Opinion ID: 604939
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Limitations of Hall's Direct Examination

Text: 19 Hall contends that the district court erroneously placed restrictions on his own testimony and on his direct examination of defense witnesses, which prevented him from showing the extent of income he earned from legitimate businesses as well as the methods he used to win money at gambling. Even relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by ... considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. Fed.R.Evid. 403. The district court allowed Hall to answer questions about four legitimate business enterprises and other sources of outside income but sustained an objection as to the relevance of why one of those businesses did not generate income. The fact that a business lost money is certainly irrelevant in trying to prove the extent of legitimate income. In addition, the district court permitted Hall to answer many questions about his gambling activities, including a brief explanation of the methods he used to win money. The district did not allow detailed explanations about the intricacies of Hall's betting system because of considerations of undue delay and irrelevance. Hall was able to make an adequate showing to the jury that he had income from sources other than cocaine sales, including gambling. The district court did not abuse its discretion in restricting certain lines of questioning, nor was Hall prejudiced in his ability to present his case to the jury.