Opinion ID: 572629
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Vulpis

Text: 75 During its rebuttal case, the government was allowed to introduce evidence that, in connection with the illegal A & A landfill, Vulpis had offered SDEC officers bribes. Vulpis challenges the admission of this evidence, arguing principally that it was not probative of the issues at trial, that the unfair prejudice to him outweighed its probative value, and that he did not have proper notice that the evidence would be offered. We disagree. 76 Under Rule 404(b) of the Federal Rules of Evidence, relevant evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts may be admitted at trial to show, inter alia, that a defendant who claims that his conduct was the result of accident or mistake had the intent to commit the offense. See Fed.R.Evid. 404(b); see, e.g., United States v. Mills, 895 F.2d 897, 907 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 2216, 109 L.Ed.2d 541 (1990); United States v. Caputo, 808 F.2d 963, 968 (2d Cir.1987). A defendant's attempt to bribe a law enforcement official is relevant to show his awareness that his actions were not innocent. See, e.g., United States v. Ochs, 595 F.2d 1247, 1260 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 955, 100 S.Ct. 435, 62 L.Ed.2d 328 (1979); see also United States v. Mendez-Ortiz, 810 F.2d 76, 78-79 (6th Cir.1986) (attempt to bribe witness), cert. denied, 480 U.S. 922, 107 S.Ct. 1384, 94 L.Ed.2d 697 (1987). Evidence of such other acts should be excluded, however, if the trial court finds that its potential for unfair prejudice substantially outweighs its probative value. See Fed.R.Evid. 403; Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) Advisory Committee Note: Huddleston v. United States, 485 U.S. 681, 687-88, 108 S.Ct. 1496, 1500-1501, 99 L.Ed.2d 771 (1988). The trial court's decision to admit such evidence will be reversed only for a clear abuse of discretion. See, e.g., United States v. Sappe, 898 F.2d 878, 880 (2d Cir.1990); United States v. Caputo, 808 F.2d at 968. 77 Vulpis's principal defense at trial was that he did not intend the Arlington Yard operations to violate the law and that any impermissible dumping there was the result of accident or mistake. To substantiate that defense he was allowed, over the government's objection, to introduce testimony that Weiss had given in a civil action. In that testimony, Weiss said that when two SDEC officers discovered buried garbage at the landfill Vulpis had been shocked and surprised. In response to this evidence, the government was permitted, in its rebuttal case, to offer testimony by those two officers that upon their calling the violations to Vulpis's attention, Vulpis had promptly offered them money. Accordingly, SDEC Lieutenant David Baker testified about his visit to the A & A landfill in mid-September 1988 and a conversation he had there with Vulpis. When Baker told Vulpis he was operating illegally and risking $25,000 a day in penalties, Vulpis responded, I'm losing $75,000 a day every day the place is closed. How about $100,000, you just go away. Similarly, SDEC officer Milewski testified that on the same day, Vulpis told him he was losing approximately $80,000, and how about $50,000. These statements by Vulpis, which the jury was plainly free to interpret as offering bribes, were relevant to show a consciousness of guilt on the part of Vulpis and thereby to cast doubt on his lack-of-intent defense. The court properly gave the jury a limiting instruction, and it was well within the court's discretion to conclude that, with that instruction, the probative value of this evidence outweighed its potential for unfair prejudice. 78 Finally, we reject Vulpis's contention that the bribe evidence should have been excluded because he did not have advance notice that the government would seek to use it. In support of this contention, Vulpis relies on United States v. Davidoff, 845 F.2d 1151 (2d Cir.1988). His reliance is misplaced, for Davidoff did not involve a Rule 404(b) question; rather, we ruled that it was error for the trial court not to require the government to provide a bill of particulars identifying the alleged victims of discrete extortionate schemes that the government intended to prove as RICO predicate acts. See 845 F.2d at 1154. A requirement that, upon request of the defendant in a criminal case, the government give advance notice of the general nature of any other-act evidence that is to be offered at trial will soon be added to Rule 404(b). See Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) (effective Dec. 1, 1991: evidence of other acts is admissible to prove, inter alia, absence of mistake or accident, provided that upon request by the accused, the prosecution in a criminal case shall provide reasonable notice in advance of trial, or during trial if the court excuses pretrial notice on good cause shown, of the general nature of any such evidence it intends to introduce at trial). No such requirement was in effect, however, at the time of the trial in the present case. See generally 2 J. Weinstein & M. Berger, Weinstein's Evidence p 404, at 404-158 (1991) (Rule 404 does not require the government to give notice of an intention to use other crimes evidence at trial.). 79 In any event, even if Vulpis had been entitled to advance notice that the government would offer the bribe evidence against him, he received adequate notice. The evidence was introduced during the government's rebuttal case. The government had initially offered this evidence, on another theory, during its direct case; when it was rejected, the government pointed out that if the testimony were viewed as reflecting the offer of a bribe, it would be admissible under Rule 404(b) as other-act evidence to meet a defense of mistake or lack of intent; the government expressly reserved its right to offer the testimony on rebuttal. The district court was not required to exclude the bribery evidence on the ground that Vulpis had not received notice.