United States v. Woods

Martha Woods (defendant) was charged with murdering an infant, Paul, in her care after a government expert testified it was probable, though not certain, that Paul was smothered; the government also introduced evidence that seven other young children in Woods's care had died since 1945 under circumstances suggesting smothering. The jury convicted Woods, and she appealed, arguing the prior-deaths evidence was inadmissible because it did not fit any recognized exception to the general prohibition on prior-crimes evidence.