Court Opinion

ID: 9481704
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 08:28:56.718572+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:48:31.295962
License: Public Domain

FAGG, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I agree the district court committed error in ordering a new trial; however, I reach this result for a different reason than Judge Arnold. The district court wrongly set aside Van Kirk’s witness-tampering conviction on the mistaken belief the jury should have been given an entrapment instruction. In my view, an entrapment instruction was unnecessary because the evidence at trial was insufficient to support that defense.
It is well established that an entrapment instruction need not be given when a defendant claiming the defense fails to produce evidence sufficient for a reasonable jury to find government inducement and a lack of predisposition. Mathews v. United States, 485 U.S. 58, 62-63, 108 S.Ct. 883, 886-87, 99 L.Ed.2d 54 (1988); United States v. Grimes, 899 F.2d 731, 732 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 111 S.Ct. 521, 112 L.Ed.2d 532 (1990). Nothing in the record before the court suggests Van Kirk lacked the predisposition to tamper with a grand jury witness. Indeed, in response to “Nis-wonger’s repeated requests for advice as to how he should answer questions put by the grand jury,” at 933-34, Van Kirk affirmatively pressed Niswonger to lie to the grand jury and conceal relevant records. At most, Van Kirk’s recorded statements show the government provided Van Kirk an opportunity to corrupt Niswonger; however, this kind of evidence is insufficient to support an entrapment defense. Mathews, 485 U.S. at 66, 108 S.Ct. at 888.
Because Van Kirk failed to offer evidence of entrapment “sufficient for a reasonable jury to find in his favor,” id. at 63, 108 S.Ct. at 887, no instruction on this defense was necessary. For this reason, the district court’s order granting a new trial must be reversed. I thus concur in the result reached by Judge Arnold.