U.S. v. Sinn, 79-1346

Decision Date19 February 1980
Docket NumberNo. 79-1346,79-1346
Citation622 F.2d 415
Parties6 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 1147 UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. David John SINN, Defendant-Appellant.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

Peter M. Brown, Brown, Baron, Madden & Alle, Beverly Hills, Cal., on brief, for defendant-appellant.

Andrea Sheridan Ordin, U. S. Atty., Steven Kramer, Asst. U. S. Atty., Los Angeles, Cal., on brief, for plaintiff-appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Before KENNEDY and HUG, Circuit Judges, and SMITH, * District Judge.

RUSSELL E. SMITH, District Judge.

Appellant was convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)) and of knowingly importing cocaine (21 U.S.C. §§ 952(a) and 960(a)(1)).

Appellant was apprehended at the Los Angeles airport following a flight from Ecuador and was found carrying a camera case in which was concealed 419.3 grams of cocaine, 73% pure. The only defense was that defendant did not know that the cocaine was in the camera case. The evidence was sufficient to convict, and the only problem is whether the district court erred in admitting evidence of prior misconduct.

It was shown over objection that about five years previously appellant had been in possession of cocaine during an illegal buy-and-sell transaction. Evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show that he acted in conformity therewith. Such evidence, however, may be admitted for the purpose of proving intent or knowledge. Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). United States v. Hernandez-Miranda, 601 F.2d 1104 (9th Cir. 1979). Whether evidence of prior crimes should be admitted is a problem of relevancy, and as to it there is some discretion in the trial court. United States v. Herrell, 588 F.2d 711 (9th Cir. 1978), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 964, 99 S.Ct. 1511, 59 L.Ed.2d 778 (1979). Where, as here, the sole question is one of intent, we think it within the discretion of the trial court to decide that a previous dealing is relevant on the issue of the knowledge of the participant in a second event, particularly where, as here, there was substantial evidence from which knowledge might be inferred apart from the prior act. We do not believe that Hernandez-Miranda requires a different result. In that case the first offense involved marijuana on the person, while the second involved heroin hidden in a car. Here, in both the...

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11 cases
  • U.S. v. Mehrmanesh
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit
    • October 5, 1982
    ...weak, to a central element of this case: whether Mehrmanesh knew that the suitcase from Kuwait contained heroin. In United States v. Sinn, 622 F.2d 415 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 843, 101 S.Ct. 124, 66 L.Ed.2d 51 (1980), we held that the defendant's possession of cocaine five years ......
  • State v. Taylor
    • United States
    • Utah Court of Appeals
    • September 12, 1991
    ...in cases charging narcotics violations."), cert. denied, 494 U.S. 1089, 110 S.Ct. 1830, 108 L.Ed.2d 959 (1990); United States v. Sinn, 622 F.2d 415 (8th Cir.) (evidence of defendant's previous cocaine possession admitted at trial court's discretion to prove intent or knowledge at trial for ......
  • U.S. v. Moccia, 81-1532
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — First Circuit
    • June 16, 1982
    ...supporting a conclusion of "knowledge"-depends entirely upon the "bad character/propensity" chain of reasoning. See United States v. Sinn, 622 F.2d 415, 416 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 843, 101 S.Ct. 124, 66 L.Ed.2d 51 (1980). Cf. United States v. Merryman, 630 F.2d 780, 786 (10th Ci......
  • State v. Sheldon, Docket No. 31782 (Idaho App. 3/9/2007)
    • United States
    • Idaho Court of Appeals
    • March 9, 2007
    ...transaction, evidence of his eleven-year-old narcotics conviction was admissible to show knowledge and intent.); United States v. Sinn, 622 F.2d 415, 416 (8th Cir. 1980) defendant who was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and knowingly importing cocaine denied kno......
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