United States v. Smith

JERRY E. SMITH, Circuit Judge:

A jury found Elizabeth Smith guilty of arson, mail fraud, conspiracy, witness tampering, and the use of fire in the commission of a felony. She raises five claims of trial error and contends that the district court misapplied the sentencing guidelines and that part of her sentence violates the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment. Finding only harmless error with respect to one evidentiary issue, we affirm.

I

The underlying facts have their origin in a scene familiar to many households: A mother asks her son to perform a simple chore, he refuses, and she…