Opinion ID: 1935220
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Reference to Defendant's Abortion

Text: The defendant claims to have been prejudiced by the trial justice's refusal to grant her motion in limine to exclude any evidence relating to an abortion that she had undergone when she was a teenager. Apparently defendant had experienced a number of miscarriages and had given certain inconsistent information to expert witnesses regarding her gynecological history. The state argued that the fact of the abortion was relevant to the formulation of an opinion by Dr. Eileen McNamara, a state witness, relating to the mental condition of defendant and her defense of lack of criminal responsibility. The trial justice accepted this argument and denied the motion in limine. However, in light of his denial of the motion in limine, the trial justice permitted extensive examination of the jurors on voir dire concerning whether they might be affected by the introduction of sensitive issues that defendant might present. The defendant accepted the jurors without objection. In the course of the trial the state introduced no evidence regarding abortion, and the only reference to abortion was contained in a medical record introduced by defendant. There is no indication that the jurors were prejudiced in any way against defendant by this peripheral reference to an abortion. In this state of our history and the prevailing mood of public opinion, it cannot be presumed that a passing reference to an abortion would in any way prejudice defendant in the minds of the jurors and certainly would not inflame their passions against her. The trial justice did not err in determining in advance that prospective evidence might be relevant to the determination of defendant's mental state. We see no indication of prejudice that could arise because of the passing reference to an abortion.