Court Opinion

ID: 9490855
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 13:56:34.406965+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:54:21.338415
License: Public Domain

SILER, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I concur in the conclusions reached in the well-reasoned majority opinion. However, I concur separately to disagree with some of the preliminary conclusions reached by the majority in Part II.B.
The majority opinion determined that it was “clear error” and “definite error,” although harmless, when the court admitted evidence of Latoufs solicitations to two of her employees that she wanted to burn her house down for a $5,000.00 fee. In my opinion, it was not error to have admitted this evidence. The majority is correct in stating that the court should find that the prior bad acts, that is, the solicitation to burn the house, had actually occurred. However, La-touf did not ask the court to make such a finding, and Latouf does not contest in her brief in this court that the statements had been made. Because of that, I would not find that it was error under United States v. Johnson, 27 F.3d 1186 (6th Cir.1994). La-touf does not claim even yet that the statements were not made; she only claims that they were made in jest, as stated by the witnesses, Whitlow and Campbell.
The thrust of her argument in contesting that this evidence should not have been admitted is that the prejudice outweighed the probative value of it, as the majority opinion also discusses. Certainly, there was other proof available to demonstrate motive and intent. As the majority observes, “One factor in balancing unfair prejudice against probative value under Rule 403 is the availability of other means of proof.” United States v. Merriweather, 78 F.3d 1070, 1077 (6th Cir.1996). However, that decision did not say that was the only factor, and I would not find that the court abused its discretion in admitting this evidence because the court found that the probative value did outweigh the prejudicial effect. I would not criticize the district court for failing to give its rationale behind that finding, unless Latouf specifically requested it, which she did not.
*333I also do not find that the failure to give the corrected instruction immediately constitutes error. It is true that in United States v. Johnson, 27 F.3d at 1193, this court held that after “the jurors are permitted to hear of the defendant’s prior misconduct, it is important that the jurors then be clearly, simply, and correctly instructed concerning the narrow and limited purpose for which the evidence may be considered.” I would not find that under the circumstances of this case, before any further evidence was introduced, the court erred by instructing the jury following the weekend recess. Latouf was not demanding that the court admonish the jury prior to the weekend recess, nor did she object when the admonition was given after the weekend recess. At least, she does not show this in the record. If Latouf wanted the court to do something forthwith, such as giving the instruction before recessing for the weekend, she should have moved that it be effected then. Therefore, I would not find that the lapse of time by a recess amounted to an error by the court.