Opinion ID: 357403
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Negative Evidence.

Text: 46 Another evidentiary error asserted by the defendant is that the trial court erred in refusing to strike the statement of the witness Art Baughman, a USDA auditor, concerning his audit of the Moneytown food stamp operation in September 1975. He testified that he could not find any deposits by Moneytown in the records of the Federal Reserve Bank for the month of June 1975. It is well settled that a witness may testify as to his failure to find certain records after search. See United States v. Robinson, 544 F.2d 110, 114-15 (2d Cir. 1976); United States v. Jewett, 438 F.2d 495, 497-98 (8th Cir.), Cert. denied, 402 U.S. 947, 91 S.Ct. 1640, 29 L.Ed.2d 117 (1971); United States v. De Georgia, 420 F.2d 889, 891-92 (9th Cir. 1969); Charron v. United States, 412 F.2d 657, 660 (9th Cir. 1969); McClanahan v. United States, 292 F.2d 630, 636-37 (5th Cir.), Cert. denied, 368 U.S. 913, 82 S.Ct. 193, 7 L.Ed.2d 130 (1961). This testimony clearly falls within the exception to the hearsay rule under Rule 803(7) of the Federal Rules of Evidence. 6 Furthermore, since the computer records of the Federal Reserve Bank containing a full listing of deposits made by food stamp vendors, including Moneytown, were placed in evidence, no prejudice resulted from Baughman's statement. 47