Title: Capano v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 110, 1999, 149, 1999
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: August 10, 2001

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
THOMAS J. CAPANO,
Defendant Below,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF DELAWARE,
Plaintiff Below,
Appellee.
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Nos. 110 and 149, 1999
Court Below:  Superior Court
of the State of Delaware in and
for New Castle County
Cr. A. No. IN97-11-0720
Submitted: June 13, 2001
Decided:
August 10, 2001
Before VEASEY, Chief Justice, WALSH, HOLLAND, STEELE, Justices, and
CHANDLER, Chancellor,* constituting the Court en Banc.
Upon appeal from the Superior Court.  AFFIRMED.
                                   
* Sitting by designation pursuant to Article IV, Section 12 of the Delaware Constitution and Supreme Court Rules 2
and 4(a).
Joseph M. Bernstein, Esquire (argued), Wilmington, Delaware; Charles
M. Oberly, III, Esquire, of Oberly & Jennings, Wilmington, Delaware; L.
Vincent Ramunno, Esquire, of Ramunno & Ramunno, Wilmington, Delaware;
Of Counsel:  David A. Ruhnke, Esquire (argued), of Ruhnke & Barrett,
Montclair, New Jersey; Nathan Z. Dershowitz, Esquire, Victoria B. Eiger,
Esquire, and Amy Adelson, Esquire, of Dershowitz, Eiger & Adelson, New
York, New York; Alan M. Dershowitz, Esquire, Cambridge, Massachusetts;
Paul Shechtman, Esquire (argued), of Stillman & Friedman, P.C., New York,
New York, for Appellant.
Ferris W. Wharton, Esquire (argued), Loren C. Meyers, Esquire, Timothy
J. Donovan, Jr., Esquire, Thomas E. Brown, Esquire, and Elizabeth R.
McFarlan, Esquire, Department of Justice, Wilmington, Delaware, for the State.
VEASEY, Chief Justice:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
Introduction......................................................................................... 1
A. Summary of Conclusions Reached on Appeal ................................................ 3
1.
The Lie Detector Test ...................................................................... 4
2.
Hearsay Testimony by Fahey’s Psychotherapists and Friends....................... 5
3.
Lesser Included Offenses................................................................... 7
4.
Limits on Allocution ........................................................................ 8
5.
Constitutionality of  Delaware’s Death Penalty Statute............................... 8
B.
Summary of Background Facts Leading to Trial............................................. 9
C.
Summary of Facts:  The State’s Case .........................................................11
D. Summary of Facts:  The Defense Case .......................................................17
II.
Preliminary Statement on the Admissibility or Exclusion of Evidence..................20
III.
References to Gerry Capano’s Lie Detector Test ...........................................21
A. Gerry’s Reference to the Lie Detector Test..................................................22
B.
Lyons’ Testimony about the Threat of a Polygraph Test ..................................27
1.
Admissibility of Lyons’ Reference to the Threat of a Lie Detector Test .........33
2.
Improper Vouching by Lyons............................................................38
C.  Harmless Error Analysis of Lyons’ Testimony..............................................42
1.
Effect of Lyons’ Testimony on the Credibility of Gerry’s Testimony ............44
2. 
Untainted Evidence of Planning .........................................................52
3.
The Trial Judge’s Limiting Instructions ................................................59
IV.
Hearsay Testimony by Fahey’s Psychotherapists and Friends............................60
A.  Admissibility of Hearsay Testimony by Fahey’s Psychotherapists and Friends under
the State of Mind Exception ....................................................................64
1.
Whether Fahey’s Statements Fall within the State of Mind Exception............65
2.
Whether Statements Describing Fahey’s Fear of Capano May be Presented in
the State’s Case-in-Chief ..................................................................73
3.
Confrontation Clause Analysis of Hearsay Statements Admitted under the State
of Mind Exception..........................................................................78
B.
Admission Under the State of Mind Exception of Fahey’s Statements of Facts
Remembered or Believed is Harmless Error 
................................................. 
81
C.  Admissibility of Fahey’s Statements to Her Psychotherapists Under D.R.E. 803(4) .94
1.
Application of the Medical Diagnosis Exception .....................................95
2.
Confrontation Clause Analysis of Statements Admitted Under the Medical
Diagnosis Exception ..................................................................... 101
V.
Lesser Included Offenses...................................................................... 104
A. Contentions of the Parties ..................................................................... 106
B.
No Preclusion ................................................................................... 107
C.
The Evidence Here Does Not Support a Lesser Included Offense Charge ........... 111
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D. Accident Testimony Not a Basis for Lesser Includeds ................................... 116
E.
No Due Process Violation..................................................................... 117
VI.
Admission of Evidence of Capano’s Character and Prior Misconduct ................ 120
A. MacIntyre’s Gun Purchase .................................................................... 121
B.
Shopa’s Conversation with Capano.......................................................... 124
C.
Cross-Examination of Capano................................................................ 126
D. Due Process...................................................................................... 131
VII.
Denial of Motion for Recusal................................................................. 132
A. Capano’s Contentions .......................................................................... 133
B.
Denial of Recusal Not an Abuse of Discretion ............................................ 135
VIII.
Investigation of Allegations of Juror Misconduct ......................................... 139
A. Juror No. 5 ...................................................................................... 140
B.
Juror No. 4 ...................................................................................... 143
IX.
Questions Concerning Post-Arrest Silence—No Plain Error............................ 148
X.
No Brady Violation............................................................................. 154
XI.
Propriety of Questions During Cross-Examination of Capano ......................... 156
XII.
Personal Opinions of Witnesses as to Capano’s Guilt.................................... 161
XIII.
Capano’s Absence from Office Conferences............................................... 162
XIV.
Admission of Adultery Evidence During Impeachment.................................. 164
XV.       Plain Error—Limits on Allocution........................................................... 167
A. Introduction...................................................................................... 167
B.
Capano’s Exercise of His Right to Allocution............................................. 170
C.
The Sentencing Decision ...................................................................... 175
D. Capano’s Contentions .......................................................................... 177
E.
The Shelton Jurisprudence .................................................................... 180
F.
Plain Error Review in This Case............................................................. 185
G. The Issue Whether Capano Was Unduly Prejudiced ..................................... 189
XVI.
Constitutionality of Delaware’s Death Penalty Statute ................................... 198
A. Right to a Jury Trial as Applied to the Penalty Hearing under the Delaware Death
Penalty Statute................................................................................... 199
B.
Application to the Death Penalty Statute of the United States Supreme Court’s
Decision in Apprendi........................................................................... 202
XVII.
Aggravating Circumstance Instruction ...................................................... 208
XVIII.
Statutorily Mandated Review of Capano’s Death Sentence ............................. 211
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A. Statutory Aggravating Circumstance ........................................................ 212
B.
Death Penalty Not Arbitrary or Capricious ................................................ 213
C.
Death Penalty Proportionality Review ...................................................... 216
XIX.  Conclusion .......................................................................................... 220
I.
Introduction
Thomas J. Capano was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced
to death for the murder of Anne Marie Fahey.  As with all capital cases in
Delaware, the proceedings here were divided into a guilt phase, a penalty hearing
and a sentencing determination by the trial judge, who gave substantial weight to
the jury’s recommendation following the penalty hearing.
Capano was arrested for Fahey’s murder in November 1997 and indicted
in December 1997.  His trial began in Superior Court in October 1998.  The guilt
phase of this proceeding before the jury was quite long, spanning approximately
thirty-two trial days spread over ten weeks from October 6, 1998 to January 17,
1999.  After the jury unanimously found Capano guilty of first degree murder,
the penalty hearing commenced.  It lasted for five days and resulted in findings
by the jury on aggravating and mitigating circumstances.  In the penalty phase the
jury found a statutory aggravating circumstance by a vote of 11 to 1 and
recommended by a vote of 10 to 2 that the trial judge find the aggravating
circumstances outweighed the mitigating circumstances.
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After giving proper weight to those findings, the Superior Court Judge
sentenced Capano to death on March 16, 1999.  This appeal followed.1
Capano asserts the following sixteen grounds for reversal of the conviction
and sentence, in the order presented by him on this appeal—not in the order
discussed in this Opinion:
1. 
The trial court’s failure to instruct the jury on the lesser
included offenses to the charged offense of Murder First
Degree;
2. 
The admission of Fahey’s hearsay statements to her
psychotherapists and friends;
3. 
The introduction of prejudicial “bad act” and “character”
evidence;
4. 
Evidence and argument suggesting that Gerry Capano took a
lie detector test;
5. 
Improper cross-examination of Capano and improper remarks
to the jury in closing argument;
6. 
Allowing witnesses to express personal opinions that Capano
was guilty;
                                   
1  Under 11 Del. C. § 4209(g) an automatic appeal was docketed in this Court on March 22, 1999.  While that
automatic appeal was pending, Capano filed his own timely appeal on April 9, 1999.  These appeals were later
consolidated.  Before further proceedings were undertaken in this Court, Capano moved to remand to the Superior
Court to permit him to present a motion for new trial in the Superior Court.  That motion to remand was granted on
May 4, 1999, and this Court retained jurisdiction.  After briefing and argument, the motion was denied in an opinion
dated September 1, 1999.  See State v. Capano, Del. Super., Cr. A. No. N97-11-0720, Lee, J., (Sept. 1, 1999) (Mem.
Op.).  Thereafter, while his appeal was pending, Capano filed a procedural motion requesting a limited remand in
connection with his contention that the trial judge should have recused himself.  The motion was denied in an
opinion dated March 17, 2000.  See Capano v. State, Del. Supr., 758 A.2d 499 (2000).  The recusal issue is raised in
this appeal and is discussed below.
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7. 
The trial court’s failure to investigate juror bias or misconduct
and to dismiss a juror for alleged misconduct;
8. 
Capano’s absence from certain office conferences in violation
of his Sixth Amendment right to be present at all stages of
trial;
9. 
The trial court’s decision not to require the State to turn over
to the defense evidence of Gerry Capano’s drug use;
10. 
The trial court improperly limited Capano’s allocution;
11. 
The trial court’s charge on the aggravating circumstance that
“the murder was premeditated and the result of substantial
planning” was erroneous;
12. 
Delaware’s death penalty statute is unconstitutional because it
does not require unanimous jury findings with respect to
aggravating circumstances;
13. 
Imposition of the death penalty in this case is disproportionate
to the penalty imposed in other cases;
14. 
The trial judge was not impartial and therefore reversal is
required, or in the alternative, a remand to develop facts
related to this issue;
15. 
The trial court’s inconsistent admission of evidence of marital
infidelity to impeach the credibility of witnesses; and
16. 
The prosecutor’s cross-examination of Capano concerning
post-arrest silence.
A.
Summary of Conclusions Reached on Appeal
This being an appeal in a death penalty case we apply a high degree of
scrutiny to the sixteen issues Capano has presented to us in this direct appeal.
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Four of the sixteen issues were selected for oral argument.  Three of these issues
were selected by Capano’s appellate counsel in the first oral argument held on
October 24, 2000.  The fourth issue was selected sua sponte by the Court for
additional briefing and oral argument held on June 13, 2001.  
We deal in this Summary with these four issues and a fifth significant issue
that was not selected for oral argument either by Capano or by the Court.  The
remaining eleven issues are dealt with carefully in this Opinion.  But they will
not be mentioned in this summary of the conclusions reached on appeal.
As to all sixteen issues we find no reversible error and we affirm the
judgment of the trial court.  Nevertheless, the five principal issues mentioned in
this Summary raise substantial questions that have given us some areas of
concern.  After a thorough review of the extensive trial record, the voluminous
briefs of the parties, two oral arguments and the applicable law, however, our
concerns have been resolved.  It is now clear to us that there is no reversible
error either in the guilt phase or the penalty phase in the proceedings in the
Superior Court.
1.
The Lie Detector Test
Two major categories of evidentiary issues are dealt with at the outset in
this Opinion.  The first relates to Gerry Capano’s testimony and that of his
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lawyer relating to a lie detector test.  Testimony regarding the results of lie
detector tests are normally inadmissible.  That was not the issue here.  The issue
here related to references to the lie detector test involving Gerry.  It was the
mention of the threat of a lie detector test in testimony describing the dénouement
of the government’s investigation as its agents were seeking to persuade Gerry to
testify against his brother.
 We hold that mention of the lie detector test as the trigger point for
Gerry’s decision to cooperate and the related issue of his lawyer’s vouching for
Gerry’s credibility were improper but not reversible error in light of the trial
judge’s limiting instruction and the totality of all the evidence presented in this
long trial.
2.
Hearsay Testimony by Fahey’s Psychotherapists and Friends
Fahey’s diaries, emails between Capano and Fahey and the testimony of
Kim Lynch-Horstmann were admitted into evidence by agreement of both the
State and Capano.  That stipulated evidence painted a general picture of Fahey’s
state of mind, her rocky, on-again-off-again relationship with Capano and her
need for psychological treatment.  A central theme of this stipulated evidence
involved Capano’s efforts to control Fahey’s life.
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Over Capano’s objection, the trial judge admitted other evidence offered
by the State tending to show Fahey’s state of mind, her attempts to seek
psychiatric help and certain incidents that occurred in her relationship with
Capano.  That evidence, quoting Fahey, was admitted through the testimony of
psychotherapists and friends.  It was obvious hearsay, but it was admitted in
evidence by the trial judge, often with careful limiting instructions to the jury as
to its purpose, under exceptions to the hearsay rule for Fahey’s state of mind and
medical diagnosis or treatment.
We hold that the quotations from Fahey going to her state of mind were
properly admitted under established exceptions to the hearsay rules.  We further
hold that certain testimony quoting Fahey’s recollection of facts was inadmissible
under the state of mind exception, but the admission of these factual recitations
was not reversible error because the general subject matter was already subsumed
in the stipulated evidence that Capano had agreed to present to the jury.  We also
hold, alternatively, that the psychotherapists’ testimony regarding Fahey’s
statements to them for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment of her mental
condition is independently admissible under the medical diagnosis and treatment
exception to the hearsay rules.  Finally, we conclude that this application of
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Delaware’s exceptions to the hearsay rules does not run afoul of the
Confrontation Clause of the United States Constitution.
3.
Lesser Included Offenses
Capano contends that the trial judge erred in not instructing the jury that it
could convict Capano of the lesser offenses of Murder Second Degree,
Manslaughter or Criminally Negligent Homicide.  The trial judge concluded that
there was no rational basis in the evidence for a charge to the jury on any of
these lesser included offenses because:  (a) the State’s case, if believed by the
jury, tended to show only premeditated, first degree murder, and (b) Capano’s
testimony that the killing was a tragic accident was the only alternative evidence
offered, and Capano’s testimony was consistent only with an outright acquittal.
 We hold that the trial judge was correct in not instructing the jury on the
lesser included offenses.  We find no rational basis in this record to support the
argument that the jury could acquit Capano of First Degree Murder and convict
him of any of the lesser included offenses.  The evidence supported only a First
Degree Murder conviction or an outright acquittal.  Furthermore, we find no
federal constitutional violation in the decision of the trial judge to decline to
instruct the jury on the lesser included offenses under the facts of this case.
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4.
Limits on Allocution
Capano contends that the trial judge improperly restricted his right, in the
penalty phase, to speak in allocution directly to the jury without being sworn or
subject to cross-examination.  Capano had testified at length before this jury in
the guilt phase and he spoke to them extensively in allocution in the penalty
phase.  Capano argues that the trial judge improperly denied him the right to
discuss or argue facts already in evidence at the guilt phase, and that the trial
judge’s harsh treatment in cutting him off in the presence of the jury unfairly
prejudiced him.  The question was first presented on appeal, so we review it on a
plain error analysis.
We hold that the trial judge erroneously limited Capano’s allocution by not
permitting him to discuss or argue in allocution from facts already in the record.
But we hold that this error was harmless under all the circumstances and Capano
was not unduly prejudiced.
5.
Constitutionality of Delaware’s Death Penalty Statute
Based on a distinguishable recent United States Supreme Court Opinion,
Capano argues that the Delaware Death Penalty Statute is unconstitutional.
Capano claims that the statute unconstitutionally permits the trial judge, after a
unanimous jury finding of guilt that authorizes the possibility of the death
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penalty, to decide to impose death without a unanimous jury recommendation in
the penalty phase.
We hold that the authority relied on by Capano does not support this
argument.  The United States Supreme Court has never held that a judge’s
imposition of a death sentence following a unanimous finding of guilt by the jury
and a less than unanimous recommendation of the jury in a penalty phase is a
denial of the right to a jury trial or otherwise a denial of due process. We hold
that the Delaware Death Penalty Statute is constitutional and was properly applied
here.
Accordingly, we have found no reversible error committed by the trial
court and no basis to vacate the death sentence, either on the five issues
summarized above or on any of the other issues raised on this appeal.  Therefore,
we affirm the judgment of the Superior Court and remand the matter for the
setting of a new execution date.
B.
Summary of Background Facts Leading to Trial
The facts of this case, as developed in the evidence adduced over the
course of this ten-week trial, are extensive.  What follows in this section is a bare
summary of some of the salient facts.  More detailed facts are discussed in
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connection with the various sections of this Opinion dealing with specific issues
presented on appeal.
Anne Marie Fahey, the scheduling secretary for Delaware’s then Governor
Thomas Carper, was last seen alive on Thursday, June 27, 1996, when she went
to dinner with Capano in Philadelphia.  Fahey’s family reported on June 30,
1996, that she was missing.  An extensive investigation concerning her
disappearance ensued.  That investigation culminated in November 1997, over
sixteen months later, in Capano’s arrest for her murder.  Fahey’s body was never
found, however, and the State was unable to establish the precise manner by
which Fahey died.
Capano was a well-known Delaware lawyer and former managing partner
at the Wilmington office of a major Philadelphia-based law firm.  He was
estranged from his wife and is the father of four daughters.  He has three
brothers (Louis Capano, Jr., Gerard “Gerry” Capano and Joseph Capano) and
one sister, Marian (Capano) Ramunno.2
Fahey’s disappearance was a mystery for a considerable time before
Capano was charged with her murder.  Capano, who was the last known person
                                   
2  We sometimes refer to the defendant as “Capano” or as “Thomas” or “Tom,” the first name usually being
employed when referring to him in relationship to his brothers.  We usually refer to the brothers by their first names
(e.g., Gerry, Louis and Joseph).
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to have seen her alive on June 27, 1996, was an early suspect in the investigation
by the Wilmington Police.  By mid-July 1996, the FBI actively joined in the
investigation, and a federal grand jury heard evidence for over a year.  Capano
continued to deny any involvement in Fahey’s disappearance and even offered
various explanations for her whereabouts.  Throughout the investigation and until
the Fall of 1997, Gerry and Louis Capano, as well as Deborah MacIntyre, a
mistress of Tom Capano, continually lied about material evidence that could have
implicated Capano, even to the extent of lying to the federal grand jury.
In October 1997, Gerry’s house was raided by federal agents who found
illegal drugs and weapons.  In November 1997 Gerry agreed to become a
cooperating witness in exchange for a plea to reduced charges.  Louis also began
to cooperate with the authorities in November 1997 as part of a plea agreement.
MacIntyre likewise eventually agreed to cooperate in exchange for an agreement
not to be charged with perjury.
C.
Summary of Facts:  The State’s Case
There were many witness presented by the State in its case-in-chief.  The
key witnesses included two of Capano’s brothers, Gerry and Louis; Deborah
MacIntyre; and psychotherapists and friends of Fahey.  The State constructed a
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circumstantial theory of the case, which rested on three broad categories of
evidence: (a) “motive,” (b) “plan,” and (c) “consciousness of guilt.”
The State’s “motive” evidence consisted of statements Fahey recorded in
her diary and those allegedly made to her family, friends and psychotherapists.
Fahey began dating Capano in March 1994.  She kept this relationship, or at least
its intimate nature, hidden from most of her friends and her family, and even
from the psychotherapist she was seeing at the time.  Her personal diaries
detailed her on-again-off-again relationship with Capano.  Importantly, these
diaries, as read into evidence by her sister, emails between Capano and Fahey,
and the testimony of Kim Lynch-Horstmann were admitted into evidence by
stipulation.
In September 1995, Fahey met Michael Scanlon while she was still
involved in the relationship with Capano. After a rocky beginning in her
relationship with Scanlon, she fell in love with him.
Fahey suffered from a serious eating disorder.  Although Capano knew
about Fahey’s illness, and was actively trying to get her help, Fahey hid her
disorder from Scanlon.  She also was afraid that Scanlon would learn of her
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relationship with Capano, a married man, and kept this a secret from him as
well.
After Fahey began dating Scanlon, she tried to break off her relationship
with Capano, who became very upset and pursued her relentlessly.  In a diary
entry by Fahey dated April 7, 1996, she wrote that “I have finally brought
closure to Tom Capano . . . what a controlling, manipulative, insecure jealous
maniac.”  Also, one of Fahey’s psychotherapists, who was treating Fahey in
connection with her eating disorder (and whose bills were being paid, at least in
part, by Capano) testified that, in the period between February and early April,
1996 Fahey spoke to her often about how she felt “controlled” by Capano.  As
her relationship with Capano became strained, her eating disorder became
aggravated.  By April 1996, however, Fahey had come to believe that she and
Capano had established a friendship that she could manage while continuing to
become more involved with Scanlon.
The State’s theory was, and circumstantial evidence was offered to show,
that Capano had already begun to plan Fahey’s death.  In February 1996, Capano
told two of his brothers, Gerry and Joseph, a story about being threatened by one
or more unidentified extortionists.  Capano borrowed $8,000 from Gerry, which
he paid back a few days later.  This loan was supposedly in connection with the
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extortion.  Some time after borrowing the money, Gerry provided Capano with a
handgun that was returned to Gerry by May of that year.  Some time between
February and May 1996, Capano asked Gerry if he could borrow his boat if he
needed to dispose of a body.
In April 1996 Capano purchased a 162-quart marine cooler eventually used
to dispose of Fahey’s body.  In May 1996 Capano had his mistress of seventeen
years, Deborah MacIntyre, purchase a gun for him.  At trial, MacIntyre testified
that on May 13, 1996, Capano drove her to Miller’s Gun Center where, at his
request, she purchased a handgun while he waited in the car outside.  She
returned to the car and gave him the gun and some ammunition.  MacIntyre said
she never saw the gun again.3
On Thursday, June 27, 1996, Fahey left work at about 4:30 p.m. and went
to an appointment with her psychiatrist.  Afterward, Capano picked Fahey up at
her Wilmington apartment and drove to a restaurant in Philadelphia for dinner.
Their server at the restaurant testified that they “didn’t speak to each other at all”
and that Fahey looked “haggard and gaunt,” and had a “somber” demeanor.   
Fahey was not thereafter seen alive.
                                   
3  MacIntyre originally lied to investigators about their relationship and the gun purchase, but eventually admitted
that her fear of losing Capano had driven her to try to protect him.
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On Friday morning, June 28, 1996, Thomas drove to his brother Gerry’s
house at about 5:30-5:45 a.m.  Thomas asked to borrow Gerry’s boat.  Gerry
testified that he asked Thomas, “Did you do it?” and Thomas replied that he had.
Gerry and Thomas agreed to meet later at Thomas’ house and Thomas went
home.
Thomas took his wife’s Suburban, a larger vehicle than his Jeep Cherokee,
back to his house to await Gerry.  By the time Gerry arrived at about 8:30 a.m.,
Capano had put a chain and lock on the cooler.
Gerry told Thomas to remove the lock and chain, and the two placed the
cooler into the back of the Suburban.  They drove together in the Suburban to
Gerry’s house in Stone Harbor, New Jersey.  They carried the cooler onto
Gerry’s boat, and after purchasing gasoline, they took the boat approximately
sixty miles out to sea and dumped the cooler over the side.  The cooler did not
sink, however.  In an unsuccessful effort to sink the cooler, Gerry shot a hole in
the cooler with a shotgun used to kill sharks.  Finally, Gerry pulled the boat
alongside the cooler and, after providing Thomas with two anchors, turned away
while Thomas wrapped the body with the chain and weighed it down with the
anchors.  Gerry turned in time to see part of a human leg sink down into the
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ocean.  Gerry rinsed out the cooler and removed the lid before tossing both back
into the water and returning to Stone Harbor.
They drove back to Thomas’ house in Wilmington.  They carried the
bloodstained love seat and rug from Thomas’ “great room” to the garage where
Gerry tried to cut up the love seat.  Having no luck in dismantling the love seat,
they placed it in a dumpster at a nearby construction site operated by their
brother Louis, a developer.  At this point, Gerry went home.  On Saturday
afternoon, June 29, 1996, Thomas bought a new rug for his great room.
The Wilmington Police conducted an initial interview with Thomas that
Saturday night.  They returned on Sunday afternoon to search Thomas’ home,
conducting an escorted “walk through” with his consent.
Later that Sunday, Thomas spoke with his brother Louis and told him that
Fahey had slit her wrists at his home, staining the love seat, but that she was
okay.  Thomas asked Louis to make sure that the dumpsters at his construction
site were emptied the next day (Monday) because he had disposed of the love seat
and some of Fahey’s personal belongings in the dumpster.  Louis ordered the
dumpsters emptied on Monday even though they were not all full.
In a later search on July 31, 1996, federal investigators discovered small
spots of blood on a wall in Capano’s great room.  The spots were compared with
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a sample of Fahey’s blood from a blood bank through DNA testing and found to
be a likely match.
The remaining relevant details of the State’s case are discussed in
connection with Capano’s various arguments on appeal.  Evidence presented in
Capano’s defense follows.
D.
Summary of Facts:  The Defense Case
Capano testified in his own defense that Fahey had died as a result of an
accidental shooting that occurred in the great room of his house on Thursday,
June 27, 1996, the night that Fahey was last seen.  Capano testified that after
dinner he took her back to her apartment where she dropped off some groceries
he had bought for her; he then drove her to his house to watch television,
arriving shortly after 10:00 p.m.  Later that night, with Fahey still at his house,
Capano spoke to MacIntyre over the telephone.  They had a brief and unpleasant
conversation in which Capano told MacIntyre that she should not come over to
his house that night, as she often did.
Capano then testified that several minutes later, at around five minutes past
11:00 p.m., Fahey and Capano were sitting next to each other on a love seat in
Capano’s great room with the television on.  According to Capano, while he and
Fahey were talking on the love seat, MacIntyre arrived very upset, yelling and
- 18 -
saying things like “Who’s this?” and “Is this why you couldn’t see me?” Capano
said he got up from the love seat and stood to face MacIntyre, who continued
yelling.  Fahey began to put her pantyhose back on (Capano testified she had
taken them off due to the heat) and collected her shoes, telling Capano that she
wanted to leave immediately.
MacIntyre then pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot herself.  Capano
claims that he grabbed her arm to prevent her, causing MacIntyre to accidentally
shoot Fahey behind her right ear, killing her instantly.  Fahey was lying on the
love seat.  Capano claims that he and MacIntyre attempted to perform CPR on
Fahey and then realized she could not be saved.
In order to protect himself and MacIntyre, Capano never called 911, an act
that he referred to on the stand as “cowardly and selfish.”  Capano testified that
MacIntyre dropped the gun, and he took it, as well as the bullet clip that was in
MacIntyre’s car.  Capano made sure MacIntyre was all right and sent her home
at about 11:30 p.m.  In the State’s case on rebuttal, MacIntyre denied these
claims and said she was not at Capano’s house that night.
Capano said he then cleaned up the blood and put Fahey’s body in the
cooler he had previously bought.  Capano claimed that he went over to Fahey’s
apartment and arranged it to look as though she had been there.  He testified that
- 19 -
the next morning, he and Gerry dumped Fahey’s body into the ocean off the side
of Gerry’s boat.  Capano’s testimony confirmed in many of its essentials the
“consciousness of guilt” evidence put forward by the State.
Capano also offered evidence to rebut the State’s case based on motive and
planning.  Regarding his relationship with Fahey, he offered evidence that in the
months before her death he and Fahey were no longer lovers but had developed a
warm friendship.  Emails between the two of them were offered to portray a
relationship characterized by affectionate banter.  Fahey confided in Capano
regarding personal matters such as her therapy and would turn to him for help
with items such as helping her install a new air conditioner.
Capano gave innocent explanations for the evidence of planning offered by
the State.  He testified that he purchased the cooler as a gift for Gerry for use on
his boat.  He testified that he borrowed money from Gerry in order to surprise
Fahey with a gift of $25,000 in cash so that she could get help for her eating
disorder.  He testified that he did not ask Gerry for a gun or ask to borrow his
boat or mention anything about extortionists, but that these were in essence the
product of Gerry’s confused imaginings resulting from Gerry’s drug use.
In this regard, Capano presented expert testimony explaining the
phenomenon of “confabulation” in heavy drug users.  He also testified that
- 20 -
MacIntyre bought the gun for her own protection against his advice.  To explain
his decision not to reveal Fahey’s fate to her family and to investigators, Capano
testified that he kept silent in order to protect MacIntyre, with whom he was
“deeply in love.”  In support of this contention he offered letters written between
him and MacIntyre while Capano was in jail awaiting trial.
It is against this factual backdrop that we now turn to the arguments that
Capano raises on appeal.
II. 
Preliminary Statement on the Admissibility
or Exclusion of Evidence
The ultimate purpose of admitting or excluding evidence is to assist the
jury’s understanding of the underlying factual bases for its application of the law.
For this reason, relevant evidence is presumptively admissible unless barred by
constitutional restraints, statutory law, decisional law or court rules.4
Courts often provide for the admissibility of certain evidence for only
limited purposes when that evidence might be barred for one purpose but
admissible for another.  In such instances the law requires that the trial judge
instruct the jury accordingly.5  This procedure is calculated to provide the jury
with the adequate factual base and breadth of understanding that it needs to
                                   
4  See Delaware Rules of Evidence (D.R.E) Rules 401, 402.
5  See D.R.E. 105.
- 21 -
render a fair verdict consistent with the truth,6 while striking the proper balance
between relevant evidence and potential prejudice.
Normally the decision whether to admit or exclude evidence rests in the
discretion of the trial judge, and the decision of the judge can be reversed only
for abuse of that discretion.  If objection is not made, the plain error standard of
review is applied.  The prejudicial effect of the proffered evidence is often the
determinative consideration, requiring the trial judge to make a threshold
balancing of probative value and the danger of undue prejudice.7
III. 
References to Gerry Capano’s Lie Detector Test
Gerry Capano, one of Tom Capano’s brothers, was a crucial witness for
the State.  His credibility was a principal and hotly contested issue.  Gerry’s
testimony not only established the fact that he and Tom disposed of Anne Marie
Fahey’s body at sea, but also was offered in support of the State’s theory of a
planned homicide.
During the government’s investigation of Fahey’s disappearance, Gerry
emerged as possibly a key government witness, but he was not willing to
cooperate at first.  After the government put pressure on him in connection with
                                   
6  See D.R.E. 102.
7  See D.R.E. 403.
- 22 -
his alleged possession of drugs and firearms, Gerry agreed to cooperate with
investigators.
Capano argues that references in the testimony to a polygraph (lie detector)
examination in connection with the government investigation and Gerry’s
cooperation undermined the fairness of his trial.  Gerry testified on direct
examination that: (1) Tom requested an $8000 cash loan from Gerry to pay
unidentified extortionists not to hurt Tom’s children;8 (2) Tom borrowed Gerry’s
handgun and returned it after one or two months, well before the disappearance
of Anne Marie Fahey;9 (3) Tom asked Gerry if he could use Gerry’s boat “if
either one of these people that was threatening to hurt his kids were to hurt one
of his kids and he was to do something to them;”10 and (4) he and Tom used his
boat to dispose at sea of a cooler containing a body.11
A.
Gerry’s Reference to the Lie Detector Test
Gerry testified on direct that he disclosed three of these matters to his
lawyer before the police found illegal drugs and weapons in his home and before
                                   
8  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 12-13 (testifying that he lent Tom $8000 and that Tom “told me that two people were extorting
him” and “were threatening to hurt his kids, ruin his career”).  We refer to the trial transcript pages for certain trial
days by designating the record reference as “Tr. of [month/day/year].”
9  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 16 (testifying that Tom “asked me if he could borrow a gun” because “he was afraid that the guy
was going to beat him up or hurt him, come to his house and hurt him”).
10  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 21.
11  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 23-49.
- 23 -
he was offered a plea agreement in exchange for his testimony against Tom.12  In
contrast, Gerry testified that he did not disclose the fact that he and Tom had
discussed Tom’s use of Gerry’s boat to dispose of a body until after Gerry agreed
to cooperate with the police and “[b]efore I went and took a lie detector test.”13
Counsel for Tom Capano immediately moved for a mistrial on the ground
that Gerry’s reference to the lie detector test encouraged the jury to assume that
Gerry took and passed the test and was therefore telling the truth.  The trial court
denied the motion, ordered the unresponsive outburst stricken, and instructed the
jury to disregard Gerry’s lie detector remark.  The court’s complete instruction to
the jury at this point was as follows:
                                   
12  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 86-88.
13  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 88.  The exact colloquy is as follows:
Q.
When did you tell him [Dan Lyons] when you first changed the story that
you told him?
A.
I didn’t tell him that my brother said to me that if somebody was to hurt
my kids and I had to do something to them, could we use the boat.
Q.
When did you tell him that last part of the story, that if your brother—
about your brother asking you if he hurt somebody, could he use the boat?
A.
When did I tell him that?
Q.
When did you tell Dan Lyons that, if you did at all?
A.
I did tell him that.
Q.
And when?
A.
Before I went and took a lie detector test.
Before Gerry testified, the trial court ruled that Gerry could not refer to the lie detector test during his testimony, and
the prosecution advised Gerry that he was not to mention the test.  Tr. of 11/9/98 Office Conference, at 6-12.
- 24 -
Members of the jury, immediately before the luncheon
break, the defense objected to the unresponsive answer
of the witness to Mr. Connolly’s question.  The answer
made reference to a lie detector test.
Such a response is inadmissible, even though the
witness did not indicate whether or not he had taken
such a test, or if so, what the results might have
indicated.
The Courts of this state, the Federal Courts, and those
of every other state, have consistently found such tests
to be unreliable, and therefore inadmissible as evidence.
Therefore, you are to disregard the witness’ response,
and you are not under any circumstances to speculate as
to whether or not he took such a test, or what the results
of such a test might have been.  You are to in no way
consider the witness’ response in your determinations.14
The initial problem we note is the confusion in the record about whether or
not Gerry actually took the lie detector test.  In his unresponsive outburst, Gerry
fixed the time of his disclosure to the government as being “before I went and
took a lie detector test.”15  When the trial judge instructed the jury to disregard
the witness’ response, the trial judge said “the witness did not indicate whether or
not he had taken such a test, or if so, what the results might have indicated,” and
                                   
14  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 113-14.
15  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 88 (emphasis supplied).
- 25 -
admonished the jury “not under any circumstances to speculate as to whether or
not he took such a test, or what the results of such a test might have been.”
Whether or not the trial judge accurately characterized Gerry’s testimony,
any misstatement there may have been was harmless.  The testimony was stricken
and there were no later references suggesting that Gerry actually took the lie
detector test.  We now turn to the remainder of this issue.
Capano argues that the trial court abused its discretion by denying
Capano’s motion for a mistrial after Gerry referred to the lie detector test during
his testimony.  A mistrial is not automatically required, however, every time a
witness mentions a polygraph test.16  The trial court should grant a mistrial only
“if the reference to the test raises an inference about the result that substantially
prejudices the defendant’s case” in light of all of the evidence.17  In assessing the
prejudice produced by such references, courts have considered a wide variety of
                                   
16  See State v. Edwards, Me. Supr., 412 A.2d 983, 984-85 (1980) (“We do not find it necessary to require a mistrial
to be automatic upon any mention of a polygraph examination by a witness.”).
17  Id. at 985-86.
- 26 -
factors, the most important of which are:18  (1) the effectiveness of a limiting
instruction, (2) the extent to which the State’s case depends on the witness’
testimony, and (3) the extent to which the credibility of the witness is in
dispute.19
With respect to Gerry’s unsolicited comment, the most important factor is
the effectiveness of the trial court’s curative instruction.  As noted above—and it
is worth repeating—the trial court instructed the jury that:
The Courts of this state, the Federal Courts, and those
of every other state, have consistently found such tests
to be unreliable, and therefore inadmissible as evidence.
Therefore, you are to disregard the witness’ response,
and you are not under any circumstances to speculate as
to whether or not he took such a test, or what the results
of such a test might have been.20
On this point, Capano argues that the court’s instruction could not prevent
or even discourage unwarranted inferences by the jury about Gerry’s credibility
                                   
18  The State also argues that the inadvertence of the comment makes the comment less prejudicial.  It matters little,
however, whether the reference was inadvertent because “the harm is done by the fact that it was said, regardless of
how it arose.”  Guesfeird v. State, Md. Ct. App., 480 A.2d 800, 804 (1984); see also People v. Yatooma, 85 Mich.
App., 271 N.W.2d 184, 187 (1978) (finding that a mistrial was required although the reference to the lie detector test
“was an isolated and apparently inadvertent occurrence”).
19  Cf. Sawyer v. State, Del. Supr., 634 A.2d 377, 380 (1993) (describing relevant factors in reviewing denial of
motion for mistrial); see also Guesfeird, 480 A.2d at 803-06; Sullivan v. State, Fla. Supr., 303 So.2d 632, 634-35
(1974), cert. denied, 428 U.S. 911 (1976).
20  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 113-14.
- 27 -
from the fact that he took or may have taken a polygraph test.21  As a general
rule, we must presume that “the jurors followed the court’s instruction.”22  In the
present case, we conclude that the trial judge’s striking of the testimony and his
immediate limiting instruction was sufficient to neutralize any prejudice to the
defense from Gerry’s comment about his lie detector test.23
B.
Lyons’ Testimony about the Threat of a Polygraph Test
Before the State presented the testimony of Gerry’s lawyer, Edmund (Dan)
Lyons, Esquire, the State requested the trial court’s permission to ask whether
Lyons had warned Gerry that he could be required to take a polygraph test if he
                                   
21 To support this argument, Capano cites Guesfeird, 480 A.2d at 806-07 (declaring a mistrial based on an
inadvertent reference to a lie detector test despite a cautionary instruction because it was “arguable that rather than
being curative, such an instruction might only serve to emphasize the prejudice”); see also Nichols v. State, Tex.
Crim. App., 378 S.W.2d 335, 337 (1964) (holding that where the prosecutor asked the complainant in a statutory
rape case whether she had taken a polygraph test and the witness had answered in the affirmative, “the harm done
was so great that no instruction from the court could remove it.”).
22  Shelton v. State, Del. Supr., 744 A.2d 465, 483 (2000) (citing Claudio v. State, Del. Supr., 585 A.2d 1278, 1280
(1991) and Kornbluth v. State, Del. Supr., 580 A.2d 556, 560 (1990)), cert. denied, 530 U.S. 1218 (2000); see also
Pennell v. State, Del. Supr., 602 A.2d 48, 52 (1991) (“This Court has repeatedly held that even when prejudicial
error is committed, it will usually be cured by the trial judge’s instruction to the jury to disregard the remarks.”).
23  See, e.g., Com. v. Brinkley, Pa. Supr., 480 A.2d 980, 986 (1984) (denying defendant’s motion for a mistrial in part
because the trial judge issued “immediate and extensive instructions regarding the unreliability and inadmissibility
of polygraph tests and cautioning the jury to disregard any testimony concerning such tests”); Beal v. State, Ind.
Supr., 453 N.E.2d 190, 193 (1983) (affirming conviction despite a prosecution witness’ unsolicited disclosure that
she had taken a polygraph examination, primarily because “the trial court admonished the jury to disregard the
statement and instructed the jury not to take it into account in their deliberations”); Peyton v. United States, D.C. Ct.
App., 709 A.2d 65, 72-73 (1998) (finding that a “forceful” instruction to disregard a witness’ comment about a lie
detector test and an explanation of the lack of reliability of such tests was sufficient to minimize the prejudice to the
defendant), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 854 (1998); State v. Okumura, Haw. Supr., 894 P.2d 80, 95 (1995) (noting in
dicta that an instruction to disregard a witness’ statement that he took a polygraph test could have “‘eradicated or
minimized’” the harmful effects of the testimony); State v. Atwood, Ariz. Supr., 832 P.2d 593, 625-26 (1992)
(“[A]ny possible error was rendered harmless by the court’s immediate instruction to the jury to disregard the
witness’s answer [referring to a lie detector test]”), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 1084 (1993), overruled on other grounds
by State v. Nordstrom, Ariz. Supr., __ P.2d __, No. CR-98-0278-AP, McGregor, J. (June 21, 2001).
- 28 -
cooperated with federal investigators.24  The defense strongly objected.  In
overruling the objection, the trial court permitted the State to ask the question “in
a context which is modified to suggest the possibility of the test as opposed to the
absolute fact that a test is going to be given.”25  The testimony by Lyons on this
point proceeded as follows:
Q.
Now, he had told you up to this point about going
out on his boat with his brother Thomas and dumping a
body, is that correct?
A.
Yes, sir.
Q.
He had not told you at this point about his brother
Thomas asking him if he could go out and use the boat
if he had to dispose of a body prior to June 28th, is that
also correct?
A.
That’s true.  He had not told me that.
Q.
Now, when you met with him on October 30th of
1997, did you have information to the effect that
Thomas had told him that or asked him that prior to
June 28th of 1996?
A.
Yes.
Q.
What did you tell—specifically with respect to
meeting with the federal authorities, what did you tell
Gerry about whether he could or could not withhold
                                   
24  Tr. of 11/16/98 Office Conference, at 15.
25  Tr. of 11/16/98 Office Conference, at 19.
- 29 -
information from the federal authorities if he made a
decision to go in?
A.
I told him what I would tell any other client in
that situation.  If you make a decision to go in, you have
to go in and make full disclosure.  You can’t hold
anything back.
If you do or if you have not told me every little detail
and something comes out in the course of meeting with
federal prosecutors, it will come back and bite you on
the rear end, and it’s just crucial, and I said this to
Gerry, I need to know everything before we go in
because if you hold anything back, you’re going to hurt
yourself.
Q.
Did you also tell him prior to going in—did you
also tell him at that meeting that he would or might be
required to take a polygraph test?
A.
Yes.26
The trial judge then immediately instructed the jury that this testimony was
admissible for only a limited purpose, namely:
solely for the purpose of permitting you to consider its
impact on the state of mind of Gerard Capano at the
time he made the ensuing statement. His state of mind at
that time has been placed in issue and is in issue, and
you are to consider the question and answer just
presented solely for that purpose.
                                   
