to commit criminal acts but is admissible for other purposes, such as to show intent or knowledge. Rule 404(b) is a rule of inclusion committed to the broad discretion of the trial court. United States v. Moore, 98 F.3d 347, 349-50 (8th Cir.1996). When the defendant in a drug prosecution denies the charged wrongdoing, as in this case, evidence of past drug convictions is admissible to prove both knowledge and intent. United States v. Foster, 344 F.3d 799, 801 (8th Cir.2003), cert. denied, 541 U.S. 1031, 124 S.Ct. 2096, 158 L.Ed.2d 713 (2004). Proximity in time is one factor in determining the relevance of a prior drug conviction, but the standard is reasonableness, not an absolute number of years. United States v. Hardy, 224 F.3d 752, 757 (8th Cir.2000). Here, it was well within the district court's discretion to rule that these very similar prior convictions were not overly remote. Likewise, the district court did not abuse its discretion in ruling that the probative value of this evidence was not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Fed.R.Evid. 403. 8