United States v. Adame

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Around 4:30 a.m. on January 14, 2012, the Chicago Fire Department responded to a fire at a two‐story building. The first floor was vacant commercial space and the second floor was split into two apartments.One apartment was leased by Ortiz; the other by Maca. Seeing smoke coming from the second floor, the crew entered and discovered a fire in Ortiz’s apartment. No one was present in the apartment. The crew extinguished the fire and searched the other apartment, where they found Maca dead from smoke inhalation. Adame, Ortiz’s ex‐boyfriend, was convicted of maliciously causing damage by fire to a building used in interstate commerce, 18 U.S.C. 844(i). Ortiz provided significant testimony tying Adame to the crime. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, noting the “overwhelming” evidence of Adame’s guilt. The court rejected challenges to the sufficiency of the evidence and to the admission of expert testimony regarding historical cell site analysis; an incriminating statement Adame made during interrogation that he “didn’t mean to hurt Jimmy”; and a cell phone video of Adame remarking that Ortiz’s skin looked like it was “on fire” that went back to the jury room during deliberations. View "United States v. Adame" on Justia Law