Opinion ID: 1560688
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Victim's Family Members During Trial

Text: Finally, Appellant raises two issues regarding the actions of several members of the victim's family during trial. During the guilt phase, several members of the victim's family began crying when photos detailing the crime scene and the victim's injuries were introduced. Appellant's attorney objected and noted that several members of the jury had looked at the crying family members. She asked the judge to allow the family to stay in the courtroom, but asked that they be moved so that the jury could not see them, but the judge declined to do so. Appellant raised this issue again in a motion for a new trial. The victim's family members were understandably upset by the presentation of the crime scene photos, but as the trial judge recognized, the family members were being fairly restrained under the circumstances. As such, their crying was not the sort of emotional outburst that would inflame the jury's passions, and thus it did not rise to the level of error. [66] Appellant also claims that during the penalty phase, several members of the victim's family wore large buttons bearing a photograph of the victim with her two grandchildren. Appellant also notes that this photo is similar to one that the trial judge had previously ruled was inadmissible at trial. While no objection was made during trial to the victim's family members' wearing these buttons, Appellant now claims this issue was preserved by raising the issue in his motion for a new trial pursuant to RCr 10.02. A motion for a new trial, however, depends on evidence newly discovered after trial. That the victim's family was wearing such buttons during the penalty phase was not newly discovered evidence; the family members were in the courtroom and in the presence of Appellant and his attorney. We would add that if the wearing of the buttons were not noticeable to Appellant and his attorney, we doubt that it was noticeable by the jury. Regardless, if the wearing of such buttons was erroneous, it should have been brought to the trial judge's attention so that he could have a chance to address the issue. Because there was no contemporaneous objection at trial, this error was not preserved for our review. [67]