Court Error – Abuse of Discretion

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: United States of America v. Phil Lamont Trent

Case No.: 16-3960

Officials: WOOD, Chief Judge, and POSNER and KANNE, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Court Error – Abuse of Discretion

Defendant-Appellant Phil Trent distributed heroin that killed Tyler Corzette. He was charged in a five-count indictment, which included two counts related to Corzette’s death. Trent now argues that this limitation violated his Sixth Amendment right to confrontation and was an abuse of discretion. We disagree and hold that the court committed no error in its ruling.

Trent also objected to the testimony of Illinois State Police Sergeant James Rieck, a government witness who had investigated Trent while undercover. During that investigation, Sergeant Rieck had communicated with Trent in person and by telephone. At trial, Sergeant Rieck identified Trent’s voice in the phone calls. Trent objected to this identification, claiming that the government had not laid the necessary foundation. He asserts that argument again on appeal. We disagree and hold that the court also did not err in allowing that testimony.

Affirmed

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Attorney Derek A. Hawkins is the managing partner at Hawkins Law Offices LLC, where he heads up the firm’s startup law practice. He specializes in business formation, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, private equity and venture capital funding and mergers & acquisitions. Check out the website at www.hawkins-lawoffices.com or contact them at 262-737-8825.