Opinion ID: 1248940
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: methamphetamine foils

Text: The first alleged error raised by Aguilar is the admission of evidence that Aguilar smoked either one or two foils of methamphetamine when Rodriguez purchased drugs on May 15, 2000. In all proceedings where the Nebraska Evidence Rules apply, admissibility of evidence is controlled by the Nebraska Evidence Rules, not judicial discretion, except in those instances under the rules when judicial discretion is a factor involved in determining admissibility. State v. Trotter, 262 Neb. 443, 632 N.W.2d 325 (2001). Because the exercise of judicial discretion is implicit in rule 401, it is within the discretion of the trial court to determine relevancy and admissibility of evidence of other wrongs or acts under rules 403 and 404(2), and the trial court's decision will not be reversed absent an abuse of discretion. Trotter, supra . Not all trial errors, even those of a constitutional magnitude, entitle an accused to a reversal of an adverse trial result. It is only prejudicial error, that is, error which cannot be said to be harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, which requires that a conviction be set aside. State v. Newman, 250 Neb. 226, 548 N.W.2d 739 (1996). The smoking of the foil or foils occurred on May 15, 2000, at Aguilar's residence. Rodriguez was present because he had gone to the residence to purchase methamphetamine from Aguilar. Rodriguez did, in fact, purchase methamphetamine from Aguilar, and Aguilar smoked one or two foils of methamphetamine during this visit. We determine that the evidence of Aguilar's smoking the foils of methamphetamine on this occasion was not rule 404 evidence. It is part of the factual setting of the crime of Aguilar's selling methamphetamine to Rodriguez and is intrinsically intertwined with the charged offense.