Opinion ID: 604939
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Admission of Evidence of a Shooting

Text: 21 Johnson contends that the district court erred in denying his motion for mistrial after a government witness testified that his mother had been shot after the witness had entered a plea agreement. This issue was not raised in Johnson's motion for new trial and therefore is reviewed for plain error. Young, supra. Immediately after the shooting was mentioned, the district court instructed the jury to disregard any statement about the witness' mother being shot. We must presume that the jury followed that instruction, United States v. LaSpesa, 956 F.2d 1027, 1033 (11th Cir.1992), and we find nothing in the record to upset that presumption. There was no connection, either express or implied, between the shooting and any of the appellants, nor is there anything to suggest that this statement affected Johnson's right to a fair trial or that a miscarriage of justice occurred. The district court did not err in denying Johnson's motion for mistrial.