Court Opinion

ID: 9499756
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 17:56:53.107548+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:59:42.524428
License: Public Domain

WARDLAW, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
I concur only in the result. On the record before us, I cannot say that the district court abused its discretion by finding some portions of five recently downloaded stories that Curtin had in his possession relevant and admissible to show motive and intent. The district court erred, however, by failing to determine which portions of the stories it deemed relevant. It further abused its discretion by failing to conduct a proper Rule 403 analysis. And, unlike some of my colleagues, I do not read Guam v. Shymanovitz, 157 F.3d 1154 (9th Cir.1998), to hold that the possession of lawful reading mate*966rial is never admissible to prove intent under any circumstances.
Notwithstanding the Rule 403 error, the district court’s limiting instructions were extensive and necessary here to cabin the jury’s consideration to the relevant aspects of the admitted stories. The court emphasized, “No one can be convicted for simply their proclivity or thoughts.” This directive recognized the very real concerns Judge Kleinfeld discusses in his concurrence, which I share. Through it, the district court properly sought to restrain the jury from going down the path of Big Brother.
The use of lawful reading material to prove intent is a dangerous business, and any district court that considers admitting such evidence should carefully weigh both its relevance and the concerns embodied in Rule 403. What is clear from the record is that the district court did not read the entirety of the five stories that it admitted into evidence and gave to the jury. The district court certainly did not consider the relevance of each story in tandem with a proper Rule 403 analysis for both prejudice and cumulative evidence. I would therefore reverse and remand. Upon retrial, the district court should reevaluate each of the stories in its entirety to determine which portions are relevant, as well as which portions, though relevant, must be excluded under Rule 403.