26  Tr. of 11/16/98, at 130-31.
- 30 -
There is no evidence that such a test was administered,
and you should not speculate on that since the results
would not be admitted into evidence. . . .27
Putting aside for the moment the issue of potential prejudice engendered by a
reference to a lie detector test, we believe that the trial judge’s limiting
instruction was consistent with a rational theory—namely that it was arguably
preferable, on balance, for the jury to hear, with appropriate caution, an
explanation of why, at that particular moment, Gerry elected to stop lying and to
tell the truth.  Permitting this testimony with a limiting instruction may have been
considered by the trial judge to be preferable to a course of action that would
leave the jury to speculate on a wide range of scenarios for Gerry’s apparent
epiphany, with the risk that some of the speculative scenarios could have been
irrelevant and false.
The State emphasized the impact of Lyons’ testimony three times during
closing arguments, observing that Gerry did not disclose the conversation about
using his boat to dispose of a body until after he was threatened with a lie
detector test.28  A key reference to this testimony in the State’s summation is as
follows:
                                   
27  Tr. of 11/16/98, at 132.  The trial judge repeated this instruction during its final charge to the jury.  Tr. of 1/13/99,
at 241-42.
28  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 66-69.
- 31 -
But he [Gerry] told his story, his testimony, to Dan
Lyons as early as April 1997, months before his house
was raided.  And the only piece of the puzzle he left out
had to do with the defendant’s request that if he killed
somebody could he use the boat.  That’s the only piece
missing.  And we get that piece when on October 30th
Dan Lyons, knowing that Gerry is about to come in and
discuss his case with the Government, tells [Gerry] you
must tell the complete truth.  He threatens him with the
possibility of taking a lie detector test and he says you
have to tell the complete truth, you cannot hold back.
I want to read you something from Dan Lyons’
testimony.  Remember, Dan Lyons was Gerry’s lawyer
and he was asked by Mr. Wharton:  “What did you
tell—specifically with respect to meeting with the
federal authorities, what did you tell Gerry about
whether he could or could not withhold information
from the federal authorities if he made a decision to go
in?”
And Mr. Lyons responded:  “I told him what I would
tell any other client in that situation.  If you make a
decision to go in, you have to go in and make full
disclosure.  You can’t hold anything back. If you do or
if you have not told me every little detail and something
comes out in the course of meeting with federal
prosecutors, it will come back and bite you on the rear
end, and it’s just crucial, and I said this to Gerry, I need
to know everything before we go in because if you hold
anything back, you’re going to hurt yourself.”
Question:  “Did you also tell him prior to going in—did
you also tell him at that meeting that he would or might
be required to take a polygraph test?”
Answer:  “Yes.”
- 32 -
Having advised him of that, what did he do then?  Then
Mr. Lyons said this—he said:  “Well, I said a little bit
more.  I said look, you have told me everything that
happened, but it is possible, and I just don’t know, but
it is possible that there may have been a situation in
which Tom said to you I’m thinking about killing
somebody or just raised the issue before June of 1996
and if you are holding that back because you just don’t
want to tell me or it is painful to tell me, or you want to
protect your brother you are making a big mistake,
because if it happened you are going to hurt yourself.29
Capano contends that the trial court committed reversible error by
permitting the State to refer to Gerry’s lie detector test during its direct
examination of Lyons.  The State argues that Lyons’ testimony was admissible
for the limited purpose of showing Gerry’s state of mind in that he agreed to
disclose incriminating evidence against his brother only after his lawyer warned
him that he would have to take a lie detector test as a condition of his plea
agreement.  Under this theory, the State did not seek to prove that Gerry had
taken and passed the lie detector test; instead the State sought to prove only a
“triggering event”—that Gerry’s decision to disclose the second “extortionist”
conversation was triggered by the threat of a lie detector test.
The State also asserts that a reference to a lie detector test raises a concern
only where the reference directly or impliedly discloses the results of the
                                   
29  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 66-68.  The State also discussed at length the impact of Lyons’ testimony on Gerry’s credibility
later in its summation.  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 205-208.
- 33 -
polygraph.  Clearly, the results of a polygraph are inadmissible.  Courts
acknowledge, however, that “the only logical conclusion [the jurors] could
deduce would be that [the witness] passed the polygraph test thus enabling him to
complete his plea bargain with the State.”30
Lyons’ testimony raises two related issues:  (1) whether a reference to the
threat of a lie detector test may be admissible evidence and (2) whether Lyons
improperly vouched for the credibility of Gerry’s testimony by testifying in his
capacity as an attorney and an officer of the court that he had warned Gerry
about the possibility of a lie detector test.
1.
Admissibility of Lyons’ Reference to the
Threat of a Lie Detector Test
As a general rule, and as the trial court instructed here, the results of
polygraph tests are “inadmissible for any purpose because their scientific
reliability has not been established.”31  Similarly, polygraph evidence is never
                                   
30  Brown v. State, Ind. Supr., 587 N.E.2d 111, 112-13 (1992); see also Guesfeird v. State, Md. Ct. App., 480 A.2d
800, 804 (1984) (“Simply putting before the jury the fact that a lie detector test was taken can be the equivalent of
revealing the results.”).
31  Foraker v. State, Del. Supr., 394 A.2d 208, 213 (1978) (citations omitted); see Melvin v. State, Del. Supr., 606
A.2d 69, 71 (1992); Whalen v. State, Del. Supr., 434 A.2d 1346, 1354 (1981); Peyton v. United States, D.C. Ct.
App., 709 A.2d 65, 70 (1998); People v. Nash, Mich. App., 625 N.W.2d 87, 97 (2000); see also Duonnolo v. State,
Del. Supr., 397 A.2d 126, 132 (1978) (“Testimony that an accused refused to take a polygraph test, without more,
amounts to impermissible comment upon the accused’s Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.”).  Although several
federal courts were forced to abandon a strict rule prohibiting the admission of polygraph test results after the United
States Supreme Court decision in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993), these courts have
retained a strong suspicion of polygraph evidence.  See, e.g., United States v. Cordoba, 9th Cir., 104 F.3d 225, 227-8
(1997) (“With this holding, we are not expressing new enthusiasm for admission of unstipulated polygraph
evidence. The inherent problematic nature of such evidence remains. . . . [P]olygraph evidence has grave potential
for interfering with the deliberative process.”); United States v. Posado, 5th Cir., 57 F.3d 428, 431-34 (1995) (“[W]e
- 34 -
admissible if it is offered to establish that a witness’ version of the events is true.
These rules reflect a legitimate concern that jurors will assume that the results of
the polygraph are accurate and will therefore accept the witness’ testimony as the
truth.  Put differently, the concern is that a potentially unreliable lie detector test
will take the place of the jury in assessing the credibility of witnesses.32
The State nevertheless contends that evidence of the “threat” of a
polygraph test is admissible, even if the results of the polygraph test are not
admissible.  Curiously, neither party in all the voluminous briefs33 filed in the
case before us cites Whalen v. State,34 where we held, in the unique
circumstances of that case, that a polygraph test may be admissible as a relevant
fact in assessing the voluntariness of a defendant’s confession.  The Whalen
Court reached this conclusion because the “presentation to the trier of fact of all
                                                                                                                  
do not now hold that polygraph examinations are scientifically valid or that they will always assist the trier of fact,
in this or any other individual case.”).
32  See Holtzman v. State, Del. Supr., No. 221, 1997, Holland, J. (July 27, 1998) (ORDER), Order at ¶ 14 (“A
fundamental premise of our criminal trial system is that ‘the jury is the lie detector.’”); United States v. Alexander,
8th Cir., 526 F.2d 161, 168 (1975) (“When polygraph evidence is offered in evidence at trial, it is likely to be
shrouded with an aura of near infallibility, akin to the ancient oracle of Delphi.”); People v. Barbara, Mich. Supr.,
255 N.W.2d 171, 194 (1977) (“Further concern is based on a fear that by use of a polygraph, we run dangerously
close to substituting a trial by machine for a trial by jury.”).
33  The extensive briefs and supplemental memoranda filed by Capano and the State covered a total of 446 pages.
34 Del. Supr., 434 A.2d 1346, 1353-54 (1981) (admitting “the fact of” a lie detector test as evidence that the
defendant’s confession was voluntary). Several federal courts permit prosecutors to prove that a defendant’s
confession was “voluntary” by proving that the defendant made the confession after failing a polygraph test.  See,
e.g., Tyler v. United States, D.C. Cir., 193 F.2d 24, 31 (1951), cert. denied, 343 U.S. 908 (1952); United States v.
Johnson, 3d Cir., 816 F.2d 918, 923 (1987); United States v. Miller, 9th Cir., 874 F.2d 1255, 1262 (1989); United
States v. Kampiles, 7th Cir., 609 F.2d 1233, 1244-45 (1979), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 954 (1980).
- 35 -
relevant facts and circumstances is appropriate when it must assess the totality of
the circumstances” surrounding the defendant’s confession.35
The holding in Whalen preserves the rule prohibiting “the use of the results
of a polygraph test without prior agreement of the parties.”36   We believe that
any reference to a polygraph test is potentially mischievous.  In fact, we cannot
now foresee scenarios in which the potential for prejudice would not exist.  At
the very least, the trial court must apply enhanced scrutiny (in addition to a Rule
403 analysis) to assure that any references to a polygraph are necessary, of
minimal prejudicial impact and that no other appropriate alternative evidence is
available to establish the relevant operative fact sought to be admitted.  The trial
court must also formulate a clear cautionary instruction for the jury.37
Whalen may not be read broadly to permit references to a lie detector test
to prove a limitless range of operative facts, and it must be limited to the
                                   
35  Whalen, 434 A.2d at 1353 (citing State v. Rooks, Del. Supr., 401 A.2d 943 (1979)).  The Whalen Court endorsed
the view that “[w]hen a confession was made during, immediately after, or as the result of test questioning, and the
defendant alleges his confession was involuntary, the evidence about the test and the surrounding circumstances are
considered part of the totality of the circumstances which must be evaluated.”  Id. at 1353 (citations omitted).
36  Id. at 1354.
37  See D.R.E. 105.
- 36 -
circumstances that were present in the Whalen case itself.38  Accordingly, we do
not pronounce today a per se exclusionary rule prohibiting any reference to a lie
detector test, but we caution that one cannot rely on a broad reading of Whalen.
The State characterizes the “threat” of a polygraph test as an event like any
other event that could cause a witness to change his or her testimony in one
direction or the other.39  But a lie detector test is fundamentally different from
other events because its purpose as an investigative tool is to gauge whether a
person is telling the truth.40  In the presPent case, the jury may have inferred
from Lyons’ testimony: (1) that Gerry was not telling the truth before the threat
of a lie detector test and (2) that he was telling the truth after the threat.41
                                   
38  Although the Whalen Court was motivated by the need for evidence to rebut an assertion of coercion of a
confession, we can identify no principled distinction between using the threat of a lie detector test as evidence of the
voluntariness of a defendant’s confession and using it as evidence of the motivation or timing of a witness’
disclosure.  Confining Whalen to its context (that is, to rebut an assertion of coercion of a confession), the holding
does not apply to the present case, and it is not a proper authority to admit Lyons’ testimony.  We need not decide in
this case whether Whalen would be overruled if its identical circumstances were to be presented in a future case.
39  In United States v. Piccinonna, 11th Cir., 885 F.2d 1529, 1536 (1989) (En Banc), the court found two exceptions
to the “per se exclusionary rule”:  (1) where the parties agree to its admission and (2) where the evidence is “used to
impeach or corroborate the testimony of a witness at trial” and the evidence satisfies three conditions, including the
Rule 403 balancing test.  Id.  The second exception implicitly acknowledges that there is no significant difference
between admitting polygraph evidence to prove that a confession was voluntary and admitting the evidence to prove
the credibility of a witness.
40  See People v. Barbara, Mich. Supr., 255 N.W.2d 171, 193-94 (1977) (“The fact is that the polygraph, while
scientific evidence, is different from other scientific evidence. ‘[T]he quantity it attempts to measure the truthfulness
of a witness is . . . directly related to the essence of the trial process.’”) (quoting Note, The Emergence of the
Polygraph at Trial, 73 Colum. L. Rev. 1120, 1141 (1973)).
41  Cf. Holtzman v. State, Del. Supr., No. 221, 1997, Holland, J. (July 27, 1998) (ORDER), Order at ¶ 14 (“Although
[the defendant] agreed to submit to the examination, the absence of presenting any evidence of a favorable outcome
could lead the jury to either conclude that [the defendant] changed his mind or the ‘polygraph equivalent’ test results
had not been favorable, since the prosecution went forward.”); State v. Edwards, Me. Supr., 412 A.2d 983, 986
(1980) (“The jury could have inferred naturally and reasonably that she had taken the test in connection with her
account of the events of the evening and that the result confirmed her account.”).
- 37 -
The admission of Lyons’ testimony relating to a threat of a polygraph test
in this situation was improper because it runs the risk that a reasonable juror
could infer that the witness was lying before the threat of a test but telling the
truth afterward.  Given the judicial suspicion of lie detector tests and the
potentially prejudicial nature of the lie detector testimony described above, the
threshold question is whether the trial court abused its discretion in permitting the
State to elicit testimony that Gerry disclosed information in response to the threat
of a lie detector test42 even for the limited purpose for which the testimony was
admitted and within the context of the trial court’s limiting instructions.
Under the circumstances of this case, however, we find that the trial
court’s admission of Lyons’ reference to a lie detector test does not require a
reversal of Capano’s conviction.  We believe there is no basis to conclude that
the jury would ignore the cautionary instruction given in this case.  As discussed
in subsection C of this Section, we conclude that any error in allowing this
testimony is harmless when viewed through the prism of the totality of the record
and in light of the trial judge’s limiting instruction.
                                   
42  See Williamson v. State, Del. Supr., 707 A.2d 350, 354 (1998) (“[W]e review for an abuse of discretion questions
concerning the admissibility of evidence.”).
- 38 -
2.
Improper Vouching by Lyons
Capano also contends that Lyons’ testimony taken as a whole improperly
vouches for Gerry’s credibility.  This issue involves two related questions:  (1)
whether Lyons’ testimony improperly attested to Gerry’s credibility and (2)
whether the State used Lyons’ credentials as an experienced lawyer and former
federal prosecutor to bolster Gerry’s testimony.
At the outset, we note that the trial court admitted Lyons’ testimony based
on “its impact upon the state of mind of Gerard Capano at the time he made the
ensuing statement [about Tom’s request to use his boat].”43  Nevertheless, it is
clear that the State presented the testimony to explain why Gerry did not disclose
this information until after he began to negotiate an arrangement with
prosecutors.44  Thus, the credibility of Gerry’s testimony was at issue, not his
state of mind at the time of his final disclosure.
                                   
43  Tr. of 11/16/98, at 132.  The trial court presumably issued this instruction to avoid creating a direct connection
between the polygraph testimony and Gerry’s credibility in the minds of the jurors.
44  During an office conference, the trial judge recognized that Gerry’s credibility was at issue, observing that the
defense intended to argue that Gerry fabricated the conversation with Tom about using the boat and that the State
sought “to explain this last epiphany” by reference to the “threat of a possible polygraph.”  Tr. of Office Conference
of 11/16/98, at 18.
- 39 -
As a general rule, a witness may not bolster or vouch for the credibility of
another witness by testifying that the other witness is telling the truth.45  The
State argues that the trial court did not err in this respect because Lyons did not
vouch for Gerry and did not express an opinion on the veracity of Gerry’s
testimony.  But the cases are clear that improper vouching includes testimony that
directly or indirectly provides an opinion on the veracity of a particular witness.46
In the present case, Lyons testified that he warned Gerry: (1) about the
possibility of a lie detector test; (2) about Gerry’s obligation to “make full
disclosure”; and (3) not to “hold anything back” from the federal prosecutors.47
In our view, these three points made by Lyons, when taken together, created a
substantial risk that the jury would conclude that Lyons’ admonitions to Gerry
induced him to tell the truth to the federal prosecutors and hence to the jury.  It is
implicit in Lyons’ testimony that Lyons believed his own admonitions to have
                                   
45  See Holtzman, Order at ¶ 13 (“[T]he police officer’s personal belief that the complainant was telling the truth was
not admissible evidence.”); see also Re v. State, Del. Supr., 540 A.2d 423, 427 (1988) (observing that an expert may
not generally testify on the credibility of a defendant unless the testimony “is used to illustrate the unreliability of
the defendant’s statements when they are being offered as a basis for an expert opinion”) (citing Wheat v. State, Del.
Supr., 527 A.2d 269, 275 (1987)); cf. Trump v. State, Del. Supr., 753 A.2d 963, 967 (2000) (“‘The prosecutor should
not express his or her personal belief or opinion as to the truth or falsity of any testimony or evidence or the guilt of
the defendant.’”) (quoting ABA Standards for Criminal Justice § 3-5.8(b) (3d ed.1993)).  Under D.R.E. 608(a), “the
credibility of a witness may be attacked or supported by evidence of reputation, but subject to these limitations:  (1)
The evidence may refer only to character for truthfulness or untruthfulness, and (2) evidence of truthful character is
admissible only after the character of the witness for truthfulness has been attacked.”
46  See Wheat, 527 A.2d at 275 (“The expert may not directly or indirectly express opinions concerning a particular
witness’ veracity or attempt to quantify the probability of truth or falsity [of a witness’ statements].”); see also
Powell v. State, Del. Supr., 527 A.2d 276, 279 (1987) (applying the analysis in Wheat).
47  Tr. of 11/16/98, at 130-31. The text of the relevant passage is reproduced in the text accompanying note 26 supra.
- 40 -
been effective.  Thus, this testimony is a subtle and indirect version of vouching
for Gerry’s credibility.
The problem is compounded by the State’s elicitation from Lyons of his
credentials as an experienced lawyer and former federal prosecutor.  This
testimony highlights the potential that Lyons’ status as an experienced lawyer
may have imparted credibility to Gerry’s testimony—owing not to Gerry’s
believability but to the credentials of the lawyer-witness vouching for him.48
Given Lyons’ experience with federal prosecutors, a jury would be likely to infer
that Gerry did not disregard Lyons’ emphatic directive to make full disclosure.
In Graves v. State49 we reversed a conviction in part because the lawyer for
two prosecution witnesses improperly vouched for them.  Before the witnesses
took the stand, the witnesses’ lawyer appeared as a witness for the State and
testified that he had urged the witnesses to cooperate with investigators and to
                                   
48  Lawyers often testify as fact witnesses in other contexts where their appearance as a lawyer-witness is not
problematic.  But a lawyer’s appearance as a witness can be problematic in at least two instances:  (1) where, as
here, the lawyer vouches directly or indirectly for the credibility of another witness; and (2) where the lawyer is also
an advocate in the same trial.  See Delaware Lawyers’ Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 3.7(a) (“A lawyer shall
not act as advocate at a trial in which the lawyer is likely to be a necessary witness except where:  (1) the testimony
relates to an uncontested issue; (2) the testimony relates to the nature and value of legal services rendered in the
case; or (3) disqualification of the lawyer would work substantial hardship on the client.”); Comment to Delaware
Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 3.7 (“It may not be clear whether a statement b[y] an advocate-witness should
be taken as proof or as an analysis of the proof.”); cf. In the Matter of Estate of Waters, Del. Supr., 647 A.2d 1091,
1096-98 (1994) (holding that it was plain error for attorney to serve as trial advocate and testify on behalf of estate
in will contest); Miller v. State, Del. Supr., No. 434, 1998, Hartnett, J. (Feb. 16, 2000) (ORDER), Order at ¶ 12
(“The vouching by the prosecutor as to the credibility of a witness for the State is a special concern because jurors
may easily interpret vouching by the prosecutor as an official endorsement of the witness and in doing so, overlook
important aspects of the witness’ credibility.”).
49  Del. Supr., No. 144, 1993, Walsh, J. (Aug. 1, 1994) (ORDER).
- 41 -
“tell the truth.”50  The lawyer also testified extensively about his impressive
credentials and about specific honors that he received as a criminal defense
lawyer.51  In that situation, this Court was concerned that the lawyer’s “recital of
his professional attainments and his standing in the legal community could serve
but one purpose: that a lawyer of his standing would not represent clients who
were not truthful.”52
In the present case, the State did not exalt Lyons’ credentials in the same
blatant manner as in Graves, but Lyons did testify that he worked as a federal
prosecutor for eight years and had been in private practice since 1982.53  He also
testified extensively about his dealings with federal prosecutors on Gerry’s
behalf.  This was a subtle but clearly effective method of permitting Lyons to
vouch for Gerry’s truthfulness in his disclosures to federal prosecutors.  There is
thus a concern that the jury may have inferred that a lawyer of Lyons’ experience
may have believed that Gerry’s testimony was credible.  Although it was error to
permit Lyons to testify in a manner that amounted to vouching, compounded by
                                   
50  Graves, Order at ¶ 4 (internal quotation marks omitted).
51  See id.
52  Id. at ¶ 6.
53  Tr. of 11/16/98, at 64-65.
- 42 -
using Lyons’ credentials to bolster Gerry’s credibility, the admission of Lyons’
testimony was harmless in view of the entirety of the evidence.
C.  
Harmless Error Analysis of Lyons’ Testimony
Under “well established” Delaware law, “[a]n error in admitting evidence
may be deemed ‘harmless’ when ‘the evidence exclusive of the improperly
admitted evidence is sufficient to sustain a conviction. . . .’”54  In this case, we
must consider the effect of the references to lie detector tests and Lyons’
improper vouching testimony on the credibility of Gerry Capano’s testimony.
The prejudice involved here “is limited to the potential that the jury might give
undue credence”55 to the admissions Gerry made to his lawyer under threat of a
lie detector test and after being counseled by the lawyer to tell the truth.  In
determining the effect of this potentially improper bolstering, we will consider
                                   
54  Nelson v. State, Del. Supr., 628 A.2d 69, 77 (1993) (quoting Johnson v. State, Del. Supr., 587 A.2d 444, 451
(1991)); see also Seward v. State, Del. Supr., 723 A.2d 365, 373 & n.27 (1999) (citing Gordon v. State, Del. Supr.,
No. 105, 1997, Veasey, C.J. (Dec. 23, 1997), Order at 2 (“An error in admitting evidence is harmless only when the
properly admitted evidence, taken alone, is sufficient to support a conviction.”)).  “Alternatively, when the
evidentiary error is of a constitutional magnitude, the convictions may be sustained if the error is ‘harmless beyond a
reasonable doubt.’”  Nelson, 628 A.2d at 77 (citations omitted).
This distinction is well established in federal harmless error jurisprudence.  See United States v. Bruck, 1st
Cir., 152 F.3d 40, 44 (1998) (“We . . . answer[] in the negative the harmless-error inquiry appropriate for non-
constitutional error:  was the putative error likely to have ‘had substantial injurious effect or influence in
determining the jury’s verdict?’”) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted); United States v. Zehrbach, 3d
Cir., 47 F.3d 1252, 1265 (1995) (en Banc) (“[T]he standard of review in determining whether an error is harmless
depends on whether the error was constitutional or non-constitutional.”), cert denied, 514 U.S. 1067 (1995).  The
Third Circuit finds a non-constitutional error harmless when “it is highly probable that the error did not contribute to
the judgment.”  Zehrbach, 47 F.3d at 1265 (emphasis in original and citation omitted).
55  Whalen v. State, Del. Supr., 434 A.2d 1346, 1354 (1981).
- 43 -
the extent to which the State’s case depends on the witness’ testimony and the
extent to which the credibility of the witness is in dispute.56
Although we place emphasis on the evidence put forward by the State, our
harmless error jurisprudence requires us to examine the entire record.57  Our
decision in Van Arsdall is an instructive illustration of the scope of the analysis.58
In that case, in considering the significance of the tainted testimony in light of the
defendant’s admission, made on the stand at trial, as to his presence on the crime
scene, we stated:
[T]he reviewing Court must consider both the
importance of the error and the strength of the other
evidence presented at trial. . . .  It is necessary to
review the entire record to determine the significance of
the error. . . . Ultimately, the Court must weigh the
significance of the error against the strength of the
                                   
56  See, e.g, Kaminski v. State, Fla. Supr., 63 So.2d 339, 340-41 (1953); Sullivan v. State, Fla. Supr., 303 So.2d 632,
634-35 (1974), cert. denied, 428 U.S. 911 (1976); see also Sawyer v. State, Del. Supr., 634 A.2d 377, 380 (1993)
(stating factors relevant to a review of a denial of motion for mistrial).
57  See Van Arsdall v. State, Del. Supr., 524 A.2d 3, 10-11 (1987).
58  See id. at 11 (noting that “Van Arsdall himself admitted at trial that he had returned [to the crime scene]” and
therefore the tainted “testimony, standing alone, appears to have established nothing with regard to the fact of Van
Arsdall’s presence at the scene of the crime which could have had an effect on the jury’s verdict”).  Courts
performing harmless error analysis have considered the strength of the defendant’s case as part of its analysis of the
strength of the State’s case, e.g., the extent to which the defendant’s testimony was contradicted or implausible.  See
Hanrahan v. Thieret, 7th Cir., 933 F.2d 1328, 1340 (1991) (“Supreme Court precedent also suggests the necessity
and appropriateness of an analysis of [the] defense.  The less believable the defense, after all, the more likely the
conclusion that the constitutional error did not contribute to the conviction.”) (citations omitted), cert. denied, 502
U.S. 970 (1991); id. at 1340 n.29 (“[O]f course, to go beyond this inquiry and to decide [defendant’s] innocence or
guilt would usurp the function of the jury.  To determine that one party’s version of events is less believable,
however, is not to make that ultimate determination.”); see also United States v. Charley, 10th Cir., 189 F.3d 1251,
1271 (1999) (“Furthermore, there were three aspects of Defendant’s testimony that were flatly contradicted by other
witnesses.”), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 1098 (2000).
- 44 -
untainted evidence of guilt to determine whether the
error may have affected the judgment.59
We have noted that “[a]ny harmless error analysis is a case-specific, fact-
intensive enterprise.”60
It is undisputed that Gerry provided the State with important evidence from
which a jury could infer that Capano began planning Fahey’s murder long before
her death and that he disposed of her body at sea.  Capano vigorously contested
Gerry’s credibility on several grounds, including:  (1) his plea agreement with
federal prosecutors, (2) his drug use and expert testimony concerning
“confabulation” of events by drug users,61 and (3) Gerry’s conversation with his
mother indicating that he would fabricate facts to incriminate Tom.
1.
Effect of Lyons’ Testimony on the Credibility
of Gerry’s Testimony
It is clear that the State regarded Gerry as a key witness and his credibility
as crucial.  In closing argument, the State said that “the most important piece of
evidence is Gerry’s testimony.”62  The State also emphasized that “Gerry solves
                                   
59  Van Arsdall, 524 A.2d at 10-11 (citation omitted).
60  Dawson v. State, Del. Supr., 608 A.2d 1201, 1204 (1992); see also Barrow v. State, Del. Supr., 749 A.2d 1230,
1245-46 (2000) (evaluating the record in the case and the State’s theory of the case).
61  According to testimony at trial, confabulation describes a peculiar mental process in persons who engage in
heavy use of alcohol and illegal drugs.  In these persons, the mind tries to fill gaps in memory by inserting “things
that either the person thinks must have been what happened or maybe the person has heard that these things
happened or it might have been suggested to the person or even asked as a question.”  Tr. of 12/14/98, at 116-17.
62  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 15 (State’s Closing Argument).
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the case” and that “[i]f it wasn’t for Gerry and Dan Lyons, he [Capano] might
have got away with it.”63  Capano refers to Gerry as “a critical prosecution
witness” because “the testimony that Capano had asked him whether his boat
would be available if he ever should need it was the most important evidence in
the case on the issue of premeditation.”
But the fact that Gerry was a critical witness whose credibility was pivotal
is not the end of the harmless error analysis.  One must place the unfortunate lie
detector reference and vouching by Lyons in the context of all the evidence,
particularly the other admissible evidence corroborating Gerry’s testimony.
As noted earlier, Gerry testified about several issues.  Most important for
our analysis, he testified concerning: (1) the “extortion story” described below
and (2) the attempts to hide Fahey’s death.  It is crucial to examine the extent to
which his testimony on these two issues was corroborated or undisputed.64
We begin with the fact that most of the testimony regarding the immediate
cover-up of Fahey’s death, including the disposal of her body, is either
undisputed or corroborated.65  Capano admitted to dumping Fahey’s body over
                                   
63  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 207, 229.
64  See Van Arsdall, 524 A.2d at 11.
65  Capano’s brief says that, “The final category of evidence, which was largely undisputed by the defense at trial,
related the steps taken by Capano after Fahey’s death to dispose of physical evidence that might link him to
disappearance.”  For example, Gerry testified that on Friday, June 28, after disposing of the body, he went to
Capano’s home and helped him dispose of a bloodstained couch.  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 54-56.
- 46 -
the side of Gerry’s boat.66  The events of that morning are corroborated by
eyewitness testimony and physical evidence, such as phone records and gas
receipts.67
The State emphasized in closing argument that when Gerry came forward
with his story about the cooler, it was a story that he could not prove and might
invite disbelief.  But the cooler finally surfaced, having been found at sea by a
fisherman.68  Thus, Gerry’s story was vindicated, and at trial the evidence of
what had happened in disposing of the body was essentially undisputed.  As the
State argued, the cooler “is the ultimate corroboration of Gerry Capano.”69  It
appears to us that much of the importance ascribed to Gerry’s testimony by the
State is linked to this portion of his testimony, for the reason that only Gerry
could give direct testimony concerning the disposal of Fahey’s body in the State’s
case.  Tom Capano in the defense case corroborated the essence of Gerry’s
testimony concerning the body disposal.  This testimony does not, standing
                                   
66  Capano testified:  “I used the chain and attached the two anchors that Gerry had given me and then tilted the
cooler so that Anne Marie’s body came out.”  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 110.  See Hanrahan, 933 F.2d at 1340 (noting the
appropriate use of admissions by defendant in the context of harmless error analysis).
67  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 127-28.
68  Tr. of 12/2/98, at 121-24.
69  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 54.
- 47 -
alone, show that Capano actually killed Fahey or how.  But it does show a cover-
up, and thus consciousness of guilt.
The “consciousness of guilt” evidence was not contested at trial.  Thus, we
must focus on the main element of Gerry’s testimony that was disputed:  the
evidence of planning and, more specifically, the alleged conversations about
extortionists.  According to Gerry, Thomas approached him in February 1996
and asked to borrow $8,000 in cash.70  Gerry testified that Tom’s explanation for
this request was that “a guy and a girl” were “extorting” Tom, “threatening to
hurt his kids and ruin his career.”71  Gerry testified that he went to the bank,
cashed a check, and gave Tom the money.72
Gerry further related at trial that in a later conversation, Tom said that he
was scared that “the guy was going to beat him up or hurt him,” and asked to
borrow one of Gerry’s guns.73  Tom later returned the gun unused.74  Finally,
                                   
70  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 11-13.
71  Id. at 12, 21.
72  Id. at 13.
73  Id. at 16.
74  Id. at 19-20.
- 48 -
Gerry testified that Tom asked if he “could use the boat” if the extortionists “hurt
his kids” and “he was to do something to them.”75
The State used this testimony as evidence of planning.  Capano disputes
Gerry’s testimony on these points.  The State’s theory was that Thomas was
thinking ahead about using Gerry’s boat to dispose of Fahey’s body, and feeding
Gerry a story about extortionists so that Gerry would think there was a
“legitimate” reason for this use of the boat.76  According to the State’s theory,
borrowing $8,000 in cash was a premeditated attempt to support the extortionist
story because Capano had at least $125,000 in his checking account at all times
in February 1996, and over $150,000 on the day he borrowed the money.77
The State also argued that the jury could infer that Capano borrowed the
gun at that time as a premeditated step toward carrying out the murder.78  The
State argued to the jury that Thomas later returned the gun to Gerry (and had
MacIntyre purchase a different gun) because Thomas realized that this gun would
be easily traceable to him if recovered after he used it to kill Fahey.79  According
                                   
75  Id. at 21.  The first reference to the lie detector test happened just after Gerry repeated this testimony.   A curative
instruction was then given.  As discussed below, this statement presaging Capano’s actual use of the boat is
ultimately the most troublesome testimony tainted by the references to the lie detector test.
76  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 29-30 (State’s Closing Argument).
77  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 255-56.
78  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 39, 51-52 (State’s Closing Argument).
79  Id. at 52.
- 49 -
to the State, all of this planning connected to the extortion smokescreen took
place just when Fahey was beginning to truly distance herself from Capano,
supplying a timely motive.
The references to lie detector tests tended to bolster the credibility of the
State’s planning evidence that was centered on Gerry’s testimony.  Nevertheless,
we find that there are significant factors in the context of the totality of the
State’s case militating against the likelihood that these improper references
constituted such substantial prejudice to Capano that we should reverse the
conviction and sentence.
First, Gerry’s testimony about the extortionist story is circumstantially
corroborated.  The fact that Thomas borrowed $8,000 from Gerry in early
February 1996 is admitted by Thomas and established by bank records offered by
the State and admitted into evidence.80  Capano’s own explanation for the
transaction appears strained and its credibility was strongly contested at trial.81
                                   
80  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 247-49 (introduction of checks into evidence at State exhibits 237, 238 and 239).
81  Capano testified that he borrowed the money, notwithstanding having over $150,000 in his account at the time,
because he wanted to give Fahey $25,000 in cash as part of a plan to help her pay for therapy. Id. at 255-56.  The
reason he gave for not withdrawing his own money was that “I had made a cash withdrawal for $8,000 and then one
for $9,000, and I just felt stupid doing that three days in a row at the same bank with the same lady.  So that’s why I
asked Gerry for the $8,000 in cash.”  Id. at 244.
The State attacked this explanation on several grounds.  The sequence of the transactions, as evidenced by
processing dates on the checks, contradicted Capano’s testimony that he made two trips to the bank before asking
Gerry for money.  Instead, it appears that he received money from Gerry before or at the same time of his first
transaction at the bank.  Id. at 247-51.  This fact contradicts the claim that “embarrassment” over a third trip to the
bank was the motive for borrowing cash from Gerry.
- 50 -
Second, as with the cash, it is undisputed that Thomas accepted a gun from
Gerry.82   The corroborating evidence mitigates the impact of the lie detector
evidence on the credibility of Gerry’s testimony.  Gerry testified that after Tom
told him about the extortionists, he went to his friend Jon Burris to ask whether
he knew a “leg breaker” who could help his brother.83  Jon Burris gave testimony
corroborating Gerry on this point.84
Another source of corroboration of Gerry’s testimony is MacIntyre’s
testimony that Capano told her about extortionists as an explanation for why he
wanted her to purchase a gun for him.85  Additionally, MacIntyre’s purchase of
the gun for Capano corroborates Gerry’s testimony because it leads to the
                                                                                                                  
Capano testified that he needed the cash in the first place in order to “shock” Fahey; giving her a check for
$25,000 would not achieve that result despite the fact that she earned about $30,000 a year.  Id. at 256-258.  Even on
the assumption that cash was needed to “shock” Fahey, Capano was pressed for an explanation of why he went to
Gerry rather than going to another branch of his bank, just one block away from his customary branch.  Such a step
would have dealt with Capano’s professed embarrassment at going to the same teller three days in a row.  Id. at 251-
52.  Additionally, Capano was pressed for an explanation of what he had done with the money, which, according to
his testimony, Fahey “threw . . . in [his] face.”  Tr. of 12/30/98, at 25.  The credibility of this explanation was also an
issue focused on by the State.  Id. at 28-29.
82  Capano testified that he reluctantly accepted the gun in order to humor Gerry.  Id. at 235-237.  He contended that
he never told Gerry that he needed money to pay extortionists and that the extortionist story was essentially the
product of Gerry’s imagination.  Tr. of 12/30/98, at 28-29.  According to Capano, when Capano asked Gerry for the
loan, Gerry inquired why Capano needed the money.  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 232-239.  Gerry then “brought up the idea
of extortion,” which Capano dismissed by saying “yeah, yeah, yeah. . . .”   Id. at 234.  Capano testified to a later
conversation in which Gerry, inebriated and still preoccupied by the extortionists he had supposedly invented,
pressed Capano to take a gun for his own protection.
83  Tr. of 11/10/98, at 63-64.
84  Tr. of 12/12/98, at 107-08.
85  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 75.
- 51 -
inference that Capano was not a passive and reluctant recipient of Gerry’s gun;
rather, he was actively seeking a gun by May 1996.  All of this corroboration
greatly reduces the prejudicial impact of the references to the lie detector test.
Of significant concern is Gerry’s statement that “my brother said to me
that if somebody was to hurt my kids and I had to do something to them, could
we use the boat.”86  Relatedly, this statement is the one most directly bolstered by
both Gerry’s and Lyons’ references to the lie detector test.  This is because
according to both of these witnesses, it is the one statement that Gerry withheld
from Lyons until he was threatened with a lie detector test.87  Although the lie
detector reference certainly risks enhancing the credibility of all of Gerry’s
testimony, this statement is the one that is directly and specifically bolstered.
The State confirms this in closing argument, saying with reference to this
statement:
But [Gerry] told his story, his testimony, to Dan Lyons
as early as April 1997, months before his house was
raided.  And the only piece of the puzzle he left out had
to do with the defendant’s request that if he killed
somebody he could use the boat.  That’s the only piece
missing.  And we get that piece when on October 30th
Dan Lyons, knowing that Gerry is about to come in and
discuss his case with the Government, tells [Gerry] you
                                   
86  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 88.
87  Tr. of 11/16/98, at 88-118, 130-31.
- 52 -
must tell the complete truth.  He threatens him with the
lie detector test and he says you have to tell the
complete truth, you cannot hold back.88
Thus, we must weigh the impact of this statement, in light of the rest of the
State’s evidence, mindful of the credence that the jury may have accorded it.
But, in the context of this ten-week trial, this statement was harmless when
measured against the strength of the total evidence against Capano, despite the
State’s reliance on it.  Moreover, we discuss in subsection C-3 the trial court’s
instruction carefully limiting the purpose for which the lie detector references
were admitted.
2. 
Untainted Evidence of Planning
Having identified the potentially tainted portion of Gerry’s testimony, we
next determine the extent to which “the evidence exclusive of the improperly
admitted evidence is sufficient to sustain a conviction.”89  We must therefore
determine whether, excluding Gerry’s testimony that Tom had asked to borrow
Gerry’s boat in the event that Tom had to “do something to” two extortionists,
the State presented sufficient untainted evidence of planning to support a
                                   
88  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 66 (State’s Closing Argument).
89  Johnson v. State, Del. Supr., 587 A.2d 444, 451 (1991) (internal quotation marks omitted).
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conviction for first degree murder.90  The State’s theory, as developed in its
closing argument, was that Tom’s conversations with Gerry about extortionists
were merely the beginning of the evolution of a plan to kill Fahey.91
Even though Capano offered innocent explanations in some instances, we
conclude that a rational jury could have convicted Capano based on the following
evidence of planning and motive: (1) Capano’s purchase of a large cooler in
April 1996; (2) his purchase of the lock and chain that he used to secure the
cooler top; (3) his purchase of a gun through Debby MacIntyre in May 1996; (4)
his immediate concealment of Fahey’s death and disposal of her body; and (5)
evidence that Fahey sought to end her romantic involvement with Capano and
began dating another person early in 1996.
First, the jury heard evidence that Capano purchased a very large, 162-
quart cooler on April 20, 1996.92  The State presented evidence that Capano
                                   
90  As the State acknowledged in its closing, because the State has no direct evidence of Capano’s actions on the
night of Fahey’s death, the State must prove that Capano intentionally caused Fahey’s death by proving that Capano
planned her death in advance.  Tr. of  1/13/99, at 13-14 (“I’m not going to stand here today and tell you we know
exactly how Anne Marie Fahey physically died that evening.  What we did say we would prove . . . is that starting at
least as early as February 1996 the defendant took steps to prepare himself for the possibility that he would kill
Anne Marie Fahey.”).
91  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 13-14 (State’s Closing).
92  Tr. of 12/16/98, at 46-48 (Tom Capano); Tr. of 12/2/98, at 85 (John O’Neill).
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made this purchase at approximately the same time that Fahey began to distance
herself from him and to become closer to Michael Scanlon.93
Second, the jury heard evidence that, at some point early in 1996, Capano
purchased the lock and chain that he used to secure the cooler containing Fahey’s
body.  Although Capano presented innocent explanations for these purchases, the
State vigorously attacked these explanations in its rebuttal and closing.  Capano
testified that, around January 1996, he purchased a twelve-foot length of chain
from a neighborhood hardware store to increase the traction of his car tires
during the winter.94  The State argued in its closing that it would make no sense
for Capano to purchase only twelve feet of chain, without hooks, for this
purpose.95  In addition, the State presented testimony that the hardware stores in
Capano’s neighborhood had no record of “purchases of chain over eight feet long
from January of ’96 through June 28, 1996.”96
Capano also testified that he purchased the lock early in 1996 because
someone had broken into his locker at his country club and because the club
president had issued a letter advising members to purchase locks for their
                                   
93  Tr. of 11/3/98, at 34-35, 40 (Dr. Sullivan).
94  Tr. of 12/22/98, at 65-66; Tr. of 12/29/98, at 102-04.
95  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 74-75.
96  Tr. of 1/7/99, at 74-76.
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lockers.97  In rebuttal, the State presented testimony from several witnesses
refuting this testimony.  These witnesses testified that Capano’s country club did
not issue a letter advising members to purchase locks for their lockers.98  From
the State’s evidence, the jury could reasonably infer that Capano purchased the
lock and chain at approximately the same time as he purchased the cooler, as part
of his overall plan to kill Fahey and to dispose of her body at sea.99
Third, Deborah MacIntyre testified that Capano asked her to purchase a
gun for him in April 1996—at approximately the same time that Capano
purchased the cooler.100  Although MacIntyre was unable to purchase the gun for
him at that point, she testified that Capano renewed his request in May 1996.101
After MacIntyre agreed to this second request, Capano drove her to a gun shop
and she purchased a handgun.  MacIntyre testified that she immediately gave the
handgun to Capano and claims not to have seen it again.102  From evidence of this
                                   
97  Tr. of 12/22/98, at 66.
98  Tr. of 1/7/99, at 32, 38, 41, 46-48.
99  In closing argument the State emphasized that the purchases of the cooler, the lock, and the chain were key pieces
of evidence that Capano planned long before June 27, 1996 to kill Fahey.  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 14-16.
100  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 73-74.
101  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 77-79, 83-84, 90-91.  It is worth noting that Tom returned the handgun he borrowed from
Gerry between one and two months after he borrowed it in February or March of 1996.  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 18-19
(Gerry Capano); Tr. of 12/16/98, at 66-67 (Tom Capano).
102  MacIntyre also testified that in February 1997, Capano prepared a false story for her to tell investigators to
explain her purchase of the handgun:  “I bought the gun for myself as self defense, and because there were a lot of
young people in my home, I got nervous that someone might find it, and I threw it away in the trash.”  Tr. of
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transaction, the jury could infer that Capano sought to purchase a gun that could
not be traced directly to him—once again, as part of his plan to kill Fahey.
Fourth, the State presented substantial evidence that, immediately after
Fahey died, Capano concealed her death and disposed of her body and other
physical evidence.  Capano testified that, at about 11:35 p.m., after he
abandoned his attempts to revive Fahey after the “accident,” he retrieved the
cooler from a crawlspace and placed Fahey’s body inside.103   At this point, he
also retrieved a bottle of Clorox to remove the bloodstains on the loveseat.104
Within approximately twenty minutes of Fahey’s death, Capano drove to Fahey’s
nearby apartment to make a “star-69” call from her phone and to leave a gift and
some perishable groceries.105
On cross-examination, Capano conceded that these actions, which were
taken within twenty minutes of Fahey’s death, were designed to give the
appearance that Fahey had been at home recently.106  Capano testified that he
                                                                                                                  
