Opinion ID: 2172991
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: admissibility of evidence of weapons

Text: At trial Detective McKale was asked to identify three weapons along with other items seized from the defendant's residence during the search. Defense counsel did not object as the weapons were described. When McKale was asked whether he had an opinion relative to the presence of the weapons in relationship to the other items found at the defendant's residence, defense counsel objected, but he did not place the grounds for his objection on the record at that time. Following a sidebar conference, defense counsel stated that he was reserving the right to make a record of the grounds for his objection at a later time, and the prosecuting attorney directed McKale to answer the question. McKale stated that, on previous occasions in the execution of search warrants in narcotics cases, he had encountered guns and gunfire. Later, out of the presence of the jury, defense counsel recorded the basis of his objection as lack of foundation, materiality, and relevancy. The trial court indicated at that time that the objection had been overruled, although that ruling was not made on the record at the time the objection was raised and the answer permitted. [4] We disapprove the practice of objecting but reserving the right to state grounds therefor until a later time. The record does not reflect that the grounds asserted during the sidebar, if any, were the same as those later recorded out of the jury's presence or that the court's ruling was made in consideration of the same grounds later asserted. It is fundamental to sound trial practice that objections must be made promptly and in terms which apprise the court of the exact grounds upon which the objection is based. Holmes v. State, 76 Wis.2d 259, 271, 251 N.W.2d 56 (1977). See also: State ex rel. Hussong v. Froelich, 62 Wis.2d 577, 602-03, 215 N.W.2d 390 (1974); State v. Hoffman, 240 Wis. 142, 149-50, 2 N.W.2d 707 (1942). The trial court should not be placed in a situation in which, having made an evidentiary ruling on grounds not in the record, counsel has the opportunity to present different grounds on the record which, had they been asserted earlier, might have altered the court's ruling. While the court in such a situation might be able to instruct the jury to disregard the evidence, as a practical matter words once spoken cannot be recalled. We do not know what happened in this case; the record does not disclose what transpired at the sidebar, nor did defense counsel indicate later that he was merely reiterating grounds earlier stated. Counsel who rely on unrecorded sidebar conferences do so at their own peril. On the basis of this record, we conclude that counsel's objection failed to state any grounds with particularity and that such failure amounted to a waiver of the objection. [5] Although objections which have been waived are not reviewable as a matter of right, this court may consider such objections if it chooses. Ollinger v. Grall, 80 Wis. 2d 213, 223, 258 N.W.2d 693 (1977). The question of the admissibility of weapons evidence under the circumstances presented in this case is of sufficient importance to warrant our consideration, and thus we undertake an analysis of the issue notwithstanding the insufficiency of defense counsel's objection. The defendant argues that the weapons testimony was irrelevant because it relates to the Detective testifying as to what others, not the defendant, have or had done at other times. The court of appeals declined to reach the merits of this issue, concluding that the proper objection would have been pursuant to sec. 904.04(2), Stats., Other Crimes, Wrongs, or Acts, and that since the defendant did not raise that objection the issue was waived. The defendant insists that, because the only testimony claimed to be objectionable is the actual statement of McKale concerning what he had encountered in the execution of other search warrants, no other crimes, wrongs, or acts of the defendant were involved, and thus the proper objection was the one he asserted  relevancy. We do not view the evidentiary question as narrowly as does the defendant. Taken in isolation, McKale's prior weapons experiences with other drug cases not involving the defendant would no doubt be irrelevant, since under any expression of relevance the testimony would not be germane or logically related to the crime charged. Whitty v. State, 34 Wis.2d 278, 291-92, 149 N.W.2d 557 (1967). See also: Sec. 904.01, Stats. But the testimony in question was not offered, nor should it be viewed, in isolation. It was closely related to McKale's other testimony concerning the discovery of the guns at the defendant's residence. Thus we believe the relevancy of McKale's previous encounters with guns and gunfire is inextricably linked to the relevancy of the other testimony and evidence of the guns found at the defendant's residence. We do not agree with the court of appeals that the defendant's proper objection would have been under sec. 904.04(2), Stats. This evidence did not deal with a crime, wrong, or act of the defendant except insofar as the presence of any item, not in itself unlawful, may suggest the act which caused it to be there. The defendant relies upon State v. Spraggin, 77 Wis.2d 89, 252 N.W.2d 94 (1977), in which we held inadmissible evidence of the presence of stolen property and weapons in the residence of the defendant in a prosecution for aiding and abetting the delivery of heroin. That case dealt with sec. 904.04 (2), and properly so, because the stolen property itself was evidence of another crime, and the weapons included two sawed-off shotguns, the possession of which was unlawful. The defendant argues that Spraggin should be read to express a general prohibition on the admissibility of weapons in drug cases and points to the following language in that opinion: Evidence of the weapons and stolen goods here is not an individual manifestation of the crime charged; this evidence does not show a series of links in the specific chain which prove