Opinion ID: 320663
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: JOHN HENRY McDUFFIE

Text: 45 In addition to his Business Records Act claim 12 and his discovery claim, 13 defendant John Henry McDuffie makes two assignments of error on this appeal: 1) that the trial court erred by refusing to allow McDuffie to introduce evidence as to the existence of an illicit distillery not connected with other evidence in the case; and 2) that the trial court erred by admitting evidence of McDuffie's prior indictment and guilty plea for possession of non-tax-paid whiskey. We find no merit in the first claim. We conclude, however, that defendant McDuffie must be granted a new trial because the introduction of evidence of his prior offense violated the 'universal rule . . . that evidence of the commission of a wholly separate and independent crime is not admissible as a part of the case against the defendant.' 2 C. Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure, Criminal 410, at 123. 46 This Court has, of course, recognized a number of exceptions to the 'universal rule.' In the present case the government urges that McDuffie's prior conviction for possession of non-tax-paid whiskey was properly admitted under the 'intent' exception. The Fifth Circuit has indeed held that, in certain cases, 47 evidence of other offenses by the accused is admissible to show his criminal intent as to the offense charged, where the other offenses are similar to and not too remote from that charged, and where intent is in issue as an element of the offense charged. 48 Weiss v. United States, 5 Cir. 1941, 122 F.2d 675, 682, cert. denied, 314 U.S. 687, 62 S.Ct. 300, 86 L.Ed. 550. The government's rationale, and the one apparently adopted by the court below, is that because evidence of other crimes may be introduced to show intent, because intent is an element in at least two counts of the indictment against McDuffie, and because bothe the prior crime and the presently alleged offenses involve moonshine whiskey, the earlier conviction must be admissible. (See Record, Vol. III, pp. 286-298-- in chambers discussion among court and counsel on government's offer of prior crime evidence). 49 That analysis, however, fails to take into account the constancy with which this Court has adhered to the view that the 'universal rule' against admitting evidence of other crimes is a just and wise rule, and that the exceptions to that principle, each of which has been carved out to serve a limited prosecutorial and judicial purpose, should not be permitted to swallow the rule. 14 Pursuant to that view we have adopted a balancing approach, most recently articulated in United States v. Goodwin, Cir. 1974, 492 F.2d 1141, 1150: 50 Assuming, of course, that the evidence of other crimes is clear and convincing, we must balance the actual need for that evicence in view of the contested issues and the other evidence available to the prosecution, and the strength of the evidence in proving the issue, against the danger that the jury will be inflamed by the evidence to decide that because the accused was the perpetrator of the other crimes, he probably committed the crime for which he is on trial as well. 51 See also, United States v. Lawrance, 5 Cir. 1973, 480 F.2d 688, 691-692 n. 6; United States v. Johnson, 5 Cir. 1972, 453 F.2d 1195, 1199; United States v. Boyd, 5 Cir. 1971, 446 F.2d 1267, 1270-1271. The trial record reveals that virtually no consideration was given to any of the crucial elements in the balancing process-- the government's actual need for the evidence, the probative value of the evidence, or the potential prejudice to the accused. 52 Our own examination of the relevant factors indicates that the evidence in question ought to have been excluded. The government argues that intent to defraud the United States of the tax on distilled spirits is the element of Count 1 (conspiracy) and Count 4 (carrying on the business of distiller of spiritous liquors) that justifies admitting McDuffie's prior conviction. We cannot agree. As to establishing that type of intent, we see no probative value whatsoever in defendant's earlier conviction of possession of non-tax-paid whiskey, a crime which requires no such intent. See Hamilton v. United States, 5 Cir. 1969, 409 F.2d 928, 930; McClain v. United States, 5 Cir, 1955, 224 F.2d 522, 525. The government urges vigorously that possession is one of the items in the count of conspiracy to defraud 'by manufacturing, distilling, possessing, transporting, removing, depositing and concealing distilled spirits . . .'; but the trial record clearly demonstrates McDuffie went primarily to conspiracy to manufacture and distill rather than conspiracy to possess. In any event, the conduct involved in simple possession of illicit whiskey has precious little to do with the state of mind involved in conspiracy with intent to defraud or carrying on the business of a distiller with intent to defraud. 53 Even if we were to assume that the prior conviction had some probative value in the present case, the government has done little to show any actual need for that evidence in view of other available evidence. Terry Lee Smith, the alleged co-conspirator, testified that McDuffie helped weld the still pots, helped mix the mash for fermentation, paid Smith for work at the still, and furnished a condenser, a still cap, wheat shorts, and plastic containers to Smith to be carried to the Macon area. If the jury believed that McDuffie actually performed these acts, they logically would infer from that conduct that he possessed the requisite criminal intent. See Fallen v. United States, 5 Cir. 1955, 220 F.2d 946, 948, cert. denied, 350 U.S. 924, 76 S.Ct. 213, 100 S.Ed. 808. 54 In its brief on appeal the government lists several instances during McDuffie's trial testimony in which he offered innocent explanations for potentially suspicious acts (e.g., a fingerprint on a jug found at the still site and a $1500 check fron McDuffie to Miller). The divergent explanations, however, would appear to relate more to actual participation in the conspiracy than to intent. Moreover, the thrust of McDuffie's defense was alivi, not lack of criminal purpose. Finally, the government's argument that McDuffie's testimony created a prosecutorial need to introduce prior crime evidence bears the stamp of disingenuousness, since the prior conviction was introduced into evidence during the government's case-in-chief before McDuffie ever took the stand. 55 On the other side of the scale, although the trial court carefully instructed the jury to consider McDuffie's prior conviction only on the issue of intent, we velieve there is a substantial possibility that such evidence could lead a jury to believe that the defendant is the type of person who engages in moonshining. And as Judge Rives has said: 'Our law makes some allowance for the possibility of reform, and does not yet say 'once a moonshiner, always a moonshiner. Baker v. United States, 5 Cir. 1955, 227 F.2d 376, 378-379 (Rives, J., concurring). 56 All that we demand of trial courts and litigants in this seemingly complex area of criminal jurisprudence is that they deal in reason, not categories. The treasured principles underlying the rule against admitting evidence of other crimes should be relaxed only when such evidence is genuinely needed and would be genuinely relevant. 57 This Court has never hesitated to approve the admission of other-crime evidence when that evidence has been relevant under one of the exceptions to the general rule. We have recognized, however, and we must continue to recognize, that the various categories of exceptions-- intent, design or plan, identity, etc.-- are not magic passwords whose mere incantation will open wide the courtroom doors to whatever evidence may be offered in their names. 58 United States v. Goodwin, supra, 492 F.2d 1155.