Opinion ID: 437695
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: 6 Following a jury trial in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Leslie William Hans was convicted of bank robbery. The trial judge sentenced Hans to a total of 25 years imprisonment on the two counts. Hans appeals the conviction to this court, citing five supposed errors by the trial judge in admitting items of evidence, allowing testimony about Hans' possible connection with bank robberies in Michigan, and allowing the jury to inspect items during its deliberations that had not been introduced into evidence. 7 Although some of Hans' objections are without merit, we feel that the trial judge erred in allowing: (1) the jury to inspect certain items which had been talked about, but not introduced into evidence, (2) an F.B.I. agent to testify in a manner that implied that Hans had committed bank robberies in Detroit and (3) a witness to link Hans to alleged plans to commit future robberies. Because we feel that the first two errors prejudiced Hans' right to a fair trial, we reverse his conviction and remand for a new trial. 8