the guilt of the offense charged. This evidence indicates that the defendant's home was a den of iniquity and that she had a propensity and disposition toward criminal activity. The evidence was designed to convince the jury that the defendant's possession of weapons and stolen goods was indicative of her guilt of the act charged in this case  intentionally aiding and abetting in the delivery of heroin. No specific connection was shown between this evidence and the defendant's alleged criminal acts. Weapons and stolen goods may constitute the protection and currency necessary in the realm of heroin trafficking, but the State did not demonstrate in any manner that this particular evidence was so employed. The inference of such use must be supported by more than the mere introduction of these exhibits into evidence and the broad assertion that guns and stolen goods are commonly used by those in the heroin trade. Id. at 99-100. It must not be overlooked that Spraggin dealt with a sec. 904.04(2) objection and that the evidence in question did deal with other crimes of the defendant. Spraggin should be confined to those facts, not extended to cover circumstances not clearly within the scope of sec. 904.04 (2). In this case the defendant was charged with a violation of sec. 161.41(1m)(a), Stats., under which the state has the burden of proving intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, here, heroin. In recognition of the difficulties inherent in proving intent, that statute also provides: Intent under this subsection may be demonstrated by, without limitation because of enumeration, evidence of the quantity and monetary value of the substances possessed, the possession of manufacturing implements or paraphernalia, and the activities or statements of the person in possession of the controlled substance prior to and after the alleged violation. At trial the evidence of intent was circumstantial. The quantity of heroin seized, most of it residues, was conceded by the state to be insufficient in itself to prove intent to deliver. Other evidence of intent was offered in the form of drug paraphernalia, and the state offered testimony connecting some of the paraphernalia to the customary activities and practices of drug dealers. Evidence was offered relative to a large quantity of cash found at the defendant's residence, to the heavy fortification on the windows and rear door of the premises, and to the guns found on the premises. As a general matter we have recognized that criminal convictions may be supported by circumstantial evidence. Clark v. State, 62 Wis.2d 194, 197, 214 N.W.2d 450 (1974). But like other evidence, it must be relevant to be admissible. Sec. 904.02, Stats. In Oseman v. State, 32 Wis.2d 523, 527, 145 N.W.2d 766 (1966), the defendant's identity was established by circumstantial evidence which was objected to as irrelevant. In upholding the admissibility of this evidence, we cited 31A C. J. S., Evidence, sec. 161, 441-42, as follows: The trial court usually has considerable discretion as to the latitude of [the admissibility of] circumstantial evidence, and great latitude generally is allowed in admitting it, and this is especially true where the circumstances are such that direct evidence is lacking. (Footnotes omitted.) In Hicks v. State, 47 Wis.2d 38, 43, 176 N.W.2d 386 (1970), we stated: As to the relevancy of evidence, this court in Berg v. State, supra, at page 739, again approved the following statement from 1 Wharton's Anderson, Criminal Evidence (12th ed.), pp. 284-287, sec. 148: ``Evidence is relevant when it is persuasive or indicative that a fact in controversy did or did not exist because the conclusion in question may be logically inferred from the evidence. The criterion of relevancy is whether or not the evidence adduced tends to cast any light upon the subject of the inquiry. Evidence of any fact is admissible as relevant which might establish the hypothesis of innocence, or show the defendant's guilt. Any evidence that assists in getting at the truth of the issue is relevant; in other words, any fact which tends to prove a material issue is relevant, even though it is only a link in the chain of facts which must be proved to make the proposition at issue appear more or less probable. Relevancy is not determined by resemblance to, but by the connection with, other facts. ' (Emphasis supplied.)' [6] We believe the testimony and other evidence relating to the weapons found in the defendant's residence were part of a chain of facts by which the state sought to have the jury infer that the defendant possessed heroin with the intent to deliver it. The chain included the entire assortment of drugs and paraphernalia as well as the presence of money and physical fortifications of the residence. As Detective McKale stated in his testimony, heroin is an expensive commodity. The defendant could not rely upon the police to protect him in his business transactions or upon the courts to enforce his drug-related obligations. McKale's testimony is indicative of the role of self-help and self-protection in the business of drug trafficking, and we believe the evidence of the presence of guns in the defendant's residence, in conjunction with the other accoutrements of heroin trafficking, had some tendency to make it more probable than it would have been absent such evidence that the defendant did not merely possess heroin but possessed it with the intent to deliver. We conclude that the evidence relative to the presence of weapons in the defendant's premises, as well as McKale's statement concerning his previous encounters with guns and gunfire, was relevant and properly admitted. That is not to say, however, that such evidence will in every case be admissible. While the defendant did not raise an objection based upon sec. 904.03, Stats., we do not foreclose the possibility that in some other case the probative value of such evidence may be outweighed by its prejudicial effect or that it might be needlessly cumulative in the presence of other more probative evidence and therefore could be excluded.