Opinion ID: 310065
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Evidence of Subsequent Offenses

Text: 9 The proof that tended to link Apollo with dealing in marijuana two to six months after the alleged conspiracy and importing offenses for which he was on trial was improperly admitted. At the outset it must be borne in mind the evidence did not show convictions although they strongly tended to indicate conduct which would violate the laws of Wisconsin. Next, we consider that it was the Government's assertion that the probity of this proof lay in its tendency to show a pattern or scheme of conduct. The problem for this theory is that Apollo was not on trial for being a marijuana pusher but for illicitly introducing the weed into the United States. 10 The proper test for balancing the substantial relevance and materiality such subsequent misconduct evidence must possess against the less-than-subtle prejudice it carries is well defined in prior precedent and need not be reiterated. See United States v. Johnson, 453 F.2d 1195 (5th Cir. 1972) and the cases there cited. See also the proposed Rules of Evidence for United States Courts and Magistrates Sec. 404(b) and 2 J. Wigmore on Evidence Sec. 304. 11 Apollo's November admission to Miss Hoagland that he was then dealing in marijuana and the discovery of two bricks of the substance in a search of his car in March obviously constituted two strikes against him with the jury. 3 Just as with prior conviction evidence, such proof of subsequent suspicious activity must be limited to that which substantially relates to an element of the present offense to be admissible. This proof won't pass muster and it should not have been allowed. 4