11/18/98, at 164-65, 172.  It is worth noting that MacIntyre further testified that Capano told her: “I should tell them
[the police] that I saw it [the cooler] at his house, and I commented about it, and he told me he had bought it for his
brother’s boat.”  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 173-74.
103  Tr. of 12/21/98, at 197-98.
104  Tr. of 12/22/98, at 23.
105  Tr. of 12/21/98, at 200; Tr. of 12/22/98, at 20-22.  “Star-69” is an automated service offered by local telephone
companies by which a caller dials “*69” to receive the date, the time, and the number of the last incoming call to the
telephone number.
106  Tr. of 12/30/98, at 20.
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knew that Fahey was not going to work the next day,107 and thus knew that her
co-workers would be unaware of her disappearance until the following Monday.
At 12:05 a.m. on June 28, 1996, approximately thirty minutes after Fahey’s
death, Capano also made a call to the voice mail system at his law firm “to create
an alibi that I was home” because he knew that the system recorded the time of
incoming calls.108  Thus Capano admits that he acted immediately and decisively
to conceal his involvement in Fahey’s death and to create an alibi for himself.
This admission is consistent with planning, and it supports a reasonable inference
that, before June 27, 1996, Capano had planned Fahey’s death.109
Similarly, Capano’s efforts to destroy physical evidence of Fahey’s death
are consistent with planning.  By about 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, 1996—
after Thomas and Gerry Capano returned to Wilmington from disposing of
Fahey’s body at sea—Thomas had transported the stained loveseat from his great
                                   
107  Tr. of 12/21/98, at 180-82.
108  Tr. of 12/22/98, at 42-43; Tr. of 12/30/98, at 20.
109  Cf. Hanrahan, 933 F.2d at 1339-40:
Homer’s own testimony goes a long way in meeting the State’s burden and, in
view of the source, must be viewed as having a more detrimental impact upon
his defense than Michael’s statements. See Morrison v. Duckworth, 929 F.2d
1180 (7th Cir.1991) (purported constitutional error held harmless when
defendant’s own statements admitted elements of crime); see also Arizona v.
Fulminante, 499 U.S. 279, 111 S.Ct. 1246, 1257, 113 L.Ed.2d 302 (1991)
(“‘[T]he admissions of a defendant come from the actor himself, the most
knowledgeable and unimpeachable source of information about his past
conduct.’”) (quoting Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123, 140, 88 S.Ct. 1620,
1630, 20 L.Ed.2d 476 (1968) (White, J., dissenting)).
- 58 -
room to a dumpster at a construction site run by his family.110  His brother, Louis
Capano, testified that Thomas asked him to have the dumpster emptied on
Monday, July 1, 1996.111  On June 29, 1996, less than one day after Fahey’s
death, Thomas placed the stained rug from his great room and various cleaning
materials into a dumpster at a hotel in New Jersey owned by his family’s
business.112  Because Capano effectively destroyed most of the physical evidence
connecting him with Fahey’s death in a relatively short time span, the jury could
reasonably infer that his actions were the product of a pre-arranged plan to
conceal her death.
Fifth, the State presented evidence that Fahey sought to end her romantic
involvement with Capano in January and February of 1996.113  The State also
presented evidence that Capano did not want the relationship to end and that he
                                   
110  Tr. of 12/22/98, at 93-97.  Additionally, Capano also provided Gerry with an innocent explanation for their trip
to Stone Harbor in the event that Gerry was questioned by police. Tr. of 12/22/98, at 94.
111  Tr. of 11/13/98, at 14-19.  Louis also testified that he “saw something that could have been a sofa or a chair” in
one of the dumpsters at the construction site.  Id. at 16.
112  Tr. of 12/22/98, at 96-101.  In addition, Louis Capano testified that Tom admitted to putting his loveseat and
some of Fahey’s personal belongings in a dumpster belonging to the Capanos’ construction company. Tr. of
11/13/98, at 14-15.
113  Email message of 2/4/96 from Fahey to Capano (indicating that she had told Capano that she wanted to pursue
only a platonic relationship with him); email message of 2/7/96 from Fahey to Capano (“I meant what I said on
Sunday night about right now only being able to offer you my friendship. . . .”); Tr. of 11/3/98, at 34-35, 40 (Dr.
Sullivan); Tr. of 10/29/98, at 10-12 (Dr. Johnson).  The admission of these emails into evidence was stipulated to by
the parties.
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was upset about Fahey’s attempts to break things off between them.114  This
evidence supports the State’s theory that Capano had a motive to kill Fahey
because she rejected him and started to date another man.115
3.
The Trial Judge’s Limiting Instructions
We also note that the trial judge twice issued limiting instructions—once
during Lyons’ testimony and once in the final jury charge—regarding the jury’s
use of the lie detector evidence in their deliberations.116  These instructions
limited the jury’s consideration of the contested testimony and thus reduced the
prejudicial effect of the testimony.  The fact that these limiting instructions
tended to minimize the impact of the evidence is a factor to consider in this
harmless error analysis.
Accordingly, we conclude that, although the totality of Gerry’s testimony
was critical to the State’s case, the portion of Gerry’s testimony that was tainted
by Lyons’ vouching testimony was not an indispensable or critical part of the
                                   
114  Email message of 2/14/96 from Fahey to Capano (“Tommy, you scared me this weekend, starting with Friday
and all the calls you placed.  It really freaks me out when you call every half hour.”).
115  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 30-51 (State’s Closing).
116  See supra notes 14, 20, 27 and accompanying text.
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State’s case117 and that the State presented ample untainted evidence of planning
to support Capano’s conviction.  On harmless error analysis, therefore, we hold
that the erroneous admission of Lyons’ testimony concerning Gerry’s polygraph
test and his improper vouching did not substantially prejudice the defense and
that admission of this testimony does not warrant a reversal of Capano’s
conviction and sentence.118
IV.
Hearsay Testimony by Fahey’s Psychotherapists and Friends
The State presented the testimony of three of Fahey’s psychotherapists:  a
psychiatrist, Neil Kaye, M.D.; and two psychologists, Dr. Michele Sullivan and
Dr. Gary Johnson.  For the most part, this testimony related to two primary
subject areas:  the genesis and treatment of Fahey’s emotional difficulties,
including her eating disorder, and Fahey’s relationship with Capano, including
descriptions of specific incidents during the relationship.119  The State also
                                   
117  This is true even though the State, in summation, referred to the importance of Lyons’ testimony.  Tr. of 1/13/99,
at 15, 66, 207, 229.  That reference must be viewed in light of the reality that the State had ample other evidence
without Lyons’ testimony.  Compare the present case with Barrow v. State, Del. Supr., 749 A.2d 1230, 1246-47
(2000), in which we reversed a conviction because the improper statement was “particularly important to the State’s
effort to prove intentional killing,” and provided a “necessary link” in the State’s case.
118  For the purposes of Capano’s federal due process claim on this issue, see Dowling v. United States, 493 U.S.
342, 353-53 (1990) (asserting that improper admission of evidence violates due process if it “violates those
‘fundamental conceptions of justice which lie at the base of our civil and political institutions’”) (citations
omitted).
119  For example, Dr. Kaye testified that “[Fahey] was fearful of [Capano], was not convinced that he was ever going
to let go. . . .” and that “she was genuinely fearful . . . that harm would come to her if she broke things off . . .
because she was worried about rage and anger.”  Tr. of 10/27/98, at 33-34.  Dr. Kaye also testified about Fahey’s
character and testified extensively about Fahey’s eating disorder.  Tr. of 10/27/98, at 22 (“She was someone who
was very memorable . . . a very friendly, polite young woman”); id. at 29, 37-48.  Similarly, Dr. Sullivan testified
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presented the testimony of Fahey’s sister and six of Fahey’s friends.  Like the
psychotherapists, these witnesses testified about their conversations with Fahey
concerning Fahey’s relationship with Capano and her descriptions of several
incidents involving Capano.120
In his initial briefs before this Court, Capano argued broadly that all of the
testimony presented by Fahey’s psychotherapists and friends is inadmissible
under the hearsay rules.  In his supplemental briefs and in his June 13, 2001 oral
argument before the Court on this issue, however, Capano specified more
carefully his hearsay arguments and the evidence to which each argument applies.
The State argues that all of the disputed testimony is admissible under exceptions
to the rule against hearsay and is cumulative of similar evidence that was
                                                                                                                  
that Fahey sought to end her involvement with Capano because the relationship was “unhealthy” and because he was
“incredibly controlling and possessive.”  Tr. of 10/29/98, at 17-18.  In a similar vein, Dr. Sullivan testified that
Fahey was concerned that Capano would have her kidnapped.  Tr. of 10/29/98, at 36, 37. Dr. Johnson testified that
Fahey was “terrified” because a prominent married man whom she was dating (that is, Capano) “had come to her
apartment quite late at night . . . bolted the door shut” and yelled at her because she had started to date Scanlon.  Tr.
of 10/29/98, at 16.  Dr. Johnson further testified that Fahey “felt very much controlled by” the man and that Fahey
“began to want to pull away from that relationship, [but] that he was unwilling to let her do so.”  Tr. of 10/29/98, at
10, 13.
120  For example, Fahey’s sister, Kathleen Fahey-Hosey, read extensively from Fahey’s diary, Tr. of 10/28/98, at
137-56, including the following passage:  “I finally have brought closure to Tom Capano.  What a controlling,
manipulative, insecure jealous maniac.”  Tr. of 10/28/98, at 155-56.  Fahey’s friend, Jill Morrison, similarly testified
that Fahey thought that Capano was trying to control her life, Tr. of 11/4/98, at 47, and that Capano was upset about
Fahey’s relationship with Scanlon.  Tr. of 11/4/98, at 61-62 (“He [Capano] was upset and this was because she was
dating Mike [Scanlon]”).  Morrison also described several incidents indicating that Capano was vindictive and that
he was determined to maintain his relationship with Fahey.  Tr. of 11/4/98, at 53-62.  Fahey’s friend Siobhan
Sullivan testified that Fahey called Capano “a possessive, controlling maniac.” Tr. of 11/4/98, at 161.  Fahey’s
friend Kim Lynch-Horstmann testified that in December 1995, Capano “would e-mail her at work all the time and
they were kind of obsessive e-mails.”  Tr. of 11/6/98, at 98.  Other friends testified extensively about Fahey’s
relationship with Capano, about Fahey’s excessive neatness, and about her eating disorder.
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admitted by stipulation.  In any event, the State argues, if there was error
admitting this evidence, it was harmless error.
Capano raises several challenges to the trial court’s admission of testimony
by Fahey’s psychotherapists and friends recounting her description of specific
examples of Capano’s conduct during their relationship and her characterization
of Capano as “controlling” and “jealous.”  First, Capano argues that the
psychotherapists’ testimony on these topics is not admissible under the medical
diagnosis exception to the hearsay rule in D.R.E. 803(4), raising a question of
first impression concerning whether that exception applies to statements made for
purposes of psychotherapy—as distinct from statements made for purposes of
diagnosing physical ailments.  Second, he argues that the statements to the
psychotherapists and Fahey’s similar statements to her friends are not admissible
because this testimony is a “statement of memory or belief” by Fahey and
therefore does not fall within the state of mind hearsay exception.  Third, Capano
argues that Fahey’s hearsay statements concerning her fear of Capano, although
admissible under the state of mind exception, should not have been admitted
during the State’s case-in-chief.  Capano contends that the State was not
permitted to present this testimony until the defense had presented evidence or
raised an affirmative defense making her state of mind relevant.  Finally, Capano
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argues that the admission of this hearsay testimony violated his federal
constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him.
We focus first in Subsection A on the question whether, and to what
extent, the statements of both Fahey’s friends and psychotherapists are admissible
under the state of mind exception of D.R.E. 803(3).  In Subsection B, we
consider whether the erroneous admission of statements under this exception was
harmless error. Finally, in Subsection C, we deal separately, and alternatively,
with the question whether the testimony of the psychotherapists is also admissible
under the medical diagnosis or treatment exception of D.R.E. 803(4).
Claims alleging that the Superior Court erred in admitting evidence are
subject to review in this Court to determine whether the trial court abused its
discretion.121  Where the trial court determines that the probative value of
evidence is not “substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice”
under Rule 403, this Court’s review is necessarily deferential because “the trial
judge is in a unique position to evaluate and balance the probative and prejudicial
aspects of the evidence.”122  Claims alleging the infringement of a constitutionally
protected right are subject to de novo review in this Court.123
                                   
121  See Williamson v. State, Del. Supr., 707 A.2d 350, 354 (1998).
122  Smith v. State, Del. Supr., 560 A.2d 1004, 1007 (1989).
123  See id.
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A.  
Admissibility of Hearsay Testimony by Fahey’s Psychotherapists and
Friends under the State of Mind Exception
In challenging the admission of the hearsay testimony presented by Fahey’s
psychotherapists and friends, Capano raises two related issues.  First, he argues
that certain of the statements do not fit within the hearsay exception for
statements of the declarant’s then-existing state of mind.  This issue centers on
the elements of Rule 803(3), particularly the provision excluding “statement[s] of
memory or belief to prove the fact remembered or believed.”  Second, he argues
that the trial court erroneously admitted Fahey’s statements of her fear of Capano
during the State’s case-in-chief because the State may present evidence of the
victim’s fear of the defendant only in rebuttal after the defense raises an issue
making the evidence relevant.124  This issue assumes that Rule 803(3) is satisfied,
and focuses on relevance and prejudice concerns under Rules 401 and 403.
The State contends that the contested hearsay evidence is admissible
because it reveals Fahey’s state of mind—that is, why Fahey wanted to end her
relationship with Capano—and because it rebuts Capano’s contention that they
                                   
124  Capano’s argument relies primarily on the rule set out in State v. Porter, Del. Super., 587 A.2d 188, 193 (1990).
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had a good ongoing relationship.125  According to the State, the hearsay evidence
therefore supports the prosecution’s theory that Capano formulated a plan to kill
Fahey because she was attempting to break off their relationship.
Agreeing with the State, the Superior Court admitted the hearsay testimony
under D.R.E. 803(3) because the court viewed the change in the relationship
between Fahey and Capano as relevant to Capano’s motive to murder Fahey and,
consequently, to the State’s theory of the case.  The trial court thus concluded
that “[Fahey’s] state of mind becomes important”126 and that the hearsay evidence
was admissible evidence on that issue.  The trial court was concerned with both
the State’s need to present a coherent theory of the case and the fact that Capano
had raised an accident defense during opening statements that the State needed to
rebut.
1.
Whether Fahey’s Statements Fall within
the State of Mind Exception
D.R.E. 803(3) provides a hearsay exception for:
A statement of the declarant’s then existing state of
mind, emotion, sensation or physical condition (such as
intent, plan, motive, design, mental feeling, pain and
bodily health), but not including a statement of memory
                                   
125  The prosecution thus argued to the trial court that “We would have to raise . . . that Miss Fahey would not have
just walked off and gone to Mexico or gone to Puerto Rico or gone somewhere.  These are things, because we do not
have a body we have to establish them, and it is those things that also make relevant all of the state of mind
testimony.”  Tr. of 11/2/98, at 155.
126  Tr. of 11/2/98, at 176-177.
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or belief to prove the fact remembered or believed
unless 
it 
relates 
to 
the 
execution, 
revocation,
identification, or terms of the defendant’s will.127
The exclusion of statements of “memory or belief” derives from the United
States Supreme Court’s decision in Shepard v. United States, in which a witness
testified that the victim had stated, “Dr. Shepard [the defendant] has poisoned
me.”128  The Shepard Court held that this declaration was not admissible under
the state of mind exception because it was a statement of “memory.”129
Specifically, the Court stated:
Declarations of intention, casting light upon the future,
have been sharply distinguished from declarations of
memory pointing backwards to the past.  There would
be an end, or nearly that, to the rule against hearsay if
the distinction were ignored.
The testimony now questioned faced backward and not
forward.  This at least it did in its most obvious
implications.  What is even more important, it spoke to
                                   
127  This Court has established five factors to be applied in deciding whether a hearsay statement is sufficiently
trustworthy to be admissible under the state of mind exception. See Derrickson v. State, Del. Supr., 321 A.2d 497,
503 (1974).  Specifically, the statement (1) must be relevant and material; (2) must relate to an existing state of mind
of the declarant at the time of its making; (3) must have been communicated in a natural manner; (4) must be made
under circumstances dispelling suspicion; and (5) must contain “no suggestion of sinister motives.” Id.; see also
Forrest v. State, Del. Supr., 721 A.2d 1271, 1275-76 (1999).  Although Derrickson was decided prior to the
adoption of the current version of the Delaware Rules of Evidence, this Court has reaffirmed the use of these factors
in determining whether a statement is admissible under the state of mind exception.  See Forrest, 721 A.2d at 1276.
128  See Shepard v. United States, 290 U.S. 96, 98 (1933); see also 3 Federal Rules of Evidence Manual 1656 (7th
ed. 1998) (referring to “Shepard exclusion,” citing Advisory Committee notes to Fed. R. Evid. 803(3)).  The state of
mind hearsay exception was developed in Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Hillmon, 145 U.S. 285, 295-97 (1892), in which
the Supreme Court held that statements by an insured that he intends to take a trip with another person is admissible
as evidence that the insured completed the acts intended.  The Shepard Court noted that the ruling in Hillmon
“marks the high-water line beyond which courts have been unwilling to go.”  Shepard, 290 U.S. at 105.
129  Shepard, 290 U.S. at 106.
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a past act, and more than that, to an act by some one
not the speaker.  Other tendency, if it had any, was a
filament too fine to be disentangled by a jury.130
Following Shepard and the text of Rule 803(3), a statement that “I am
afraid” is admissible.  This statement fits within the justification for the hearsay
exception, namely, the declarant’s “unique perspective into his own feelings and
emotions.”131  Similarly, the statement that “I am afraid of D” is generally
admissible.132
The case is different with respect to a statement that “I am afraid of D
because he is a maniac” or “I am afraid of D because he threatened me” or “I
am afraid of D because he is going to kill me.”133  Such statements are simply
                                   
130  Id. (emphasis added); see also United States v. Donley, 3d Cir., 878 F.2d 735, 737-38 (1989) (allowing
testimony  “that the deceased had a plan to convince her husband that they were being evicted, and that she acted
shortly before her death to further her plan” because it was offered “to show the existence of the deceased’s plan to
move out of the [military] base apartment and separate from her husband”).
131  3 Federal Rules of Evidence Manual, supra, at 1656.
132  See, e.g., Martinez v. State, Tex. Crim. App., 17 S.W.3d 677, 688 (2000) (“Veronica’s statement that she was
afraid of appellant was a statement of the declarant’s then existing state of mind, and therefore fell within the Rule
803(3) hearsay exception.”); State v. O'Neal, Ohio Supr., 721 N.E.2d 73, 84-85 (2000) (“[The victim’s] statements
that she was feeling stressed and was afraid of appellant were relevant to prove her intent to end the marriage. These
statements were properly admitted as evidence under Evid. R. 803(3). . . .”); State v. Brown, Mo. Supr., 998 S.W.2d
531, 546 (1999) (“The state offered this testimony [that the victim was afraid of the defendant] to show [the
victim’s] state of mind regarding her fears about [the defendant] and not to show the truth of the matter being
asserted.”), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 979 (1999).  But see Com. v. Wilson, Sup. Jud. Ct. Mass., 693 N.E.2d 158, 170
(1998) (finding that trial court erroneously admitted hearsay testimony recounting a murder victim’s statements
“that [the victim] was afraid of the defendant, and that [the victim] ‘couldn't handle’ the defendant”); United States
v. Brown, 490 F.2d 758, 776 (1974) (“For example, the simple statement ‘I am afraid’ contains no extraneous factual
matters; and, if the declarant’s state of mind is at all relevant, there is very little conceivable prejudice to the
defendant. However, the statement ‘I am afraid of D (defendant)’ is more dangerous.”).
133  See Brown, 490 F.2d at 775-76 (“[I]n a trial for criminal assault, the statement ‘I am afraid of D (defendant)’
made by the victim might be very relevant on the issue of self-defense. However, the statement ‘I am afraid of D—
he beat me last week’ is so close to the ultimate issue at hand that there is a greater danger that the jury will misuse
the statement and assume some truth to the allegation of past conduct on the part of D.”).
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perceptions or beliefs a victim has of events, and their admission is not justified
under the rationale for the state of mind exception.  There is substantial authority
holding that such statements of memory or belief are not admissible under Rule
803(3).134  Thus, the “statement of the declarant’s then existing state of mind”
would not include anything but the assertion that “I am afraid.”  The reasons
why she was afraid cannot be characterized as assertions (i.e., “statements”) of
her state of mind.135
The State argues that the hearsay evidence admitted against Capano
nevertheless falls within the state of mind exception.  The State also argues that,
by stipulating to their admission before trial, Capano waived any hearsay
                                   
134  See, e.g., State v. Fulminante, Ariz. Supr., 975 P.2d 75, 88 (1999) (“But two of [the victim’s] contested hearsay
statements, ‘He’s going to kill me’ and ‘I’m afraid he’s going to kill me,’ directly report [the victim’s] statement of
belief about Defendant’s future conduct and thus violate the rule.”) (citations omitted); State v. Phillips, Supr. Ct.
App. W.V., 461 S.E.2d 75, 91 (1995) (“Even if the declarations were relevant to show the state of mind of the wife,
the statements . . . go much further and reveal details about extramarital affairs.  The latter statement is not reflective
of future intentions, but is a fact remembered and is specifically excluded from the exception.”); State v. Hawn, Oh.
Ct. App. 2d Dist., 741 N.E.2d 594, 601 (2000) (noting that in Ohio admissibility is limited to “testimony . . .
reflecting the state of mind of the victim, but not the reasons underlying that state of the mind”) (citations omitted);
State v. Garcia, S.C. Supr., 512 S.E.2d 507, 509 (1999) (“While their testimony presents circumstantial evidence of
the decedent’s fear of appellant and concern for her safety, the testimony improperly reveals the reason for her state
of mind (i.e., that appellant had kicked and threatened to kill her).”) (citation omitted); United States v. Fontenot, 9th
Cir., 14 F.3d 1364, 1371 (distinguishing “I’m scared” from “I’m scared because [someone] threatened me”; holding
that the latter is a statement of belief that is not admissible), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 966 (1994); United States. v. Liu,
5th Cir., 960 F.2d 449, 452 (1992) (“Evidence of Liu’s fear was admitted.  Properly excluded were the alleged
reasons for that fear.”); id. (“If the reservation in the text of the rule is to have any effect, it must be understood to
narrowly limit those admissible statements to declarations of condition—‘I’m scared’—and not belief—I’m scared
because Galkin threatened me.”) (quoting United States v. Cohen, 5th Cir., 631 F.2d 1223, 1225 (1980)), cert.
denied, 506 U.S. 957 (1992).
135  This interpretation of “statement” in Rule 803(3) finds support in the United States Supreme Court’s narrow
reading of this term in Williamson v. United States, 512 U.S. 594 (1994).  In that case, the Court held that a
statement against penal interest was admissible under Rule 804(b)(3) but that the “narrative” or “collateral” portions
of the statement were not.  See id. at 599-600.  This holding was based partly on the definition of a “statement” as an
“oral or written assertion,” see Rule 801(a), as opposed to a “report or narrative.”
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objections with respect to Fahey’s diary, the Capano-Fahey emails, and testimony
by Kim Lynch-Horstmann.  We address this fact, along with the State’s argument
that the trial court appropriately limited the jury’s consideration of the evidence
to “the state of mind of Miss Fahey at or about the time when the alleged
incidents occurred,” as part of the harmless error analysis below.
The State maintains that it did not offer the contested testimony to prove
the “fact remembered or believed”—i.e., that Capano actually engaged in the
conduct described or that Capano is a controlling, jealous person.  Instead, the
State argues that it offered the testimony to prove that Fahey believed that these
things were true and, as a result, wanted to end her relationship with Capano.
The State therefore argues that the testimony of Fahey’s friends and
psychotherapists does not fall within the definition of hearsay because the
testimony was not offered to prove that the events and opinions described were
actually true.  Under the State’s theory, to the extent that the proffered testimony
is prejudicial, the trial court (as the court did in this case) must determine
whether the testimony is admissible under the balancing test of D.R.E. 403.    
Although one could plausibly interpret the state of mind exception to
authorize the admission of testimony of memories or beliefs for some purpose
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other than proving the fact remembered or believed,136 this interpretation places a
difficult burden on the jury.  In particular, the jury must confine its consideration
of the declarant’s memories and beliefs, including memories of potentially
serious misconduct by the defendant, to the limited issue of a person’s state of
mind.  Under these circumstances, it is difficult for the jury to make such an
abstract distinction, even when properly defined by the trial court’s limiting
instructions.137
In practice, the broad reading of the state of mind exception proposed by
the State relies heavily on the balancing test of Rule 403 to ensure that the
defendant is not unfairly prejudiced by testimony describing the declarant’s
memories or beliefs.  Thus, where the danger of unfair prejudice from the
admission of these statements substantially outweighs the probative value of the
                                   
136  See State v. Alston, N.C. Supr., 461 S.E.2d 687, 704 (1995) (“[A] murder victim’s statements falling within the
state of mind exception to the hearsay rule are highly relevant to show the status of the victim’s relationship to the
defendant. . . . Contrary to the defendant’s assertions, we have long declined to follow Brown’s strict rule.”) (citation
omitted), cert. denied, 516 U.S. 1148 (1996); State v. Stager, N.C. Supr., 406 S.E.2d 876, 895-97 (1991) (admitting
taped statement by murder victim, including descriptions of specific incidents and threats, under state of mind
exception); State v. Jones, N.C. App., 527 S.E.2d 700, 704-05 (2000) (“These statements, although entirely factual,
in effect showed the decedent’s state of mind when she uttered them and were therefore admissible under Rule
803(3).”) (discussing State v. Mixion, N.C. App., 429 S.E.2d 363 (1993)), review denied, N.C. Supr., 544 S.E.2d 235
(2000); see also State v. Phillips, Supr. Ct. App. W.V., 461 S.E.2d 75, 98 (1995) (Workman, J. dissenting)
(suggesting that statements showing that the victim thought her husband was having affairs and that she intended to
divorce him were not hearsay because they suggest defendant’s motive to kill his wife, and it was irrelevant whether
defendant was actually having affairs).
137  Cf. Brown, 490 F.2d at 777 (“[I]n extreme cases, where the relevance balance is clearly to be struck against the
admission of the testimony, the limited utility of the special instruction has been repeatedly recognized by the
courts.”) (footnote omitted); Shepard, 290 U.S. at 103 (commenting on the efficacy of a limiting instruction, the
Court stated that “The reverberating clang of those accusatory words would drown all weaker sounds”); see also id.
at 106 (“The testimony now questioned faced backward and not forward. This at least it did in its most obvious
implications. . . . Other tendency, if it had any, was a filament too fine to be disentangled by a jury.”).
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statements, the trial court may exclude the statements under D.R.E. 403.  This
reliance on Rule 403 presents a potential problem because it replaces hearsay
limitations with the more lenient Rule 403 prejudice balance.  The hearsay rule is
designed to exclude statements untested by cross-examination that are
insufficiently reliable due to possible defects in the declarant’s memory,
perception or veracity.  The Rule 403 analysis, on the other hand, assumes that
these reliability concerns are overcome and focuses on balancing the effects of
the statement on the jury.
In view of the wide range of untested, and potentially unreliable, out-of-
court statements that would be admissible under the State’s broad interpretation
of the state of mind exception, we conclude that Rule 803(3) authorizes the
admission of hearsay statements by Fahey to her friends and psychotherapists138
reflecting her fear of the defendant (that is, her state of mind), but not the
memories or beliefs giving rise to that fear.
Applying the above analysis to the present case, we conclude that Fahey’s
description of specific events involving Capano and her opinion of Capano reflect
not on Fahey’s “state of mind,” but on her beliefs and memories of facts as she
                                   
138  In Subsection C we deal with our separate, alternative holding under D.R.E. 803(4) regarding the admissibility
of Fahey’s statements to her psychotherapists under the medical diagnosis or treatment exception.
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expressed them to her friends and psychotherapists.139  For example, Jill
Morrison testified that Fahey told her about being locked in a garage by Capano
while they argued, an experience Fahey found “extremely frightening.”140  The
narrative of this incident is not a state of mind—it is a memory of an event—and
does not fall under Rule 803(3) as we interpret that rule.141  In contrast, Fahey’s
statements that she was upset, that she was afraid of Capano, or that she intended
to break off her relationship with Capano are admissible as statements revealing
Fahey’s emotional or mental state.142
                                   
139  See Fulminante, 975 P.2d at 85 (“[T]he statement must be limited to a declaration showing the state of mind and
not include a description of the factual occurrence that engendered that state of mind.”). Because we have concluded
that the specific incidents that Fahey described to her friends and psychotherapists are not admissible under the state
of mind exception, there is no need to address the limitations on the admissibility of bad act evidence established in
D.R.E. 404 and in Getz v. State, Del. Supr., 538 A.2d 726, 734 (1988) or the prejudice balance under D.R.E. 403.
140  The state of mind exception authorizes the admission of a “statement of the declarant’s then existing state of
mind, emotion, sensation or physical condition.”  D.R.E. 803(3) (emphasis added).  To be admissible under Rule
803(3), the statement must reflect the declarant’s state of mind at the time that the statement is made.  Thus, a
statement reflecting the declarant’s memory of a past state of mind cannot meet this contemporaneity requirement.
For example, Fahey’s statement to Morrison that she was frightened during the garage incident is not admissible as a
then existing state of mind, whereas Fahey’s statements that she was upset with or afraid of Capano at the time of
the statement is admissible under the exception.
141  The same analysis applies to Dr. Johnson’s and Dr. Sullivan’s testimony recounting Fahey’s description of
various incidents during the course of Fahey’s relationship with Capano.  For example, Dr. Sullivan testified that
“apparently Mr. Capano got into the apartment and became very angry and he threatened to take away gifts, the air
conditioner, things he felt he did not want to be present while she might be dating somebody else.”  Tr. of 11/2/98,
at 44-45.  Fahey’s description of this event to Dr. Sullivan reflects Fahey’s memory of the event, rather than her
existing mental or emotional state at the time of the conversation.
142  For example, Jennifer Bartels-Houghton testified, regarding emails Capano sent:  “She got upset and said that
this man would not get the hint, that she did not want to be more than friends, and he was bothering her, sending her
emails and asking her to go out to dinner.” Dr. Kaye testified:  “She was still fearful of him, was not convinced that
he was ever going to let go, but in her own mind, she had wanted that to be over a long time ago.” Tr. of 10/27/98, at
33.  These statements concerning the deterioration of their relationship are relevant to motive and intent. See Gattis
v. State, Del. Supr., 637 A.2d 808, 818 (1994) (“In a prosecution for homicide arising out of a marital or romantic
relationship, evidence of previous discord between the victim and the defendant is clearly material to issues of
motive and intent.”); see also Donley, 878 F.2d at 738 (“The government properly sought to persuade the jury to
infer from her statements that she had such a plan and, in turn, to infer from that plan and the defendant's awareness
of it that he had a motive for murder other than the one he claimed.”); People v. Fisher, Mich. Supr., 537 N.W.2d
- 73 -
Accordingly, the evidence going solely to Fahey’s state of mind was
admissible.  The portions of the testimony describing Fahey’s beliefs or
memories of facts were inadmissible.
2.
Whether Statements Describing Fahey’s Fear of Capano
May be Presented in the State’s Case-in-Chief
As discussed above, the statement “I fear Defendant” falls within the
proper scope of Rule 803(3).  Due to concerns over relevancy and prejudice,
however, courts limit the admissibility of such statements by victims.143  The
concern is that a victim’s statement that “I fear Defendant” leads to an inference
that the defendant deserves to be feared.144  Courts are wary of allowing jurors to
draw this inference because it may be based on subjective impressions but have
great impact.145
                                                                                                                  
577, 582 (1995) (“[N]umerous prior cases have upheld the admissibility of evidence showing marital discord as a
motive for murder, or as circumstantial evidence of premeditation and deliberation”).
143  See 3 Federal Rules of Evidence Manual, supra, at 1660 (“[E]xclusion, if it is to occur, must be under Rule 403.
. . .”); 2 McCormick On Evidence § 276, at 230 (5th ed. 1999) (“If the statement is merely an expression of fear—
i.e., “I am afraid of D”—no hearsay problem is involved, since the statement falls within the hearsay exception for
statements of mental or emotional condition.  This does not, however, resolve the question of admissibility.”).
144  See Brown, 490 F.2d at 776 (“It gives rise to the natural inference that there has been some past conduct on the
part of the defendant to justify such a fear, e.g., past beatings or threats, or even that the statement accurately reflects
on defendant’s state of mind and intentions.”); Com. v. Qualls, Supr. Jud. Ct. Mass., 680 N.E.2d 61, 65 (1997) (“The
principal danger in admitting evidence of a homicide victim’s fear of the defendant or desire to ‘get’ the defendant
when there is no evidence of the defendant’s awareness of the victim’s state of mind is that the jury will consider the
victim’s statement of fear or intention, standing alone, as somehow reflecting on the defendant's state of mind rather
than that of the victim.”) (citing Brown, 490 F.2d at 766).
145  See 2 McCormick on Evidence, supra, § 276 at 231 (“However, the most likely inference that jurors may draw
from the existence of fear, and often the only logical inference that could be drawn, is that some conduct of the
defendant, probably mistreatment or threats, occurred and caused the fear.  The possibility of over-persuasion, the
prejudicial character of the evidence, and the relative weakness and speculative nature of the inference, all argue
against admissibility as a matter of relevance.”) (footnotes omitted).
- 74 -
In light of these concerns, courts have developed limitations on the
admissibility of statements describing the victim’s state of mind.  United States v.
Brown, the leading case on this issue, requires that the trial court must find a
“substantial degree of relevance to a material issue” or a “manifest need for such
evidence” before the court may admit statements describing the victim’s fear of
the defendant.146  While not limiting admissibility to any predetermined set of
facts, Brown observed that statements of the victim’s mental state are generally
admissible only to rebut the defendant’s claim of self-defense, suicide, or
accidental death.147  The majority of courts have adopted this rebuttal requirement
in one form or another.148  The holding of the Superior Court in State v. Porter
                                   
146  Brown, 490 F.2d at 767, 774.
147  See id. at 767.
148  See, e.g., State v. Parr, Wash. Supr., 606 P.2d 263, 267 (1980); State v. Christensen, Ariz. Supr., 628 P.2d 580,
584 (1981) (“A victim’s state of mind is only relevant when identity or the defense of accident, suicide or self-
defense is raised.”); State v. Machado, N.J. Supr., 545 A.2d 174, 178 (1988) (“[T]here are exceptions in Downey
relating to establishing that the decedent was not the aggressor, did not commit suicide and was not accidentally
killed. . . .”); State v. Baca, N.M. Supr., 902 P.2d 65, 71 (1995) (“The state of mind of the victim of a crime
commonly is a fact of consequence in issues of (1) self defense (rebutted by extrajudicial declarations of the victim’s
passive state of mind), (2) suicide (rebutted by statements inconsistent with a suicidal bent), and (3) accident
(rebutted by victim’s fear of placing self in way of such harm).”); cf. Downs v. State, Fla. Supr., 574 So.2d 1095,
1098 (1991) (finding that victim’s statements indicating a fear of the defendant were inadmissible because the
statements were not offered “to prove or explain any subsequent acts of relevance” by the victim); People v.
Borrelli, Colo. App., 624 P.2d 900, 903 (1980) (“[B]etter-reasoned cases allow hearsay expressions of a victim’s
fear of a defendant only where the state of mind of the victim is clearly relevant to a material issue in the case.”);
State v. Wauneka, Utah Supr., 560 P.2d 1377, 1380  (1977) (“Pre-death hearsay statements of a victim in homicide
cases are generally admissible when the defendant claims self-defense . . . [or] where the defense is that the death
was accidental and that the victim was an aggressor.”); see also 2 McCormick on Evidence, supra, § 267 at 232
(“Also, such statements [describing the victim’s fear of the defendant] are admissible where the defense claims self-
defense, suicide, or accidental death because . . . the decedent’s fear helps to rebut aspects of the asserted defense.”)
(footnote omitted); 3 Federal Rules of Evidence Manual, supra, at 1660-61 (describing limitations on admission,
noting that the paradigm use of a victim’s statement of fear is to rebut a claim that the victim acted in a certain way).
- 75 -
that a victim’s statements of fear of the defendant could come in under 803(3)
“only . . . in rebuttal after evidence of accident, self-defense, suicide or extreme
emotional distress has been presented by the defense” is broadly in line with this
prevailing view.149
In State v. Wood, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld admission of
“statements made by [the victim] about her fear of Defendant and her desire to
end their relationship.”150  The rationale for admissibility was as follows:
The statements about [the victim’s] fear and desire to
end the relationship helped explain Defendant’s motive.
The disputed trial issues were Defendant’s motive and
mental 
state—whether 
Defendant 
acted 
with
premeditation or as a result of a sudden impulse.  The
prosecution theorized that Defendant was motivated by
anger or spite engendered by [the victim’s] termination
of the relationship.  [The victim’s] statements were
relevant because they showed her intent to end the
relationship, which in turn provided a plausible motive
for premeditated murder.  In addition, [the victim’s]
statements were also relevant to refute Defendant’s
assertion that he and [the victim] had secretly
maintained their relationship after July 4, 1989.151
                                   
149  State v. Porter, Del. Super., 587 A.2d 188, 193 (1990).  Alongside this Court’s Derrickson requirements, which
apply to state of mind hearsay generally, the Superior Court in Porter applied “additional admissibility requirements
. . . before hearsay evidence is to be admitted under D.R.E. 803(3) in a homicide prosecution.”  Id.
150  State v. Wood, Ariz. Supr., 881 P.2d 1158, 1167 (1994), cert. denied, 515 U.S. 1147 (1995).
151  Id. at 1167-68 (citations and footnotes omitted, emphasis in original).  In State v. Christensen, Ariz. Supr., 628
P.2d 580, 584 (1981), the Court had earlier held that “[a] victim’s state of mind is only relevant when identity or the
defense of accident, suicide or self-defense is raised.”  Wood distinguishes the prior holding in Christensen by
noting that Christensen “hold[s] merely that evidence of the victim’s fear of the defendant is not relevant to prove
the defendant’s conduct or identity. . . .  In the present case, by contrast, Defendant’s conduct and identity were
undisputed.”  Wood, 881 P.2d at 1167 (citation omitted).
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It thus appears that Wood did not key admission solely to rebuttal of the defense
case; rather, Wood recognizes the prosecution’s need to present evidence that is
material to the elements of its prima facie case.152
In a slightly different context, this Court has held that the State may
introduce evidence of the defendant’s prior bad acts in its case-in-chief only
where the evidence is independently relevant to an issue or fact that the State
must prove as part of its prima facie case.153  Before admitting the contested
evidence during the State’s case-in-chief, the trial court must determine whether
the evidence is sufficiently relevant to an element of the charged crime or
whether the evidence must be presented in rebuttal after the defense raises an
issue to which the evidence is relevant during its case-in-chief.
                                   
