Opinion ID: 1837756
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the trial court erred when it failed to conduct an on-the-record balancing test pursuant to miss. r. evid. 403

Text: ¶ 31. Jones asserts that he has been denied his due process rights and is entitled to a new trial based on the trial court's failure to perform an on-the-record balancing test pursuant to Miss. R. Evid. 403. In support of this argument, Jones claims that Smith v. State, 656 So.2d 95 (Miss.1995), overruled in part, Brown v. State, 890 So.2d 901 (Miss.2004) (abandoning Smith's requirement that a trial judge sua sponte give a limiting instruction), requires a trial court to consider whether the probative value of questionable evidence is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Specifically, Jones argues he was unfairly prejudiced when the trial court failed to perform an on-the-record Rule 403 analysis and thus improperly allowed the evidence stemming from his September 6 assault on Thomas. ¶ 32. Once proof of other crimes or acts of a defendant are deemed admissible pursuant to the exceptions found in Miss. R. Evid. 404(b), this otherwise admissible evidence must still survive the required balancing test pursuant to the provisions of Miss. R. Evid. 403. Accordingly, just as with any evidence otherwise admissible under any other evidentiary rule, evidence which is deemed admissible pursuant to Rule 404(b) may still be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of its resultant unfair prejudice. This Court has consistently recognized the broad sweeping effect of Rule 403: To be sure, evidence admissible under Rule 404(b) is also subject to the prejudice test of Rule 403; that is, even though the Circuit Court considered the evidence at issue admissible under Rule 404(b), it was still required by Rule 403 to consider whether its probative value on the issues of motive, opportunity and intent was substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. In this sense Rule 403 is an ultimate filter through which all otherwise admissible evidence must pass. Watts, 635 So.2d at 1368 (quoting Jenkins v. State, 507 So.2d 89, 93 (Miss.1987)). Consequently, [t]his rule necessarily vests in the Circuit Court a certain amount of discretion. Hart v. State, 637 So.2d 1329, 1336 (Miss.1994) (quoting Stokes v. State, 548 So.2d 118, 125 (Miss.1989)). Hoops v. State, 681 So.2d 521, 530-31 (Miss.1996). ¶ 33. When reviewing evidentiary determinations, this Court necessarily accords broad discretion to our trial courts. In Jenkins v. State, 507 So.2d 89 (Miss. 1987), we explored the reasoning behind our deference and stated that, as a matter of institutional necessity, we must accord certain leeway to the circuit court. Id. at 93. Moreover, the weighing and balancing task required by Rule 403 is not one susceptible of mechanical performance as it asks only that a judge rely on his/her own sound judgment. Id. As such, the law gives the trial court discretion. Id. ¶ 34. In asserting that his due process rights were violated when the trial court judge failed to perform an on-the-record Rule 403 balancing test, Jones has misapprehended the nature of our rules of evidence and the discretion afforded to trial judges when applying these rules. Accordingly, while we clearly interpret the rules of evidence as requiring that all otherwise admissible evidence be filtered through the balancing test set forth in Rule 403, we do not interpret this requirement to be a regimented procedure that must be explicitly performed on pain of reversal. Though this Court certainly expects trial judges to have considered Rule 403 in making their evidentiary rulings, we certainly do not predicate the soundness of these determinations on the express use of magic words. From a practical standpoint, even though this issue in today's case was initially addressed at a motion hearing, quite often the trial judge is required to make Rule 403 rulings from the bench with a witness on the stand, a jury in the box, and a lawyer on the floor making an objection. It follows that our review depends on the evidence and not the judge, and while a judge's on-the-record analysis is recommended as it serves to fortify the judge's position for purposes of review, the lack of such analysis is harmless unless we deem the evidence to be patently prejudicial. The judge's failure to perform an on-the-record Rule 403 analysis in no way affected Jones's rights. Moreover, the evidence of the September 6 incident was properly admitted as its probative value was not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury. Miss. R. Evid. 403. We, therefore, find this issue to be without merit.