Filed: Aug. 12, 2020
Latest Update: Aug. 12, 2020
Summary: FILED NOT FOR PUBLICATION AUG 12 2020 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 18-30207 Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 2:17-cr-00138-TOR-1 v. EUGENE DALE ABRAHAMSON, MEMORANDUM* Defendant-Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington Thomas O. Rice, Chief District Judge, Presiding Submitted May 4, 2020** Seattle, Washington Before: KLEINFELD, W. FLETCHER, and RAWLI
Summary: FILED NOT FOR PUBLICATION AUG 12 2020 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 18-30207 Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 2:17-cr-00138-TOR-1 v. EUGENE DALE ABRAHAMSON, MEMORANDUM* Defendant-Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington Thomas O. Rice, Chief District Judge, Presiding Submitted May 4, 2020** Seattle, Washington Before: KLEINFELD, W. FLETCHER, and RAWLIN..
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FILED
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
AUG 12 2020
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 18-30207
Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No.
2:17-cr-00138-TOR-1
v.
EUGENE DALE ABRAHAMSON, MEMORANDUM*
Defendant-Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Washington
Thomas O. Rice, Chief District Judge, Presiding
Submitted May 4, 2020**
Seattle, Washington
Before: KLEINFELD, W. FLETCHER, and RAWLINSON, Circuit Judges.
Appellant Eugene Dale Abrahamson (Abrahamson) appeals the district
court’s exclusion of a conversation between the victim and a tribal officer
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
**
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
regarding her potential expulsion from the reservation. Abrahamson contended
that the evidence was relevant to the victim’s alleged bias and motive to lie.
We review the district court’s evidentiary rulings for abuse of discretion.
See United States v. Thornhill,
940 F.3d 1114, 1117 (9th Cir. 2019).
Under Rule 608(b) of the Federal Rules of Evidence, extrinsic evidence is
inadmissible “to prove specific instances of a witness’s conduct in order to attack
or support the witness’s character for truthfulness.” Fed. R. Evid. 608(b).
However, extrinsic evidence may be admitted in certain circumstances during
cross-examination, if the evidence is probative of a witness’s character for
truthfulness or untruthfulness. See
id. The district court retains broad discretion to
exclude relevant evidence if the “probative value is substantially outweighed by a
danger of . . . unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury, undue
delay, wasting time, or needlessly presenting cumulative evidence.” Fed. R. Evid.
403.
The district court acted within its broad discretion in excluding the tribal
officer’s testimony. See United States v. Higuera-Llamos,
574 F.3d 1206, 1209
(9th Cir. 2003) (describing the “wide latitude” afforded the district court). In any
event, the court permitted Abrahamson to testify regarding the victim’s alleged
bias, thereby eliminating any harm from the district court’s ruling. See United
2
States v. Leo Sure Chief,
438 F.3d 920, 925 (9th Cir. 2006) (concluding that the
district court’s exclusion of testimony was harmless as another witness testified to
the information).
AFFIRMED.
3