152  See also Arizona v. Fulminante, Ariz. Supr., 975 P.2d 75, 87-88 (1999) (“Even though Defendant did not claim
at the second trial that he and [the victim] had a good relationship, [the victim’s] dislike and fear of her stepfather
are relevant, although perhaps minimally, to the issue of motive, and admission of her statements of dislike and fear
were permitted under the rule.”) (emphasis added, footnote omitted) (citing Wood, 881 P.2d at 1167-68); Stoll v.
State, Fla. Supr., 762 So.2d 870, 874 (2000) (noting that “the victim-declarant’s state of mind may become an issue
in the case” where it is relevant to an element of the crime in dispute or where it rebuts an argument of accident,
self-defense, or suicide raised by the defendant); but cf. State v. Phillips, Supr. Ct. App. W.V., 461 S.E.2d 75, 91
(1995) (noting that the defendant had not opened the door to the admission of a murdered wife’s hearsay statement
of her fear of her husband, the defendant, in the prosecution’s case-in-chief because the defendant had not had an
opportunity to present evidence that the marriage was a happy one).
153  See Milligan v. State, Del. Supr., 761 A.2d 6, 8 (2000) (“While the defense did acknowledge that ‘late reporting’
would be made an issue in its case and would be mentioned in its opening, ‘late reporting’ bore no reasonable
relationship to an issue or ultimate fact to be proved in the State’s case-in-chief.”); Cobb v. State, Del. Supr., 765
A.2d 1252, 1254-55 (2001) (applying Milligan, 761 A.2d at 8); see also Gattis, 637 A.2d at 818 (“The court
correctly ruled that evidence of prior bad acts directed to the victim could be presented only in rebuttal if the
defendant testified concerning accident or lack of intent.”).
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Following the cases discussed above, we conclude that a victim’s
statements of fear of the defendant are admissible (1) during the State’s case-in-
chief to prove the State’s prima facie case or (2) during the State’s rebuttal case
to counter a defense theory that places the victim’s own actions squarely at
issue.154
Applying this rule to the present case, we find that testimony describing
Fahey’s state of mind was relevant to prove (1) that Fahey sought to end her
romantic involvement with Capano and (2) that Capano, as the spurned lover,
therefore had a motive to kill her.  Since this theory of admissibility is material to
a disputed element of the State’s prima facie case for first degree murder (that is,
intent and/or premeditation), the State could properly present this evidence in its
                                   
154 We note that some cases appear to depart from the rebuttal requirement, although with varying degrees of clarity
about the rationale for the departure.  In Clay v. Com., Va. App., 531 S.E.2d 623, 626-27 (2000) (en banc), aff’d,
Va. Supr., 546 S.E.2d 728 (2001), the court allowed admission of a victim’s statements of fear of the defendant
ostensibly to rebut the defendant’s story of an accident.  Citing Brown, the Clay court held that the evidence of fear
and deteriorating relationship was admissible because “logically, a deceased’s fear of an individual accused of
murder is inconsistent with a claim that the events in question culminating in the death were the result of ‘pure
chance.’”  Clay, 531 S.E.2d at 628.  As pointed out in the dissent, however, the accident story was simply that the
gun “just went off,” a story that does not implicate the victim’s state of mind in the direct sense contemplated by
Brown.  See id. at 534 (“[N]o act or conduct of the decedent was at issue.  Thus, the decedent’s state of mind had no
bearing on any issue to be decided by the jury.”) (Benton, J. dissenting) (joined by Elder, J.).  See also State v.
Garcia, S.C. Supr., 512 S.E.2d 507, 508 (1999) (admitting evidence of victim’s fear “because it tended to disprove
appellant’s contention the shooting was an accident; the victim’s fear suggests appellant may have intended the
shooting” although “Appellant offered no evidence at trial.”); State v. Alston, N.C. Supr., 461 S.E.2d 687, 704
(1995) (“Contrary to the defendant’s assertions, we have long declined to follow Brown’s strict rule.”), cert. denied,
516 U.S. 1148 (1996).
- 78 -
case-in-chief.155  Thus, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting
during the State’s case-in-chief hearsay evidence that was properly admitted
under the state of mind exception.
3.
Confrontation Clause Analysis of Hearsay Statements
Admitted under the State of Mind Exception
The next question is whether the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth
Amendment operates to bar admission of the hearsay statements by Fahey that
are admissible under the state of mind exception.156  The Confrontation Clause
provides defendants in criminal cases with the right to confront witnesses who
testify against them.157  Where hearsay statements by an unavailable declarant are
admitted into evidence, the accused has no opportunity to test the veracity of
those statements through cross-examination.158  Before the State may present
                                   
155  See Gattis, 637 A.2d at 818 (holding that “evidence of previous [marital] discord between the victim and the
defendant is clearly material to issues of motive and intent”); Donley, 878 F.2d at 737-38 (holding that evidence of
the victim’s plan was admissible to show that she acted in conformity with her plan) (citing Mutual Life Ins. Co. v.
Hillmon, 145 U.S. 285 (1892)); see also United States v. Hartmann, 7th Cir., 958 F.2d 774, 783 (1992) (finding no
plain error in admission of victim’s statements of fear of the defendant in order to support prosecution’s theory of
the case).
156  The hearsay testimony concerning Fahey’s beliefs about Capano and her memories of specific incidents
involving Capano is, as noted above, inadmissible under the state of mind exception.  We therefore assume that this
evidence does not meet the requirements of the Confrontation Clause.  We address in Subsection B whether the
admission of this evidence was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
157  See U.S. Const. Amend. VI, cl. 3.
158  See Maryland v. Craig, 497 U.S. 836, 845 (1990) (“The central concern of the Confrontation Clause is to ensure
the reliability of the evidence against a criminal defendant by subjecting it to rigorous testing in the context of an
adversary proceeding before the trier of fact.”); see also Lilly v. Virginia, 527 U.S. 116, 123-24 (1999) (plurality
opinion) (same).
- 79 -
hearsay statements against the accused in a criminal prosecution, the State159 must
therefore establish (1) that the hearsay was admitted under a “firmly rooted”
exception to the hearsay rule or (2) that the contested statements possess
“particularized guarantees of trustworthiness ‘such that adversarial testing would
be expected to add little, if anything, to the statements’ reliability.’”160
Where hearsay testimony is admitted pursuant to a “firmly rooted”
exception, it is not necessary to make a particularized assessment of the
statement’s reliability.161  To determine whether an exception to the hearsay rule
is “firmly rooted,” the Court must find that the statements admissible under the
exception are invariably trustworthy.  This finding depends in part on the
longevity and widespread acceptance of the hearsay exception by courts and
legislatures.162
                                   
159  See Lilly, 527 U.S. at 137 (observing that the burden is on the government to establish the statement’s
reliability).
160  Barrow v. State, Del. Supr., 749 A.2d 1230, 1244 (2000) (quoting Lilly, 527 U.S. at 125).
161  See Bourjaily v. United States, 483 U.S. 171, 183 (1987).
162  See Lilly, 527 U.S. at 126 (“[I]n light of ‘longstanding judicial and legislative experience,’ [the exception]
‘rest[s] [on] such [a] solid foundatio[n] that admission of virtually any evidence within [it] comports with the
substance of the constitutional protection.’”) (quoting Idaho v. Wright, 497 U.S. 805, 817 (1990) and Ohio v.
Roberts, 448 U.S. 56, 66 (1980)) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted); Bourjaily, 483 U.S. at 183.
- 80 -
Based on the longstanding judicial precedent establishing the propriety of
admitting statements under the state of mind exception,163 this Court declared the
state of mind exception, as defined in Derrickson, to be “firmly rooted” for
purposes of the Confrontation Clause.164  Following this established
jurisprudence, we find that D.R.E. 803(3) is a firmly rooted hearsay exception
under the Confrontation Clause.165  We therefore conclude that the admissible
hearsay testimony concerning Fahey’s emotional state is admissible under a
firmly rooted hearsay exception and satisfies the requirements of the
Confrontation Clause.
                                   
163  This exception was first discussed by the United States Supreme Court in Mutual Life Ins. Co. of New York v.
Hillmon, 145 U.S. 285, 295-97 (1892), and the exception first appeared in Delaware in 1923.  Furthermore, the state
of mind exception is recognized in at least forty-four states.  See Forrest v. State, Del. Supr., 721 A.2d 1271, 1277
(1999).
164  See Forrest, 721 A.2d at 1277; see also Derrickson v. State, Del. Supr., 321 A.2d 497, 503 (1974) (observing
that the state of mind exception is “a universally recognized exception to the hearsay rule”).  Although the victim’s
statements of fear of the defendant may be admitted only if relevant to the State’s prima facie case or if relevant to
rebut an affirmative defense, this limitation is concerned primarily with controlling the risk of improper inferences
about the defendant’s character—a concern that is not relevant to Confrontation Clause analysis.  In contrast, the
Derrickson requirements are expressly designed to ensure that the statements are sufficiently trustworthy to warrant
admission against a defendant in a criminal case.
165  Even if Fahey’s statements concerning her fear of Capano did not fall within a firmly rooted hearsay exception,
we find that the statements admissible under Rule 803(3) possess such “particularized guarantees of trustworthiness”
that their admission does not violate Capano’s rights under the Confrontation Clause.  See Lilly, 527 U.S. at 124-25;
Wright, 497 U.S. at 820-21 (holding that testimony must be shown to be so trustworthy that “adversarial testimony
would add little to its reliability”).  Fahey’s statements in her diary (stipulated as admissible) and her conversations
with her psychotherapists and friends were made under circumstances that tended to establish that they were candid
and made without a motive to fabricate.  See Wright, 497 U.S. at 821-22 (citing State v. Robinson, Ariz. Supr., 735
P.2d 801, 811 (1987) and State v. Kuone, Kan. Supr., 757 P.2d 289, 292-93 (1988)).
- 81 -
B.
Admission Under the State of Mind Exception of Fahey’s Statements
of Facts Remembered or Believed is Harmless Error
The hearsay testimony recounting Fahey’s statements is found in the
testimony of a number of witnesses.  These include a psychiatrist and several
psychologists166 and also several of Fahey’s friends.167  In addition, Fahey’s
emails to Capano were read to the jury,168 as were portions of Fahey’s diary,
which were read from the stand by Fahey’s sister, Kathleen Fahey-Hosey.
As we have found, certain of the statements made by Fahey to her friends
should not have been admitted under the state of mind exception because they
recounted facts remembered or believed.  Similarly, analyzed under the state of
mind exception of D.R.E. 803(3), certain of the statements made to the
psychotherapists are inadmissible for the same reason.  We conclude that,
whether or not the statements to the psychotherapists are admissible under
D.R.E. 803(4),169 the admission of these statements, together with the
inadmissible hearsay statements made to the friends, constitutes harmless error
because these statements are cumulative of statements admitted under stipulation.
                                   
166  Dr. Neil S. Kaye, M.D., Gary Johnson, Ph.D., and Michelle Sullivan, Ph.D.
167 Jill Morrison, Siobhan Sullivan, Jennifer Bartels-Houghton, Virginia Columbus, and Kimberly Lynch-
Horstmann.
168  The most significant of these for the purposes of this appeal were read from the stand by Dr. Kaye.
169  As explained in Subsection C below, we have concluded that the statements to psychotherapists are admissible
on a separate basis through the medical diagnosis or treatment exception of 803(4).
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The following harmless error analysis therefore assumes that the statements made
to psychotherapists should not have been admitted to the extent they contain facts
remembered or believed.170
Capano focuses on four categories of inadmissible evidence that were each
presented through the testimony of one or more of the witnesses listed above:  (1)
the “gift incident” testimony that Fahey said Capano broke into her apartment at
night and took back gifts that he had previously given her; (2) references to
Capano “stalking” Fahey; (3) a discussion of Fahey’s fear of being kidnapped by
Capano; and (4) the “garage incident,” in which Capano locked Fahey in a
garage for several hours while they argued.171
We agree that, standing alone, the hearsay testimony about these factual
incidents is a fact remembered or believed and is outside the Rule 803(3)
exception.  But, crucially, some of Fahey’s hearsay statements were also
presented through testimony to which Capano stipulated.  Specifically, Capano
stipulated to the admission of three sets of evidence:  (1) Fahey’s diary, (2)
emails between Capano and Fahey, and (3) the testimony of Kim Lynch-
                                   
170 Under our alternative holding that the statements to psychotherapists are admissible, the remaining erroneously
admitted hearsay testimony of the friends would clearly be negligible in comparison with the stipulated testimony
and the psychotherapists’ testimony relating the same information.
171 See Tr. of Oral Argument, 6/13/01 at 3-7 (“[T]he evidence at issue in this matter falls into four principal
categories.”).
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Horstmann.172   Of course, the admission of this evidence is not an issue in this
appeal, but the effect of the admission of this evidence by stipulation is critical to
our harmless error analysis.
The issue is whether the erroneous admission of the four categories of
evidence was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.173  We must determine
whether the State “has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the error
complained of did not contribute to the verdict obtained.”174  The State argues
that the erroneously admitted evidence is similar to the evidence admitted
pursuant to stipulation, and thus is not prejudicial.  Capano argues that the four
categories of evidence at issue add new and damaging detail and thus are not
cumulative of the subject matter of the stipulated evidence.
                                   
172  The parties do not dispute that this evidence was stipulated at trial.  See Tr. of Oral Argument, 6/13/01 at 11;
Appellant’s Reply Supplemental Memorandum at 11.
173  See Dowling v. United States, 493 U.S. 342, 353-53 (1990) (asserting that improper admission of evidence
violates due process if it “violates those ‘fundamental conceptions of justice which lie at the base of our civil and
political institutions’”) (citations omitted); Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24 (1967) (“[B]efore a federal
constitutional error can be held harmless, the court must be able to declare a belief that it was harmless beyond a
reasonable doubt.”)  The erroneous admission of hearsay statements by an unavailable declarant against Capano
clearly implicates his right to confront his accusers under the Confrontation Clause.  Therefore the constitutional
harmless error standard applies. See Barrow v. State, Del. Supr., 749 A.2d 1230, 1245 (2000); Nelson v. State, Del.
Supr., 628 A.2d 69, 77 (1993) (“Alternatively, when the evidentiary error is of a constitutional magnitude, the
convictions may be sustained if the error is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.”) (citation and internal quotation
omitted); Smith v. State, Del. Supr., 647 A.2d 1083, 1090-91 (1994) (same) (citing Chapman v. California, 386 U.S.
18, 24 (1967)); see also id. at 1091 (“Upon a finding that a defendant's constitutional rights were violated, a
reviewing court must ‘weigh the significance of the error against the strength of the untainted evidence of guilt to
determine whether the error may have affected the judgment.’”) (quoting Van Arsdall v. State, Del. Supr., 524 A.2d
3, 11 (1987)).
174  Jackson v. State, Del. Supr., 643 A.2d 1360, 1377 (1994) (quoting Satterwhite v. Texas, 108 S.Ct. 1792, 1798
(1988)).
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Specifically, Capano argues that this evidence was “grossly prejudicial,”
that the State had a weak case based on circumstantial evidence, and that “to fill
the void, the prosecution relied on Fahey’s extrajudicial statements that Capano
was stalking her and was violently jealous. . . .”  Capano supports this view by
contending that in closing argument the prosecutor emphasized the theme of
Capano being “controlling and manipulative.”  Capano also argues that the
statements were especially prejudicial because they came from a sympathetic
victim.
We have concluded that the admission of the testimony was harmless
beyond a reasonable doubt because it is cumulative of the stipulated testimony
and therefore had minimal prejudicial impact.175  We begin by examining the
substance of the stipulated testimony.176
In her last diary entry, Fahey called Capano a “controlling, manipulative,
insecure, jealous maniac.”177  In another entry, Fahey described Capano as
“cold” and “disinterested,” stating that he “called and was nasty,” that he
                                   
175  See Dowling, 493 U.S. at 353-53; Chapman, 386 U.S. at 24 (describing harmless error analysis for federal
constitutional errors).   See United States v. Johnson, 7th Cir., 127 F.3d 625, 631 (1997) (“Because of its limited (or
nonexistent) prejudicial effect on the defendant, the admission of hearsay constitutes harmless error when it is
cumulative to other testimony already presented.”) (citing United States v. Brown, 7th Cir., 31 F.3d 484, 491
(1994)); Keith v. State, Del. Supr., No. 303, 2000, 2001 WL 433455, Berger, J. (April 25, 2001) (ORDER), Order at
¶ 6 (“The testimony was also cumulative of other, non-hearsay testimony, rendering any error harmless in any
case.”).
176  The diary, the emails, and the Lynch-Horstmann testimony.
177  Tr. of 10/28/98, at 155-56.
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“raised his voice at me” and was “furious with me.”178  Fahey wrote: “I was
afraid he would fly off the handle again.”179  Lengthy stipulated testimony from
Lynch-Horstmann added to this depiction of Capano.  Through Lynch-
Horstmann’s testimony, the jury heard that Fahey viewed Capano as “angry” and
“obsessive.”180  According to Lynch-Horstmann, Fahey “felt she had to escape.
She was very aware that the obsessiveness of it was weighing very heavily on her
shoulders.  And sometimes she said I feel like I have to move out of the state to
get away from him.”181
Importantly, the stipulated testimony also described several specific
incidents between Capano and Fahey, adding considerable detail to this picture of
a “controlling, manipulative, insecure, jealous maniac.”  For instance, in an
email message to Capano, Fahey wrote:  “Tommy, you scared me this weekend,
starting with Friday and all the calls you placed.  It really freaks me out when
you call every half hour. . . .”182  Lynch-Horstmann’s testimony related
numerous specific incidents centering on these themes.  She testified:
                                   
178  Id. at 152-54.
179  Id.
180  Tr. of 11/6/98, at 97.
181  Id. at 100.
182  Tr. of 10/27/98, at 115-16.
- 86 -
There was an event in Delaware that Annie was very
excited about going to with Michael called—I think it
was the Grand Gala.  And Tom had threatened her that
he was going to be there, and she was very afraid that
he was going to expose their relationship at this event.183
Other testimony given by Lynch-Horstmann focused on Capano’s
manipulation of Fahey and the volatility of their relationship.  For example, she
related that Fahey told her that Capano humiliated Fahey by talking about their
affair to a priest at a church Fahey attended, causing her to stop attending that
church.184  Lynch-Horstmann also testified that according to Fahey, Capano
would “attack [Fahey’s] insecurities and refer to her as white trash” and tell her
“that she should be lucky that he’s even going out with her because of who he is
and what he could buy and where she came from.”185  She testified that Capano
was giving Fahey “a hard time” about staying at the shore in a house where other
men would be staying.  According to her testimony, Fahey “called me . . . to say
. . . that Capano had just left and they had had a huge fight because he did not
                                   
183  Tr. of 11/6/98, at 106-07.
184  Id.
185  Id. at 103.
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want her going to the shore. . . . [T]his fight ensued and she was too exhausted
to make this trip to the shore.”186
We must examine the non-stipulated, erroneously admitted hearsay
testimony in light of this extensive stipulated testimony reflecting on themes of
fear, harassment, obsession, and control.  Turning to the first of the four
categories of evidence not admitted pursuant to stipulation, Capano focuses on
the prejudicial effect of what is known as “the gift incident,” which Capano
refers to as an “especially noteworthy” instance of prejudicial evidence.
According to Dr. Johnson, Capano came “to [Fahey’s] apartment quite late at
night . . . bolted the door shut and kept her inside for, my recollection was, three
or four hours during which time he yelled at her, threatened to expose their
relationship.”187  Capano then “took many of the gifts that he had given her out
of the apartment and then eventually returned them.”188  Dr. Sullivan gave a
similar account of this incident as reported to her by Fahey.  She added that
Fahey told her that she was too “frozen” to call for help, and that Capano
                                   
186  Id. at 92-93.  Lynch-Horstmann also related another instance of fighting, one that occurred on a trip to an
expensive resort at the end of their relationship, which was apparently a “disaster” because of the fighting.  Id. at
212.  We assume from the overall context of the record that these “fights” were verbal and not physical.
187  Tr. of 10/29/98, at 16.
188  Id.
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“grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall.”189  Jill Morrison, another of
Fahey’s friends, testified that one night “he came up the fire escape and they had
a fight and he took back the gifts.”190
This testimony is largely cumulative of the stipulated testimony described
above.  The incident itself was introduced by stipulation through Lynch-
Horstmann’s testimony.  She testified that Capano “tried to remove all of the
gifts that he had given Annie from her apartment because he didn’t want another
man watching the TV that he had given her, the clothes—seeing Annie wear the
clothes that he had given her, so he removed a lot of those things from her
apartment.”191  Thus the jury knew that he had come in and taken away the gifts
he had given to her.
Capano argues that the psychologist testimony regarding the gift incident is
significantly more damaging than the stipulated testimony because it depicts
Capano acting violently—breaking into the apartment, grabbing Fahey’s arm and
pushing her.  This argument calls for a degree of parsing that is not realistic in
view of the extensive amount of similar, stipulated testimony.  The incident
depicts Capano as controlling, angry, and ultimately menacing.  As explained
                                   
189  Tr. of 10/29/98, at 45.
190  Tr. of 11/4/98, at 60-61.
191  Tr. of 11/6/98, at 97-98.
- 89 -
above, this is just what the jury had heard through Fahey’s diary entries, the
emails, and Lynch-Horstmann.  The jury had heard that Fahey was literally
“scared” of Capano—“afraid he would fly off the handle again”—and had also
heard about several specific fights.  Capano’s argument that the “gift incident”
testimony truly stands out from the numerous other accounts of his relationship
with Fahey is not convincing.
The three other categories of evidence at issue also carry minimal risk of
prejudice because they are cumulative of the stipulated testimony.  The first of
these is “stalking” testimony.  This category includes the testimony of Siobhan
Sullivan that Fahey said of Capano, “He’s fucking stalking me.”192  It also
includes testimony from Fahey’s doctors.  For example, Dr. Kaye testified that
“if [Capano] was stalking her, sending her too many emails, parking his car in
front of her home and she would notice it, not want him there, then you would
expect to see . . . flare-ups in the eating disorder.”193  Capano would show up
unexpectedly, so that she would fear him “appearing at times where she wasn’t
                                   
192  Tr. of 11/4/98, at 161.
193  Tr. of 10/27/98, at 41.
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ready to greet him in a public place.”194  He would also come “over to the house
uninvited, wanting to get in, making a scene such that he was allowed in.”195
The stalking testimony, exemplified by the above excerpts, is also
cumulative of the stipulated testimony.  Apart from the characterization of
Capano’s actions, i.e., apart from the use of the word “stalking” to describe
them, this testimony simply paints the same picture of obsession that was testified
to by Lynch-Horstmann.  The following excerpt from her stipulated testimony
suffices to make the point:
He would e-mail her at work all the time, and they were
kind of obsessive e-mails. . . . [Capano] [w]ould be
upset that she wouldn’t see him or wouldn’t talk to him.
At one point he threatened to commit suicide because he
said he couldn’t live without her.  So there was a lot of
pressure on Annie because he was saying—there was a
lot of pressure on Annie.  He was saying I left my wife
so we could be together.  So there was a lot about the e-
mails.”196
                                   
194  Tr. of 11/2/98, at 24 (Dr. Sullivan).
195  Tr. of 10/29/98, at 32  (Dr. Sullivan).
196  Tr. of 11/6/98, at 98.  Similarly, she testified:
Well, it was right around that time, in September, I believe, that he did leave his
wife, so he was very angry that she did not want to see him anymore at that
point in time.  So it was—she was struggling because he was very angry, and
saying that he left his wife and now it was their time to be together, and he was
pretty obsessive at that point.
Id. at 92-93.  Capano’s threatened appearance at the Grand Gala, discussed above, is of a similar nature.
- 91 -
As noted above, Fahey’s email to Capano also reflected this theme of obsession,
stating, “Tommy, you scared me this weekend, starting with Friday and all the
calls you placed.  It really freaks me out when you call every half hour. . . .”
The next category of evidence Capano focuses on is Dr. Sullivan’s
statement that Fahey told her “she was very concerned about getting kidnapped”
and she thought that it was Capano who might kidnap her.197  Again, in light of
the stipulated testimony, the vague and isolated discussion of kidnapping is
essentially cumulative and harmless.  Through Fahey’s diary, the emails, and
Lynch-Horstmann’s testimony, the jury heard repeated testimony to the effect
that Fahey was genuinely frightened of Capano.  Moreover, this brief testimony
appears to have been coaxed out of Fahey by Dr. Sullivan, who encouraged
Fahey to muse about her fears, in a way that lessens the likelihood of prejudicial
impact.198
                                   
197 Tr. of 10/29/98, at 36.
198 Dr. Sullivan testified:
Q:  [D]o you recall a time when she started to speak with you about a fear of
violence from Mr. Capano at any time?
Dr. Sullivan:  What she did [say] was she [was] very concerned about getting
kidnapped.
Q:  And what did she tell you about getting kidnapped?
Dr. Sullivan:  Well, she—she and her friend had been talking about this vaguely,
and she came into the office and said, so and so said, gosh, I could get
kidnapped, what do you think, Michele?  And I said, What is this about, and she
said, Well, my friend thinks that somebody could kidnap me.  And I said, Well,
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The final category of evidence involves the “garage incident” testified to
by Morrison:
“Yes, she told me of an incident where he had picked
her up and took her back to his house into the garage
and locked the doors and would not let her out of the
garage while they argued and he made attempts to keep
the relationship together.  This was extremely
frightening to Anne Marie because she had a fear of
being locked in small dark places, and it was very
upsetting for her.”199
Again, this testimony is akin to the stipulated testimony.  Fahey’s diary,
the emails, and Lynch-Horstmann’s testimony portrayed Capano as a
“controlling, manipulative, insecure, jealous maniac.”  The garage incident
simply portrays the type of harassing behavior that permeated the stipulated
testimony, such as “call[ing] and leav[ing] maybe 15 messages on her answering
machine in a two-hour period of time, [and telling her] that she had to talk to
him, why wasn’t she calling him back, that he needed to talk to her.”200  The
stipulated testimony also makes several significant and detailed references to
                                                                                                                  
talk to me more about what this is about.  I became extremely distressed and she
said, Oh, I don’t know, somebody could just take me away or something, and I
said, Who would do this, and she said, Well, probably a third party.  And I said,
Well, what do you mean, that somebody would hire a third party?  She said,
Yeah.  Who would do that?  Mr. Capano.  And I said, Well, is there anybody
else that might do that, and she thought for a long while and said maybe a
boyfriend of three or four years ago.  Id. at 36-37.
199  Tr. of 11/4/98, at 62.
200  Tr. of 11/6/98, at 97-98 (Lynch-Horstmann).
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“furious” and “exhaust[ing]” fighting.201  The additional detail of Fahey being
locked in the garage with Capano cannot have affected the outcome of Capano’s
trial.  The garage incident, as well as the other evidence discussed above, is
essentially cumulative and therefore harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
Finally, we note that the limiting instructions issued by the trial court
reduced the risk that any of this testimony would be a basis for inferring
Capano’s guilt.202
We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted under the state of
mind exception hearsay testimony from Fahey’s psychotherapists and friends
concerning specific incidents and beliefs described by Fahey. But, in view of the
extensive and damaging hearsay evidence to which Capano stipulated at trial, we
                                   
201  Tr. of 10/28/98, at 152-54; Tr. of 11/6/98, at 92-93.
202  Following Dr. Kaye’s testimony, the trial court instructed the jury that:
The purpose of this evidence is to examine the mental state, the emotional state
of Anne Marie Fahey, and you are not—it in no way reflects as evidence of any
actions or any state of mind on behalf of the defendant.  This deals solely with
Miss Fahey, not with Mr. Capano.
Tr. of 10/27/98, at 136.  In connection with Jill Morrison’s testimony, the court also instructed the jury that evidence
of particular incidents involving harassing conduct:
is offered or may be considered by you solely for the purpose of determining the
state of mind of Miss Fahey at or about the time when the alleged acts occurred.
You may not consider the evidence as proof that the defendant is a bad person,
and therefore, probably committed the offense with which he is charged.
Tr.  of 11/4/98, at 23-24.
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conclude that the erroneously admitted evidence was largely cumulative and that
the trial court’s error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.203
C.  Admissibility of Fahey’s Statements to Her Psychotherapists Under
D.R.E. 803(4)
We now turn to the issue concerning whether the medical diagnosis
exception in D.R.E. 803(4) applies to statements made for purposes of
psychotherapy—as distinct from statements made for purposes of diagnosing
physical ailments.  Specifically, Capano argues that the trial court erroneously
admitted testimony from Fahey’s psychotherapists recounting her statements to
them during the course of Fahey’s therapy.  The State responds that the
exception, by its terms, applies to statements made by a patient to licensed
psychiatrists and psychologists during therapy.
As an alternative holding, we conclude that Fahey’s statements to her
psychotherapists are admissible independently under the medical diagnosis or
treatment exception set forth in D.R.E. 803(4).204
                                   
203  See Dowling, 493 U.S. at 353-53; Chapman, 386 U.S. at 24 (describing harmless error analysis for federal
constitutional errors).
204  This holding is alternative in the sense that, even if we did not reach the question of admissibility under Rule
803(4), we have already concluded in Subsection B that the trial court’s decision to admit Fahey’s statements of
memory or belief under Rule 803(3) was harmless error.
- 95 -
1.
Application of the Medical Diagnosis Exception
Rule 803(4) provides:
(4) Statements for purposes of medical diagnosis or
treatment.  Statements made for purposes of medical
diagnosis or treatment and describing medical history,
or past or present symptoms or sensations, or the
inception or general character of the cause or external
causes thereof insofar as reasonably pertinent to
diagnosis or treatment.
Relying on the broad language of Rule 803(4), which neither specifies the type of
person to whom a patient must make the statements nor explicitly restricts
application of the exception to physical symptoms or ailments, the State argues
that D.R.E. 803(4) applies to psychotherapists.
Capano argues, among other things, that such a broad reading of the
exception renders meaningless the requirement that the statement be “reasonably
pertinent to diagnosis or treatment” because nearly everything that a person has
experienced, including statements of fault, is relevant to psychoanalysis.  Capano
also argues that in treating patients, psychotherapists do not depend on the
“objective” truth of the statements made by the patients (that is, the correlation
between the content of the statements and some notion of objective reality), or
even on the sincerity with which the statements are made.  To ensure that the
medical diagnosis exception imposes a meaningful limitation on the types of
- 96 -
hearsay statements that would be admissible at trial, Capano contends that the
exception should apply only to statements relevant to the diagnosis and treatment
of physical ailments.205
The State counters that statements made during therapy are likely to be
highly reliable because patients have a strong motivation to be truthful in
communicating with psychotherapists to ensure an accurate diagnosis and
appropriate treatment.  To the extent that unfairly prejudicial testimony may
become admissible under a broad reading of the exception, the State maintains
that such testimony may be excluded under the Rule 403 balancing test.
This argument presents us with an issue of first impression.  We have
concluded that the better-reasoned view is that statements to either a psychiatrist
(a medical doctor specializing and certified in psychodiagnosis or psychotherapy)
and a psychologist (a trained and certified professional—not a medical doctor—
who specializes in psychodiagnosis or psychotherapy) may be admissible under
D.R.E. 803(4).
                                   
205  See, e.g., State v. Zimmerman, Idaho Supr., 829 P.2d 861, 864 (1992) (“A psychologist does not provide
‘medical’ treatment as contemplated by the rule.”); People v. LaLone, Mich. Supr., 437 N.W.2d 611, 612-13 (1989)
(holding that psychotherapists’ testimony does not fall within medical diagnosis exception because “statements
made in the course of the treatment of psychological disorders may not always be as reliable as those made in the
course of the treatment of physical disorders” and because psychological ailments are difficult to verify); State v.
Barone, Tenn. Supr., 852 S.W.2d 216, 220 (1993) (same); Hall v. State, Miss. Supr., 539 So.2d 1338, 1342 n.8
(1989) (refusing to extend exception “beyond the diagnosis and treatment of matters medical”) (superseded by
amendment to Mississippi Rule 803(4) as noted in Hall v. State, Miss. Supr., 611 So.2d 915, 921-22 (1993)).
- 97 -
We do not declare a general view that such statements will always—or
even usually—be admissible.  But if a firm foundation with respect to the
qualifications of a psychotherapist and the proper professional circumstances is
established, statements made to that professional by a patient voluntarily
submitting to diagnosis or undergoing mental health treatment may, in the
discretion of the trial court, be admissible in a given case.  While in some cases
statements of the patient made to the professional in the course of
psychodiagnosis or psychotherapy may be unreliable, inappropriately far-ranging,
or unduly prejudicial, they are not necessarily so.
To establish the appropriate foundation, the proponent must show that the
statements satisfy the two-part reliability test first developed in United States v.
Iron Shell.206  First, the declarant’s motive in making the statement must be
consistent with the purpose of promoting treatment, and the declarant must be
aware that the diagnosis and treatment of her ailment depend on the accuracy of
her statements.207  Second, doctors must reasonably rely on this sort of
information in diagnosis or treatment.208  Finally, the trial judge must conduct a
                                   
206  8th Cir., 633 F.2d 77, 83-84 (1980) (applying F.R.E. 803(4) to admit doctor’s testimony concerning the victim’s
statements in a child rape case); see also United States v. Renville, 8th Cir., 779 F.2d 430, 436 (1985).
207  See Iron Shell, 633 F.2d at 83-84 (“[The exception] relies upon the patient’s strong motive to tell the truth
because diagnosis or treatment will depend in part upon what the patient says.”).
208  See id. (citing F.R.E. 703).
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proper D.R.E. 403 analysis and determine that the probative value is not
substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.
These safeguards must be employed by the trial judge to ensure that
admission of psychotherapist testimony is consistent with the rationale underlying
the medical diagnosis exception: “[A] person seeking medical treatment is
unlikely to lie to a doctor she wants to treat her, since it is in her best interest to
tell the truth.”209  Limiting hearsay testimony in this manner also assures that
psychotherapists’ testimony about their patients is not used to circumvent the rule
against hearsay.210
Thus, where the patient’s statements and the circumstances demonstrate
reliable guarantees of trustworthiness we find no supportable reason why there
should be a blanket exclusion of statements made to psychotherapists as
                                   
209  Ring v. Erickson, 8th Cir., 983 F.2d 818, 820 (1993); see also State v. Robinson, Ariz. Supr., 735 P.2d 801, 809
(1987) (admitting testimony of psychologist under Iron Shell test); State v. Altgilbers, N.M. App., 786 P.2d 680, 686
(1990) (same); Felix v. State, Nev. Supr., 849 P.2d 220, 249-50 (1993) (“In proffering statements made to
psychiatrists or psychologists for the purpose of medical treatment or diagnosis, the proponent of the evidence must
show, directly or indirectly, and the trial court must satisfy itself, that the patient understood the need to speak
truthfully and that the statements were reasonably necessary for the treatment or diagnosis of the patient.”).
210  Capano suggests that admission of hearsay testimony from psychologists will permit psychologists to testify
with impunity in place of their patients.  This fear is misplaced for three reasons:  (1) to be admissible, the testimony
must be relevant and not unfairly prejudicial under D.R.E. 401, 402, and 403; (2) the testimony must relate to the
psychological treatment and must satisfy the two-part reliability test; and (3) opposing counsel may cross-examine
the psychotherapists on the purpose of the diagnosis (that is, whether the goal of the diagnosis was treatment or
preparation for litigation).
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compared to the general acceptance of statements made to doctors or medical
paraprofessionals for physical ailments.211
In this case, we find that the trial judge properly exercised his discretion
under circumstances consistent with our holding.  The qualifications of Dr. Neil
Kaye, M.D., Dr. Michelle Sullivan, and Dr. Gary Johnson, the psychotherapists,
were established.  The professional circumstances of Fahey’s diagnosis or
treatment were appropriate:  There is no evidence that Fahey had an improper
motive in seeking help from the psychotherapists or that she believed that the
success of her treatment was unrelated to the accuracy of her statements.
In addition, Dr. Kaye testified that, in diagnosing and treating patients,
psychotherapists necessarily rely on the patients’ statements about their
relationships in treating their psychological ailments.212  Although Capano asserts
that Fahey’s ailments themselves (such as depression, anxiety, compulsive
                                   
211  See, e.g., United States v. Newman, 7th Cir., 965 F.2d 206, 210 (1992) (“The rationale [of F.R.E. 803(4)] applies
as forcefully to a clinical psychologist as to a physician, and warrants us in reading ‘medical’ broadly.”); Morgan v.
Foretich, 4th Cir., 846 F.2d 941, 949 n.17 (1988) (same); State v. Nelson, Wis. Supr., 406 N.W.2d 385, 390 (1987)
(same); United States v. Balfany, 8th Cir., 965 F.2d 575, (1992) (“[S]tatements about abuse . . . made by a child to a
trained social worker or psychologist pursuant to diagnosis or treatment for emotional or psychological injuries are
admissible under Rule 803(4).”); State v. Hildreth, Iowa Supr., 582 N.W.2d 167, 169 (1998) (“We agree that
statements made to a social worker in connection with diagnosis or treatment of emotional trauma may fall within
the purview of rule 803(4) if the social worker is sufficiently qualified by training and experience to provide that
diagnosis and treatment.”); cf. State v. Cephas, Del. Supr., 637 A.2d 20, 25 (1994) (holding that job-related mental
injuries are equally compensable as physical injuries under the Delaware Workmens’ Compensation Act; stating,
“[a]lthough the cause and existence of a mental infirmity may be more difficult to establish than its physical
counterpart, a clearly proven mental injury should be accorded equal treatment under the Act”).
212  Tr. of 10/27/98, at 29.
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obsessive disorder, and anorexia) undermine the truthfulness of her statements in
therapy, Capano fails to show how these disorders might have actually affected
her ability to represent accurately her thoughts and feelings.213  Similarly, Capano
argues that Fahey often failed to disclose the full details of her life to her
therapists.  But Capano provides no reason to question the reliability of the
statements and disclosures that Fahey did make during the course of her therapy.
Fahey had a motive to be truthful and candid.  There is no reasonable
basis, therefore, to conclude that her statements were contrived or so far-ranging
as to be irrelevant to her treatment or otherwise problematic.  Moreover, the trial
judge conducted a proper D.R.E. 403 balancing test and concluded that the
probative value of the psychotherapists’ testimony was not substantially
outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.214
Finally, it should be noted that the D.R.E. 803(4) exception for medical
diagnosis or treatment does not contain the same limitation as the state of mind
exception under D.R.E. 803(3) regarding a fact remembered or believed.
Accordingly, to the extent that the psychotherapists’ testimony regarding Fahey’s
                                   
213  In some cases, a patient’s lies are as helpful to her treatment as her truthful statements.  See People v. LaLone,
Mich. Supr., 437 N.W.2d 611, 612-13 (1989); 3 Federal Rules of Evidence Manual, supra, at 1666 (“But while a
doctor relies only on reliable information to treat a patient for physical ailments, a psychiatrist relies on all
information, truthful and untruthful, to treat the patient.”).  There is no evidence that this concern applies to the
present case.
214  Tr. of 10/26/98, at 24-29; 11/2/98 at 5, 181.
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statements included facts remembered or believed, they are not barred under
D.R.E. 803(4).  Therefore, they are either admissible under this alternative basis
or constitute harmless error under the analysis previously set forth in this
Opinion.
2.
Confrontation Clause Analysis of Statements Admitted
Under the Medical Diagnosis Exception
Although the medical diagnosis or treatment exception of D.R.E. 803(4)
has been recognized in its generic form as “firmly rooted” for purposes of the
Confrontation Clause,215 the exception has not historically been extended to
psychotherapists in Delaware.  Capano therefore argues that the medical
diagnosis exception is not “firmly rooted” as applied to psychotherapists. But we
need not reach that issue because the alternative ground of “particularized
guarantees of trustworthiness” under the Confrontation Clause jurisprudence is
applicable here.
As noted above, the plurality opinion in Lilly holds that the Confrontation
Clause may be satisfied if the proponent of the evidence carries its burden of
showing that the contested statements possess “‘particularized guarantees of
trustworthiness’ such that adversarial testing would be expected to add little, if
                                   
215  See White v. Illinois, 112 S.Ct. 736, 743 n.8 (1992) (medical diagnosis exception); Forrest v. State, Del. Supr.,
721 A.2d 1271, 1274 (1999) (state of mind exception).
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anything, to the statement’s reliability.”216  Reliance on this prong of the
Confrontation Clause requires a showing that the “declarant’s truthfulness is so
clear from the surrounding circumstances that the test of cross-examination would
be of marginal utility.”217
In this regard, we believe that it is particularly important that the
statements satisfy the general requirements for admissibility established in
Derrickson.  Derrickson, which applies to the state of mind exception, requires
“that the statement(s): i) must be relevant and material; ii) must relate to an
existing state of mind when made; iii) must be made in a natural manner; iv)
must be made under circumstances dispelling suspicion; and v) must contain no
suggestion of sinister motives.”218
In the present case, Fahey made the statements to her psychotherapists in a
natural manner during therapy sessions and—at least for the most part—did not
                                   
216  Lilly, 527 U.S. at 125.  This inquiry is known as the “residual trustworthiness test.”  Id. at 136.  Compare D.R.E.
803(24) (authorizing admission of a statement not specifically covered by the enumerated exceptions but having
equivalent circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness, if the court determines its materiality, that it is more
probative than certain other evidence, that the interests of justice are best served by admitting the evidence, and the
proponent gives advance notice.).  We need not address the specific applicability of D.R.E. 803(24) to this case.
217  Wright, 497 U.S. at 820; see also id. at 820 (holding that a determination that a statement possesses
“particularized guarantees of trustworthiness” requires an examination of the circumstances “that surround the
making of the statement and that render the declarant particularly worthy of belief.”).  Courts have significant
leeway in determining the factors that provide the indicia of reliability necessary for hearsay testimony to satisfy the
Confrontation Clause.  See id..  Essentially, the State must demonstrate that the statements are as reliable as those
admitted pursuant to a “firmly rooted” exception.  See id. at 821.
218  Forrest, 721 A.2d at 1276.
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make the statements in response to questioning.  In addition, there is nothing to
indicate that Fahey made the statements under suspicious circumstances or in a
manner suggesting that she had sinister motives.  Rather, it appears that Fahey
was expressing her concerns and fears regarding her relationship with Capano to
those persons in whom she regularly confided.  This conclusion finds further
support in the “spontaneity and consistent repetition” of the statements.219  Fahey
made nearly identical statements concerning her intentions and her emotional
state to a number of her psychotherapists and friends.  In short, the nature of
Fahey’s statements, the manner in which they were communicated, and the
persons to whom the statements were directed collectively establish that Fahey
was speaking candidly.  We therefore conclude that the admissible hearsay
testimony presented by Fahey’s psychotherapists possesses “indicia of reliability”
and “guarantees of trustworthiness” sufficient to satisfy the Confrontation
Clause.  Thus the D.R.E. 803(4) exception as applied here satisfies the
Confrontation Clause.
Finally, our decision to affirm the trial judge’s decision in admitting the
hearsay evidence is independently supported under the state of mind exception of
                                   
219  The United States Supreme Court has observed that “spontaneity and consistent repetition” and a “lack of motive
to fabricate” are appropriate factors to consider in determining whether a statement possesses “particularized
guarantees of trustworthiness.” See id. at  821-22 (citing State v. Robinson, Ariz. Supr., 735 P.2d 801, 811 (1987)
and State v. Kuone, Kan. Supr., 757 P.2d 289, 292-93 (1988)).
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D.R.E. 803(3) and the harmless error analysis, whether or not the
psychotherapists’ testimony is also independently admissible under D.R.E.
804(3).  These conclusions apply both for Delaware evidentiary law purposes and
for purposes of the federal Confrontation Clause analysis.
V.
Lesser Included Offenses
Capano requested that the trial judge instruct the jury on the following
lesser included offenses to the charge of first degree murder:  second degree
murder, manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide.220  This request was
made on two grounds.  First, that there was evidence refuting the State’s theory
of intentional killing; and second, that Capano’s testimony that Fahey was shot
accidentally would support a verdict based on reckless or negligent homicide.
The trial court denied the request, stating that “the State’s theory produces some
evidence of intent, but there isn’t any evidence of recklessness or negligence in
this particular case.”221  Addressing Capano’s accident defense, the trial court
further stated that it also failed to provide a basis for a theory of reckless or
negligent killing by Capano.222
                                   
220  Tr. of 1/11/99, at 201.
221  Tr. of 1/11/99, at 207.
222  Id.
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Murder in the second degree is defined as “recklessly caus[ing] the death
of another person under circumstances which manifest a cruel, wicked and
depraved indifference to human life.”223  Manslaughter is defined as “recklessly
caus[ing] the death of another person.”224  A person is also guilty of
manslaughter when the person “intentionally causes the death of another person
under circumstances which do not constitute murder because the person acts
under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance.”225  Criminally negligent
homicide is defined as causing, “with criminal negligence, . . . the death of
another person.”226
In reviewing Capano’s claim that he was entitled to a jury instruction on
any of these lesser included offenses, the statute and the case law require that we
determine whether “there is a rational basis in the evidence for a verdict
acquitting the defendant of the offense charged and convicting the defendant of
the included offense.”227  We review de novo Capano’s claim that there was a
                                   
223  11 Del. C. § 635; see also 11 Del. C. § 231(c)(defining recklessness).
224  11 Del. C. § 632(1).
225  11 Del. C. § 632(3).
226  11 Del. C. § 631; see also 11 Del. C. § 2321(d) (defining criminal negligence).
227  Zebroski v. State, Del. Supr., 715 A.2d 75, 82 (1998) (quoting 11 Del. C. § 206(c)).
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rational basis for the requested instructions.228  We have concluded that there is
no rational basis in the evidence to support a charge on any of the lesser included
offenses advanced by Capano.
A.
Contentions of the Parties
Capano’s argument in support of the first ground (that he was entitled to an
instruction on the lesser included offenses because there was evidence tending to
refute an intentional killing) is that “[a] jury, looking at all the evidence, could
have decided that Capano and Fahey went out to dinner on Thursday night, June
27th, just as they usually did, and that, later that night, a sudden and spontaneous
incident, for example, an argument that raged out of control, resulted in Fahey’s
death, but that her death was not intended and certainly not planned.”  The
premise of this argument is that there was some evidence of an “argument that
raged out of control,” suggesting a spontaneous crime of passion, recklessness or
negligence.  We find no support in the record for this premise.
Capano’s argument rests on two related contentions.  First, he contends
that the accident defense he presented through his testimony does not preclude an
instruction on lesser included offenses, even though it is totally inconsistent with
the theory that Fahey died after an argument with Capano.  Second, Capano
                                   
228  See id. at 82; cf. Zimmerman v. State, Del. Supr., 628 A.2d 62, 66-67 (1993) (applying de novo review to
Superior Court’s denial of requested instruction on “claim of right” defense to theft or extortion).
- 107 -
argues that there is a rational basis for any or all three of the lesser included
offenses because the jury can “reject or accept all or part of a witness’ testimony,
or all or part of the State’s theory of the case, or all or part of the defense case.”
Under this reasoning, the jury is free to fill in the “gaps” in the State’s case
without any evidence in order to construct a speculative scenario of reckless or
negligent homicide.  The State argues that by “limiting his defense to
MacIntyre’s accident, Capano ruled out any argument that he killed Fahey either
accidentally or otherwise.”  Although we do not agree entirely with the State’s
argument, we have concluded that Capano’s testimony and the elements of the
lesser included offenses are mutually exclusive.  Also, there is no evidence in this
record to furnish a rational basis for the elements of the lesser included offenses.
B.
No Preclusion
As noted, the Delaware statute229 expressly provides that the trial court is
“not obligated to charge the jury with respect to an included offense unless there
is a rational basis in the evidence for a verdict acquitting the defendant of the
offense charged and convicting the defendant of the included offense.”  In cases
where a jury could rationally disregard a defendant’s exculpatory testimony, that
testimony does not preclude the conviction of an included offense.  We have
                                   
229  11 Del. C.  § 206(c).
- 108 -
concluded that in this case, the jury could rationally disregard all of Capano’s
testimony that Fahey was shot as a result of Capano’s efforts to grab the gun
from MacIntyre’s hands.230  Therefore, Capano’s exculpatory testimony cannot
be the sole basis for precluding lesser included offenses.
 This reasoning is supported by our holding in Miller v. State.231  In Miller,
the defendant was charged with arson in the first degree for allegedly setting his
former landlord’s residence on fire.  The State called two witnesses, each of
whom testified that they observed the defendant entering the house through a
back window and exiting minutes later.  Each witness also testified that he saw
smoke coming from the house shortly thereafter.  In addition, the State called the
former landlord, who testified that he had recently evicted the defendant from the
residence.232
The defense offered three witnesses: the defendant’s mother, the
defendant’s girlfriend, and the defendant.  Each testified that the defendant was
“at his mother’s house at the time of the alleged arson and burglary.”233  “The
                                   
230  Tr. of 12/21/98, at 191.
231  Del. Supr., 426 A.2d 842 (1981).
232  See id. at 843.
233  Id.
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thrust of the defense was that the defendant was elsewhere.”234  The issue on
appeal was whether, notwithstanding the defendant’s exculpatory alibi defense,
the defendant was entitled to a jury instruction that he could be acquitted of first
degree arson and convicted of the lesser included offense of arson in the second
degree.235
Citing Section 206(c), we held in Miller that the defendant’s exculpatory
defense did not preclude a charge on arson in the second degree, and that based
on the evidence the charge should have been given.236  Miller stands for the
proposition that a jury can convict of a lesser included even when the defendant’s
testimony, if believed by the jury, would result in acquittal.
More recently, in Webb v. State, we cited Miller for the proposition that
the rational basis “standard applies even where the defendant denies any
involvement in the charged offense.”237  But, in Miller, unlike the case before us,
there was some evidence from which a rational juror could infer the elements of
the lesser included offenses.
                                   
