Opinion ID: 543004
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 2 Taylor was indicted on March 22, 1989, on four counts of bank robbery. Each count alleged a single robbery, but all of the robberies were of Minneapolis banks. The first occurred on February 7, 1989, at the City County Federal Credit Union. As with the other robberies, that at the credit union took place in the afternoon, and began when the robber approached a teller, Nancy Cunningham, and asked for change. Cunningham testified that as she was getting change, the robber pointed a gun at her, which he shook now and then when he spoke, handed her a paper sack, and demanded that she fill it with money. Cunningham testified that she got a good look at the robber, who wore a ski cap but no covering on his face. Cunningham was able to give a description of the robber, and later picked Taylor out of a lineup. She identified him at trial as the robber, and was certain that he was the man depicted in three photographs which were introduced as evidence, taken by the credit union's security camera. 3 Kathy Seaton, a teller at the branch of Twin City Federal that was robbed on February 21, 1989, testified that the robber, after requesting change, pushed a paper sack at her and demanded that she fill it with money. The robber, unmasked, held a gun within two feet of her as she complied. Seaton identified Taylor at trial as the robber. 4 Under similar circumstances, the Camden Branch of Norwest Bank was robbed on February 27, 1989. Dara Swendson, a teller, identified Taylor, who verbally threatened to shoot her with a gun, as the robber. She said that she got a good look at the robber as he left the bank, and that, from his eyes, skin tone and walk, she was certain that the robber was Taylor. Jerri Korfiatis, another bank employee, also saw the robber and identified him at trial as Taylor. 5 Finally, Candi Schultz, who works as a teller at the First National Bank of the Lakes, testified about the March 2, 1989, robbery of that bank. The robbery was similar to the other three, except that the robber attracted the attention of the teller next to Schultz, James Ripple, at whom the robber also pointed his gun. Both Schultz and Ripple identified Taylor as the robber. 6 Thus, the government's case consisted of the eyewitness identification of Taylor by six bank employees as well as testimony concerning the circumstances surrounding his arrest, his purchase of a car, and his financial condition. Taylor was arrested on March 3, 1989, the day after the last robbery, and was tried on May 17, 1989. He was convicted of all four counts, and sentenced to 276 months imprisonment. On appeal, he argues primarily that the testimony of Stephen Aguilar was so prejudicial that it denied him a fair trial.