Opinion ID: 526743
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Colon's Initial Defense Theory

Text: 52 Colon's initial defense theory acknowledged that he had been approached by the undercover detective who asked him about buying heroin. Colon appeared ready to concede that he had responded by pointing, perhaps in the direction of Alvarado. But he claimed to have done so innocently, without the intention of directing Detective White to Alvarado specifically, and, indeed, he claimed that he was completely unaware of Alvarado or his drug dealing. Rather, he pointed down the street generally, in the direction of known drug dealing activity. 53 Had Colon adhered to this version of events, the crucial issue in the case would have been his state of mind when he responded to Detective White by pointing. In seeking to prove that Colon aided and abetted Alvarado's sale of heroin, the challenge facing the government would have been to demonstrate that Colon had meant to send the detective not down the street, but instead directly to his associate, Alvarado, who was poised and ready to sell the drugs. Thus, it is apparent that under this defense theory, the issue of intent would not have been removed from the case. Indeed, the question of Colon's state of mind would have formed the key battleground of the case. Under these circumstances, Rule 404(b) would have permitted the government to use evidence of Colon's prior acts to prove intent, provided the balancing test of Rule 403 was satisfied. 54 Colon places great weight on his purported offer to stipulate intent out of the case: 55 If the government proves that he knew Alvarado and was in fact directing the undercover officer to Alvarado specifically in saying that you can buy the drugs from him, then I will acknowledge that he intended to violate the federal narcotics law and intended to aid in the sale of drugs. 56 We recognize the problems that faced Colon's defense counsel in clarifying his client's position in the final moments before trial. In considering the significance of an offer to stipulate intent out of the case in order to prevent admission of similar acts evidence, we are concerned not with the form of words used by counsel but on the consequences that the trial court may properly attach to those words. See Figueroa, 618 F.2d at 942. While defense counsel may have been sincerely endeavoring to stipulate intent out of the case, the proffered stipulation failed to do so. 57 The offer to stipulate was made at a time when Colon was still adhering to his initial defense theory. Again, the government's challenge in rebutting this theory would have been to demonstrate that Colon had meant to send the detective to Alvarado and not elsewhere down the street. Colon's offered stipulation would have conceded nothing on this score, as the government would still have had to prove that Colon meant to point the detective to Alvarado and not down the street. While conceding nothing, the stipulation sought to restrict the government's ability to prove the disputed determinative issue of intent by prohibiting use of the other acts evidence. The district court properly refused to accept this offered stipulation as removing intent from the case.