234  Id. at 845.
235  The distinction between the two “depend[ed] on the [statutory] aggravating element of whether the defendant
knew of circumstances which rendered the presence of another person not an accomplice (in the building) a
reasonable possibility.” Id.
236  See id.  The rational basis in the evidence for an instruction on second degree arson was that the defendant had
not lived in the building for over a month.
237  Webb v. State, Del. Supr., 663 A.2d 452, 462 (1995).  We held that Webb was not entitled to a lesser included
offense instruction because there was no rational basis in the evidence for such a charge.  See id. at 463.
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In support of its preclusion argument, the State cites the following
language from Manchester v. State:238
 In applying Section 206(c), this Court has held that
where the defense is complete innocence to a charge of
first degree murder, there can be only two choices for
the jury:  guilty of first degree murder or innocent.
Dutton v. State, Del. Supr., 452 A.2d 127, 146 (1982);
Bailey v. State, Del. Supr., 521 A.2d 1069, 1093-94
(1987).
We do not read Manchester or the cases it cites as adopting a rule of
automatic preclusion where the defense is complete innocence.  As we observed
in Manchester, “there was no rational basis in the evidence for a charge on a
lesser-included offense.”239  Similarly, in Dutton and Bailey we held that the
denial of a lesser included instruction was not error because “there is nothing in
the record which would support a jury finding under the particular instruction
. . . sought.”240  These cases rely on fact-sensitive analysis and do not stand for a
rule of automatic preclusion when the evidence—apart from the exculpatory
                                   
238  Del. Supr., No. 134, 1986, 1987 WL 44962, Holland, J. (Oct. 19, 1987) (ORDER).
239  Id.
240  Bailey, 521 A.2d at 1069, 1093; see also Dutton, 452 A.2d at 146 (finding no support in the record for requested
lesser included offense instruction).
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version of events offered by the defendant—would support conviction of an
included offense.241
C. 
The Evidence Here Does Not Support a Lesser Included Offense
Charge
We now address Capano’s contention that based on the evidence put
forward by the State there is a rational basis for acquittal of first degree murder
and conviction of the lesser included offenses.  The State’s theory of the case was
that Capano planned and intentionally killed Fahey.  Capano argues that even if
the State did not put forward “affirmative” evidence of recklessness or
negligence, the “evidence purportedly reflecting intent was de minimis at best,
and what little evidence there was, was equally consistent with” the lesser
included offenses enumerated above.  Capano argues that the jury “can reject or
accept all or part of a witness’s testimony, or all or part of the State’s theory of
the case, or all or part of the defense case.”  This is correct in the abstract, but it
begs the question whether there is some basis in the record for inferring from the
gaps in the State’s case some evidence to support the elements of any of the
lesser included offenses.
                                   
241  When the defendant’s testimony corroborates an element of the offense charged, however, it may preclude
conviction of a lesser included offense.  See Ross v. State, Del. Supr., 482 A.2d 727, 735 (1984) (holding that a jury
could not find manslaughter based in part on fact that the defendant’s “own testimony conclusively establishes an
intentional killing”); Ward v. State, Del. Supr., 575 A.2d 1156, 1158 (1990) (“In this case, however, there is no basis
for concluding that Ward was guilty only of a lesser offense.  To accept Ward’s position, we would have to conclude
that all testimony presented at trial was false.”) (emphasis added).
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The State argues that no evidence was presented of recklessness or
criminal negligence, and that “the jury was not free to infer a state of mind from
nonexistent evidence.”  Our independent review of the evidence at trial confirms
the accuracy of the State’s view.  There is no such evidence.  To permit the jury
to find the elements of the lesser included offenses on this record would permit
unguided speculation by the jury.
We hold that the evidence produced at trial does not provide a rational
basis for “a verdict acquitting the defendant of the offense charged and convicting
the defendant of the included offense.”242  If the jury rejected the State’s planning
evidence, concluding, for example, that the cooler and gun purchases were
unrelated to Fahey, it could have returned a verdict acquitting the defendant.
But, conviction on any other theory would require pure speculation by the jury
concerning the manner of Fahey’s death.  Allowing a conviction on the basis of
speculation would be inconsistent with the statute and our prior case law
requiring a “rational basis” standard.
The possibility that Capano killed Fahey by an act that was reckless,
criminally negligent, or under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance is
based entirely on speculation.  Although there is evidence of the disposal of
                                   
242  Zebroski v. State, Del. Supr., 715 A.2d 75, 82 (1998) (quoting 11 Del. C. § 206(c)).
- 113 -
Fahey’s body, the parties concede that apart from the accident defense offered in
Capano’s testimony, there is no evidence concerning the manner of Fahey’s
death.  Her body was not recovered and neither was any murder weapon.
Putting aside Capano’s accident defense, no one gave eyewitness testimony
bearing on the circumstances under which Fahey died.243  If the State’s planning
evidence and Capano’s accident defense are rejected, it is possible that Capano
killed Fahey in some kind of jealous rage, or some other reckless or negligent
act.  But these possibilities are only speculative.  They are not supported by any
rational basis in the evidence.
Capano contends that a jury could have decided that Capano killed Fahey
after “an argument that raged out of control,” a theory that seems to suggest that
Capano acted under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance and is guilty
of manslaughter.  This possibility is said by the defense to be supported by
evidence concerning the troubled romantic relationship between Capano and
Fahey.  Even assuming evidentiary support for this theory, the applicable
Delaware statute places the burden on the defendant to prove that he acted “under
the influence of extreme emotional distress” and “that there is a reasonable
                                   
243  Small spots of blood, later determined to be Fahey’s, were found in Capano’s great room.  Tr. of 12/1/98, at 234.
Gerry Capano testified that he helped Capano dispose of a bloodstained sofa.  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 54-56.  This is
evidence that Fahey died after sustaining injuries that caused her to bleed, but does not provide any basis for a
theory of reckless or negligent killing.
- 114 -
excuse or explanation for the existence of the extreme emotional distress.”244
Because none of Capano’s defense was directed at satisfying the burden he must
carry under Section 641, the jury could not have found “extreme emotional
disturbance” as a mitigating circumstance.245
Capano cites the 1994 Connecticut case of State v. Sivri246 to support his
argument that, because the State did not show how Fahey died, the jury could
infer reckless or criminally negligent acts.  In Sivri the evidence showed that the
victim died in the defendant’s home after sustaining a bloody injury, and that the
defendant attempted to conceal the death and flee the country.247  Reviewing the
conviction of first degree murder, the Sivri Court held that, although the evidence
                                   
244  11 Del. C. § 641 provides that:
The fact that the accused intentionally caused the death of another person under
the influence of extreme emotional distress is a mitigating circumstance,
reducing the crime of murder in the first degree as defined by § 636 of this title
to the crime of manslaughter as defined by § 632 of this title.  The fact that the
accused acted under the influence of extreme emotional distress must be proved
by a preponderance of the evidence.  The accused must further prove by a
preponderance of the evidence that there is a reasonable explanation or excuse
for the existence of the extreme emotional distress.  The reasonableness of the
explanation or excuse shall be determined from the viewpoint of a reasonable
person in the accused’s situation under the circumstances as the accused
believed them to be.
245  See Moore v. State, Del. Supr., 456 A.2d 1223 (1983)
246  Conn. Supr., 646 A.2d 169 (1994).
247  The evidence in Sivri was that the victim had gone to the defendant’s home to give him a professional massage
and was never seen again.  Her body was not recovered.  The police found that blood had been spilled on the
defendant’s carpet equal to “one fourth to one fifth of the blood in the body of a woman of medium build.”  Blood
was also found in defendant’s car.  Finally, the State presented consciousness of guilt evidence consisting of
defendant’s flight to Turkey and attempts to conceal the body and the bloodstains.  See id. at 172-77 (summarizing
facts).
- 115 -
would support a finding of intent to kill, it would “permit the jury to infer that
there was also a possibility that ‘there was a sudden or spontaneous incident  . . .
resulting in the unintended death’. . . .”248  Noting that “the evidence of intent to
kill was not overwhelming,” the Sivri Court held that the “proof on intent . . .
was sufficiently in dispute” to warrant instruction on lesser included offenses.249
Sivri is distinguishable from this case.  First, in this case, unlike the
situation in Sivri, there is evidence of planning.  The Sivri Court itself
distinguished another Connecticut case where “evidence of prior planning and
preparation”—rental of a woodchipper to dispose of the body—made the
“defendant’s claim of a ‘sudden confrontation . . . too speculative to put the issue
of intent sufficiently in dispute.’”250  Second, this Court’s precedent suggests that
we would not follow Sivri on its facts and allow the jury the same freedom to
speculate based on gaps in the State’s evidence.251
                                   
248  Id. at 182.
249  Id.
250  Id. (citing State v. Crafts, Conn. Supr., 627 A.2d 877, 886 (1993)).  Crafts’ argument, rejected by the
Connecticut Supreme Court, that he was entitled to a lesser included offense instruction “rel[ied] on the fact that the
State’s evidence of intent was entirely circumstantial.”  Crafts, 627 A.2d at 885.
251  See, e.g., Dutton v. State, Del. Supr., 452 A.2d 127 (1982) (holding that instruction on lesser included offense is
not required on facts similar to those in Sivri).
- 116 -
D.
Accident Testimony Not a Basis for Lesser Includeds
The second ground on which Capano argues that he was entitled to a jury
instruction on lesser included offenses is that based on his testimony alone there
is a rational basis in the evidence for finding recklessness or criminal negligence.
Capano testified that “Debby shot Anne Marie.”252  He testified that MacIntyre
came into the great room of Capano’s house where Fahey and Capano were
sitting, surprising them both.  MacIntyre was enraged, apparently because of
Fahey’s presence, and was crying and yelling.  Then she threatened to kill
herself.253  According to Capano, “the left arm was coming up and I thought, oh
my God, she’s going to shoot herself.  And so I reached out with my right hand
to grab her left hand to pull the gun away from herself.  And as I did that, a shot
went off.”254
This evidence does not support an instruction on a lesser included offense.
This Court has held that an accident defense is incompatible with recklessness or
criminal negligence.255  Therefore, Capano’s account of how Fahey died does not
                                   
252  Tr. of 12/21/98, at 189.
253  Id. at 188-91.
254  Id. at 191.  Based on this testimony, the trial court instructed the jury that it must acquit Capano “if the evidence
as to accident creates a reasonable doubt as to the defendant’s guilt.”  Tr. of 1/13/99, at 237-38.
255  See Smith v. State, No. 38, 1996, 1996 WL 539851, Veasey, C.J. (September 19, 1996) (ORDER), Order at ¶ 13
(“[I]f an act is done recklessly, it cannot be due to an accident.”); Hall v. State, Del. Supr., 431 A.2d 1258, 1260
(1981) (observing that defendant’s accident defense was the “antithesis of the acts and states of mind which
characterize the various degrees of homicide”).
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support recklessness or criminal negligence.  Capano testified that he prevented
MacIntyre from killing herself.  Most important, according to Capano’s
testimony, MacIntyre fired the gun.  Capano’s testimony was that his role was
simply to grab her hand as she lifted the gun up.  These facts do not establish any
criminal culpability.  We are not persuaded by Capano’s argument that a jury
could find that he acted recklessly or negligently by “grabbing the arm of a
hysterical woman threatening suicide and brandishing a gun.”
This would be an entirely different case if Capano had testified in a manner
consistent with a homicide committed in a jealous rage, or by recklessness, or by
an act of criminal negligence.  But he did not so testify.  His testimony was
confined to an accident scenario that involved no crime on his part.  To permit
Capano now to prevail on an argument that the jury could completely have
disregarded both the State’s evidence and Capano’s testimony and to speculate on
a scenario that has no evidentiary support whatsoever would fly in the face of
clearly established Delaware statutory and case law.
E.
No Due Process Violation
Capano argues that the refusal to instruct on lesser included offenses
violated Capano’s due process rights.  Relying principally on the 1980 United
States Supreme Court decision in Beck v. Alabama, and Delaware authority as
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well, Capano argues that because he is a defendant in a capital case he has a
constitutional right to a lesser included offense instruction in this case.256
Capano’s argument fails because the right to a lesser included offense
instruction depends on there being a rational evidentiary basis for that instruction.
Beck is consistent with that rule.  And its facts were significantly different from
the facts before us.
Beck struck down Alabama’s statutory prohibition on giving a lesser
included offense instruction.  In Beck, the Alabama statute provided that as to
capital offenses:
If the jury finds the defendant guilty, it shall fix the
punishment at death when the defendant is charged by
indictment with any of the following offenses and with
aggravation, which must also be averred in the
indictment, and which offenses so charged with said
aggravation shall not include any lesser offenses.257
                                   
256  Beck v. Alabama, 447 U.S. 625, 627 (1980) (holding that a death sentence may not “constitutionally be imposed
after a jury verdict of guilt of a capital offense, when the jury was not permitted to consider a verdict of guilt of a
lesser included non-capital offense, and when the evidence would have supported such a verdict.”); Chao v. State,
Del. Supr., 604 A.2d 1351, 1359 (1992) (explaining the particular concern of Beck that without the “procedural
safeguard” of a lesser included charge, jurors may convict in order to punish because they “have determined that a
serious crime was committed . . . although not necessarily . . .  the crime with which the defendant was charged”).
257  Beck, 447 U.S. at 629 (quoting Alabama Code § 13-11-2(a) (1975)) (emphasis supplied).  The Court noted that
the “last phrase of this subsection has been consistently construed to preclude any lesser included offense
instructions in capital cases.”  Id.  In Beck, the State conceded that a lesser included offense instruction would have
been given “absent the statutory prohibition.”  Id. at 630.
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No such prohibition is at issue in this case.  The relevant Delaware statute
simply states that the trial judge “is not obligated” to charge on lesser included
offenses unless the rational basis test is met.258
In Hopper v. Evans259, the United States Supreme Court stated:
Beck held that due process requires that a lesser
included offense instruction be given when the evidence
warrants such an instruction.  But due process requires
that a lesser included offense instruction be given only
when the evidence warrants such an instruction.260
Hopper explicitly upheld Alabama’s requirement that there be a “reasonable
theory from the evidence” to support a lesser included offense, and held that
none was required on the facts of that capital case.261
We have concluded that in this case there is no “rational basis in the
evidence for a verdict acquitting the defendant of the offense charged and
convicting the defendant of the included offense.”262  Neither Delaware law nor
                                   
258  See 11 Del. C. § 206 (“The court is not obligated to charge the jury with respect to an included offense unless
there is a rational basis in the evidence for a verdict acquitting the defendant of the offense charged and convicting
the defendant of the included offense.”).
259  456 U.S. 605 (1982).
260  Id. at 611 (emphasis added).
261  Id. at 611-12.  Hopper also noted the federal rule that a lesser included offense instruction should be given “if the
evidence would permit a jury rationally to find [a defendant] guilty of the lesser offense and acquit him of the
greater.”  Id. at 612. (citation omitted).
262  11 Del. C. § 206(c).
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the Due Process Clause requires the lesser included instructions requested by
Capano.  Nothing in Beck or its progeny supports Capano’s argument.
VI.
Admission of Evidence of Capano’s Character and Prior
Misconduct
Capano argues that the trial court improperly admitted evidence of his
character during its case-in-chief and during his cross-examination.  In particular,
he contends that the trial court should have excluded the following evidence
under D.R.E. 404:  (1) Debbie MacIntyre’s testimony that she purchased a
handgun for Capano;263 (2) Tom Shopa’s testimony that Capano, while in jail,
asked Shopa if he would sleep with MacIntyre;264 and (3) the State’s cross-
examination of Capano concerning a racist email that Capano sent to another
lawyer,265 specific instances of “indiscreet” marital infidelity,266 and Capano’s net
worth.267
We review the trial court’s admission of evidence of other bad acts under
D.R.E. 404 to determine whether the trial court abused its discretion.268  In
                                   
263  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 72-91.
264  Tr. of 12/1/98, at 58-63.
265  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 30-32.
266  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 39, 43-46.
267  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 46-47.
268  See Allen v. State, Del. Supr., 644 A.2d 982, 985 (1994).
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contrast, we review de novo a trial court’s determination under Rule 404 that
“bad act” evidence is relevant to prove something other than the defendant’s
propensities or that the evidence is related to a “pertinent trait.”269
A.
MacIntyre’s Gun Purchase
On direct examination, MacIntyre testified that, on two occasions, Capano
asked her to purchase a gun for him and that she eventually did so in May
1996.270  On appeal, Capano argues that MacIntyre’s testimony about the gun
purchase is inadmissible under the rule articulated by this Court in Farmer v.
State.271  More specifically, he contends that this testimony is inadmissible
because:  (1) there is no evidence that the gun was involved in Fahey’s death and
(2) the jury may improperly infer that possession of a gun indicates a disposition
to use it.272  The State responds that the suspicious nature of the purchase is
probative evidence that Capano planned to murder Fahey.  The trial court agreed
with the State and permitted MacIntyre to testify on this issue.273
                                   
269  See Steigler v. State, Del. Supr., 277 A.2d 662, 668 (1971), vacated on other grounds, 408 U.S. 939 (1972)
(reviewing de novo relevance of evidence admitted under Rule 404(b)).
270  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 72-91.
271  Del. Supr., 698 A.2d 946, 948-49 (1997).
272  See Farmer, 698 A.2d at 949.
273  Tr. of 10/28/98 Teleconference, at 8-9.
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In Farmer, the Court held that a gun found in the defendant’s house was
inadmissible because the State had no evidence connecting that gun or that type
of gun to the shooting with which the defendant was charged.274  The Farmer
Court recognized that the admission of a gun into evidence may be unfairly
prejudicial to the defendant where admission of the gun serves only to support an
inference that the defendant had a gun available to him at the time of the
shooting.275
In contrast, the State’s case against Capano of a planned homicide depends
on evidence that he “was assembling the wherewithal to commit a homicide.”276
And the suspicious nature of his use of MacIntyre to purchase the gun for him is
probative evidence of this planning.  Although neither side produced evidence
indicating that the gun purchased by MacIntyre was involved in Fahey’s death,
MacIntyre’s gun purchase for Capano is nevertheless independently relevant to
prove that he had the gun purchased as part of a plan to murder Fahey and that
he sought to cover his tracks by ensuring that he was not the registered owner of
the gun.
                                   
274  See Farmer, 698 A.2d at 949.
275  See id.
276  Tr. of 10/28/98 Teleconference, at 9.
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The issue, of course, is whether the jury will infer from this transaction
that Capano is a bad person because he purchased a gun illegally or that Capano
possessed a gun and therefore used it to murder Fahey.  In Getz v. State,277 this
Court established six requirements for the admission of evidence of a defendant’s
prior bad acts.  The evidence of prior bad acts must be: (1) material to an
ultimate issue; (2) admissible under D.R.E. 404(b); (3) proved by clear and
convincing evidence; (4) not too remote from the crime charged; (5) not unfairly
prejudicial under D.R.E 403; and (6) accompanied by a limiting instruction.
Because MacIntyre’s transaction is probative evidence of planning, the
dispute centers on the last two Getz elements.278  The first question is whether the
danger of unfair prejudice “substantially outweighs” the probative value of the
evidence under D.R.E. 403.  Although there is a danger of improper jury
inferences from Capano’s possession of a gun, we find that this risk does not
substantially outweigh the probative value of the evidence—particularly in view
of the discretion accorded the trial court to decide these issues.279
                                   
277  538 A.2d 726, 734 (1988).
278  The State’s asserted purpose for presenting this testimony is expressly authorized by D.R.E. 404(b):  “Evidence
of other crimes, wrongs, or acts . . . may, however, be admissible [to prove]  . . . preparation, plan. . . .” (emphasis
added).
279  See Allen v. State, Del. Supr., 644 A.2d 982, 985 (1994).
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Under the final Getz prong, the parties agree that the trial court failed to
give a limiting instruction for MacIntyre’s testimony.  The State suggests,
however, that Capano agreed at trial that no such instruction was necessary.  The
office conference discussions on this point are not crystal clear, but it appears
that defense counsel wanted to wait until MacIntyre testified before proposing a
limiting instruction.280  Defense counsel did not repeat its request later,
apparently because counsel thought that an instruction was not necessary.281
Under these circumstances, we conclude that the trial court’s decision to admit
MacIntyre’s testimony without an instruction did not constitute an abuse of
discretion under Getz.
B.
Shopa’s Conversation with Capano
Tom Shopa, who was a close friend of Capano, testified on direct
examination that Capano asked him to have a “physical relationship” with Debbie
MacIntyre.282  Capano argues that this testimony is irrelevant and improper
                                   
280  Tr. of 11/18/98 Office Conference, at 7-10.
281  Tr. of 1/7/99 Office Conference, at 21 (“Mr. Maurer:  I don’t think we need a repeated instruction on the purpose
for which the gun was put into evidence.  I think that sort—that whole dynamic has been changed by the way the
case developed.  We gave that instruction initially.”).
282  Tr. of 12/1/98, at 62-63.  Shopa’s testimony proceeded as follows:
Q.
Did he [Capano] say anything else in regards to Debby MacIntyre to you?
A.
He said he was very, if you will—He felt that she was needy, and he wanted
me to take care of her, to kind of be there, to help her, to be strong for her,
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character evidence under D.R.E. 404 because it serves only to support an
inference that Capano is a bad person.  The State contends that Capano’s attempt
to induce Shopa to sleep with MacIntyre is evidence that Capano sought to “exert
continuing control over MacIntyre from prison.”
The primary issue surrounding Shopa’s testimony is whether the testimony
is material to an ultimate issue or whether it bears only on Capano’s character.283
MacIntyre testified that she initially lied to investigators, at Capano’s request,
about her purchase of a gun for him.284  Because Capano challenged this
testimony on cross-examination,285 the extent of his control over MacIntyre
became a material issue in this case.  Shopa’s testimony does not prove directly
that Capano actually exerted an influence on MacIntyre, but a jury could
                                                                                                                  
and—and—and also to—to have—have a physical relationship with her, to
sleep with her.
Q.
And what did you say to him in response to this request, if you will, to have
a physical relationship with her?
A.
I said no.  I refused to. And I was shocked and very upset by that.  I didn’t
express it at that time, but reflecting on it that night, I was very upset about that.
Q.
Now at any point did Deborah MacIntyre ask you to have a physical
relationship?
A.
No.
283  At trial, defense counsel objected to Shopa’s testimony on the ground that it was irrelevant because it does not
tend to prove that Capano exercised control over MacIntyre. Tr. of 12/1/98 Office Conference, at 7-8.
284  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 164-65, 172.  MacIntyre also testified that Capano requested that she tell investigators that
Capano had purchased the cooler for his brother.  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 173-74.
285  Tr. of 11/19/98, at 189-192, 212-225.
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reasonably infer from the testimony that Capano attempted to control MacIntyre
by controlling her personal relationships.  We conclude that Shopa’s testimony
was material to MacIntyre’s explanation of events and therefore did not constitute
improper character evidence.
Although the testimony does not present Capano in a favorable light, the
probative value of the evidence is not substantially outweighed by the risk that
the jury will infer from the evidence that he is a bad person.286  As a result, the
trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting Shopa’s account of his
conversation with Capano.
C.
Cross-Examination of Capano
Capano also contends that the State improperly cross-examined him about
(1) a message he sent to a colleague that included racist remarks, (2) specific
instances of sexual misconduct, and (3) his net worth.  The State’s cross-
examination questions on these topics, Capano argues, were not relevant and
were unfairly prejudicial because they encouraged the jury to make negative
inferences about his character under D.R.E. 404(b).  The State contends that
                                   
286  See D.R.E. 403.
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D.R.E. 404(a)287 authorizes these lines of questioning because Capano’s direct
examination testimony placed relevant character traits in dispute.
Rule 404(a)(1) expressly permits the prosecution to use evidence of bad
character traits exhibited by the accused to rebut “evidence of a pertinent trait
offered by an accused.”  This rule, in conjunction with Rule 405(a),288 extends to
the State’s use of Capano’s prior bad acts to impeach his character evidence. The
question therefore becomes whether the three challenged character traits are
“pertinent” to this case within the meaning of Rule 404(a).
We emphasize at the outset that the trial judge necessarily has “wide
discretion” in ruling on the permissible use of bad acts as impeachment evidence
during cross-examination.289  Nevertheless, to be “pertinent” within the meaning
of Rule 404(a), the cross-examination questions must meet one of three
conditions.  The prior bad acts must either: (1) indicate that a character witness
lacks sufficient knowledge of the defendant to render an opinion about the
                                   
287  D.R.E. 404(a) provides: “Evidence of a person’s character or a trait of his character is not admissible for the
purpose of proving that he acted in conformity therewith on a particular occasion, except:  (1) Character of accused.
Evidence of a pertinent trait of his character offered by an accused, or by the prosecution to rebut the same.”
288  D.R.E. 405(a) permits the impeachment of admissible character evidence: “On cross examination, inquiry is
allowable into relevant specific instances of conduct.”
289  See Steigler v. State, Del. Supr., 277 A.2d 662, 668 (1971), vacated on other grounds, 408 U.S. 939 (1972).
- 128 -
defendant’s character;290 (2) indicate that the defendant is lying about a fact that is
relevant to the case;291 or (3) indicate that the defendant lied about a specific
fact.292
In the present case, only the third category applies to the disputed
questions because the State sought to impeach Capano’s testimony on topics that
are not directly relevant to the State’s first degree murder case.  As the Second
Circuit observed in United States v. Beno,293 the State may refute a defendant’s
lies about specific facts (whether relevant or irrelevant to the case as a whole)
because the defendant “should not be allowed to profit by a gratuitously offered
misstatement.”  The court also observed that the rules governing the State’s
impeachment of the defendant’s character evidence do not “suggest[ ] that once a
defendant has offered irrelevant and incompetent evidence on certain specific
                                   
290  See, e.g., Michelson v. United States, 335 U.S. 469, 479 (1947) (permitting the prosecution to question character
witnesses about the basis of their testimony about the defendant’s character and reputation); United States v. Russo,
110 F.3d 948, 952 (1997) (permitting prosecution to question character witness about their knowledge of the charges
against the defendant).
291  See, e.g., Casalvera v. State, Del. Supr., 410 A.2d 1369, 1373-74 (1980) (permitting the State to question
defendant about unemployment benefits collected in Delaware while defendant was working in New Jersey “to
impeach his assertion that he only returned to Delaware out of his concern for the victim”); Britt v. State, Del. Supr.,
402 A.2d 808, 809 (1979) (permitting State to question defendant about fight with friend 12 hours before arrest to
impeach defendant’s testimony that he later returned to his friend’s home “with a peaceful intent and unarmed”).
292  See, e.g., McAllister v. State, Del. Supr., No. 88, 1992, Veasey, C.J., (July 15, 1993) (ORDER), Order at ¶ 8,
(permitting State to question defendant about prior convictions when he testified that he had only been convicted of
five previous crimes because his testimony was “demonstrably false character evidence”); cf. United States v. Beno,
2d Cir., 324 F.2d 582, 588 (1963) (stating the rule but finding that the impeachment was improper).
293  2d Cir., 324 F.2d 582, 588 (1963).
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facts, the prosecution is immediately entitled to explore without restraint and at
great length any specific occurrence which might tend to create an abhorrent
image of the defendant.”294
Applying this analysis to the present case, Capano testified during direct
examination that he “wasn’t prejudiced”295 and that he was “discreet” in his
romantic affairs.296  The State responded to Capano’s testimony that he was not
“prejudiced” by questioning him about an email he sent to a colleague that
described a person as a “dot head” who “smelled funny.”297  To challenge
Capano’s assertion that he was “discreet,” the State questioned Capano on cross-
examination about three specific incidents in which he engaged in sexual conduct
that was not discreet.298
The trial court permitted these questions because Capano had volunteered
information about specific, positive character traits, and the State was entitled to
rebut his testimony.299  We agree with the trial court that Capano was not entitled
to “profit by a gratuitously offered misstatement” about his positive character
                                   
294  Id.
295  Tr. of 12/21/98, at 14.
296  Tr. of 12/17/98, at 34.
297  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 32.
298  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 43-46.
299  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 31, 43.
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traits.  Although the State may not use isolated remarks as a means to engage in a
lengthy examination of a defendant’s past conduct, the State’s questioning in the
present case described only four specific incidents and was limited to rebutting
the specific traits described during direct examination.  As a result, we conclude
that the State’s cross-examination of Capano about his racist remarks and his
extramarital affairs was sufficiently brief and targeted to fall within the proper
scope of impeachment.
During direct examination, Capano repeatedly asserted that he accepted
less pay working in the public sector than he would have received if he had
worked for a private law firm.300  In response, the State presented evidence
during its cross-examination indicating that Capano’s net worth in 1993 exceeded
five million dollars.301  Although the State’s cross-examination was not intended
to prove that his testimony was false, the State’s questions undermined the
apparent purpose of Capano’s testimony, i.e., to show that he has a good
character because he sacrificed something by accepting reduced pay in the public
sector.  The State’s cross-examination indicated that this pay cut did not require a
significant sacrifice by Capano because he was independently wealthy.  Although
                                   
300  Tr. of 12/16/98, at 24-25, 26-27, 30-32, 34.
301  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 47.
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courts generally forbid the admission of the defendant’s net worth for
consideration by the jury,302 the trial court did not abuse its broad discretion by
permitting the State to cross-examine Capano on this topic because he described
during direct examination the financial sacrifices he made to work in the public
sector.303
D.
Due Process
Capano also presents an argument that the admission of the disputed
character evidence violated his right to a fair trial under the Due Process Clause.
Because we have concluded that the contested evidence was admissible and
relevant under Rule 404, the admission of this evidence does not constitute a
violation of the Due Process Clause.304
                                   
302  See People v. Hogan, Cal. Supr., 647 P.2d 93, 116 (1982), overruled on other grounds by People v. Cooper, Cal.
Supr., 809 P.2d 865 (1991) (“Generally, evidence of the wealth or poverty of a defendant is not admissible. . . .”);
Northwestern Univ. v. Crisp, Ga. Supr., 88 S.E.2d 26, 31 (1955) (same).
303  We also note that the challenged cross-examination questions present a less serious problem than the sort of
questions that this Court has found to be reversible error in the past. See, e.g., Gregory v. State, Del. Supr., 616 A.2d
1198, 1203 (1992) (finding trial court committed reversible error in admitting cross-examination of defendant on
prior crimes without conducting a D.R.E. 403 balancing and without determining if the crimes indicated
dishonesty); Aiken v. State, Del. Supr., No. 244, 1993, Walsh, J. (June 29, 1994) (ORDER), Order at ¶¶ 7-8, (finding
reversible error in decision to admit evidence of two prior incidents of violence against persons other than victim).
304  See Dowling v. United States, 493 U.S. 342, 353-53 (1990) (asserting that improper admission of evidence
violates due process if it “violates those ‘fundamental conceptions of justice which lie at the base of our civil and
political institutions’”) (citations omitted); see also Dunnigan v. Keane, 2d Cir., 137 F.3d 117, 125 (1998) (holding
that evidence must be “sufficiently material to provide the basis for conviction” to violate the Due Process Clause).
This case is thus distinguishable from Zebroski v. State, Del. Supr., 715 A.2d 75, 79 (1998) (noting that the
“introduction by the prosecution of racial material in a criminal proceeding violates the Due Process Clauses of both
the United States and Delaware Constitutions in cases where the purpose for such introduction is to establish a
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VII.
Denial of Motion for Recusal
In May 1999, while this Court had jurisdiction of this appeal, but the
matter had been remanded for the trial judge to decide Capano’s motion for a
new trial, Capano made two requests that Judge William Swain Lee recuse
himself in view of Judge Lee’s possible candidacy for governor and various
newspaper articles highlighting his role in the Capano trial.  Judge Lee denied
these requests by letters to the parties, stating that his “ability to impartially
address [the pending motions] has not been affected by the trial’s impact on other
aspects of [his] life.”  On August 20, 1999, a formal motion for recusal was
filed.  Judge Lee denied the recusal motion on August 24, 1999.  The next day,
he issued his opinion denying the motion for a new trial.
After several extensions of time, Capano’s brief in the appeal of his
conviction and sentencing was filed with this Court on February 4, 2000.  Just
before that filing, Capano filed a motion in this Court for a limited remand of the
proceedings to enlarge the record on appeal in connection with the recusal issue.
We denied this motion in an opinion dated March 17, 2000.305  Instead of
                                                                                                                  
defendant’s abstract belief and/or to create bias against the defendant”) (citing Dawson v. Delaware, 503 U.S. 159,
166-67 (1992)).
305  Capano v. State, Del. Supr., 758 A.2d 499 (2000).  This opinion sets forth the procedural history of the recusal
requests and the formal recusal motion made by Capano.  For the sake of brevity, this procedural history is not
repeated here.
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interrupting Capano’s appeal by staying briefing on the merits in order to conduct
an evidentiary hearing that might become an “open-ended fishing expedition,”306
we directed Capano to file a supplemental brief on the recusal issue together with
his other briefing.  As we stated:
The supplemental briefing should address discrete
instances of judicial discretion by Judge Lee, the
exercise of which may have (a) been motivated by
political ambitions; and (b) influenced the outcome of
the trial to Capano’s prejudice.  Assuming that the
briefing demonstrates an appropriate issue or issues for
factual inquiry, a remand on discrete issues may be
necessary.  If a remand becomes necessary, we will
address these issues in the context of all other issues on
appeal.  On the other hand, we may never have to reach
the issues raised by the motion, depending on the
outcome of other aspects of the appeal.307
We now consider Capano’s argument in the context of his appeal from his
conviction and sentence.
A.
Capano’s Contentions
Capano contends that Judge Lee’s ambition to run in the 2000
gubernatorial contest created “the appearance, and, quite probably, the reality
that because of political ambition, Judge Lee tilted in favor of both conviction
                                   
306  Id. at 502.
307  Id. at 504-05.  Capano did not file a separate brief on the recusal issue, choosing instead to include this issue in
an Amended Appellant’s Opening Brief.  In addition, Capano filed a supplemental appendix in support of his recusal
argument.
- 134 -
and the death penalty because they were the politically popular outcomes in this
widely publicized case.”308  Capano argues that based on the record submitted to
this Court, consisting mainly of newspaper articles quoting Judge Lee, it was
error for him to deny the motion for recusal, and that we should reverse the
conviction and death sentence.  Alternatively, Capano continues to argue for a
limited remand to conduct a hearing into the factual basis of his argument.
It is necessary to examine the record on which rests Capano’s argument
and his earlier recusal motion.  On May 5, 1999, after sentencing but while a
motion for new trial was pending, a news article was published in the
Wilmington News Journal under the headline, “Judge William Swain Lee May
Run for Governor.”309  In addition, Capano cites a newspaper report containing
statements allegedly made by Judge Lee indicating that Republicans had
approached him during Capano’s trial to encourage him to consider running for
governor.310
                                   
308  Judge Lee did, in fact, resign his judgeship and retired to seek the Republican Party’s nomination for governor,
eventually losing the nomination in a close Republican primary.
309  See Nancy Charron, Judge William Swain Lee may run for governor, Wilmington News Journal, May 5, 1999, at
B1.  The article discussed Judge Lee’s background and made reference to the Capano case.  This revelation appears
to have been the impetus for Capano to make his first request to Judge Lee to recusal himself.
310  Todd Spangler, Lee Who Heard Capano Case, Weighs Run for Governor, Del. State News, May 6, 1999.
Statements in newspaper articles are hearsay, and in most cases their accuracy cannot be assumed.  See Capano v.
State, 758 A.2d 499, 505 (2000) (Hartnett, J., dissenting); Richard E. Flamm, Judicial Disqualification 168 (1996)
(noting that as a general rule media reports are considered incompetent sources on which to base a disqualification
motion).
- 135 -
In suggesting that Judge Lee’s political ambitions create a conflict of
interest, Capano places particular emphasis on statements by Judge Lee in which
he acknowledges the role that the Capano trial played in encouraging his
candidacy.  One newspaper article reports that in a speech given during Judge
Lee’s later campaign for the Republican nomination, he credited the Capano case
and the guilty verdict for his popularity, saying that if Capano had been
acquitted, the Judge would have been seen “as just another judge who failed to
see that the system did its job.”311  Another newspaper article reports Lee making
similar comments on another occasion.312  Capano argues that, given the link—
belatedly acknowledged by Judge Lee himself—between the Judge’s political
interests and a completed trial resulting in a guilty verdict, Judge Lee cannot have
been impartial when he ruled on the recusal motion and the motion for new trial.
B.
Denial of Recusal Not an Abuse of Discretion
Canon 3C(1) of the Delaware Judges’ Code of Judicial Conduct provides:
“a judge should disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the judge’s
impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”  When faced with a claim of bias
or conflict of interest, the judge must follow a two-part analysis:
                                   
311   Sandy Bauers, Trial run:  From judge’s bench to state capital?, Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 20, 2000, at B1.
312 
Tom 
Eldred, 
Lee 
admits 
to 
Capano 
Blunder 
in 
Delaware, 
(visited 
Feb. 
15, 
2000)
.
- 136 -
First, he must, as a matter of subjective belief, be
satisfied that he can proceed to hear the cause free of
bias or prejudice concerning that party.  Second, even if
the judge believes that he has no bias, situations may
arise where, actual bias aside, there is the appearance of
bias sufficient to cause doubt as to the judge’s
impartiality.313
On appeal of the trial judge’s recusal decision, the reviewing court must
determine: (i) whether, as a matter of subjective belief, the judge was satisfied
that he or she could proceed to hear the case free of bias or prejudice concerning
a party; and (ii) whether objectively there is an appearance of personal bias.314
We must be satisfied that the trial judge engaged in the subjective test and will
review the merits of the objective test.315  The standard of review is abuse of
discretion.316
We are satisfied that Judge Lee’s decision not to recuse himself was a
proper exercise of discretion.  In response to Capano’s first request that he recuse
himself, Judge Lee determined that his “ability to impartially address [pending]
issues has not been affected by the trial’s impact on other aspects of my life.”
Judge Lee maintained this position in subsequently denying a second recusal
                                   
313  Los v. Los, Del. Supr., 595 A.2d 381, 384-85 (1991).
314  See Jackson v. State, Del. Supr., 684 A.2d 745, 752-53 (1996) (citing Los v. Los, 595 A.2d at 384).
315  See id.
316  See id.
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request and a later motion for recusal.  These responses fulfill the first part of the
Los analysis described above.  Accordingly, we turn to whether there is an
objective appearance of bias in this case.
The highly publicized nature of the Capano trial brought all the participants
into the public spotlight, a fact that Judge Lee obviously realized.  We see no
basis, however, to extrapolate the reality or the appearance that Judge Lee was
unable to act impartially in all matters pertaining to the guilt and sentencing
phase.  There is nothing in the record to suggest that political ambitions of Judge
Lee affected his ability to preside impartially over the entire proceedings in this
case.  Moreover, as noted in our opinion of March 17, 2000, we directed the
parties to identify and discuss “discrete instances of judicial discretion by Judge
Lee, the exercise of which may have (a) been motivated by political ambitions;
and (b) influenced the outcome of the trial to Capano’s prejudice.”317  In our
view Capano has not satisfied this burden.  Thus, Judge Lee’s refusal to recuse
himself, “supported by his subjective belief that he could be impartial”318 was not
an abuse of discretion.
                                   
