Opinion ID: 463821
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Reading Transcript to Jury

Text: 63 Anderson argues that the district court abused its discretion in permitting specific portions of the transcript to be read to the jury during its deliberations. 64 At the jury's request, the district court permitted portions of the testimony of several witnesses to be read to the jury. Anderson contends that in permitting those portions of the transcript to be read out of context, those witnesses' damaging testimony was highlighted. He argues that the reading of Creamer's testimony was especially prejudicial because Creamer was the only witness who provided direct evidence of Anderson's involvement in the alleged conspiracy. 65 The two primary witnesses against Anderson were Creamer and Anderson's former wife, Suzanne Weaver. At its request, the jury was read Weaver's testimony in its entirety. While the jury requested and heard only portions of Creamer's testimony, any undue emphasis which the jury may have placed upon Creamer's testimony was negated by both the prosecution's and the defense's repeated emphasis of Creamer's bad character and the district court's instructions that the jury not give undue emphasis to those portions of the testimony. 66 The district court's cautionary instructions were also sufficient to dissipate any taint which may have resulted from reading the other portions of the testimony which the jury requested. Accordingly, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in permitting portions of the transcript to be read to the jury. United States v. Quesada-Rosadal, 685 F.2d 1281, 1283 (11th Cir.1982).