Court Opinion

ID: 9786709
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 00:00:59.705947+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:47.718787
License: Public Domain

Justice EID,
concurring in part and concurring in the judgment in part.
I disagree with the majority that evidence of acquittal is generally relevant. Maj. op. at 557. "Judgments of acquittal are not generally relevant, because they do not prove innocence; they simply show that the government did not meet its burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." United States v. Wells, 347 F.3d 280, 286 (8th Cir.2003) (citation omitted). However, acquittal evidence does become relevant when, as the majority points out, "the testimony or evidence presented at trial about the prior act indicates that the jury has likely learned or concluded that the defendant was tried for the prior act...." Maj. op. at 557. Thus, in my view, this case presents an exception to the general rule. I therefore concur in the judgment as to part IIIA of the majority's opinion, and join the remainder of its opinion.