United States First Circuit

Conviction of a defendant for conspiring to distribute illegal drugs and other drug-related charges is affirmed where: 1) the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting testimony of a witness regarding defendant carrying a baggy, as it tended to make the evidence of the fact that defendant was involved in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine more probable than if the evidence had not been admitted; 2) the district court did not commit plain error in admitting witness testimony regarding threats by the defendant as its probative value was not substantially outweighed by danger of unfair prejudice. Considering the cumulative effect of the claimed evidentiary rulings, defendant received a fair trial and his arguments in his pro se brief were meritless for both procedural and substantive reasons.

Appellate Information

• Decided 09/01/2009
• Published 09/01/2009

Judges

• HANSEN, Circuit Judge., Before BOUDIN, HANSEN, and LIPEZ, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Royston H. Delaney, with whom Robert M. Thomas, Jr. was on brief, for appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Aixa Maldonado-Quiñones, with whom Thomas P. Colantuono, United States Attorney, was on brief, for appellee.