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United States v. Christopher Gordon Conner
Citations: 72 F.3d 130; 1995 U.S. App. LEXIS 39784; 1995 WL 734479Docket: 94-6657
Court: Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; December 10, 1995; Federal Appellate Court
Christopher Gordon Conner appeals his conviction for threatening a federal official and interfering with commerce, resulting in a 51-month prison sentence. His appeal raises several issues: 1. **Admission of KKK Evidence**: The court upheld the admission of evidence regarding Conner's affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), determining it was relevant to his motive for threatening an ATF agent involved in a KKK-related investigation. The evidence's probative value outweighed any potential prejudice. 2. **Denial of Mistrial**: The district court's denial of Conner's motion for a mistrial was also affirmed, as the reasons for the mistrial were tied to the aforementioned KKK evidence. 3. **Sufficiency of Evidence**: The court found sufficient evidence supporting Conner's conviction for threatening a federal officer. Conner's statements about his involvement in a church burning and knowledge of the agent's impending death indicated a clear threat in retaliation for the agent's official duties. 4. **Request to Wear KKK Robe**: The court ruled against allowing Conner to wear his KKK robe during the trial, citing the importance of maintaining courtroom decorum and preventing disruptions from symbols of potential violence. Any alleged prejudice from this decision was deemed harmless due to the overwhelming evidence of guilt. 5. **Waiver of Presentence Investigation Report Objections**: Conner waived any objections to inaccuracies in the presentence investigation report by failing to bring them to the attention of the sentencing court. The court granted Conner's counsel's motion to withdraw and affirmed the district court's judgment, concluding that the appeal lacked merit.