Opinion ID: 415488
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Testimony Regarding Street-Corner Transactions.

Text: 76 Thomas argues that the district court erred in allowing Agents Johnson and West to testify concerning their observations of Thomas engaging in what appeared to them to be narcotics transactions. First, he claims that the testimony did not relate sufficiently to the conspiracy charged and, thus, constituted inadmissible proof of other crimes under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). In addition, Thomas contends that the agents should not have been permitted to testify as to their opinions regarding the nature of Thomas' activities. We find no error in the trial judge's ruling on these evidentiary points. 77 Johnson and West made their observations during the course of their undercover activities. Each agent testified that he observed Thomas covertly passing something to people on the street in exchange for cash. During Johnson's testimony, counsel for Thomas objected to Johnson's conclusion that these exchanges appeared to him to be drug transactions. Counsel did not object or contend that Johnson's description constituted proof of other crimes. Nor did he move to strike it on that basis. Moreover, counsel did not object at all to West's testimony concerning his observations and conclusions. 78 Having failed to object to this testimony on the ground now urged, Thomas waived an objection that the testimony constituted inadmissible evidence of other crimes. See, United States v. Hutcher, 622 F.2d 1083, 1087 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 875, 101 S.Ct. 218, 66 L.Ed.2d 96 (1980). Moreover, as we have said earlier, evidence of Thomas' apparent drug-related activities was relevant to the conspiracy charge, even if it proved other crimes. See, United States v. Barnes, supra, 604 F.2d at 166; United States v. Viserto, supra, 596 F.2d at 536, 537-38. Thus, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in failing to strike the testimony. The admissibility of this evidence was not dependent on direct proof that the drugs sold by Thomas were of conspiracy origin. As we noted in Viserto, supra, [n]arcotics is a business, though an illegitimate one, and evidence that the defendants were in the business at a closely related time is relevant, and is not a mere showing of bad character. 596 F.2d at 537-38. Thomas also contends that the furtive exchanges may have related to other illicit activity, but this effects the weight of the proof and not its admissibility. 79 Nor was it error for the court to permit the agents to testify that Thomas' furtive activity appeared to them to be sales of narcotics. Under Fed.R.Evid. 702, expert testimony is admissible if it will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue. The subject of the expert testimony here, i.e., the clandestine manner in which drugs are bought and sold, is unlikely to be within the knowledge of the average layman. United States v. Johnson, 575 F.2d 1347, 1361 (5th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 907, 99 S.Ct. 1214, 59 L.Ed.2d 454 (1979). The conclusions of the agents were based on years of experience investigating narcotics offenses. 24 This provided them with specialized knowledge, not possessed by the jury, of the manner in which drug transactions are conducted. Thus, under Rule 702, it was proper for the agents to recount their observations and render an opinion based on them. See, e.g., United States v. Borrone-Iglar, 468 F.2d 419, 421 (2d Cir.1972), cert. denied sub nom. Gernie v. United States, 410 U.S. 927, 93 S.Ct. 1360, 35 L.Ed.2d 588 (1973) (expert opinion of DEA agent that coded conversations involved narcotics transaction admissible); see also, United States v. Martino, 664 F.2d 860, 864 n. 3 (2d Cir.1981); United States v. Cirillo, 499 F.2d 872, 881 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1056, 95 S.Ct. 638, 42 L.Ed.2d 653 (1974). [T]he trial judge has broad discretion in the matter of the admission or exclusion of expert evidence, and his action is to be sustained unless manifestly erroneous. 3 J. Weinstein & M. Berger, Weinstein's Evidence paragraphs 702; McGregor-Doniger, Inc. v. Drizzle, Inc., 599 F.2d 1126, 1138 n. 7 (2d Cir.1979); Fernandez v. Chios Shipping Co., 542 F.2d 145, 153 (2d Cir.1976). Again, there is no indication that the trial court's ruling constituted an abuse of discretion.