US v Courtright, 09-2880, concerned a challenge to a conviction of defendant for production, possession, and receipt of child pornography, claiming that the district court erred in admitting evidence of prior sexual assault and in jury instruction.
In affirming, the court held that, although the district court erred in
admitting evidence of defendant's prior sexual assault, the error was
harmless as defendant's status as a sex offender was already before the
jury and thus, the likelihood that the prior bad act testimony from the
witness had any effect on the jury is negligible. The court also held
that defendant has failed to establish that the instructions were
plainly erroneous as the evidence of defendant's guilt was overwhelming,
and he has not established that the jury's consideration of his prior
offense had an appreciable impact on the verdict. Lastly, the court
held that defendant's claim of cumulative error fails as there was
abundant evidence of defendant's guilt.