317  Capano v. State, Del. Supr., 758 A.2d 499, 504 (2000).
318  Los, 595 A.2d at 385.
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We find that Judge Lee did not violate the provisions of Canon 7 of the
Delaware Judges’ Code of Judicial Conduct.  Canon 7A(2) states that a judge
“should not . . . make speeches for a political organization or candidate or
publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for public office.”  Canon 7A(3) prohibits
judges from several forms of participation in political organizations, including
“attend[ing] political gatherings.”319  Canon 7C states that “a judge should not
engage in any other political activity except on behalf of measures to improve the
law, the legal system or the administration of justice.”
The Delaware Court on the Judiciary has observed that “a judge should not
have to resign merely to learn whether he has a realistic chance of election. . .
.”320  Any exploratory activity, however, must be done “in a manner consistent
with the Delaware Judges’ Code of Judicial Conduct.”321
Assuming that during Capano’s trial or sentencing, Judge Lee had private
conversations with one or more Republican leaders concerning a possible
candidacy, such conversations did not violate his obligations under Canon 7.
Likewise, assuming that Judge Lee was considering a possible candidacy, there is
no evidence that he did so improperly under Canon 7.  The Code of Judicial
                                   
319  See In re Barrett, Del. Ct. Jud., 593 A.2d 529, 533-34 (1991) (finding a violation of Canon 7A(3)).
320  In re Buckson, Del. Ct. Jud., 610 A.2d 203, 222 (1992).
321  Id.
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Conduct does not require judges to resign immediately upon conceiving of the
possibility of running for office.322  Nor does it disqualify judges who have been
assigned to sensitive or well-publicized cases from seeking political office.323
Capano’s argument that Judge Lee acted improperly in this case because he
entertained political ambitions has no basis in this record or Capano’s proffer on
remand.
VIII. Investigation of Allegations of Juror Misconduct
Capano raises two issues on appeal concerning the trial court’s resolution
of allegations of juror misconduct.  First, he contends that the trial court abused
its discretion by failing to investigate a dismissed juror’s allegations that the
remaining jurors had conspired to have the complaining juror removed because
                                   
322  In Delaware judges are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by majority vote in the Senate.  Del. Const.,
art. IV, § 3.  In states that elect judges however, it is common for judges to hear cases and conduct trials while up for
reelection.  Absent extreme circumstances, a judge’s candidacy has not been held to require disqualification.  See,
e.g., Adkins v. State, 600 So.2d 1054, 1061-63 (1990) (holding that it was proper for judge not to recuse himself
from capital case even though “he was at the time campaigning for a seat on the circuit court” because defendant
had not shown clear evidence of bias). See Brown v. Doe, 2d Cir., 2 F.3d 1236, 1248-49 (1993) (“To reverse [the]
conviction, this Court would have to rule in effect that no judge who is elected may preside in sensational cases.  We
reject such a rule as incompatible with federalism.”).
323  Judge Lee was the Resident Judge of Sussex County.  His home was two hours distant from the courthouse in
Wilmington, New Castle County, where the defendant resided.  Judge Lee was assigned to the case by the
President Judge.  He was a logical choice for the assignment because he was a veteran trial judge, and the fact
that he was not a resident of New Castle County enhanced his objectivity, although conducting this ten-week trial
necessitated extensive travel for the trial judge at significant personal inconvenience.
- 140 -
his view of the case differed from their view.324  Second, he contends that the
trial court abused its discretion by refusing to dismiss a juror who participated in
a conversation about the case with a juror from another trial and who initiated a
conversation with Fahey’s sister before the penalty phase of this trial began.
A trial court’s determinations on the “mode and depth of investigative
hearings into allegations of juror misconduct” and on the remedy for such
misconduct are reviewed on appeal to determine whether the court abused its
discretion.325
A.
Juror No. 5
During the trial, the court received two letters from the jury foreperson
alleging (1) that Juror No. 5 had expressed his opinions on the case to at least
two other jurors and (2) that Juror No. 5 indicated that he had already reached a
decision in the case.326  In response to these allegations, the court interviewed
Juror No. 5 in the presence of counsel.327  The trial judge informed the juror of
                                   
324  The State argues that Capano did not present this issue to the trial court and therefore waived the issue on appeal.
See Supr. Ct. R. 8. Although Capano did not demand further investigation at the time of the juror’s dismissal, he did
properly raise the issue when Juror No. 5 later alleged misconduct by the other jurors.  The trial court had the
opportunity to consider the allegations in ruling on Capano’s motion for a new trial.  As a result, Capano did not
waive the issue and we review the record for an abuse of discretion.
325  Massey v. State, Del. Supr., 541 A.2d 1254, 1257 (1988) (citations omitted).
326  Tr. of 12/30/98 Office Conference, at 2-3.
327  Tr. of 12/30/98 Office Conference, at 10-12.
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the allegations and identified the complaining jurors.328  The juror asserted that he
had not expressed any opinions to other jurors and that he did not know why the
jurors had made the allegations.329  Nevertheless, with the agreement of all
counsel, the court dismissed the juror.
After the trial was completed, Juror No. 5 approached two of Capano’s
lawyers and suggested that the other jurors had conspired to remove him from the
jury because he was inclined to acquit Capano.330  Based in part on these
allegations, Capano moved for a new trial.  The trial court again interviewed
Juror No. 5 and concluded that the juror’s testimony was not credible.331  The
trial judge declined to investigate the matter further and denied Capano’s motion
for a new trial.332
The trial court has broad discretion to determine the extent to which
allegations of juror misconduct warrant further investigation.333  This policy has
                                   
328  Tr. of 12/30/98 Office Conference, at 10-12.
329  Tr. of 12/30/98 Office Conference, at 10-11.
330  Tr. of 7/8/99 Interview with Juror No. 5, at 10-12.  The juror also wrote a letter to the court expressing his
disappointment that he had been dismissed, but the court apparently lost the letter and failed to inform counsel of the
receipt or contents of the letter.  Tr. of 6/22/99 Office Conference, at 18.
331  See State v. Capano, Del. Super., C.A. No. N97-11-0720, 1999 WL 743679 at *9-10, Lee, J. (July 25, 1999)
(Mem. Op.).
332  See id. at *10.
333  See Massey v. State, Del. Supr., 541 A.2d 1254, 1257 (1988).
- 142 -
particular force where the defendant wishes to impeach the jury’s verdict with
evidence of misconduct.334
In the present case, the trial court elected not to investigate further the
allegation that members of the jury conspired to have Juror No. 5 removed
because he was inclined to acquit Capano.  In reaching this decision, the trial
judge acted within his broad discretion because he found no credible evidence to
suggest that the allegations warranted further investigation.  The post-trial
testimony of Juror No. 5 was the only evidence of misconduct by other jurors.335
Moreover, the trial court had a sufficient basis on which to conclude that this
testimony was not credible:  (1) The juror did not mention the alleged conspiracy
during his initial interview with the court or in his 1999 letter to the court and (2)
the juror misrepresented the content of his first interview with the trial judge.336
Although allegations of improper pressure by other jurors are undoubtedly
                                   
334  See id. at 1256 (citing D.R.E. 606(b)).
335  Capano also contends that Juror No. 3, who was dismissed because she had been arrested for drug possession
during the trial, suggested that jurors had determined Capano’s guilt before the end of the trial.  This type of
allegation, however, does not automatically warrant further investigation.  See Lovett v. State, Del. Supr., 516 A.2d
455, 474-75 (1986) (holding that speculation about pressure on the jury to return a guilty verdict and “third hand
allegations” that the jury considered facts not in evidence do not require further inquiry into the jury’s verdict).
336  See Capano, 1999 WL 743679 at * 9-10.
- 143 -
serious,337 the trial court did not abuse its discretion in declining to conduct a
further investigation into the post-trial allegations of Juror No. 5.338
B.
Juror No. 4
Juror No. 4 was involved in two separate incidents that raise some
questions about her impartiality.  First, this juror had a conversation concerning
the Capano case with a juror serving on another trial.  During an interview with
the trial judge, Juror No. 4 revealed the general tenor, if not the precise contents,
of the conversation.339  Based on this interview, the trial judge concluded that the
conversation was “innocent” and did not prejudice Capano.340
                                   
337  See McCloskey v. State, Del. Supr., 457 A.2d 332, 338-39 (1983) (holding that animosity between jurors and
trial court’s private interview with foreperson raised presumption of improper pressure on jurors).
338  Cf. Sheeran v. State, Del. Supr., 526 A.2d 886, 897 (1987) (“[T]he effect of the alleged actions of other jurors
upon the mind or emotions of the juror who wrote to the trial court, is precisely the kind of intra-jury influence that
the prohibition in D.R.E. 606(b) was designed to protect from inquiry. . . . We find the trial judge did not abuse his
discretion in refusing to hold an evidentiary hearing as to the allegations set forth in the juror’s letter or in refusing
to grant a new trial.”).  Capano argues that the holding in Fisher v. State, Del. Supr., 690 A.2d 917, 918 (1996),
supports his position that the trial court is obligated to conduct an in-depth investigation of allegations of serious
juror misconduct.  In Fisher, the Court remanded to the trial court for a hearing on possible racial bias among jurors
after the trial court “denied summarily” the defendant’s motion for a new trial.  Fisher presents a different situation
than the present case because the Capano trial court did not deny Capano’s motion for a new trial “summarily.”
Although the judge did not conduct a juror-by-juror investigation, the judge did not dismiss the allegations out-of-
hand.  On the contrary, the trial court interviewed the lone complaining juror and concluded that the juror’s
testimony lacked credibility.
339  Tr. of 10/28/98 Interview with Juror No. 4, at 13-14.  The juror testified as follows:
The first day I get on the bus, everybody’s talking about Capano this, and all
that, and I was just quiet.  An they were talking about—and I assumed they were
jurors, too, but I wasn’t going to say nothing until I went in and I knew.
And they were talking about the case and they said to me—and the woman said
to me, “Are you a juror,” and I said, “No,” because I didn’t—I didn’t mean—I
mean I didn’t know who was listening and I just said no.
340  Tr. of 10/28/98 Interview with Juror No. 4, at 18.
- 144 -
Second, Juror No. 4 initiated a conversation with Fahey’s sister, Kathleen
Fahey-Hosey, at a local gym after the guilt phase and just before the penalty
phase of the trial began.  Juror No. 4 told Fahey-Hosey that she was “really
sorry about all this” and that the jury had “prayed for her family” after it came to
a decision in the guilt phase.341  There is no evidence that Fahey’s sister made any
statement to the juror on the merits of the case.  When the court interviewed her,
the juror also suggested that she may have already reached a decision on
sentencing.342
As an initial matter, it would appear that Capano did not object to the
retention of Juror No. 4 after the disclosure of her conversations with the other
juror or after her contact with Fahey’s sister.  Although it is unclear from the
                                   
341  Tr. of 1/26/99 Interview with Juror No. 4, at 5-6.  At this point Juror No. 4 testified:
I walked over to the Stairmaster.  I got on and I started to go and I looked over
and I’m standing right next to her [Kathleen Fahey Hosey] and I just—I mean
we know each other, I’ve been looking at her for four months, and I just said hi
and she said hello.  And I just said I’m really sorry about all this and I said
hopefully it will be over soon, and, you know, and then she told me she was
putting her son into IHM school, and I told her that the night that we finally
came to our decision, we prayed for her family and that was it. And I mean it
was just kind of small talk.  It wasn’t—I mean she never said anything to me
about what she wanted or anything like that.  It was nothing.  It was nothing like
that at all.  It was just—I mean I wasn’t going to ignore the woman. . . .
I’ve never even—and she says, “Do you live around here,” and I said, “Yeah,
you know, my family’s from north Wilmington.  And she says, “Oh, are you the
school teacher,” and I said, “No, I’m the social worker” and I said I work at
Mary Campbell Center.  And she said “Oh, I’m a physical therapist” and that
was—I mean, I said, “Oh, we have a physical therapy department where we
work, I wonder if you know Pat Kramer.”
342  Tr. of 1/26/99 Interview with Juror No. 4, at 9.
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record when the trial judge revealed that Juror No. 4 discussed Capano’s trial
with the other juror, Capano waived his objection to the retention of Juror No. 4
by failing to present the issue to the trial court.343
In any event, Capano’s claims with respect to Juror No. 4 fail because
Capano does not present any evidence that the juror’s conversations actually
prejudiced his case.  To impeach a jury verdict because of juror misconduct, “a
defendant must establish actual prejudice unless defendant can show that the
circumstances surrounding the misconduct were so egregious and inherently
prejudicial as to support a presumption of prejudice to defendant.”344  Moreover,
indications that a juror has made up her mind on an issue before the end of the
trial—despite repeated admonitions from the trial judge not to do so—do not
generally require dismissal of the juror.345
In the present case, there is no evidence that Juror No. 4’s conversation
with the other juror was prejudicial to Capano.  Based on the testimony of Juror
No. 4 and on the disclosure by the other juror, the trial court could properly
conclude that Juror No. 4 did not overhear information about the Capano case
                                   
343  See Supr. Ct. R. 8.
344  Massey v. State, Del. Supr., 541 A.2d 1254, 1255 (1988).
345  See Styler v. State, Del. Supr., 417 A.2d 948, 953 (1980) (finding that trial judge could properly conclude that
statements by two jurors before the end of the trial indicating that they thought that the defendant was guilty was
“loose talk” and did not reflect a bias against defendant).
- 146 -
during her conversation with the other juror.346  The trial court could therefore
properly retain Juror No. 4 after her contact with the other juror because there
was no risk that the juror would base her deliberations on facts outside the
evidence adduced in court.347
Similarly, although Juror No. 4’s conversation with Fahey’s sister was
completely inappropriate during the course of the Capano trial, it did not indicate
an improper bias in favor of Fahey’s family.  The conversation was relatively
brief and did not concern the facts of the case or the jury’s verdict.348  Evidently,
the trial court and defense counsel were satisfied with the account, and they
agreed to permit Juror No. 4 to remain on the jury for the penalty phase, thus
waiving the claim now presented.349
Finally, Juror No. 4’s comment that “I feel like I’ve already come to my
decision on [sentencing]” was not sufficiently prejudicial to warrant dismissal
because she merely indicated an inclination in one (unspecified) direction.
Although jurors are consistently admonished not to reach a decision on any issue
before the parties have presented all of the evidence, the trial court has discretion
                                   
346  Tr. of 10/28/98 Interview with Juror No. 4, at 18.
347  Cf. Lovett v. State, Del. Supr., 516 A.2d 455, 474-75 (1986) (holding that “third hand allegations” that the jury
considered facts outside evidence do not require a new trial).
348  Tr. of 1/26/99 Interview with Juror No. 4, at 5-7.  See excerpted testimony supra note 341.
349  Tr. of 1/26/99 Interview with Juror No. 4, at 13-14.
- 147 -
to permit a juror to remain as long as the juror does not “express[ ] a firm
conclusion that the man was guilty regardless of anything.”350  Juror No. 4, by
contrast, agreed that she could “still discuss the aggravating and mitigating
circumstances and be open to being convinced by other people who are on the
jury.”351  Because Juror No. 4 did not express “a firm conclusion” with respect
to Capano’s sentence, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by permitting the
juror to participate in the penalty phase of Capano’s trial.
The trial court could properly find that the incidents described above did
not actually prejudice Capano and that they did not taint the jury’s verdict.  As a
result, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by declining to
pursue further investigations or by refusing to grant Capano’s motion for a new
trial on the basis of this misconduct.
The courts of this State, and the courts of many other states, go to great
pains to insulate jurors from any contact even remotely related to a pending case.
Indeed, it is customary practice in Delaware for jurors to wear juror
identification badges during a case.  It is regrettable from an institutional
perspective that these juror mishaps occurred in this case.  Although contact
                                   
350  Styler, 417 A.2d at 953.
351  Tr. of 1/26/99 Interview with Juror No. 4, at 9.
- 148 -
between a juror and the victim’s family is improper and should not be permitted,
there is no indication that the conversation was prejudicial to Capano in this case.
We trust, however, that the Superior Court has instituted adequate measures and
instructions to ensure that such problems will not occur in other cases in the
future.
IX.
Questions Concerning Post-Arrest Silence—No Plain Error
Capano argues that questioning during cross-examination concerning his
silence at his bail hearing violated his due process rights.  Because no objection
was raised at trial, we review this claim for plain error.352  We conclude that the
questions complained of were proper.
Capano was arrested on November 17, 1997 for the murder of Fahey.  He
was indicted on December 12, 1997.  A five-day proof positive hearing was held
commencing on February 2, 1998, and bail was denied.  Trial commenced on
October 6, 1998.
In January and February 1998, while Capano was incarcerated awaiting
trial, MacIntyre was in contact with investigators.  She had testified before the
grand jury in September 1996 and was possibly going to be required to appear as
                                   
352  See Wainwright v. State, Del. Supr., 504 A.2d 1096, 1100 (1986).  In a sidebar conference, the State said that
“Pre-arrest silence we can use to impeach, and I think the other thing is if you put the letters in that are post-arrest I
think you raise the post-arrest issue.”  A fair reading of the transcript is that Capano’s attorneys agreed with that
statement.
- 149 -
a witness at the bail hearing and the proof positive hearing.  On January 28,
1998, MacIntyre attended an interview with law enforcement officials and stated
under oath that she had thrown away the gun that she had purchased for Capano.
This was the same testimony she had previously given before the grand jury.353
According to MacIntyre, whose testimony at trial was that Capano took and kept
the gun,354 it was at this January 28th interview that she decided not to continue
giving a false story to the government.355  On February 27, 1998, following
negotiations between her lawyers and the government, MacIntyre signed an
agreement with the State.  This agreement protected her from prosecution for
prior false statements in exchange for cooperation with the government
investigation.356
During this period, Capano and MacIntyre exchanged letters.  The content
of this extensive correspondence was examined in great detail through
MacIntyre’s and Capano’s testimony, including Capano’s direct testimony.  The
admission of these letters is not an issue on appeal.  These letters contain
“advice” from Capano about how MacIntyre should handle herself with respect
                                   
353  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 181-92; Tr. of 11/19/98, at 51.
354  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 91-94.
355  Tr. of 11/19/98, at 220-21.
356  Id. at 54.
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to the investigation.  He told her, for example, that she was not in danger of
being prosecuted for perjury, and that she should hire new lawyers for herself.357
The jury could reasonably infer from these letters that Capano was attempting to
dissuade MacIntyre from cooperating with the government, and to manipulate her
testimony.358
On direct examination, Capano’s counsel read through a number of the
letters, asking Capano what they meant.  This testimony was clearly intended to
bolster the claim that Capano was “protecting” MacIntyre by not revealing her
role in Fahey’s death.359
In this context, the questioning of Capano regarding his post-arrest silence
were proper means of impeachment.  These questions and answers are part of the
following exchange on cross-examination:
Q:  And then February 27, 1998, after you are arrested,
Debbie MacIntyre signs a cooperation agreement with
the Government, right?
A:  Yes, she does.  I didn’t hear the date you said.
                                   
357  Tr. of 11/19/98, at 61-76.
358  Tr. of 11/18/98 at 207-22; Tr. of 11/19/98, at 29-30; Tr. of 12/29/98, at 30-32.
359  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 34, 53 (“ I promised Debby that I would protect her.  I was very deeply in love with Debby.  I
knew what had happened was an accident.  And I felt some, you know, obvious sense of responsibility, because if I
had been truthful, you know, if I had been kinder on the phone . . . nothing like this would have ever happened.  If I
had taken the damn gun away from her at some point and just confiscated it from her house.”) (testimony of Tom
Capano).
- 151 -
Q:  February 27, 1998?
A:  Yeah, I don’t know if that’s the date she signed.  I
know that’s the date she went in.  For all I know she
had signed it the day before.
Q:  You kept quiet at the bail hearing which preceded
this, right?  There was a bail hearing in February to
decide whether you would stay in jail.  You never said
she did it, right?
A:  I never testified.
Q:  But you never said it through any means.  You
never told your attorneys, you never did anything?
A:  No, I was true to my word.  I was protecting her.
Q:  You were protecting her.  February 27th she signs a
cooperation agreement with the State?
A:  Yes.
Q:  And you’re in jail?
A:  Yes.
Q:  You have—according to your testimony, it’s been
horrible conditions that you’ve endured in jail, right?
A:  Very terrible.360
                                   
360  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 102-03.
- 152 -
The third and fourth questions in this exchange relate to Capano’s post-
arrest silence.  In Doyle v. Ohio,361 the United States Supreme Court held that
“use for impeachment purposes of petitioners’ silence, at the time of arrest and
after receiving Miranda warnings, violated the Due Process Clause of the
Fourteenth Amendment.”  The prohibition on questioning regarding post-arrest
silence extends beyond a defendant’s exercise of his right to silence at the time of
arrest to include pre-trial silence generally.362  The rationale of Doyle is that it is
“fundamentally unfair” to use a defendant’s silence for impeachment after giving
Miranda warnings assuring the defendant, “at least implicitly, that his silence
will not be used against him. . . .”363
The questioning excerpted above does not run afoul of Doyle because it did
not “impeach the exculpatory story.”364  The State used Capano’s silence to
impeach him on a discrete issue that Capano himself had raised in order to
convince the jury of the veracity of his accident defense.  That discrete issue is
the meaning of his letters to MacIntyre and what they could tell the jury about his
                                   
361  426 U.S. 610, 619 (1976)
362  See Brecht v. Abrahamson, 507 U.S. 619, 628-29 (1993) (“On the other hand, the State’s reference to
petitioner’s silence after that point in time, or more generally with petitioner’s failure to come forward with his
version of events at any time before trial . . . crossed the Doyle line.”) (emphasis added);  Hassine v. Zimmerman, 3d
Cir., 160 F.3d 941, 947 (1998) (finding Doyle violation where questions went to general pre-trial silence).
363  Fletcher v. Grier, 455 U.S. 603, 606 (1982) (quoting Anderson v. Charles, 447 U.S. 404, 407-08 (1980)).
364  Doyle, 426 U.S. at 619.
- 153 -
conduct in January and February 1998.  This testimony raised a subsidiary issue
relative to the alleged accident that occurred on Thursday, June 27, 1996.
As stated above, Capano used his own direct examination to explain the
letters, answering such questions as, “Now, what did you mean by protecting
someone completely?”365  In his direct testimony he methodically referenced the
letters as they related to his “state of mind” in January and February 1998.366
Therefore the State was entitled to use his silence to raise the inference that the
specific “state of mind” he claimed to have—i.e., a protective one toward
MacIntyre—was not credible.367  Therefore, we find no error.
Finally, even assuming that there was a Doyle violation, permitting the
isolated questioning is not plain error.  Capano’s pre-arrest silence following
Fahey’s death, and his persistent efforts to conceal her death and hide his
involvement, were central issues before the jury.  As Capano testified, he
remained silent about MacIntyre’s involvement at great cost to his family and his
career, even as his “world was collapsing.”368  Capano’s effort at trial was to
                                   
365  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 54; see also, e.g., id. at 58.
366  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 34.
367  Cf. Anderson v. Charles, 447 U.S. 404, 408 (1980) (holding that “Doyle does not apply to cross-examination that
merely inquires into prior inconsistent statements”); United States v. Revele, 5th Cir., 190 F.3d 678, 685 (1999)
(“When a defendant attempts to convince a jury that he was of a cooperative spirit, Doyle does not tie the hands of
prosecutors who attempt to rebut this presentation by pointing to a lack of cooperation.”).
368  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 102.
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convince the jury that this was because he loved MacIntyre and would not betray
her.  Even without the questioning complained of, the jury had to confront the
stark fact that Capano remained silent before his arrest despite extraordinary
pressures, all in order to “protect” MacIntyre.369  It is thus inconceivable that two
isolated references to Capano’s failure to speak at a bail hearing caused any
prejudice.
X.
No Brady Violation
Capano argues that the trial judge was required to disclose to the defense
certain sealed documents relating to Gerry Capano’s drug usage.  The trial judge
held an in camera review.  After that review, the trial court determined that this
material was Brady material because it constituted impeachment evidence with
respect to Gerry, in that it contained “information on specific episodes when
Gerard purchased and used drugs.”370  The trial court further found that “the
material is cumulative evidence of facts in evidence and of which the defense
already knows:  Gerard purchased and used a large quantity of drugs on a regular
                                   
369  Id.
370  State v. Capano, Del. Super., No. 97-11-0720, 1998 WL 729756, at * 1, Lee, J., (Sept. 17, 1998) (ORDER)
(citing Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 87 (1963) (holding that “the suppression by the prosecution of evidence
favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to
punishment”) and Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 153-54 (1972) (holding that the obligation to disclose under
Brady applies to matters relevant to the credibility of a witness)); see also Jackson v. State, Del. Supr., 770 A.2d
506, 515-17 (2001) (discussing and applying Brady).
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basis.”371  Based on this finding, and taking into account that the documents were
sealed to protect an informant, the trial court excluded the information contained
in the documents.
Capano’s claim of a Brady violation is without merit.  We review for abuse
of discretion the decision of the trial court.372  In this case, Gerry Capano was
cross-examined at length and in detail about his history of drug use.373  Other
witnesses gave testimony about Gerry’s drug use, including Dr. Tavani, who
testified that it affected Gerry’s ability to perceive reality.  The additional fact
that Gerry was testifying pursuant to a plea agreement, and thereby avoiding
prosecution on drug-related charges, was also before the jury.374  Therefore, it
was not an abuse of discretion for the trial judge to exclude this evidence on the
basis that it was cumulative.  Because the evidence is cumulative, Capano cannot
show “a Brady violation . . . by showing that the favorable evidence could
                                   
371  Id.  In this appeal we have also examined in camera the same material examined by the trial judge, and we come
to the same conclusion.
372  See Snowden v. State, Del. Supr., 672 A.2d 1017, 1024 n.6 (1996) (“A trial court's denial of access to the
defense, following an in camera inspection, is reviewed for abuse of discretion and has generally been affirmed on
appeal.”); Lilly v. State, Del. Supr., 649 A.2d 1055, 1059 (1994).
373  Tr. of 11/9/98, at 143-86.
374  Id. at 5; Tr. of 11/10/98, at 4, 91.
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reasonably be taken to put the whole case in such a different light as to
undermine confidence in the verdict.”375
XI.
Propriety of Questions During Cross-Examination of Capano
Capano argues that the State asked improper questions while cross-
examining him.  First, he argues that the State asked him questions that the
prosecutor knew were likely to cause him to invoke his claim of lawyer-client
privilege.376  Second, he argues that the State asked “so-called ‘were they lying’
questions” that unfairly placed him in the position of having to argue that other
witnesses had lied.  We find no merit to either of these arguments.
As to the first category of claimed error, Capano concedes that no
objection was raised at trial and that therefore this Court must apply plain error
review.377  On cross-examination, the State tried to demonstrate Capano’s
                                   
375  Kyles v. Whitely, 514 U.S. 419, 435 (1995).
376  Capano argues that these questions were improper under Rule 512 of the Delaware Uniform Rules of Evidence.
Rule 512 provides that:
(a) The claim of a privilege, whether in the present proceeding or on a prior
occasion, is not a proper subject of comment by judge or counsel.  No inference
may be drawn therefrom.
(b)  In jury cases, proceedings shall be conducted, to the extent practicable, so as
to facilitate the making of claims of privilege without knowledge of the jury.
(c) Upon request, any party against whom the jury might draw an adverse
inference from a claim of privilege is entitled to an instruction that no inference
may be drawn therefrom.
377 See Wainwright v. State, Del. Supr., 504 A.2d 1096, 1100 (1986).  Relief is warranted when “the error
complained of [is] so clearly prejudicial to substantial rights as to jeopardize the fairness and integrity of the trial
process.”  Id.
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manipulation and control of Debbie MacIntyre.  To that end, the State sought to
establish that, while incarcerated, Capano asked MacIntyre to fire her own
lawyers and hire a lawyer named Jack Willard recommended by Capano.378
Apparently Willard had represented Capano at some point.  It was in this
connection that Capano was asked whether Willard had asserted lawyer-client
privilege on Capano’s behalf.  Capano repeatedly insisted that Willard had not
been his attorney at the time Capano tried to get MacIntyre to hire him.  The
State was merely attempting to rebut Capano on this point by showing that
Willard had in fact invoked lawyer-client privilege on behalf of Capano.  No
adverse inference was drawn from these questions.379  In this context the
questions were not improper because they were intended to explore the Capano-
Willard relationship.
Capano also complains of another group of questions in which the
prosecutor asked Capano whether he had lied to his lawyers.380  As Capano
concedes, these questions related to false information that he fed his lawyers for
public dissemination following Fahey’s disappearance while her fate was still
                                   
378  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 4-10.
379  See D.R.E. 512(a).
380  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 166-83.
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unknown.  For example, Capano caused his lawyers to issue a press release
describing Capano as “devastated” by her disappearance and “hop[ing] she will
be found safe.”381  Capano was asked whether these statements were, in effect,
“lies” he told to his attorneys.  They did not require him to invoke lawyer-client
privilege since they related to information that Capano told his lawyers for the
purpose of making the information public.382  Therefore they were not improper.
Capano next complains of certain questions he refers to as “were they
lying questions.”  Such questions may be problematic for the reason that opinions
about who is lying and who is not invade the province of the jury383 or for the
reason that it is “misleading and unfair to make it appear that an acquittal
requires the conclusion that [a witness] is lying.”384  Some courts, however, have
found that “were they lying” questions are not always improper.385
                                   
381  Id. at 181.
382  D.R.E. 502(b) (limiting privilege to confidential communications).
383  See United States v. Boyd, D.C. Cir., 54 F.3d 868, 871 (1995) (“It is therefore error for a prosecutor to induce a
witness to testify that another witness, and in particular a government agent, has lied on the stand.”).
384  State v. Casteneda-Perez, Ct. App. Wash., 810 P.2d 74, 78-79 (1991).
385  See, e.g., People v. Overlee, N.Y. App. Div., 666 N.Y.S.2d 572, 577 (1997) (explaining that where witnesses
contradict each other, and the contradiction is not attributable to mistake, a credibility contest results and it is proper
advocacy for a cross-examiner to highlight it).
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Delaware has not adopted a general prohibition on the type of questions at
issue here, and we decline to do so now.386  In this case the questions were not
improper and do not warrant a new trial.  For instance, Gerry’s neighbor Jeffrey
Stape testified that he saw Capano parked outside of Gerry’s home on the
morning of Friday, June 28, 1996, the day that Fahey’s body was disposed of at
sea.  Capano was asked whether Stape had been “mistaken” when he testified
that Capano glanced quickly away when Stape spotted him parked in front of
Gerry’s home the day after the alleged murder.387  This question was about
perception more than credibility, and in any event related to a minor fact.  There
was certainly nothing improper about this question.
Capano was asked whether he had ever told either Fahey or Kim Lynch-
Horstmann (a friend of Fahey) that one of his daughters needed brain surgery.
Capano said that he had not.  The prosecutor then said: “Kim Horstmann is
confused.  Anne Marie Fahey is lying to her psychiatrist.  And you are to be
                                   
386  We have disapproved of assertions made by the prosecution in closing argument relating to witness credibility,
especially when they imply that in order to acquit the defendant the jury would have to find that another witness had
lied under oath.  See Fensterer v. State, Del. Supr., 509 A.2d 1106, 1112 (1986) (holding that comments made by
the prosecutor in closing argument were “improper and unacceptable” because they implied that “in order to acquit
the defendant . . . the jury would have to find that the officers lied under oath”).  Cf. Hughes v. State, Del. Supr., 437
A.2d 559, 571 (1981) (“In our opinion, ‘liar’ is an epithet to be used sparingly in argument to the jury.”); id. at 570-
71 (holding that it was improper for prosecutor to label defendant’s “pre-trial out-of-court statements as ‘lies,’” and
that such characterizations must not be made unless “(a) that is a legitimate inference which may be  drawn from the
evidence, and (b) the prosecutor relates his argument to specific evidence which tends to show that the testimony or
statement is a lie.”).
387  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 85-86.
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believed?”388  This question, however, came after Capano had just testified that
the State’s contention was a “lie” and that Lynch-Horstmann was “confused.”389
In addition, we note that the question did not force Capano to comment directly
on Fahey’s credibility; rather, Capano asserted in his answer that Fahey’s
psychiatrist was not believable when she recorded the information.  Therefore
this questioning was not improper.
Finally, Capano was asked whether his brother Joseph was lying under
oath when he stated that he had asked Capano, “Why didn’t you do something
about the extortion?”390  Capano answered by saying “it’s possible that he made a
mistake,”391 a response that demonstrates the harmlessness of the question.
Finally, we note that throughout the trial Capano himself labeled other witnesses
as liars, asserting, for example, that both MacIntyre and Gerry had no
credibility.  For the foregoing reasons, the trial court’s allowing the questions
complained of on appeal was not error and does not warrant a new trial.
                                   
388  Tr. of 12/30/98, at 165-66.
389  See Webb v. State, Del. Supr., 663 A.2d 452, 463 (1995) (distinguishing the type of comment found improper
under Fensterer from statements made by prosecutor in response to defendant’s own suggestion that a witness was
lying).
390  Tr. of 12/29/98, at 239.
391  Id. at 240.
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XII.
Personal Opinions of Witnesses as to Capano’s Guilt
On direct examination, Brian Fahey, the victim’s brother, testified that the
Fahey family had filed a civil suit against Capano because they “believed at the
time that Tom Capano murdered my sister.”392  He also said that Capano “was
responsible for causing my family a great deal of pain, for killing my sister
. . . .”393  Nicholas Perillo, a convicted felon who asserted that Capano had asked
him to find someone to burglarize MacIntyre’s home, read into evidence his
statement to prosecutors that “Jesus, I think the bastard killed her.”394  Capano
did not object to these statements at trial.  On appeal, he contends that admission
of these personal opinions as to Capano’s guilt was plain error.
Neither of these statements jeopardized Capano’s right to a fair trial.  It is
apparent from Brian Fahey’s testimony that he had no personal knowledge of
what had happened to his sister, Anne Marie.  Perillo was a convict, and by
virtue of his testimony he was a “jailhouse snitch,” to use the State’s phrase.
These opinions do not invite the kind of deference that risks depriving Capano of
the right to have the jury make the ultimate determination of his guilt or
                                   
392  Tr. of 10/26/98, at 105.
393  Id.
394  Tr. of 11/24/98, at 46.
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innocence.395  Therefore, even assuming that admission of these statements would
have been error in the context in which they were admitted if there had been a
timely objection by Capano’s counsel, Capano was not, in fact, prejudiced and
their admission was not plain error.
XIII. Capano’s Absence from Office Conferences
Capano contends that he was denied his right to be present at all stages of
the trial because he was absent from the daily office conferences at which counsel
presented evidentiary and other legal matters to the trial judge for decision.
Because Capano failed to raise an objection at trial concerning his absence from
office conferences, the plain error standard of review applies.396  As a result, the
issue is deemed waived unless the error is “so clearly prejudicial to substantial
rights as to jeopardize the fairness and integrity of the trial process.”397
A defendant in a criminal case has a right to be present at trial based on the
Sixth Amendment right to confront one’s accusers and the common law
“privilege of presence” during trial.398  In Delaware, this right has been
                                   
395  Cf. Powell v. State, Del. Supr., 527 A.2d 276, 279 (1987) (finding plain error where an expert witness impugned
the credibility of the defendant, thereby invading the province of the jury, and where the expert’s particular
testimony was “crucial” and a “substantial evidentiary factor” in the prosecution’s case).
396  See Supr. Ct. R. 8.  Capano argues that this issue is subject to de novo review on appeal.  As we describe below,
Capano’s claim fails under either standard of review.
397  Wainwright v. State, Del. Supr., 504 A.2d 1096, 1100 (1986) (citing Dutton v. State, Del. Supr., 452 A.2d 127,
146 (1982)).
398  Shaw v. State, Del. Supr., 282 A.2d 608, 609 (1971).
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enshrined in Superior Court Criminal Rule 43.399  As Superior Court Criminal
Rule 43 indicates, however, the right to be present at trial has definite
boundaries.400  For present purposes, we need note only that Rule 43(c)(3)
explicitly states that a defendant’s presence is not required “[a]t a conference or
argument upon a question of law.”  Similarly, in United States v. Smith,401 the
Third Circuit defined the scope of a defendant’s right to be present at proceedings
related to trial:
Due process mandates that a criminal defendant have an
opportunity to attend any proceeding where his presence
has a ‘relation, reasonably substantial, to the fullness of
his opportunity to defend against the charge.’ A
defendant’s presence is a condition of due process,
however, only ‘to the extent that a fair and just hearing
would be thwarted by his absence.’402
Because Rule 43 does not require the defendant’s presence at office conferences
concerning legal issues and because there is no basis to conclude that Capano’s
absence “thwarted” the fairness of his trial, we find that Capano’s absence from
the conferences did not violate his Sixth Amendment rights.
                                   
399  Rule 43(a) provides:  “Presence Required.  The defendant shall be present at the arraignment, at the time of the
plea, at every stage of the trial including the impaneling of the jury and the return of the verdict, and at the
imposition of sentence, except as otherwise provided by this rule.”
400  See, e.g., Super. Ct. Crim. R. 43(b)-(c) (describing situations in which the defendant’s presence or continued
presence is not required).
401  3d Cir, 186 F.3d 290 (1999).
402  Id. at 296 (internal citations and quotation marks omitted) (quoting United States v. Gagnon, 470 U.S. 522, 526
(1985); citing Fed.R.Crim.P. 43(a) (“defendant shall be present . . . at every stage of the trial”)).
- 164 -
Furthermore, because Capano does not allege that he was absent during the
“traditional and formal confrontation stage of the trial,” he must show that he
suffered some prejudice as a result of his absence.403  Capano has shown no such
prejudice.  Although Capano was notified of the office conferences,404 he
presents no explanation for his failure to attend them.  As a consequence, we
conclude that Capano’s absence from the conferences was voluntary.  Apart from
a general suggestion that Capano could have “contributed” to the conferences,
there is no argument that his presence would have affected the outcome of the
trial or that he was otherwise prejudiced.
We conclude that Capano’s absence from the office conferences did not
violate his constitutional rights and that Capano cannot show that he suffered
prejudice as a result of his absence from the conferences.
XIV. Admission of Adultery Evidence During Impeachment
Capano contends that the trial court permitted the State to impeach defense
witnesses’ testimony with evidence of marital infidelity but did not permit the
defense to impeach the testimony of a prosecution witness with evidence of
                                   
403  Bass v. State, Del. Supr., No. 368, 1988, Horsey, J. (April 5, 1989) (ORDER) (citing Dutton v. State, Del. Supr.,
452 A.2d 127 (1982)) (distinguishing situations in which a defendant’s absence is per se reversible error from those
situations in which a defendant’s absence is reversible error only where the defendant can show prejudice).
404  The trial judge announced on the first day of the trial (and on a variety of other occasions) that “on a daily basis,
I’m going to be meeting with counsel at 9:30 in my chambers.” Tr. of 10/26/98, at 152-53.
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infidelity.  For example, Capano argues that the trial court did not permit the
defense to cross-examine a prosecution witness about his extramarital affairs as a
means to undermine an inference that Capano arranged for the witness to sleep
with Deborah MacIntyre.405  In contrast, the court permitted the defense to cross-
examine Gerry Capano about his extramarital affairs to undermine his
credibility,406 and the court permitted the State to cross-examine Tom Capano
about incidents involving marital infidelity to rebut Tom’s assertion that he was
“discreet.”407  Decisions on admissibility are reviewed under an abuse of
discretion standard.408
Capano’s argument that the trial court ruled inconsistently on these issues
fails for two reasons.  First, the trial court did not prevent defense counsel from
questioning State’s witness Keith Brady about extramarital affairs.  To the
contrary, the court permitted defense counsel to ask Brady “whether or not you
have been involved in other adulterous relationships and how many” in order to
                                   
405  Tr. of 11/18/98, at 3-4.
406  Tr. of 11/9/98 Office Conference, at 3-4.
407  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 43.
408  See Floudiotis v. State, Del. Supr., 726 A.2d 1196, 1202 (1999).  Although the State argues that the plain error
standard of review applies to this issue because Capano did not raise the “inconsistency” argument below, we find
that Capano preserved this issue for appeal by challenging the admission of the contested impeachment evidence at
trial.  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 41-43.  As we describe below, however, Capano’s claim fails under either standard.
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impeach Brady’s credibility.409  The court did, however, limit the extent to which
the defense could describe the details of these affairs because such details were
not relevant to Brady’s credibility.410
Second, although the court limited the cross-examination of Brady by
prohibiting the disclosure of the details of his extramarital affairs, this limitation
does not conflict with the court’s later ruling that the State could cross-examine
Capano concerning specific instances of marital infidelity.  Applying D.R.E.
404(a)(1), the trial court permitted the State to discuss particular sexual
encounters to impeach Capano’s direct examination testimony that he was
“discreet” in conducting his extramarital affairs.411  In exercising his discretion,
the trial judge could properly conclude that the impeachment of the credibility of
a witness by reference to extramarital affairs does not require disclosure of the
details of those affairs, whereas the impeachment of Capano’s specific assertion
that he was “discreet” does require the limited disclosure of such details.
We therefore conclude that the trial court neither erred nor ruled
inconsistently on these issues.
                                   
