United States of America v. Claude Dukes, Jr.

United States Court of Appeals
For the Eighth Circuit
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No. 24-3466
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United States of America
lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellee
v.
Claude Dukes, Jr.
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant - Appellant
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Appeal from United States District Court
for the Western District of Arkansas - Fayetteville
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Submitted: June 5, 2026
Filed: June 12, 2026
[Unpublished]
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Before LOKEN, SMITH, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.
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PER CURIAM.
Claude Dukes, Jr. appeals after a jury convicted him of a drug offense and the
district court1 sentenced him to 300 months in prison. On appeal, Dukes challenges
the admission of his prior convictions at trial.
Upon careful review, we conclude that the government provided adequate
notice of its intent to introduce Dukes’s convictions and that the district court did not
abuse its discretion by admitting the judgments at trial to show his intent and
knowledge. See United States v. Grady, 88 F.4th 1246, 1257-59 (8th Cir. 2023)
(admission of evidence is reviewed for abuse of discretion; prior convictions for
distributing drugs, and even the possession of user-quantities of a controlled
substance, are relevant under Fed. R. Evid. 404(b) to show knowledge and intent to
commit a current charge of conspiracy to distribute drugs); United States v. Crow
Ghost, 79 F.4th 927, 934 (8th Cir. 2023) (reasonable notice under Rule 404(b)(3) is
a flexible standard dependent largely on the circumstances of each case).
Accordingly, we affirm.
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1The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks, Chief Judge, United States District Court
for the Western District of Arkansas.
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