United States v. Angwin
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
271 F.3d 786 (2001)
- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
Ted Angwin (defendant) was stopped in his motorhome at a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) checkpoint. Angwin consented to a search of the motorhome, and the USBP found 14 undocumented Mexican nationals who were in the United States illegally. Angwin claimed that he had let the Mexican nationals into his motorhome under duress. He stated that he had pulled over to let his dog out for a walk when the 14 individuals forced their way into the motorhome. Angwin stated that his plan was to avoid conflict with the individuals and simply bring them to the nearest USBP checkpoint. Angwin sought to use Federal Rule of Evidence 406 (Rule 406) to introduce evidence that this tactic of taking an unconfrontational approach was consistent with his Coast Guard Auxiliary training and experience in rescuing ships. The district court sustained the objection of the prosecution (plaintiff) and excluded the evidence. Angwin was convicted, and he appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Breyer, J.)
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