409  Tr. of 11/16/98, at 30-31.
410  Tr. of 11/16/98, at 30-31.
411  Tr. of 1/4/99, at 43.
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XV.
Plain Error—Limits on Allocution
A.
Introduction
Under the Delaware death penalty statute, where the defendant pleads not
guilty in a capital case and does not waive trial by jury, there must be a trial to
determine guilt.  If the jury in the guilt phase unanimously renders a verdict of
guilty of first degree murder, the same trial judge and jury will then turn to the
separate penalty phase hearing.  At the penalty phase, evidence is presented
relating to mitigating and aggravating circumstances.412  At the conclusion of the
hearing, the jury will report to the trial judge whether the evidence shows beyond
a reasonable doubt the existence of at least one statutory aggravating
circumstance (e.g., premeditation and the result of substantial planning) and
whether, by a preponderance of the evidence, the aggravating circumstances
outweigh the mitigating circumstances.   The jury report carries with it the final
tally by number of affirmative and negative votes cast by the jury on each
question.413
                                   
412  11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(1).
413 11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(3).  As the jury was instructed, its answers to these two questions were, in effect, a
recommendation for either the death penalty or life imprisonment.  See Manley v. State, Del. Supr., 709 A.2d 643,
647 n.2 (1998).
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Significantly, the statute also provides that the defendant has the right
personally to address the jury in summation in addition to having counsel address
the jury in summation on the defendant’s behalf:
At the hearing the Court shall permit argument by the
State, the defendant and/or the defendant’s counsel, on
the punishment to be imposed.  Such argument shall
consist of opening statements by each, unless waived,
opening summation by the State, rebuttal summation by
the defendant and/or the defendant’s counsel and closing
summation by the State.414
This statutory provision is complementary to the requirement of the Rules of
Criminal Procedure of the Superior Court:
Before imposing sentence, the court shall . . .
(C) Address the defendant personally and determine if
the defendant wishes to make a statement and to present
any information in mitigation of the evidence.415
These statutory and rule provisions are, on their face, broad and open-
ended in establishing the framework of the right of allocution belonging to a
defendant facing the death penalty personally to address the jury and/or the judge
before the determination of the penalty.  It is important to focus on the fact that
the right of allocution does not involve sworn testimony by the defendant nor
                                   
414  11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(2).
415  Super Ct. Crim. R. 32(a)(1)(C).  Compare Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 32(c)(3)(C) (“Before imposing
sentence, the court must . . . address the defendant personally and determine whether the defendant wishes to make a
statement and to present any information in mitigation of the sentence.”).
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does it subject the defendant to cross-examination.  Black’s Law Dictionary
defines allocution as follows:
allocution . . . 1. A trial judge’s formal address to a
convicted defendant, asking him or her to speak in
mitigation of the sentence to be imposed. • This address
is required under Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(c)(3)(C).  2. An
unsworn statement from a convicted defendant to the
sentencing judge or jury in which the defendant can ask
for mercy, explain his or her conduct, apologize for the
crime, or say anything else in an effort to lessen the
impending sentence. • This statement is not subject to
cross-examination.416
Under Delaware law, the function of the jury in the penalty phase is solely
advisory.  It is the judge who has the ultimate responsibility to impose either a
death sentence or a sentence of life imprisonment without benefit of probation or
parole or any other reduction.  But the judge must consider and give substantial
weight to the recommendation of the jury before imposing sentence.417  The
jury’s recommendation is significant, and therefore the conduct of the penalty
                                   
416  Black’s Law Dictionary 75 (7th ed. 1999).
417  11 Del. C. § 4209(d).  In this case, the jury was advised that the trial judge would give its recommendation
“great weight.”  As we have stated, the jury plays an “important role” in the process, Shelton v. State, Del. Supr.,
652 A.2d 1, 5 (1995), acting “in an advisory capacity as the ‘conscience of the community.’”  Wright v. State, Del.
Supr., 633 A.2d 329, 335 (1993) (quoting State v. Cohen, Del. Supr., 604 A.2d 846, 856 (1992)).  The “trial judge is
vested with ultimate sentencing authority,” and  “may completely reject the recommendation of the jury. “  Lawrie v.
State, Del. Supr., 643 A.2d 1336, 1346 (1994) (citations omitted).  Delaware’s death penalty statute provides that the
jury must report its “final vote” on “[w]hether the evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of at
least 1 aggravating circumstance. . . .”  11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(3).  The trial court, “after considering the
recommendation of the jury,” must find “beyond a reasonable doubt at least 1 statutory aggravating circumstance.”
Id. § 4209(d)(1).
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phase hearing must be conducted fairly.  Accordingly, the nature and scope of
the right of the defendant personally to address the jury in allocution is one we
have recently addressed418 and one we must now apply to this case.
B.
Capano’s Exercise of His Right to Allocution
Capano elected his right of allocution January 28, 1999, the last day of his
penalty phase hearing.  On that day, Capano intended to allocute by reading a
prepared statement from the witness stand.  Before he began, Capano’s counsel
informed the trial judge that they had instructed Capano about the law of
allocution.419  Capano’s counsel, however, informed the court that Capano had
not told them the substance of his allocution.420  Before Capano began, the trial
judge imposed limitations, without objection, on the substance of allocution.
Outside of the jury’s presence, the trial judge explained to Capano that his
allocution was limited as follows:
Allocution is extended only to acceptable expressions of
remorse, pleas for leniency, statements about his own
good person and plans or hopes for the future.  It is not
to dispute the evidence or the verdict, to attack the
investigation or the prosecutors.  These limits are to be
                                   
418  Shelton v. State, Del. Supr., 744 A.2d 465, 488-503 (2000); cert. denied, 120 S.Ct. 2225 (2000).
419  Tr. of 1/28/99, at 42.
420  Id. at 11-12.
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strictly enforced.  And if in fact they are violated, I will
terminate the allocution. . . .”421
No objection was raised by Capano or his counsel to these limitations.  In fact, as
noted, these ground rules had already been explained to Capano by his
attorneys.422
Before Capano began to exercise his right of allocution, the trial court
related these limitations to the jury, explaining that “a man who is facing the
possibility of capital punishment has the right to address his jurors, his judge, not
to dispute the facts of the case or to comment on matters related to the trial, but
to deal with those areas that are appropriate for you to consider in determining
the questions that lie ahead of you.”423
Capano began his allocution by saying, “I’m not allowed to talk about the
evidence, and the next thing I was going to say was about the evidence, so I
won’t.”424  Again, at a later point in his testimony, he said with reference to a
matter concerning his daughters, “I’m not allowed to talk about that evidence
. . . . ”425  Finally, at the end of allocution, he said, “There are a couple of other
                                   
421  Id. at 42-43.
422  Id. at 42.
423  Id. at 43-44.
424  Id. at 45.
425  Id. at 58.
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things that I wanted to say but better check and make sure they don’t violate any
rules.  Maybe just one other.”426
Capano gave a lengthy allocution covering a number of subjects.427  He
alluded to his accident defense, saying, for example, that his actions on the night
of June 27 were those of a “panicked man,” and were a result of “very cowardly
decisions which I think when I was on the stand before I basically already said
that much.”428
Capano did in fact make some references to the evidence, in spite of the
court’s limitation.  In addition, he discussed his family life, explained his
background and personal qualities to the jury, and described his relationship with
Fahey, among other things.  Thus he had a substantial opportunity to receive the
intended benefits of allocution.
Capano raises on this appeal for the first time for plain error review not
only the trial judge’s limits on discussing the evidence but also the trial court’s
reaction when Capano entered into a discussion of certain evidence.  For
                                   
426  Id. at 64.
427  The State’s undisputed estimate is that he spoke in allocution for about 45 minutes.  In fact, his allocution is
spread over twenty pages of the penalty hearing transcript.
428  Tr. of 1/28/99, at 48, 49.
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example, Capano was discussing his pride in his daughters, and then veered into
a discussion of what he viewed as harassment of his daughters, presumably by
State officials.  He told the jury that “my kids were harassed.  They were lied to
and. . . .”  At this point the trial judge interrupted Capano as follows:
The Court:  We’re done.  Please take Mr. Capano out
of the courtroom.
The Defendant:  Can I take it back, Your Honor?
The Court: No.
The trial judge immediately relented, however, stating in the presence of the
jury:
I will let him continue.  Sort of blown my rules apart
here and I’ll instruct the jury on that, but the next time
you make such a blatant attack on the rules that you’re
forced operate under I will remove you.  There won’t
be taking back anything.  You will not be present for
the rest of the trial.429
Later, when Capano began discussing his relationship with Fahey, the trial court
interrupted, saying:
Mr. Capano, if you have any remarks that deal with
expressions of remorse, pleas for leniency, plans or
hopes for the future, or statements about your own good
person, some of which you have already made, please
                                   
429  Id. at 59-60.  Capano ended his allocution by saying “I’m sorry if I broke the rules.”  Id. at 65.
- 174 -
make them now.  I will not tolerate any deviance from
these conditions.430
 When Capano left the stand, the trial court delivered the following
instruction to the jury:
Members of the jury, as I indicated before Mr. Capano
started his allocution, it’s limited to a very narrow
framework, specifically the defendant is not permitted to
rebut any facts or to deny his guilt or to voice an
expression that contradicts the evidentiary facts that you
heard in the trial.  It is solely for the purpose of
acceptable expressions of remorse, pleas for leniency,
statements about his own good person, and for his plans
and hopes for the future.  To the extent that Mr. Capano
spoke to those valid areas, you should consider it his
testimony.  To the extent that he violated the terms of
the allocution, which he was specifically informed of
prior to taking the stand, you should consider that in any
way you deem appropriate.431
The trial judge did not explain what he meant by the term “consider that in any
way you deem appropriate.”
Then, in the presence of the jury, the trial judge asked the prosecution “if
the State [has] anything [it] wish[ed] to present in view of the deviation from the
purposes of allocution.”  Following a sidebar conference during which the State
pressed for an instruction regarding Capano’s suggestion that he had been
                                   
430  Id. at 62-63.
431  Id. at 66.
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stopped from testifying about certain matters, the Court stated the following to
the jury:
The purpose of the sidebar was for me to reflect on
certain statements that were made by Mr. Capano which
may have been misleading.  Mr. Capano elected the
right of allocution, which means that he could take the
stand and, within the limitations which I indicated to
you, could speak and not be subject to cross
examination.  There was nothing to permit him or to—
excuse me—there was nothing to keep him from taking
the stand and testifying on broader issues in the penalty
phase; however, had he done that, he would have
subjected himself to cross examination.  So when he
indicated that there were things that he could not talk
about, he was right because allocution is very limited,
but had a different form been chosen, those limitations
would not have been the same.432
C.
The Sentencing Decision
The jury returned its recommendations on January 28, 1999.433  Eleven of
the 12 jurors found the existence of the statutory aggravating circumstance that
“the murder was premeditated and the result of substantial planning,” while one
juror did not.  The jury found that the aggravating circumstances outweighed the
mitigating ones, and recommended by a vote of 10 to 2 that the death penalty be
imposed.  The trial court sentenced Capano to death on March 16, 1999, based
                                   
432  Id. at 68-69.
433  See State v. Capano, Del. Super., No. IN97-11-0720, Lee., J. (March 16, 1999) (Mem. Op.), Mem. Op. at 1.
- 176 -
on its finding that the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt the statutory
aggravating circumstance that Capano had premeditated and substantially planned
Fahey’s murder.434  The trial court also found that the State had proved by
substantial and reliable evidence the existence of six non-statutory aggravating
circumstances, and that the aggravating circumstances outweighed the five
mitigating circumstances that also existed.435
One of the nonstatutory aggravating circumstances found by the trial court
was the defendant’s “disdain for authority.”436  The trial court stated that “it also
is noteworthy that defendant breached many rules the Court imposed during these
proceedings.  The Court, directly, and through counsel, on numerous occasions
set forth rules to defendant which it expected him to follow, and defendant
consistently violated those rules.  He openly defies authority.”437  In remarks
accompanying the handing down of the sentence, the trial court noted that in spite
of the limits of allocution, Capano had “specifically refused to ask for mercy,
                                   
434  Id. at 16.
435  Id. at 21.
436  Id. at 8.
437  Id. at 11.
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showed no remorse, and continued his attack on the decision of the jury [and] the
disloyalty of those who testified against him. . . .”438
D.
Capano’s Contentions
Capano argues that his death sentence should be set aside because the trial
judge improperly limited the scope of his allocution during the penalty phase of
his trial.  He argues that he was impermissibly restricted to “expressions of
remorse, pleas for leniency, statements about [his] own good character and
person and plans and hopes for the future.”  In addition, Capano contends that
the trial judge erred by interrupting him during his allocution and admonishing
him in front of the jury for exceeding the scope of the allocution and by
commenting to the jury that they could view Capano’s exceeding the scope of the
allocution “in any way . . . appropriate.”  Finally, Capano argues that the trial
judge erred during sentencing by considering the fact that Capano violated his
ruling on the scope of the allocution as a factor in imposing the death sentence.
Capano contends that this Court’s standard and scope of review should be
de novo.  Despite his failure to object, Capano asserts that his resistance to the
judge’s attempt to limit his right to allocution calls for a less deferential standard
of review than plain error.  Regardless of the standard, Capano contends that this
                                   
438  Tr. of 5/16/99, at 7.
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Court should review his claim because the right to allocution is “arguably a
‘substantial right’ of a capital defendant.”439  The State contends the standard and
scope of review is plain error.  We agree that plain error is the standard and
scope of review.
The issue we consider is whether the trial judge committed plain error in
his limitations on Capano’s allocution, in the judge’s reactions to Capano’s
attempts to discuss evidence, made in the jury’s presence, and in the judge’s
direct statements to the jury.  The State conceded at oral argument in this Court
that the trial judge’s limitations on allocution were erroneously restricted and that
the court’s comments “probably did” affect the jury’s attitude toward Capano.440
Nevertheless, it was proper for the jury to consider any violations of courtroom
rules as a nonstatutory aggravating factor in its recommendation.441  The issue
that concerns us here is the likely effect on the jury of the trial judge’s reactions
to those “violations.”
We are mindful of the trial judge’s “duty to act instantly to control
disrespectful or obstructionist tactics in the courtroom.”442  A trial judge has
                                   
439  See Shelton v. State, Del. Supr., 744 A.2d 465, 497 n. 142 (2000).
440  Tr. of October 24, 2000 Oral Argument in the Supreme Court, at 30.
441  See 11 Del. C. § 4209(c).
442  Smith v. State, Del. Supr., 560 A.2d 1004, 1009 (1989).
- 179 -
“broad latitude” to take measures to “preserve order and appropriate conduct in
judicial proceedings.”443  In this case, the trial judge’s remarks at sentencing and
the sentencing opinion reflect that he found Capano to be a continually disruptive
and unruly presence.444
The trial judge has a unique vantage point, and we do not undertake to
second-guess his assessment.  We further recognize that the challenge of
managing a difficult litigant is magnified in the context of a lengthy capital trial
subject to intense public scrutiny.445  The trial in this case began on October 6,
1998 and ended on January 17, 1999, a period of nearly three months.  The trial
judge firmly and ably maintained control over these most difficult proceedings
and moved the trial forward expeditiously.
Our task is to assess the likely effect of the trial judge’s statements on the
fairness and integrity of Capano’s penalty phase.  Our review of the record
convinces us that the totality of the trial judge’s handling of the allocution did not
unfairly prejudice Capano.
                                   
443  Id. at 1008, 1009; see also State v. Bennefield, Del. Supr, 567 A.2d 863, 864 (1989) (discussing trial court’s
obligation to ensure that final arguments are not improper); Dutton v. State, Del. Supr., 452 A.2d 127, 140 (1982)
(finding no error in trial judge’s response to what he viewed as a breach of required professional etiquette).
444  See supra note 437.  
445  See Managing Notorious Trials 17 (National Center For State Courts) (2d. ed. 1998) (stating that “the existence
of media and public interest in notorious cases intensifies the difficulty” of “maintaining the appearance of
impartiality, ensuring a fair trial, and maintaining control of the courtroom”).
- 180 -
E.
The Shelton Jurisprudence
On June 25, 1999, while Capano’s direct appeal to this Court was pending,
we released an opinion in Shelton v. State.446  In Shelton, the defendant was
instructed by the trial judge that he could not use his allocution to “talk about the
facts surrounding the murder.”447  The trial court instead limited Shelton’s
allocution to “asking the sentencing authority . . . to give you mercy, spare your
life in this case, and sentence you to life.”  Shelton acquiesced in that limitation
because he did not want to discuss the facts in any event.  Speaking briefly in
allocution, Shelton did not discuss any evidence.448  Shelton was sentenced to
death for first degree murder and his death sentence was affirmed by this Court
on direct appeal.449
In his motion for post-conviction relief, Shelton argued for the first time
that the trial court had infringed his right to present mitigating evidence to the
jury in allocution.  Shelton argued that this right was guaranteed under Superior
Court Criminal Rule 32 as well as the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the
                                   
446  Del. Supr., 744 A.2d 465 (2000), cert. denied, 120 S.Ct. 2225 (2000).  A motion for reargument was filed and
denied by this Court.  In connection with the denial of the motion, we released a revised opinion.  See Shelton v.
State, Del. Supr., 744 A.2d 465 (Jan. 5, 2000).
447  Id. at 490.
448  Id.
449  Outten v. State, Del. Supr., 650 A.2d 1291 (1994), cert. denied, 115 S.Ct. 2585 (1995).
- 181 -
United States Constitution.  According to Shelton, his counsel had rendered
ineffective assistance by failing to object to the limitations placed on his
allocution.450
Despite Shelton’s clear assent to the limits placed on allocution, we
reached the merits of his claim under a plain error standard of review.451  We
concluded that the limitations placed on Shelton’s allocution did not reflect the
full scope of allocution under Delaware law.452  We defined the scope of
allocution as follows:
[T]here is no blanket rule that would preclude a
defendant who wished to do so from discussing or
arguing in allocution facts already in evidence either in
the guilt phase or the penalty phase.
* * *
In our view, Superior Court Criminal Rule 32(a)(1)(C)
and 11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(2) provide a defendant in the
penalty phase of a capital case the opportunity to argue
in allocution from the facts already in evidence in the
guilt phase or the penalty phase why those facts should
not result in the death penalty.  This is true whether the
argument is to assert diminished responsibility, reduced
                                   
450  Shelton, 744 A.2d at 488.
451  In Shelton, the scope of allocution was an issue of “first impression.”  Id. at 497 n.142.  Therefore, although the
defendant had acquiesced in the limitations placed on his allocution, the Court decided to “waive the waiver rule.”
Id.
452  Shelton addressed the common law right of allocution based on Delaware Superior Court Criminal Rule 32 and
11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(2).  Shelton, 744 A.2d at 495.  We declined to address whether the federal constitution
“provide[s] a right of a capital defendant to make before the jury an unsworn statement that is not subject to cross
examination.”  Id.
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culpability in comparison to other defendants, mistaken
identity, mistake by the jury in finding guilt or any other
reason.453
Thus, the Shelton holding allows a defendant to discuss in allocution facts already
in evidence, but requires that the defendant be “sworn and subject to cross-
examination” before making a “statement of new evidence.”454  We indicated that
this limitation on the presentation of new evidence achieved a balance of the
important purposes served by allocution, considerations of fairness toward the
defendant as well as the State and the truth-seeking function of the jury.455
In Shelton, we explained the purposes served by allocution:
Presently, allocution serves two purposes:  “First, it
reflects our commonly-held belief that our civilization
should afford every defendant an opportunity to ask for
mercy.  Second, it permits a defendant to impress a jury
with his or her feelings of remorse.”  Put another way,
allocution 
is 
necessary 
because 
it 
affords 
“an
opportunity for the jury to learn about the ‘whole
person’” and “it bespeaks our common humanity that a
defendant not be sentenced to death by a jury ‘which has
never heard the sound of his voice.’”456
                                   
453  Id. at 496, 498 (emphasis supplied).
454  Id. at 496.
455  Id.
456  Shelton, 744 A.2d at 492 (citations omitted).
- 183 -
The importance of allowing a defendant to discuss evidence in his allocution must
be measured in light of these purposes.  In some cases, such as the Shelton case
itself, the defendant may have no wish to refer to the facts of the crime for which
he was found guilty.  In other cases, however, discussing the evidence presented
at trial may be a crucial part of the defendant’s plea for mercy.
Although this evidence may have been before the jury in the guilt phase,
the purpose of allocution is for the defendant to be heard under procedures that
allow him to speak directly to the jury.  In fact, the Delaware death penalty
statute expressly permits the defendant as well as his counsel to present
“argument” and “summation,”457 and the Superior Court Rule permits the
defendant to present “any information in mitigation.”458  In Shelton, we quoted
with approval Justice Frankfurter’s observation that “[t]he most persuasive
counsel may not be able to speak for a defendant as the defendant might, with
halting eloquence, speak for himself.”459  This policy is a key factor in analyzing
the right of allocution and its application to this case.
                                   
457  11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(2).
458  Super. Ct. Crim. R. 32(a)(1)(C).
459  Shelton, 744 A.2d at 492 (quoting Green v. United States, 365 U.S. 301, 304 (1961); see also id. at 515 (Hartnett
and Berger, Justices, dissenting).
- 184 -
The issue in Shelton was first raised in a post-conviction proceeding in that
case.  The question at that stage of the proceedings was whether Shelton was
entitled to a new penalty hearing because of the alleged ineffective assistance of
counsel in failing either to object to the overbroad and erroneous limits the trial
court had placed on his allocution or to raise the issue on direct appeal.  We held
that he was not entitled to a new penalty hearing because “he was unable to show
that that he was prejudiced” by the erroneous limitations.460  This was because
Shelton’s “considered strategy”461 was to avoid discussing in allocution the facts
of the case.  Not only had he made no proffer of what facts he would argue in
allocution if allowed, his wish not to discuss the facts surrounding the murder
had been made unusually clear through extensive colloquy among the judge,
Shelton and counsel.462
Shelton’s strategy was carried out in his actual allocution, during which
Shelton did not discuss the facts or express remorse.  Twice he stated in his
allocution that he was not pleading for his life.  Therefore, the limits placed on
allocution and trial counsel’s failure to object to those limits became a moot point
                                   
460  Id. at 499.
461  Id. at 498.
462  See id. at 497-98 (“We are faced with a very unusual case where the record reveals as plain as glass that the
defendant consciously decided, after methodical questioning by the trial judge and statements on the record by his
counsel, that he was not going to present mitigating circumstances.”).
- 185 -
that resulted in harmless error, and thus were not grounds for overturning the
sentence.
F.
Plain Error Review in This Case
Capano argues that the limits placed on his allocution were error in light of
Shelton.  Neither Capano nor his counsel objected to the limits placed on his
allocution.  Under plain error review,463 the Court will grant relief only if the
error complained of is “so clearly prejudicial to substantial rights as to jeopardize
the fairness and integrity of the trial process.”  To establish plain error, Capano
has the burden of showing actual prejudice.464
As noted above, Shelton was not decided until after Capano was sentenced.
Nevertheless, the State concedes that the limitations placed on Capano’s right of
allocution were too restrictive in light of Shelton.465  Although it thus concedes
error, the State argues that the trial judge’s limits on allocution were not plain
error in this case.  First, the State seems to contend that Shelton should not be
applied because it was decided after Capano was sentenced.  The rationale of the
State’s argument is that because the scope of the right of allocution was unclear
                                   
463  Wainwright v. State, Del. Supr., 504 A.2d 1096, 1100 (1986) (citations omitted).
464  See Stevenson v. State, Del. Supr., 709 A.2d 619, 633 (1998).
465  See Tr. of 10/24/00 Oral Argument in the Supreme Court, at 29.
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before Shelton was decided, and was an issue of first impression in Shelton, the
error in this case cannot have been “plain”—i.e., obvious.
This argument misconceives the nature of plain error review.  Plain errors
must be “apparent on the face of the record.”466  As suggested by this language,
the issue is whether the error is apparent from the vantage point of the appellate
court in reviewing the trial record, not whether it was apparent to the trial court
in light of then-existing law.467  In this case, it is apparent, and conceded by the
State, that the limitations imposed on the right of allocution accorded Capano are
inconsistent with the right of allocution established in Shelton.
The trial judge in the case before us was, of course, unaware when he
imposed limits on Capano’s allocution of what we were later to decide in Shelton.
His error, therefore, was understandable.  Accordingly, the fact that Shelton was
decided after Capano’s penalty hearing is not itself a bar to a finding of plain
                                   
466  Wainwright, 504 A.2d at 1100; see also Johnson v. United States, 117 S.Ct. 1544, 1548 (1997) (noting that to be
“plain” an error must be “clear” or “obvious.”) (quoting United States v. Olano, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 1777 (1993)).
467 See Johnson, 117 S.Ct. at 1549 (holding that “it is enough that an error be ‘plain’ at the time of appellate
consideration,” even when “the law at the time of trial was settled and clearly contrary to the law at the time of
appeal”).  As the Seventh Circuit has explained, a primary reason for the requirement of ‘plainness’ is that the
appellate court on direct appeal is ill positioned to review contested issues of fact or undeveloped issues of law.  See
United States v. Caputo, 7th Cir., 978 F.2d 972, 975 (1992) (“An error is not plain in the sense of egregious if isn’t
even clear that it was an error, and if that isn’t clear the appellate court is likely to encounter difficulty in
determining that an error occurred at all.”)  In this case, the legal error is perfectly clear in light of current law.   Cf.
Shea v. Louisiana, 105 S.Ct. 1065, 1070 (1985) (holding that “principled decisionmaking and fairness to similarly
situated petitioners require application of a new rule to all cases pending on direct review.”)
- 187 -
error, but that analysis requires a showing of unfairness and substantial prejudice
to Capano.
The State also contends that there is no plain error because this Court has
not definitively declared allocution a “substantial right.”  Shelton held that on the
facts of that case the defendant had not shown that he was prejudiced by the
limits placed on his allocution.  Shelton was carrying out his own strategy—
however misguided that strategy might have been—not to discuss the facts of the
case as developed in the guilt phase.
We held in Shelton that “it does not follow, however, that a trial judge’s
setting of parameters on allocution similar to this one [in Shelton’s case] would
not be reversible error in a proper case where objection to the limitation was
preserved, where there was plain error, or where there was a showing of
ineffective assistance of counsel and resulting prejudice to the defendant.”468  We
also noted—although determination of the point was not necessary to the decision
in Shelton—that the right to allocution “is arguably a substantial right of a capital
defendant.”469
                                   
468  Shelton, 744 A.2d at 498.
469  Id. at 497 n.142.
- 188 -
We also held that whether the right of allocution is a substantial right in a
given case, it is not a constitutional right under the state or federal constitution.
This Court stated in Shelton that the right to allocution “is not a right granted by
either the federal or state constitutions, [but rather] . . . a right that is grounded
solely on the Superior Court Criminal Rule, the Delaware death penalty statute
and Delaware decisional law.”470
In the context of plain error review, the defendant must show that the error
affected substantial rights.471  Under the federal plain error rule, the phrase
“affecting substantial rights” means “in most cases . . . that the error must have
been prejudicial:  It must have affected the outcome of the [trial] court
proceedings.”472  To say that a right is not substantial may be merely another way
of saying that the defendant cannot have been prejudiced by an erroneous
abridgment of that right.  We need not engage in an abstract analysis of whether
allocution is a “substantial right.”  Rather, consistent with this Court’s plain
error jurisprudence, we must decide whether the error that occurred in this case
                                   
470  Id. at 495.
471  See Super. Ct. Crim. R. 52(b) (“Plain errors or defects affecting substantial rights may be noticed although they
were not brought to the attention of the court.”).
472  United States  v. Olano, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 1778 (1993).
- 189 -
prejudiced Capano when viewed in the total context of the record relating to the
allocution issue.473
G.
The Issue Whether Capano Was Unduly Prejudiced
Capano argues that his death sentence should be reversed because the trial
judge improperly imposed restrictions on his allocution and because he “paid an
enormous price for the trial judge’s error” during the penalty phase.  Capano
contends that his allocution “deteriorated into an ongoing battle between [him]
and the trial judge.”  The record shows that this is not the case.
There are at least three important distinctions from Shelton that are
relevant to our evaluation of this case in light of the Shelton jurisprudence.
(1) Capano had already told his story to this jury in extensive direct
testimony and cross-examination in the guilt phase, whereas Shelton did not
testify in his guilt phase.  This, in and of itself, is not dispositive, but it is a
factor that plays into our plain error review of how far the trial judge must permit
the defendant to go in allocution in rehashing and arguing the effect of admitted
evidence.
(2) The main purpose of allocution is to permit a defendant to present in
his own “halting eloquence” his remorse, personal life or diminished culpability
                                   
473  See Stevenson v. State, Del. Supr., 709 A.2d 619, 633 (1998).
- 190 -
(relative to other perpetrators) to a jury that may not have “heard the sound of his
voice.”474  That policy may have applied to Shelton (but for his express waiver).
Capano, on the other hand, was a trained lawyer with trial experience.
 (3) Judicial control of the proceedings was clearly at issue here and not in
Shelton.  Shelton himself was an unsophisticated defendant who was confused but
nonetheless clearly and expressly waived his allocution right to argue the facts.
Capano, on the other hand, was a trained lawyer.  Apparently, the trial judge
thought Capano was attempting to manipulate the system and needed to be reined
in.  Although the trial judge may have been harsh in rebuking him in the
presence of the jury,475 we must evaluate the colloquies that took place during the
penalty phase in the context of Capano’s performance during the entire three-
month trial, including his testimony in the guilt phase and his allocution in the
penalty phase.
The State argues that here, as in Shelton, the limitations had no effect on
Capano’s allocution.  According to the State: (a) Capano did manage to discuss
some evidence in his lengthy allocution in disregard of the limitations imposed by
                                   
474  Shelton v. State, Del. Supr., 744 A.2d 465, 515 n.258 (2000) (Hartnett and Berger, JJ., dissenting) (citing Green
v. United States, 365 U.S. 301, 304 (1961)); Shelton, 744 A.2d at 492 n.118 (citing State v. Zola, N.J. Supr., 584
A.2d 1022, 1046 (1988) (citations omitted)).
475  Capano calls his allocution an “unmitigated disaster,” saying that it “deteriorated into an ongoing battle between
Capano and the trial judge,” during which Capano was “fiercely denigrated by the trial judge in front of the jury for
what is now conceded to have been judicial error.”
- 191 -
trial court; and (b) Capano’s tactics and comportment during both trial and
allocution may well have alienated the jury and foreclosed an argument that he
was prejudiced by limits placed on allocution.476  The State also argues that the
trial court’s attempts to control Capano and enforce the limitations on allocution
were appropriate efforts to deal with Capano’s transgressions and maintain
control of the proceedings.477
Capano contends that the trial judge’s rebukes of him for violating the
erroneous limits on his allocution substantially prejudiced him.  Specifically, he
argues that the ongoing dispute between Capano and the trial judge risked
conveying to the jury that the trial judge felt personal animus toward Capano.  In
the circumstances, he contends that this atmosphere would likely have affected
                                   
476  See Tr. of 10/24/00 Oral Argument in the Supreme Court, at 31-32:
Mr. Wharton:
[I]t really strains the ability [sic] to believe that Mr. Capano
did not really have an opportunity to say everything he wanted to say, whether it
be in allocution or whether it be in his trial testimony.  He testified for some
eight days.  He allocated for some 45-50 minutes on a wide range of subjects.
* * *
And his attempts to further belittle individuals in the courtroom would not play
well with the jury.  So really, the argument becomes, well, if only Mr. Capano
could have talked longer and said more, he could have saved his life.
In fact, the exact opposite is true.  The more he talked, the worse it became for
him.
477  See Smith v. State, Del. Supr., 560 A.2d 1004, 1009 (1989) (stating that trial judges “should be mindful of their
duty to act instantly to control disrespectful or obstructionist tactics in the courtroom”).
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the jury’s deliberations.478  This is a capital case that resulted in a death sentence,
based in part at least, on the jury’s recommendation.  Death cases are different
from other cases and require heightened sensitivity to the finality of the
punishment 
and 
scrupulously 
fair 
process 
in 
the 
penalty 
phase.479
Notwithstanding these concerns, we find that the trial judge did not commit plain
error.
We focus on four important factors that lead us to conclude, in these
circumstances, that the trial court applied a rational, although erroneous, standard
when it instructed Capano on the limitations on the scope of his allocution and
informed the jury that it had done so.
First, Shelton does not mean that there is an almost limitless boundary to
the right of allocution.  During the penalty phase, to the extent that a defendant
                                   
478  See, e.g., Childress v. State, Del. Supr., 721 A.2d 929, 932 n.11 (1998) (“A Trial Judge has a duty to avoid any
language or any conduct that would lead the jury to suspect that the judge is favorable to one party to the trial.”)
(citations and internal quotations omitted); Callahan v. Cardinal Glennon Hosp., Mo. Supr., 863 S.W.2d 852, 867
(1993) (en banc) (noting that “a judge exerts great influence over the jury”); Jefferson-El v. State, Md. Ct. App., 622
A.2d 737, 741 (1993) (noting that a judge’s “opinion or manifestations thereof usually will significantly impact the
jury’s verdict”); Starr v. United States, 14 S.Ct. 919, 923 (1894) (“It is obvious that under any system of jury trials
the influence of the trial judge on the jury is necessarily and properly of great weight, and that his lightest word or
intimation is received with deference, and may prove controlling.”).
479  See Barrow v. State, Del. Supr., 749 A.2d 1230, 1249 (2000) (“The imposition of the death penalty requires
scrupulous adherence to the constitutional standards that authorize its use.”).  Also, as Justice O’Connor has stated:
Because sentences of death are “qualitatively different” from prison sentences,
this Court has gone to extraordinary measures to ensure that the prisoner
sentenced to be executed is afforded process that will guarantee, as much as is
humanly possible, that the sentence was not imposed out of whim, passion,
prejudice, or mistake.
Eddings v. Oklahoma, 102 S.Ct. 869, 878 (1982) (O’Connor, J., concurring) (citation omitted).
- 193 -
seeks to present new matters of relevance that go beyond the record in the guilt
phase, thus exceeding the limited parameters permitted in allocution, the
defendant must testify under oath and be subjected to cross-examination.
Second, the trial judge was endeavoring to help the jury focus on “those
areas that are appropriate for you to consider in determining the questions that lie
ahead of you.”480  The questions for determination by the jury at the penalty
phase do not include a re-examination of their decision that, beyond a reasonable
doubt, Capano had intentionally murdered Anne Marie Fahey.
Third, Capano not only failed to make a proffer, as he should have,
regarding the scope of his intended allocution, but also he refused to inform his
own counsel—who otherwise may have had the responsibility to do so as officers
of the court.  His counsel had informed the trial judge that while Capano wished
to exercise his right to allocution, “I have no idea what he is going to say.  He
won’t tell me.” 481  Capano’s own maneuvering raised a red flag to the trial judge
that trouble loomed ahead.
Fourth, Capano did discuss facts that had been admitted in evidence in the
guilt phase.  We believe that when facts relate to a capital defendant’s attempt to
                                   
480  Tr. of 1/28/99, at 43-44.
481  Id. at 11.
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display remorse, to minimize the circumstances that relate to aggravation, to
diminish degrees of culpability relative to other perpetrators (not applicable here,
of course), or to establish a basis for mercy, those facts admitted into evidence at
the guilt phase can be drawn upon to support the jury’s focus on “the questions
that lie ahead.”
The trial judge, in our view, appropriately attempted to establish rational
guideposts in light of the anticipated uncertainty.  He attempted, as an
experienced trial judge managing a difficult case and an unpredictable defendant,
to keep the defendant and the jury properly focused on the objective of the
penalty phase.
Throughout Capano’s allocution, and despite the limitations set by the trial
judge, Capano referred to the facts of the case.482  In so doing, he consistently
deflected responsibility for Fahey’s death.  He demonstrated disdain for
expressing remorse, eschewed a plea for leniency, and spoke little of his good
character and person or his plans and hopes for the future.  His discussion in his
allocution of the facts adduced at the guilt phase was not used to advance the
purpose of allocution at all.
                                   
482  See Tr. of 1/28/99, at 44-65.
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Capano is not a typical defendant, nor is he an unsophisticated defendant.
He is a sophisticated lawyer, trained and experienced in the law and the public
domain.  He consciously avoided making a proffer of his remarks, refused to tell
his counsel of his plans, heard and accepted the trial judge’s rulings without
objection and then intentionally and purposefully violated the parameters of the
rulings he accepted.
In his sentencing decision, the trial judge found that “[t]he evidence
showed defendant is manipulative, controlling, vindictive.  His need for control
over those around him is overwhelming.”483  The trial judge added:  “It is also
noteworthy that defendant breached many rules the Court imposed during these
proceedings.  The Court, directly, and through counsel, on numerous occasions
set forth rules to defendant which it expected him to follow, and defendant
consistently violated those rules.  He openly defies authority.”484
Capano claims that his allocution became an “unmitigated disaster”
because the trial judge maintained control over him.  The trial judge showed
understandable frustration with Capano’s antics, and may have been harsh in his
rebukes, but he also showed patience and restraint with Capano.  Indeed,
                                   
483  State v. Capano, Del. Super., No. IN97-11-0720, Lee., J. (March 16, 1999) (Mem. Op.), Mem. Op. at 10.
484  Id. at 11.
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Capano’s counsel admitted that the trial judge showed restraint despite Capano’s
repeated violations of the court’s ruling on the scope of the allocution.485
Capano also argues that the trial judge improperly considered Capano’s
allocution when imposing the sentence of death.  During the sentencing hearing,
the trial judge summarized Capano’s behavior and attitude during the entire trial.
While lengthy, the quote below is important to understand the context in which
the statements that Capano complains about were made:
In the end, the defendant claimed the right of allocution,
the ancient avenue of a convicted criminal facing death
to accept responsibility, express remorse, and ask for
mercy, relying upon his good and contrite character to
gain that mercy.
As a lawyer, specifically instructed by his own lawyers
on the limits of allocution, and further admonished by
the Court before and during allocution, he specifically
refused to ask for mercy, showed no remorse, and
continued his attack on the decision of the jury, the
disloyalty of those who testified against him, and the
tactics of the investigators who assembled and presented
the case against him, all specific violations of the right
of allocution.
The selfishness, arrogance and manipulativeness of
Thomas Capano destroyed his own family as well as the
Fahey family.  He did not hesitate to use his family to
commit or suborn perjury or to ask for the mercy he
specifically refused to ask for himself.  His only
remorse is for himself.
                                   
