United States v. Patricia Ann Larson, United States of America v. Leon Nels Laverdure

In these methamphetamine conspiracy conviction appeals, we must consider whether defense counsel was improperly prevented from cross-examining coconspir-ators about the prison sentences they would have received but for their cooperation with the government, and whether other trial rulings were proper.

I

A

Beginning in April 2003, police officers in Great Falls, Montana, investigated the possibility that Patricia Ann Larson and Leon Neis Laverdure were involved in a conspiracy to purchase and distribute methamphetamine.

The police first orchestrated a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Larson by a paid informant, one Connie Riggs, who had met Larson “through some sort of party or some kind of drug interaction” and had known her for “a couple years.” Riggs drove Larson to a house where Larson purchased approximately one sixteenth of an ounce of the drug (1.80 grams), which she then sold to Riggs.

The police later arranged for two controlled purchases of drugs from Laver-dure by Jason Gilstrap, another confidential informant. One purchase involved 1.46 grams of methamphetamine, and the other involved 1.79 grams. The police also arranged for a confidential informant to…