Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
Table of Contents
Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
About
This compendium includes significant criminal cases by the U.S. Supreme Court & N.C. appellate courts, Nov. 2008 – Present. Selected 4th Circuit cases also are included.
Jessica Smith prepared case summaries Nov. 2008-June 4, 2019; later summaries are prepared by other School staff.
Instructions
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Evidence > Prior Acts--404(b) Evidence > Evidence Admissible > Defendant’s Possession of Substance/Drug Activity
In a counterfeit controlled substance case where the defendant was alleged to have sold tramadol hydrochloride, representing it to be Vicodin, evidence that he also possessed Epsom salt in a baggie was properly admitted under Rule 404(b). The salt bore a sufficient similarity to crack cocaine in appearance and packaging that it caused an officer to do a field test to determine if it was cocaine. Under these circumstances, evidence that the defendant possessed the salt was probative of intent, plan, scheme, and modus operandi.