485  Tr. of 1/28/99, at 59-60.
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The most powerful mitigation presented does not
involve the defendant.  Rather, it is the impact on his
remarkable daughters and a brother he involved in his
criminal 
activities 
and 
then 
ridiculed 
and
excommunicated from the family when guilt and
circumstances forced him to tell the truth.
Tom Capano does not face judgment today because his
friends and family failed him.  He faces judgment
because he is a ruthless murderer who feels compassion
for no one, and remorse only for the circumstances he
finds himself in.
He is a malignant force from whom no one he deems
disloyal or adversarial can be secure, even if he is
incarcerated for the rest of his life.
The trial judge did not emasculate Capano’s right to allocution by
considering his behavior or attitude during allocution.486  Capano failed to adhere
to the purpose of allocution.  Although the limitations in the instructions were
erroneous and although the trial judge may have been harsh in his reactions to
Capano’s antics, it was Capano alone who destroyed his opportunity to present
evidence in mitigation.  Instead, he used the opportunity to vilify others and
transfer responsibility for Fahey’s death.
The error of the trial judge in limiting Capano’s right to discuss proper
facts is harmless.  In fact, it is a moot point for two reasons:  First, Capano did
                                   
486  See, e.g., United States v. Hildebrand, 8th Cir., 152 F.3d 756, 766 (1998) (drawing similar conclusion); United
States v. Li, 2d Cir., 115 F.3d 125, 134 (1997) (same).
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not want to discuss proper facts; he wanted to assail people and institutions.  This
is not an acceptable use of the right of allocution.  Second, he did in fact discuss
a number of matters despite the trial court’s limitations, and he was thus able to
put before the jury much of what he wanted them to hear—although it is doubtful
that he helped his own case.  If there was any prejudice to Capano in the
allocution episode, it was primarily self-inflicted.
Accordingly, we hold that as a matter of Delaware’s law of allocution, any
erroneous limitations placed on Capano’s right of allocution and the trial judge’s
colloquy with Capano in front of the jury, although regrettable, did not prejudice
Capano and do not entitle him to a new penalty hearing.
XVI. Constitutionality of Delaware’s Death Penalty Statute
Capano raises two challenges to the constitutionality of Delaware’s
statutory death penalty process.  He first contends that the process violates his
right to a jury trial because a trial judge may apply the death penalty under 11
Del. C. § 4209 where, as in this case, the jury did not unanimously find a
statutory aggravating factor.  Capano also argues that Delaware’s sentencing
procedure violates the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause because it
permits the trial judge to find a statutory aggravating factor without being bound
by a jury verdict on the underlying issues of fact.  This Court reviews de novo
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claims alleging that the trial court’s decision to sentence Capano to death violated
Capano’s constitutional rights.487
A.
Right to a Jury Trial as Applied to the Penalty Hearing under the
Delaware Death Penalty Statute
We note at the outset that the Delaware death penalty statute, like those of
several other states, expressly contemplates non-unanimous and non-binding jury
recommendations.488  We must therefore determine whether a defendant’s right to
a jury trial under Article I, Section 4 of the Delaware Constitution necessarily
implies a right to a unanimous jury verdict on all facts.489
The Delaware Constitution guarantees that “[t]rial by jury shall be as
heretofore.”490  This phrase incorporates by reference the common law right to
trial by jury, and “any analysis of the right to a trial by jury, as it is guaranteed
                                   
487  See Williamson v. State, Del. Supr., 707 A.2d 350, 354 (1998) (asserting that decisions implicating a
constitutionally protected right are subject to de novo review in this Court).
488  11 Del. C.  § 4209, provides that “The jury shall report . . . its final vote by the number of each affirmative and
negative votes” on “[w]hether the evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of at least 1 aggravating
circumstance. . . .”  11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(3).  The trial court, “after considering the recommendation of the jury,”
must then establish the existence “[b]eyond a reasonable doubt [of] at least 1 statutory aggravating circumstance.”
Id. § 4209(d)(1).
489  There is nothing in Delaware jurisprudence to support Capano’s suggestion that the phrase “reasonable doubt” in
the death penalty statute is intended to mean “unanimous verdict.”  Indeed, Capano did not cite Delaware cases to
support his contention, but instead relied on decisions from other jurisdictions.  See, e.g., State v. Brown, N.J. Supr.,
651 A.2d 19, 33 (1994) (“We perceive the requirement of proof beyond a reasonable doubt as practically, if not
theoretically, synonymous with the requirement of unanimity.”), overruled on other grounds by State v. Cooper,
N.J. Supr., 700 A.2d 306, 331-32 (1997); Fugate v. State, Ga. Supr., 431 S.E.2d 104, 108 (1993) (same).   It is worth
noting that Brown applies the New Jersey Death Penalty Act, which requires a unanimous verdict for aggravating
circumstances.  See N.J. Stat. § 2C:11-3(C)(3)(c).
490  Del. Const., art. I, § 4.
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by the Delaware Constitution, requires an examination of the common law.”491
Based on a common law analysis, this Court has previously found that under the
Delaware Constitution, “[u]nanimity of the jurors is . . . required to reach a
verdict.”492  This jurisprudence relates to the determination of guilt.  Undertaking
a similar inquiry in State v. Cohen,493 however, we held that the right to trial by
jury under the Delaware Constitution does not guarantee “the right . . . to have a
jury determine punishment in a capital case.”494  Instead, the Cohen Court found
that “the jury’s historic role was limited to that of a trier of facts, determining
guilt or innocence.”495
We therefore conclude that the jury is not required to return a unanimous
finding of an aggravating factor in its advisory role during the penalty phase.
Although a jury’s advisory report on statutory aggravating circumstances
                                   
491  Claudio v. State, Del. Supr., 585 A.2d 1278, 1298 (1991).
492  Fountain v. State, Del. Supr., 275 A.2d 251, 251 (1971).
493  Del. Supr., 604 A.2d 846, 851-52 (1992).
494  Cohen, 604 A.2d at 852.
495  Id. (emphasis added); see also Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 478-79 & n.4 (2000) (noting that, at
common law, “‘after trial and conviction are past,’ the defendant is submitted to ‘judgment’ by the court”) (quoting
4 W. Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England 368 (1769)).
- 201 -
necessarily requires the jury to resolve factual disputes, this exercise is
fundamentally different from a jury’s fact-finding role in the guilt phase under the
common law.496
First, as noted earlier, a jury at common law was charged with finding
facts only in connection with a determination of guilt or innocence.497  Here, the
jury unanimously determined Capano’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  By
contrast, under Delaware’s death penalty statute, a jury makes only
recommendations relevant to punishment.  Second, a jury’s verdict at common
law is binding—rather than advisory—as long as its conclusions are rational.498
Under the Delaware death penalty statute, however, a jury in the penalty phase
“functions only in an advisory capacity” and as the “conscience of the
                                   
496  Cf. Spaziano v. Florida, 468 U.S. 447, 459 (1984) (“The fact that a capital sentencing is like a trial in the
respects significant to the Double Jeopardy Clause . . . does not mean that it is like a trial in respects significant to
the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a jury trial.”).  Capano suggests that Jones v. United States, 526 U.S. 227, 250-
51 (1999) (discussing Hildwin v. Florida, 490 U.S. 638, 640-41 (1989)), endorses the position that, in making a
sentencing recommendation under a death penalty statute similar to Delaware’s statute, a jury “necessarily engag[es]
in the fact finding required for imposition of a higher sentence.”  Yet Jones also discusses a more recent case finding
that, under the Sixth Amendment, a statute may confer on the trial judge the authority to determine the presence of
aggravating factors and to sentence a defendant to death without the benefit of a jury verdict or recommendation.
See Walton v. Arizona, 497 U.S. 639, 647-48 (1990).  If a trial judge can make sentencing determinations under
Walton and can disregard a jury’s recommendation under Spaziano, 468 U.S. at 464-65, there is no reason to think
that the jury’s recommendation under the Delaware statute constitutes “factfinding required for imposition of a
higher sentence.” Jones, 526 U.S. at 250 (emphasis added).
497  See Cohen, 604 A.2d at 852.
498  A trial court may never disregard a jury’s acquittal and it may disregard a jury’s conviction only if no “rational
trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson v. Virginia,
443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979), quoted in Davis v. State, Del. Supr., 453 A.2d 802, 803 (1982) (per curiam); id. at 318
n.10 (“[T]he factfinder in a criminal case has traditionally been permitted to enter an unassailable but unreasonable
verdict of ‘not guilty.’”).
- 202 -
community.”499  Put differently, Section 4209 assigns to the trial judge “the
ultimate responsibility for determining whether the defendant will be sentenced to
life imprisonment or death.”500
Based on these considerations, we conclude that a jury’s advisory report
under the Delaware death penalty statute does not fit within the jury’s common
law role as fact-finder.  As a result, the jury’s recommendations under Section
4209 are not subject to the unanimity requirement, and Capano is therefore not
entitled to a unanimous jury finding as to the existence of a statutory aggravating
factor before the trial judge imposes a death sentence.
B.
Application to the Death Penalty Statute of the United States Supreme
Court’s Decision in Apprendi
Capano’s second constitutional challenge to Delaware’s death penalty
procedure is based on the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in
Apprendi v. New Jersey.501  Under Capano’s reading of Apprendi, the Delaware
statute violates the Due Process Clause because it permits the trial judge to find a
                                   
499  Cohen, 604 A.2d at 849, 856.
500  Id. at 849.  The United States Supreme Court has held that this arrangement is permissible under the Sixth
Amendment.  See Hildwin v. Florida, 490 U.S. 638, 640-41 (1989) (“[T]he Sixth Amendment does not require that
the specific findings authorizing the imposition of the sentence of death be made by the jury.”).  Similarly, the
Eighth Amendment to the federal constitution does not require that the statute “‘define the weight the sentencing
judge must accord to an advisory jury verdict.’”  Dawson v. State, Del. Supr., 673 A.2d 1186, 1196 (1996) (quoting
Harris v. Alabama, 513 U.S. 504, 512 (1995).
501 530 U.S. 466 (2000).
- 203 -
statutory aggravating factor without being bound by a jury verdict on the
underlying issues of fact.  Capano’s argument thus concludes that, in the
language of the Apprendi decision, the Delaware statute “remove[s] from the jury
the assessment of facts that increase the prescribed range of penalties to which
the defendant is exposed.”502
But here, the penalty phase did not “increase” Capano’s “exposure” to the
“prescribed range of penalties.”  His exposure to the death penalty had already
been determined when the jury unanimously returned the verdict of guilt beyond
a reasonable doubt of first degree murder.
The New Jersey statute at issue in Apprendi was not a death penalty
statute, and the holding in Apprendi does not bear on any issue involved in this
case.  The statute there was designed to provide punishment beyond the statutory
maximum for the underlying crime where the criminal conduct was motivated by
animus against minority groups.  After a jury finds a defendant guilty of a
statutory crime, the New Jersey statute provides for a separate proceeding in
which the trial judge alone is authorized to impose an additional sentence beyond
the statutory maximum.503
                                   
502  Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490 (emphasis added).
503  Id. at 468-69, 491.
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Under the New Jersey statute struck down in Apprendi, the judge may
impose the additional sentence if the judge finds by a preponderance of the
evidence that the defendant’s motivation in committing the underlying crime was
to intimidate the victim based on the victim’s race, gender, or religion.504  The
Supreme Court invalidated the New Jersey statute on the ground that the statute
constituted an additional element of the underlying crime—i.e., the defendant’s
motivation—that must be submitted to a jury and proven beyond a reasonable
doubt before the maximum authorized penalty may be increased.505
In our view, Apprendi neither explicitly nor implicitly invalidates the
Delaware death penalty statute.  First and most important, the Apprendi Court
explicitly preserved the line of cases upholding death penalty procedures similar
to Section 4209:
[T]his Court has previously considered and rejected the
argument that the principles guiding our decision today
render invalid state capital sentencing schemes requiring
judges, after a jury verdict holding a defendant guilty of
a capital crime, to find specific aggravating factors
before imposing a sentence of death.506
                                   
504  See id.
505  See id. at 490-98.
506  Id. at 496 (citing Walton v. Arizona, 497 U.S. 639, 647-49 (1990)).
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The dissent in Apprendi characterizes this analysis as too formalistic
because “the Arizona first-degree murder statute [in Walton v. Arizona]
authorizes a maximum penalty of death only in a formal sense.”507  In reality, the
dissent argues, “the Arizona sentencing scheme removes from the jury the
assessment of a fact that determines whether the defendant can receive that
maximum punishment.”508  Although this analysis may present a valid criticism
of the majority’s reasoning, the fact remains that a majority of the Court
concluded that the holding in Apprendi did not disturb the line of decisions
approving of death penalty statutes like that in Delaware.
Even if the Supreme Court had not explicitly preserved the death penalty
cases, the language in Apprendi makes it clear that the Court did not intend to
disturb the holdings in these cases.  Notwithstanding the dissent’s concern over
their perception of the breadth of the majority’s reasoning, the holding in
Apprendi is narrow:  “Other than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that
increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must
                                   
507  Id. at 540 (O’Connor, J., dissenting).  In Walton, the Supreme Court upheld Arizona’s death penalty statute.
Under the Arizona scheme, once a jury returns a guilty verdict for first degree murder, the trial court holds a
separate sentencing hearing to determine whether aggravating and mitigating factors are present.  See Walton, 497
U.S. at 643-44.  The trial court is directed to impose a death sentence where the court finds beyond a reasonable
doubt that one aggravating factor is present and where the court finds that the mitigating factors do not outweigh the
aggravating factors.  See id.  This statute is thus similar to the Delaware procedure under section 4209.
508  Id. at 541.
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be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.”509  Moreover, the
Court previously held that “the finding of aggravating facts fall[s] within the
traditional scope of capital sentencing as a choice between a greater and a lesser
penalty, not as a process of raising the ceiling of the sentencing range
available.”510
Under Delaware’s death penalty procedure, when a jury finds a defendant
guilty of first degree murder, the jury authorizes the statutory maximum penalty:
the death sentence, subject to the penalty phase and the judge’s decision on
sentencing.  Once the jury during the guilt phase of the trial authorizes the
maximum penalty, “‘it may be left to the judge to decide whether that maximum
penalty, rather than a lesser one, ought to be imposed. . . .’”511  We therefore
conclude that the holding in Apprendi does not implicitly or explicitly affect the
Supreme Court’s previous decisions permitting judges to find statutory
aggravating factors without a jury verdict on the underlying factual questions.
                                   
509  Id. at 490 (emphasis added). Evidently the consideration motivating the Court in its decision was the fear that a
defendant would not have notice of the full extent of the potential penalty from the face of the indictment.  Under
the Due Process Clause, a defendant may not be subject to additional penalties beyond the prescribed statutory
maximum on the basis of additional elements that are not mentioned in the definition of the charged crimes and that
are proven only by a preponderance of the evidence.  See id. at 478-79 (“The defendant’s ability to predict with
certainty the judgment from the face of the felony indictment flowed from the invariable linkage of punishment with
crime.”)  (citing 4 W. Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England 369-70 (1769)).
510  Jones v. United States, 526 U.S. 227, 251 (1999) (emphasis added).
511  Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 497 (quoting Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 257 n.2 (1998) (Scalia, J.,
dissenting)).
- 207 -
The New Jersey statute that was struck down in Apprendi is also
distinguishable from Delaware’s death penalty statute.  The aggravating factors
described in Delaware’s Section 4209 do not constitute additional elements
needed to establish guilt of a “capital murder” offense that a jury must
unanimously find beyond a reasonable doubt.  These aggravating factors relate
only to the penalty phase where the jury acts as an advisory body to the
sentencing judge.  The Apprendi Court distinguished an “element” of a crime
from a “sentencing factor” according to whether “the required finding expose[s]
the defendant to a greater punishment than that authorized by the jury’s guilty
verdict.”512  As we noted earlier, a conviction at the guilt phase by a unanimous
jury under the first degree murder statute constitutes the authorization for the
later imposition of the death penalty.513  Because the finding of an aggravating
factor does not “expose the defendant to a greater punishment than that
authorized” by a first degree murder conviction, the aggravating factor is not an
additional element of the first degree murder offense.514  In addition, the
Delaware statute requires that the trial judge find aggravating circumstances
                                   
512  Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 494.
513  See 11 Del. C. § 636(b) (referring to 11 Del. C. § 4209).
514  Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 494 (emphasis added).
- 208 -
beyond a reasonable doubt.515  The New Jersey hate crime statute, by contrast,
required a finding by a preponderance of the evidence that the underlying crime
was motivated by a desire to intimidate.516
Accordingly, we conclude that the death penalty process in 11 Del. C. §
4209 does not violate the right to a trial by jury under the Delaware Constitution
and does not violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
XVII.  Aggravating Circumstance Instruction
Capano argues that the aggravating circumstance instruction given to the
jury in connection with its sentencing recommendation was erroneous.
According to Capano, this instruction defined the relevant aggravating
circumstance in such a way as to allow the jury to recommend the death penalty
if it found the same degree of intent required to convict of first degree murder.
Review of this claim is de novo.517  We do not agree with Capano’s
argument because we find that the instruction in this case sufficiently narrowed
the class of people eligible for the death sentence.
                                   
515  See 11 Del. C. § 4209(d)(1)(a).
516  See Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 468-69, 491.
517  See Chance v. State, Del. Supr., 685 A.2d 351, 354 (1996).
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The statutory aggravating circumstance in question is that “the murder was
premeditated and the result of substantial planning.”518  In making a sentencing
recommendation, the jury was required to answer two questions.  First, whether
this aggravating circumstance existed.519  Second, whether the aggravating
circumstances it found (statutory or nonstatutory) outweighed any mitigating
circumstances it found.520  In this case, the jury found by a vote of 11 to 1 that
the statutory aggravating circumstance existed.  The jury also found by a vote of
10 to 2 that the aggravating circumstances in the case outweighed the mitigating
circumstances also present.521
The aggravating circumstance instruction delivered by the trial judge to the
jury in this case is as follows:
This statutory aggravating circumstance requires a
finding of premeditation.  In order for a murder to be
premeditated, the defendant must have thought about it,
considered it, or deliberated about it beforehand.  The
design to kill must arise from the sedate, deliberative
process and not a rash or impulsive, though intentional
act.  This statutory aggravating circumstance also
requires that the murder was the result of substantial
                                   
518  11 Del. C. § 4209(e)u.
519  11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(3)a.1.  The trial judge can impose the death penalty only if the judge finds beyond a
reasonable doubt the existence of at least one statutory aggravating circumstance and finds that the aggravating
circumstances found to exist outweigh the mitigating circumstances found to exist.  See 11 Del. C. § 4209(d)(1).
520  11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(3)a.2.
521  As the jury was instructed, its answers to these two questions were, in effect, a recommendation for either the
death penalty or life imprisonment.  See Manley v. State, Del. Supr., 709 A.2d 643, 647 n.2 (1998).
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planning.  Substantial planning is planning which is
considerable or ample for the commission of the
crime.522
We find no merit in Capano’s argument that this instruction fails to distinguish
for the jury between the aggravating circumstance of “premeditation” and
“substantial planning” and the “intent” element of first degree murder.
Due process requires aggravating circumstances to “genuinely narrow the
class of persons eligible for the death penalty and . . . reasonably justify the
imposition of a more severe sentence on the defendant compared to others found
guilty of murder.”523  The aggravating circumstances must “permit the sentencer
to make a principled distinction between those who deserve the death penalty and
those who do not.”524  In determining whether these criteria are met, “we find the
relevant inquiry to be whether ‘the sentencer fairly could conclude that an
                                   
522  Tr. of 1/28/99, at 126.  The instruction requested by Capano is as follows:
This statutory aggravating circumstance applies to those murders which may be
characterized as executions (or contract murders).  This statutory aggravating
circumstance requires a finding of heightened premeditation, i.e., a cold-blooded
intent to kill that is more contemplative, more methodical, more calculating and
controlled than that necessary to sustain a conviction of first degree murder.
This instruction is drawn from State v. Manley, Del. Super., 1997 Del. Super., Cr. I.D. Nos. 9511007022,
9511006992, Barron, J. (Jan. 10, 1997) (ORDER).  See also Stevenson v. State, Del. Supr., 709 A.2d 619, 637-38
(1998) (noting that this instruction is “based upon . . . guidance from Florida’s jurisprudence”).  Our tacit approval
of this instruction in Stevenson does not entitle all capital defendants to an identical definition of the aggravating
circumstance codified at 11 Del. C. § 4209(e)(1)u.
523  Lewis v. Jeffers, 497 U.S. 764, 776 (1990) (quoting Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862, 877 (1983)).
524  Id. (citation omitted).
- 211 -
aggravating circumstance [in this case, as defined in the jury instructions] applies
to every defendant eligible for the death sentence. . . .’”525
The instruction in this case fulfilled these criteria.  The instruction defines
the aggravating circumstance in a way that excludes intentional killings that are
not a result of calm deliberation and preparation.  The instruction requires that
the planning be substantial, i.e., “considerable or ample,” not merely the amount
of planning necessary for the act resulting in death.526  Moreover, the instruction
specifically excludes killings that are “rash or impulsive, though intentional.”  In
contrast, a first degree murder conviction requires only that the killing be
intentional.527  Therefore, Capano’s argument is without merit.
XVIII.
Statutorily Mandated Review of Capano’s Death Sentence
This Court must conduct a mandatory, limited review of the Superior
Court’s imposition of the death sentence.528  Under 11 Del. C. § 4209(g)(2)b, we
must examine the evidence in the record to determine whether it supports the
                                   
525  Steckel v. State, Del. Supr., 711 A.2d 5, 13 (1998) (quoting Arave v. Creech, 507 U.S. 463, 474 (1993)); see also
id. (“After review of § 4209(e)(1), we conclude that no one of those factors could be applied to every defendant
convicted of first degree murder in Delaware.”).
526  See United States v. Tipton, 4th Cir., 90 F.3d 861, 896 (1996) (approving instruction requiring “substantial
planning and premeditation,” with “substantial planning” defined as “planning that is considerable, or ample for the
commission of a crime at issue in this case:  murder”).
527  See 11 Del. C. § 231 (a) (“A person acts intentionally with respect to an element when:  (1) . . . it is the person’s
conscious object to engage in conduct of that nature or cause that result.”).
528  See 11 Del. C. § 4209(g); Zebroski v. State, Del. Supr., 715 A.2d 75, 82 (1998).
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Superior Court’s finding of a statutory aggravating circumstance.  We must then
address both determinations required by subparagraph a. of Section 4209(g)(2).529
Under this analysis, we first consider whether the imposition of the death penalty
was arbitrary or capricious.  Second, we consider whether the death penalty in
the present case was disproportionate to that imposed in similar cases.  When
undertaking these inquiries, we must consider as a whole the aggravating and
mitigating evidence as it bears upon the circumstances of the crime and the
character of the defendant.530
A.
Statutory Aggravating Circumstance
Capano does not argue that the evidence was insufficient to support the
Superior Court’s finding of a statutory aggravating circumstance.  The jury found
by a vote of 11 to 1 that “the murder was premeditated and the result of
substantial planning.”531  The trial court found that the State had proven this
                                   
529  11 Del. C. § 4209(g)(2) provides in pertinent part:
The Supreme Court shall limit its review under this section to the
recommendation on and imposition of the penalty of death and shall determine:
a. Whether, considering the totality of evidence in aggravation and mitigation
which bears upon the particular circumstances or details of the offense and the
character and propensities of the offender, the death penalty was either
arbitrarily or capriciously imposed or recommended, or disproportionate to the
penalty recommended or imposed in similar cases arising under this section.
530  See Zebroski, 715 A.2d at 82-83; Wright v. State, Del. Supr., 633 A.2d 329, 339 (1993) (citing 11 Del. C. §
4209(g)(2)a.).
531  11 Del. C. § 4209(e)(1)u.  As discussed above, the trial court gave a correct instruction to the jury defining this
aggravating circumstance.
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statutory aggravating factor beyond a reasonable doubt.  There was substantial
evidence, which has been discussed at length in sections of this Opinion, to
support this finding.
B.
Death Penalty Not Arbitrary or Capricious
This Court must review the death sentence to consider whether the
imposition of the death sentence was arbitrary or capricious.  Capano does not
argue that it was.  Nonetheless, we find that the record “reflects that the Superior
Court’s decision to impose the death penalty was ‘the product of a deliberate,
rational and logical deductive process.’”532  The court recognized that, in
determining the punishment, the weighing of aggravating and mitigating
circumstances is qualitative not quantitative and must take into account the
totality of the circumstances present.533
In addition to the statutory aggravating circumstance, the trial court found
that the State had proved by substantial and reliable evidence the existence of the
following non-statutory aggravating circumstances: “1) Substantial impact of the
murder upon friends, family and co-workers of Fahey; 2) Past actions of
                                   
532  Steckel v. State, Del. Supr., 711 A.2d 5, 14 (1998) (quoting Ferguson v. State, Del. Supr., 642 A.2d 772, 778
(1994) (quoting Red Dog v. State, Del. Supr., 616 A.2d 298, 310 (1992))).
533  See State v. Capano, Del. Super., No. IN97-11-0720, Lee., J. (March 16, 1999) (Mem. Op.), Mem. Op. at 18.
See State v. Cohen, Del. Supr., 604 A.2d 846, 849 (1992) (stating that the balancing of aggravating and mitigating
circumstances involves “reasoned judgment as to what factual situations require the imposition of the death and
which can be satisfied by life imprisonment in light of the totality of the circumstances present”).
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defendant seeking to harm an ex-lover;534 3) Defendant’s vindictiveness; 4)
Defendant’s criminal conspiracies;535 5) Defendant’s continuing manipulative
behavior; 6) Defendant’s lack of remorse; 7) Defendant’s disdain for authority;
and 8) Defendant remains a threat to direct crimes of vengeance while
incarcerated.”536
The trial court also found the existence of six mitigating factors:  “1)
Defendant’s lack of any prior criminal record; 2) The need for his daughters to
have him in their lives; 3) The need for his mother to have him in her life; 4) The
need of other family members to have him in their lives; 5) The intense guilt
which Louis and, particularly, Gerard would feel for their part in participating in
these proceedings which might result in defendant’s death; and 6) Defendant’s
community service.”537
The Superior Court carefully weighed the aggravating and mitigating
circumstances in this case, articulating the grounds for its decision to impose the
death penalty.  The court concluded (in part) as follows:
                                   
534  A former lover, Linda Marandola, testified at the sentencing hearing to a pattern of harassment by Capano over a
number of years, in the 1970s and 1980s, including sending her letters telling her to leave Delaware, and making
harassing phone calls.  Tr. of 1/20/99, at 79-95, 165-66.  At one point in 1993 Capano talked to a third party about
hiring someone to hurt an ex-lover, apparently Marandola.  See id. at 167-74.
535  Perillo, a fellow inmate of Capano’s, testified at trial that Capano sought Perillo’s help in finding someone to
burglarize MacIntyre’s house.  Tr. of 11/24/98, at 56-58.
536  Capano, Mem. Op. at 16.
537  Id. at 17.
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Defendant planned, over a period of time, to kill Anne
Marie Fahey and to dispose of her body so that it could
not be found. He then blamed the murder on an ex-lover
who had testified against him. The crime defendant
committed was horrific. The crime epitomized the
makeup of his character: vindictive and controlling.
* * *
The circumstances of the murder here are similar to
those in Gattis. No one, except the defendant, ever will
know exactly how or why Anne Marie Fahey died.
What is certain is that it was not a crime of passion but,
rather, a crime of control. By all accounts, she had
ceased to be defendant’s lover but had never escaped his
sphere 
of 
influence, 
control 
and 
manipulation.
Defendant’s premeditation and planning was for a
contingency that, perhaps, he hoped would never
happen, but did, on the evening of June 27, 1996. He
chose to destroy a possession rather than lose it; to
execute an escaping chattel.
The only mitigating circumstances of significance to this
Court concern defendant’s daughters and the impact of
the crime on Gerard. Defendant’s daughters’ love for
their father is deep and genuine and they want him in
their lives. However, during this trial, defendant has
shown that he will take advantage of his daughters to
accomplish an end which benefits himself. Their love
for him is great. However, since defendant’s past
history is a prime indicator of his future behavior, it is
clear that defendant poses a threat of harm to his
daughters’ well-being.
Gerard does not want defendant sentenced to death; he
will feel great responsibility for it. Gerard bears no
blame; instead, the blame goes directly to defendant.
Defendant involved Gerard in his murder plans.
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Defendant committed the murder. Defendant is the one
who must accept all blame, but does not because of his
flawed character. Gerard should understand that
defendant is reacting in his normal way: to strike out at
the disloyal subject and punish that person who attempts
to do what is right and not immoral.
Absent the harm to his daughters and to Gerard, there is
nothing in defendant’s life which would call for the
imposition of a life sentence. Defendant will not adjust
well in prison; he will constantly scheme to by-pass
prison rules; he will defy prison authority; he will
continue to manipulate those who love him from within
the prison walls. He poses a threat of harm even while
incarcerated. He committed a horrific crime. That crime
and his antisocial behavior outweigh any mitigating
circumstances. The sentence of death is warranted in
this case.538
Based on the record and the deliberate, rational, logical deductive process
reflected in the trial court’s opinion, we conclude that the trial court did not
impose the death sentence either arbitrarily or capriciously under 11 Del. C. §
4209(g)(2)a.
C.
Death Penalty Proportionality Review
In conducting the statutorily-mandated proportionality inquiry, the Court
“refers to the ‘universe’ of cases involving first degree murder charges that have
included a penalty hearing and after the conclusion of which the sentence has
                                   
538  Id. at 18-21.
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become final.”539  Those cases appear as an appendix to this decision.  An exact
comparison of these cases is not practicable, “but a review of some objective
factors, including the gravity of the offense, the circumstances surrounding the
crime, and the harshness of the penalty is helpful in reaching a determination of
whether or not this case fits within a pattern of Delaware death sentence
precedent.”540
Capano argues that his death sentence is disproportionate.  According to
Capano, the universe of cases in which the death penalty has been imposed
involves cases with “multiple victims” “and/or multiple statutory aggravating
factors.”541  Capano argues that his case is “significantly less aggravated,” and
that “in single-victim cases, arising from a fractured personal relationship, death
sentences are not routinely imposed.”
Capano’s argument is not persuasive.  First, the fact that Fahey was
Capano’s only victim in this case does not meaningfully distinguish other cases
meriting the death penalty.  Nor does the fact that this killing involved a
                                   
539  The relevant universe of cases may be found in Appendix A attached hereto.  Zebroski, 715 A.2d at 84 (quoting
Lawrie v. State, Del. Supr., 643 A.2d 1336, 1344 (1994)).  Changes in the death penalty statute enacted in 1991
create dissimilarities between cases decided before and after that year but pre-1991 decisions are still relevant. See
Lawrie, 643 A.2d at 1350.
540  Zebroski, 715 A.2d at 84 (citation omitted).
541  In making this argument, Capano relies on the following cases: Gattis v. State, Del. Supr., 637 A.2d 808, 822
(1994) (two statutory aggravating factors); Weeks v. State, Del. Supr., 653 A.2d 266, 271-74 (1995) (multiple
victims, three statutory aggravating factors); Clark v. State, Del. Supr., 672 A.2d 1004 (1996) (same).
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“fractured relationship.”  Like others sentenced to death in Delaware, Capano
was found guilty of an unprovoked, cold-blooded murder of a defenseless
person.542  Moreover, we have stated that the “deliberate, cold-blooded killing, in
execution style, of a helpless spouse or lover, is deserving of society’s harshest
condemnation.”543  The evidence in this case was that Capano spent months
planning to kill Fahey, his one-time lover.
Capano relies on Taylor v. State,544 and Williamson v. State,545 cases
involving brutal murders in which the defendant was not sentenced to death.  In
Taylor, the defendant stabbed his pregnant girlfriend after breaking into her
apartment.546  In Williamson, the defendant surprised and strangled his victim in
front of a woman whom he had bound and raped.547  In Taylor and Williamson
the qualitative nature of the mitigation evidence was different from that involved
in this case.  Although Taylor and Williamson could have justified a sentence of
death, their cases nevertheless are distinguishable on a fundamental level because
                                   
542  See, e.g., Zebroski, 715 A.2d at 84-85; Ferguson, 642 A.2d at 789; Gattis,  637 A.2d at 823; Sullivan v. State,
Del. Supr., 636 A.2d 931, 950-51 (1994).
543  Weeks, 653 A.2d at 274 (quoting Gattis, 637 A.2d at 823).
544  Del. Supr., 685 A.2d 349 (1996).
545  Del. Supr., 669 A.2d 95 (1995).
546  Taylor, 685 A.2d at 349-50.
547  Williamson, 669 A.2d at 96-97.
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there is no suggestion in those cases of substantial planning and premeditation as
was found in this case.   Cases imposing the death penalty have given weight to
the existence of a plan to carry out the murder.548
Second, the fact that there is only one statutory aggravating factor in this
case does not make imposition of the death penalty disproportionate.  The
number of statutory aggravating factors does not indicate fully the gravity of the
offense and the totality of the circumstances surrounding the crime.  As the trial
court recognized, Capano’s planned murder of Fahey was “horrific.”
In Zebroski, we found that the death penalty was not disproportionate
where only one statutory aggravating factor was found but in which there were a
number of nonstatutory aggravating circumstances.549  Similarly, in this case,
there were substantial nonstatutory aggravating circumstances.550  The trial court
discussed several instances of reprehensible behavior by Capano.551  During his
incarceration before trial, Capano conspired with another inmate to have
MacIntyre’s house burglarized in order to intimidate her into not testifying
                                   
548  See, e.g., Weeks, 653 A.2d at 274 (“Weeks plotted the death of his wife at least two days in advance. . . .);
Sullivan, 636 A.2d at 949-50 (quoting trial court’s statement that “a killing during the course of a robbery or
burglary becomes egregiously heinous when it is preceded by a substantial period of planning, reflection, and
calculation by the killer as occurred here”).
549  Zebroski, 715 A.2d at 83.
550  Cf. Steckel, 711 A.2d at 14 (noting that the non-statutory aggravating factors were “substantial both in their
number and their gravity”).
551  Mem. Op. at 10-11.
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truthfully.552  Perhaps most egregiously, Capano kept his knowledge of Fahey’s
fate hidden from her family for over two years in order to escape detection.553
Accordingly, we hold that the imposition by the Superior Court judge of a death
sentence in this case was not disproportionate to sentences imposed on other
defendants in the relevant universe of cases.554
XIX.  Conclusion
For the reasons set forth herein, the judgment of the Superior Court is
affirmed.  The matter is remanded to the Superior Court for the purpose of
setting a new execution date.
                                                                                                                  
552  Cf. Jackson v. State, Del. Supr., 684 A.2d 745, 754 (1996) (noting as a non-statutory aggravating factor that
“while in prison Jackson had conspired to murder a State witness who would testify against him”).
553  See Weeks, 653 A.2d at 274 (“Immediately following the killing, Weeks showed no remorse.  Instead, he sought
to prevent detection of his involvement in the killing.”).
554  See Appendix A attached.
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STEELE, Justice, with whom CHANDLER, Chancellor, joins concurring:
I join in and agree with the majority’s judgment to affirm.  I believe that
the majority opinion carefully and persuasively determines that the trial judge’s
immediate response to Gerry’s comment about the impending lie detector test by
striking the reference and by issuing a clear cautionary instruction to the jury
cured any potential prejudice to Capano.  Further, I agree that the majority
opinion thoughtfully makes the case that when the trial judge admitted Lyons’
testimony about the circumstances that induced Gerry’s alleged further disclosure
that any error by so doing was harmless.  I, therefore, concur with the majority’s
ultimate conclusion that neither ruling “warrant[s] a reversal of Capano’s
conviction and sentence.”
I respectfully would hold, notwithstanding any concurrence in the result,
and contrary to Part III B of the majority Opinion, that the trial judge properly
admitted Lyons’ testimony.  In my view, therefore, the trial judge committed no
error whatsoever.
I agree with the majority’s conclusions that:
1.
the trial judge’s limiting instructions minimized the impact of Lyons’
testimony about the timing of Gerry’s full disclosure of the alleged facts and of
Gerry’s revelation that he believed that he would have to be more forthcoming
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before he “went and took the lie detector test” that, inferentially, might be
required by the FBI; and,
2.
given the totality of the evidence of planning, that portion of it
supplied by Gerry as part of his fuller disclosure “was not an indispensable or
critical part of the State’s case.”
However, two important considerations lead me to the conclusion that the
trial judge correctly allowed Lyons’ testimony explaining the circumstances
surrounding Gerry’s fuller disclosure.
First, trial judges regularly meet the needs of parties to explain (and juries
to understand) salient facts in a case where there are legitimate risks of a
misunderstanding of the relevance of that evidence, or where the danger exists
that, though relevant, the evidence might create unfair prejudice.  Evidence is
often admitted for a limited purpose, with proper cautionary instructions, and
legitimately so.  Evidence has only one ultimate purpose – “that the truth may be
ascertained and proceedings justly determined.”555  When a trial judge “restricts
the evidence to its proper scope and instruct[s] the jury accordingly,”556 he or she
does so with ascertainment of the truth uppermost in mind.
                                   
555 D.R.E. 102.
556 D.R.E. 105.
- 223 -
Second, regardless of the prosecutor’s recasting of Lyons’ testimony in his
closing, Lyons never attempted to comment on the truthfulness of Gerry’s
disclosure before or after Gerry’s decision to disclose more fully what he “knew”
to federal agents.  Lyons, though his attorney, was in no position to support
Gerry’s credibility at either point in time.  I have no reservation in concluding
that the jury clearly understood that very point.
I fully endorse the majority’s view, explained in Section II of the Opinion,
on the Delaware Courts’ approach to the admissibility or exclusion of evidence.
Entirely consistent with that view, is my belief that it is better to let the jury
know the actual, truthful explanation of why at that particular moment Gerry
expanded his testimony, with appropriate caution, than to leave them to speculate
on a wide range of irrelevant, untruthful possibilities for his apparent epiphany.
The Reference to a Polygraph Test
I agree that any reference to a polygraph test may be potentially
mischievous and should, therefore, be brought to the trial judge’s attention and
carefully screened with enhanced scrutiny to assure that no other appropriate
alternative evidence is available to establish the relevant operative fact sought to
be admitted and that a restrictive instruction be crafted to instruct the jury on the
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limited purpose for which the evidence is being admitted.557  I further agree that
Whalen may not be read broadly to permit references to a lie detector test to
prove a limitless range of operative facts.  Nevertheless, a “per se exclusionary
rule” would go too far when there may be no other basis for admitting critical
evidence, the trial judge conducts an appropriate Rule 403 analysis and then
formulates a clear cautionary instruction for the jury.
Here, I see little meaningful difference between admitting polygraph
evidence to prove that under all of the circumstances a confession was voluntary
(as in Whalen) and admitting evidence that a witness believed he would have to
submit to a polygraph – a belief which caused him to divulge more expansively
his knowledge of facts relating to issues in this case.  In light of the trial judge’s
cautionary instruction, I believe there is no basis to conclude that either (1) the
jury would simply blatantly ignore the instruction and blindly find that Gerry
both took the test and passed it, or (2) the jury proceeded, contrary to the
instruction, to find through speculation about unreliable evidence that Gerry
ultimately told the truth.
                                   
557 D.R.E. 105.
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Lyons’ Testimony and Attorney Vouching
While I agree that if it was error to admit the Lyons testimony that it was
harmless error, and therefore concur in the conclusion to affirm on this point, I
respectfully depart from the majority’s view that the references were dubious or
problematic under the circumstances of this case and would rule that the
references were properly admitted.
Lyons’ actual testimony mentions only that he told Gerry that “yes,” he
would or might be required to take a polygraph test and that “you can’t hold
anything back.”  The purpose of this testimony was to explain the circumstances
surrounding Gerry’s fuller disclosure of what he, Gerry, believed to have
occurred.  At no time did Lyons attempt to characterize the testimony in any way
to bolster Gerry’s credibility.  I recognize the points made by the majority in
support of their view that there was “potential that Lyons’ status as an
experienced lawyer may have imparted credibility to Gerry’s testimony . . . .”  I
note and accept as reasonable the majority’s view that “. . . a jury would be
likely to infer that Gerry did not disregard Lyons’ emphatic directive to make full
disclosure.” (emphases added)  I simply do not agree with those inferences in
light of the cautionary instruction given to the jury and my own, I hope equally
reasonable inference, that a jury does not, in our current culture, accept criminal
- 226 -
defense attorneys as the paradigm for “truth, justice and the American way” (if
there still be one).  Explaining why Gerry offered additional detail at that point
would assist the jury’s understanding of relevant events.  The trial judge
immediately instructed the jury, appropriately limiting the inferences that they
could fairly draw from the references to a prospective polygraph test or from
Lyons’ status as an attorney.  Nothing in Lyons’ actual testimony suggested that
suddenly Gerry then started telling the truth and that he may not have been until
that denouement.  The jury had to understand from the cautionary instruction that
they still had to resolve whether Gerry told the truth before and after he
concluded that he would more fully disclose what he knew.  The jury knew that
they remained free to conclude that this turncoat brother lied both before and
after the fuller disclosure because the cautionary instruction told them as much.
If error occurred, no matter how harmless, it occurred when the prosecutor,
without objection, embellished the inference in his closing by asserting that
Lyons said “you have to tell the complete truth,” when in fact, Lyons made no
such statement.558
I, therefore, would conclude that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion
when he allowed Lyons to testify and when he permitted the State to elicit
                                   
558 Tr. of 1/13/99, at 66-68.
- 227 -
testimony that Gerry had disclosed additional information when confronted with
the probability that he would face a polygraph test when the trial judge’s
instruction appropriately limited the jury’s consideration of the circumstances
under which it was admitted and the purpose for which it was admitted.
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CHANDLER, Chancellor, with whom STEELE, Justice, joins concurring:
I join in and agree with the ultimate judgment to affirm in Chief Justice
Veasey’s Opinion for the Court.  Nevertheless, I respectfully disagree with the
analysis by the majority in two areas of the Opinion—Part III.B. and Part XV.
For reasons I briefly set forth below (as well as those raised in Justice
Steele’s concurrence, with which I fully agree and in which I also join), I do not
agree with the majority’s determination that the trial court erred when it (1)
admitted Lyons’ testimony about the lie detector test, and (2) limited the scope of
Capano’s allocution.
1. Lyons’ Lie Detector Testimony
As do most jurisdictions, Delaware has a long-standing, and quite proper,
prohibition against admission of the results of lie detector tests.  Such a
prohibition is warranted because the results of a lie detector examination are
inherently unreliable, and their apparent scientific nature has the potential to
mislead jurors into giving the results undue weight.  Admission of results of lie
detector tests, therefore, may constitute reversible error.559
The testimony in this case concerning a potential lie detector test, however,
is quite different.  Here, there was no evidence presented to the jury that a lie
                                   
559 See Foraker v. State, Del. Supr., 394 A.2d 208 (1978).
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detector test was ever administered to Gerry Capano, let alone what the results of
such a test might have been.  Rather, the testimony in this case indicated that
Gerry believed that he was subject to a lie detector test.  This was offered to
explain to the jury why Gerry changed his statement to investigators in the case.
As the trial judge properly instructed the jury, in his limiting instruction, this
evidence was provided to them so that they could perform their most basic
function:  evaluation of the reliability of evidence from which they could draw
conclusions of fact.  Given the trial judge’s adequate and explicit limiting
instruction, and given the nature of the evidence presented, this is not a case in
which the unduly persuasive value of the results of a pseudo-scientific lie detector
test tainted the jury’s deliberations.  Because the majority appears to impose
unnecessarily restrictive standards on the admission of relevant testimony that
happens to include the words “lie detector,” I cannot join in the majority’s
finding of error.  I do join in the majority’s ultimate conclusion that any error
(had there been one) was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
Likewise, I respectfully disagree with the majority’s conclusion that the
trial court erred in admitting Lyons’ testimony because it amounted to a “subtle
and indirect version of vouching for Gerry’s credibility.”560  Relying upon
                                   
560 Supra at 40.
- 230 -
Graves v. State,561 the majority views Lyons’ admonitions to Gerry “to make full
disclosure” and Gerry’s possible exposure to a lie detector test, together with
Lyons’ status as an experienced lawyer and former federal prosecutor, as the
subtle equivalent of Lyons’ vouching for Gerry’s truthfulness in his disclosures to
federal prosecutors.  I confess that the majority’s rationale is too subtle for me to
grasp.
First, Lyons never testified explicitly, or implicitly, that he thought Gerry
was being truthful, either before or after Gerry changed his story with the
prosecutors.  Second, none of the “reputational boasting” that occurred in Graves
occurred here.  Third, I think the majority has confused two distinct concepts.  It
is unproblematic for a jury to be provided information that may assist them in
assessing the credibility of a witness.  That is what occurred here.  Lyons
explained how he urged Gerry to “not hold anything back.”  The jury was
entitled to consider that fact in its effort to assess whether Gerry was, at trial,
telling the whole truth and whether the story he told to federal agents was the
whole truth.  What the majority then finds troubling is that Lyons’ testimony
might have been persuasive, that is, that the jury could have found that his advice
had actually caused Gerry to have spoken truthfully to federal agents.  But that
                                   
561 Del. Supr., No. 144, 1993, Walsh, J. (Aug. 1, 1994) (ORDER).
- 231 -
conclusion is also unproblematic.  The jury quite properly could consider
whether a witness’s testimony had changed because that witness had been advised
to not hold anything back.  Similarly, the jury quite properly could consider
testimony that a witness’s story had changed because the witness had been
warned that he faced perjury charges if he did not testify fully about what had
happened.  I find nothing problematic about a jury having the right to consider
and assess whether information of this kind is helpful in determining whether a
particular witness is credible or not.
The majority finds it “implicit in Lyons’ testimony that Lyons believed his
own admonitions to have been effective . . . [and] [t]hus a subtle and indirect
version of vouching for Gerry’s credibility.”562  If I found such vouching were
“implicit” (or explicit) in Lyons’ testimony, I also would be concerned.  The
danger then would be that the jury would evaluate Gerry’s credibility not on the
facts (including, permissibly, the fact of Lyons’ admonitions) but rather based on
Lyons’ presumably expert opinion (that he, Lyons, believed Gerry had followed
his advice), thus impermissibly abdicating the jury’s role as fact finder.  The
problem, in my view, with the majority opinion is that I see no such implicit
vouching.  The majority conflates legitimate factual testimony (“I told Gerry to
                                   
562 Supra at 39-40 (emphasis added).
- 232 -
make full disclosure”) with illegitimate opining (“I am sure he did make full
disclosure”).  Nothing in the record indicates that the latter belief or opinion was
expressed to the jury, either implicitly or explicitly.
In my opinion, it is not necessarily problematic for a lawyer to testify as a
fact witness in the manner that occurred here.  In this day and age, I think it
highly unlikely that jurors would accord greater weight to a lawyer’s testimony
than to anyone else’s, and certainly nothing in this bizarre case, where a lawyer
was on trial for murder, would lead a juror to think that lawyers are trusted
professionals to whom deference is owed.563  In any event, even if it was error to
admit Lyons’ testimony, I agree that it was harmless error.
2.  Capano’s Allocution
The majority has decided that the trial court committed error in restricting
Capano’s right of allocution.  While I agree that any error in this context would
have been harmless, I am forced to concur separately because I conclude that
there was no error at trial.
As this Court recognized recently in Shelton v. State,564 allocution, at
present, serves two purposes for a convicted murderer:  it permits him to ask for
                                   
563 See, e.g., Marc Galanter, The Faces of Mistrust:  The Image of Lawyers in Public Opinion,
Jokes, and Political Discourse, 66 U. Cin. L. Rev. 805 (1998).
564 Del. Supr., 744 A.2d 465 (2000).
- 233 -
mercy and to attempt to impress a jury with his feelings of remorse.565  The
Shelton Court, purporting to rely on Superior Court Criminal Rule 32(a)(1)(c)
and 11 Del. C. § 4209(c)(2), found that it was error for the trial court to limit a
defendant, during an allocution not subject to cross-examination, from arguing
that the jury had made factual errors leading erroneously to a finding of guilt.  In
my opinion, however, nothing in the Superior Court Rule or the death penalty
statute mandates that a defendant be permitted to attack collaterally a jury verdict
in this manner.  To allow a defendant to recast disputed facts in a way favorable
to him, after the jury has already reached its verdict, goes beyond the legitimate
evocation of mercy and communication of remorse and also attempts to cause the
jury to doubt its own verdict in a way that is not subject to cross-examination or
other effective correction by the prosecution.  In short, such a proceeding is
likely to produce confusion and other mischief.  To the extent the majority
concludes that Shelton requires that Capano should have been allowed to present
again a factual theory which the jury had rejected, as evidenced by its conviction,
it is my opinion that Shelton itself is in error and should be overruled.
Therefore, on the allocution issue, I respectfully concur in the result, but I do not
                                   
565 See Shelton, 744 A.2d at 492.
- 234 -
join in that aspect of the Opinion finding that the trial court’s limitations on
allocution constituted error.