Opinion ID: 367172
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: relevancy of appellant's physical appearance

Text: 8 The statute which appellant was charged with violating, 18 U.S.C. § 912, states two separate and distinct offenses. The first is that of assuming and pretending to be any officer or employee of the United States and acting as such. The second is demanding or obtaining any money, paper, document, or other valuable thing in such pretended character. See United States v. Milton, 421 F.2d 586 (10th Cir. 1970). 9 Officer Jenkins testified that appellant represented himself to be an FBI agent. Appellant denies this. At trial, when appellant attempted to provide evidence of his physical appearance and the condition of his vehicle at the time of the traffic stop, the trial judge prevented him from doing so. Counsel argued to the trial judge that the evidence he sought to establish regarding Cortes' appearance was relevant. The record reads as follows: 10 Mr. Acevedo: Your Honor, we feel it is relevant to the Defendant's case. It might not be relevant to the Government's case. 11 The Court: Well, I don't see any relevancy as far as the Defendant's case is concerned. There is nothing about it that seems to me to be relevant. 12 Mr. Acevedo: Your Honor, the gist of this case, if the Court will hear us out briefly, is that this Defendant represented himself to be a Government agent. Your Honor, I believe the circumstances surrounding the incident including how he may have dressed when he represents himself to be an agent of the Government or the FBI, he is riding in a motor vehicle, I believe all of these things are important and the jury should hear how he appeared to this officer who has said this man represented himself to be an FBI agent. 13 It is clear that (a)n allegation of fraudulent intent has been recognized by this Circuit to be an essential element of the offense defined under § 912. United States v. Pollard, 491 F.2d 1387 (5th Cir.) Cert. denied, 419 U.S. 851, 95 S.Ct. 92, 42 L.Ed.2d 82 (1974). Since intent to defraud is an element of the crime appellant is charged with, we believe testimony regarding his wearing apparel and testimony regarding the condition of his car was relevant and could have had a bearing on the jury's determination of guilt. The jury could certainly have determined that if someone was trying to impersonate an FBI agent he might not be dressed in work clothes and he might not be driving an old, ill-kept car. Because this appears to have been a close case, such evidence may have made a difference to the jury. Even though the condition of appellant's car and his appearance at the time of the stop was brought out in court, the trial judge stated before the jury that this information was irrelevant. The trial judge's decision to prevent appellant from delving into this area was not harmless error. See, e. g., Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967). Appellant should have had the opportunity of presenting to the jury all of the surrounding circumstances relating to his arrest which may have been important in the jury's determination of whether or not he intended to defraud the officer.