Opinion ID: 1197771
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admissibility of Testimony of Stephen B. Maggart

Text: 12. David's next contention is that the trial court improperly admitted the testimony of Stephen B. Maggart (Steve), Debbie's brother, concerning Debbie's hearsay statements that David had hit her. There were two statements concerning different incidents, which we discuss in inverse chronological order.
13. Steve testified regarding an incident in October or November 1989, when he visited Debbie at her house. When he arrived she was crying and had a small, bloody cut in the corner of her right eye. She told her brother that David had hit her. The trial court admitted this statement under the excited utterance exception to the hearsay rule. 14. There was sufficient evidence to support a conclusion that Debbie was experiencing shock resulting from David's violent behavior, and that Debbie made the statement under the stress of and relating to this shocking circumstance. The trial court considered Steve's testimony in a proffer outside the presence of the jury and did not abuse its discretion in admitting Debbie's hearsay statement under the excited utterance exception.
15. Steve also testified that, shortly before the other incident, he and Debbie were visiting their father in the hospital when he noticed that her faced was flushed and bruised. Steve then volunteered that Debbie said David had hit her. The court interrupted Steve, and defense counsel requested a sidebar at which he asked the State to caution Steve about hearsay. Defense counsel did not ask the court to strike Steve's statement or to give a limiting instruction. Consequently, David waived his objection to this statement. See State v. Sandoval, 88 N.M. 267, 268, 539 P.2d 1029, 1030 (Ct.App.1975) (holding that defendant did not preserve error when, after court sustained defense counsel's objection on grounds of relevancy, defense counsel failed to request that court strike testimony or give curative instruction). 16. In effect, defense counsel asked the court and the State not to let in any more inadmissible hearsay. Defense counsel got the relief he requested, because later, when Steve began to relate additional inadmissible hearsay, the court struck it. Moreover, even if David had preserved his objection that this testimony was erroneously admitted, its admission would be harmless because the evidence was cumulative, see Gallegos v. Citizens Ins. Agency, 108 N.M. 722, 733-34, 779 P.2d 99, 110-11 (1989), since the trial court properly admitted Steve's testimony regarding the first incident.
17. David argues that evidence of both incidents is impermissible evidence of bad character under SCRA 1986, 11-404(A). Character evidence is generally inadmissible to prove action in conformity with such character, SCRA 11-404(A), but such evidence may be admissible for other purposes, SCRA 11-404(B). As discussed below in connection with Richard Kelley's testimony, David's behavior toward his wife and others with regard to his marriage and his wife's murder was probative evidence of motive, intent, plan, or knowledge. Indeed, such evidence was important to establish the requisite mental state for first-degree murder. See Hernandez, 115 N.M. at 19, 846 P.2d at 325. 18. Lastly, David argues that the statements' prejudicial impact substantially outweighed their probative value such that the trial court should have excluded them under SCRA 1986, 11-403. The purpose of SCRA 11-403 is not to guard against the danger of any prejudice whatever, but only against the danger of unfair prejudice. A statement is not unfairly prejudicial simply because it inculpates the defendant. 1 Kenneth S. Broun et al., McCormick on Evidence § 185, at 780 (John W. Strong ed., 4th ed. 1992) ([P]rejudice does not simply mean damage to the opponent's cause.). 19. Because a determination of unfair prejudice is fact sensitive, much leeway is given trial judges who must fairly weigh probative value against probable dangers. Id. at 783 (footnotes omitted). See State v. Chamberlain, 112 N.M. 723, 726-27, 819 P.2d 673, 676-77 (1991) (affirming admission of tape recording of fatally injured police officer's moans). The trial court in this case carefully weighed these factors and did not abuse its discretion in admitting Steve's testimony.