222415P.pdf   12/19/2023  United States  v.  Michael Grady
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  22-2415
   U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri - St. Louis   
   [PUBLISHED] [Shepherd, Author, with Kelly and Stras, Circuit Judges] 
   Criminal case - Criminal law. The court need not address whether the 
   ends-of-justice continuances granted under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3161(h)(7) 
   may be open ended as the continuances here were effectively limited 
   in time by regular reevaluation; the case continued to be complex at the 
   time of the continuances and the continuances were appropriate under the 
   Act, and the district court properly denied defendants' Speedy Trial Act 
   motions to dismiss; challenge to admission of bad acts evidence against 
   defendant Dillon rejected as the evidence fell within the exceptions 
   provided under Rule 404(b), and its probative value outweighed any 
   prejudicial effect; defendant Grady's prior heroin conspiracy conviction 
   was relevant, similar to the charged conduct and not too remote in time, 
   and it was properly admitted under Rule 404(b); the evidence was sufficient 
   to support defendants' conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and 
   heroin, as well as their convictions for conspiracy to commit money 
   laundering and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding under 18 
   U.S.C. Sec. 1512(c)(2) by advising a co-conspirator to abscond; the 
   district court did not err in denying defendant Grady's motion for 
   substitution of counsel given counsel's potential conflict of interest 
   and the proximity of the trial date.