Opinion ID: 2543392
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: use of photograph

Text: Bloom contends he was denied his right to due process and a fair trial when the trial court allowed the prosecutor to exhibit to the jury a previously admitted photo of the crime scene during cross-examination of the defendant. The photo was shown to the jury after the prosecutor had questioned Bloom about his admission that he had placed the knife back in Deanna's hand and his testimony that he did not know that Deanna was dead at that time. Bloom had testified that when he placed the knife back into Deanna's hand, her hand was not near her head. The prosecutor then showed Bloom a photo taken by police that showed the victim lying on the floor in a pool of blood, holding a knife in her right hand with the blade pointing toward her. This photo had been admitted into evidence on the first day of trial, 2 days earlier, but had not previously been shown to the jury. The prosecutor asked Bloom: Q.: [Prosecutor]: Would you agree that State's Exhibit Number 69 is a picture of Deanna Porter after she is dead? A.: [Bloom]: Evidently, yes, ma'am. Q.: Would you agree that picture State's Exhibit 69 shows Deanna's hand in close proximity to her head? A.: Yes, ma'am. Q.: And it shows the hand that you placed the knife in? A.: Yes, ma'am, and she moved. The cops said she was moving when he got there. Q.: And it is your testimony that you did not know Deanna was dead? A.: I did not see any of those injuries. At that time, the prosecutor requested she be allowed to show the photo to the jury. Defense counsel objected, claiming that the photo had been taken hours after Bloom was last in his house and that under these circumstances it was improper to show Bloom was lying about what he saw before the picture was taken. Out of the hearing of the jury, defense counsel moved for a mistrial, claiming prosecutorial misconduct, alleging that the publishing of the photo at this time was to inflame the jury. The court denied the motion for mistrial, finding that there was no requirement that a photo had to be published at any particular time to be proper and that defense counsel could address his concerns through cross-examination. Defense counsel did not address this issue later. The admission of photographic evidence, as well as the manner in which the photographic evidence is displayed to the jury, rests within the trial court's sound discretion. State v. Deavers, 252 Kan. 149, 162, 843 P.2d 695 (1992), cert. denied 508 U.S. 978 (1993). At his motion for new trial, Bloom alleged that publishing the photo at this point in time was to prejudice the jury. The trial court denied a new trial, finding that Bloom was not prejudiced. Bloom claims the photo was improperly used impeach his testimony as to where the victim's hand was when he placed the knife back in her hand and that the photo did not depict what he saw immediately after the shooting. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the photo to be viewed by the jury during Bloom's cross-examination.