Opinion ID: 1058473
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: admission of evidence regarding porter's status as a felon

Text: In his third assignment of error, Porter contends that the circuit court erred by admitting prejudicial evidence of his prior felony conviction during the Commonwealth's case-in-chief. During trial, the Commonwealth asserted that Porter's status as a convicted felon was admissible as evidence of Porter's possible motive for killing Officer Reaves. The Commonwealth maintained that Porter knew that it was illegal for him to carry a gun and, thus, shot the officer in order to escape arrest for possession of a firearm. The Commonwealth similarly asserted that Porter's prior conviction proved an element of the offense charged under Code § 18.2-31(6). This was so, the Commonwealth contended, because Porter shot Officer Reaves for the purpose of interfering with the performance of his official duties as a law enforcement officer: to stop Officer Reaves from arresting him for possessing a gun while a convicted felon. The circuit court allowed the Commonwealth to introduce evidence that Porter had previously been convicted of a violent felony. The court reasoned that this evidence tended to prove Porter's motive for the killing as well as an element of the offense; that is, the murder was to interfere with the performance of a law enforcement officer's duties. The responsibility for balancing the competing considerations of probative value and prejudice rests in the sound discretion of the trial court. The exercise of that discretion will not be disturbed on appeal in the absence of a clear abuse. Spencer v. Commonwealth, 240 Va. 78, 90, 393 S.E.2d 609, 617 (1990). In Guill v. Commonwealth, 255 Va. 134, 138, 495 S.E.2d 489, 491 (1998), this Court held that, [e]vidence of `other crimes' is relevant and admissible if it tends to prove any element of the offense charged. Thus, evidence of other crimes is allowed when it tends to prove motive, intent, or knowledge of the defendant. (Internal citation omitted). In the case at bar, Porter admitted that he knew when he shot Officer Reaves that, as a previously convicted felon, he was subject to a five-year mandatory prison sentence if found in possession of a firearm. Such evidence is highly probative both of Porter's possible motivation for shooting Officer Reaves and to prove an essential element of the offense charged. Furthermore, in a deliberate effort to lessen any inherent prejudice to Porter, the Commonwealth did not enter Porter's certified record of conviction or felony sentencing order for armed robbery, nor did the Commonwealth specifically detail the extent of Porter's other past bad acts. Rather, the jury was only informed that Porter was a violent felon as defined by Code § 18.2-308.2, that he was consequently prohibited by law from possessing a firearm, and that he would face a mandatory five-year prison sentence if found with a firearm in his possession. In this context, the probative value of this evidence outweighed any incidental prejudice to Porter. See Scates v. Commonwealth, 262 Va. 757, 761, 553 S.E.2d 756, 759 (2001). Accordingly, we hold that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion by allowing this evidence for the limited purpose of proving motive and an essential element of the crime of which Porter was charged under Code § 18.2-31(6). Bell v. Commonwealth, 264 Va. at 1-98-99, 563 S.E.2d at 713.