United States v. Dinkins, No. 09-4668 (4th Cir. 2012)
Annotate this CaseIn this appeal, the Fourth Circuit reviewed the convictions of three defendants who were tried together on charges relating to the murder of certain government witnesses, the murder of a coconspirator, and numerous other narcotics and firearms-related offenses arising from the defendants' involvement in a drug-trafficking organization in Baltimore. Among the several issues presented, the Court considered: (1) the district court's decision to empanel an "anonymous jury," in which biographical information about prospective jurors was withheld from the parties and their counsel; and (2) the admissibility of hearsay statements of a murdered government witness under the "forfeiture-by-wrongdoing" exception to the hearsay rule and the Confrontation Clause. Upon review of the trial court record, the Fourth Circuit concluded that the district court did not abuse its discretion in maintaining juror anonymity, and that the challenged hearsay statements were admissible based on the defendants' conduct leading to the witness' death. Accordingly, the Court affirmed the trial court on these and all other issues presented.
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