Opinion ID: 1201101
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admission of Evidence Concerning Flight

Text: Defendant complains of the trial court's decision to admit evidence concerning his flight from custody in Florence, Kentucky. At trial, the defense made a motion in limine to exclude the testimony of Detective Baker and another Kentucky police officer. After receiving a proffer of the evidence, the trial court rejected defendant's motion. Defendant claims that it was error to admit the evidence of flight because it was not probative and because it required him to elicit information on cross-examination concerning robberies in which defendant was a suspect. That information was apparently elicited in order to offer a reason for defendant's flight other than guilt in the Salt Lake murders. The trial court gave a cautionary instruction to the jurors warning them not to give too much weight to the mere fact of flight without carefully considering other motives that may have influenced defendant. We have previously ruled that evidence of flight is probative. See State v. Simpson, 120 Utah 596, 236 P.2d 1077 (1951); State v. Marasco, 81 Utah 325, 17 P.2d 919 (1933). Defendant insists, however, that we have ruled that flight evidence is inadmissible when the accused is in custody under two or more distinct charges. He relies on State v. Crawford, 59 Utah 39, 201 P. 1030 (1921), for that proposition. In Crawford, we reversed the defendant's conviction because there was insufficient evidence to sustain the jury's verdict. In the course of that opinion, we were critical of allowing evidence of flight when it was the only evidence connecting a defendant with the commission of the offense. 59 Utah at 45, 201 P. at 1033. That decision should not be read as holding that such evidence is never admissible. In our decision in State v. Bales, 675 P.2d 573 (Utah 1983), we reviewed the differing attitudes of courts toward jury instructions concerning flight and determined that when there is ample evidence to justify a flight instruction, it is not error to give one so long as it instructs the jury that there might be reasons for flight that are fully consistent with innocence of the crime charged and that even if consciousness of guilt is inferred from flight, it does not necessarily reflect actual guilt. Bales, 675 P.2d at 575. Therefore, defendant's claim that it was error to admit evidence concerning his flight from custody in Florence must be rejected. We note that our holding on this issue is in harmony with those of the Supreme Courts of Arizona, Kansas, and Washington. See State v. Celaya, 135 Ariz. 248, 660 P.2d 849, 857-58 (1983); State v. Walker, 226 Kan. 20, 595 P.2d 1098 (1979); State v. Piche, 71 Wash.2d 583, 430 P.2d 522, 524 (1967), cert. denied, 390 U.S. 912, 88 S.Ct. 838, 19 L.Ed.2d 882 (1968). As to defendant's contention that he was forced to present evidence of other crimes to supply an alternative motive for his escape, we note that defendant's decision was merely a tactical choice and is not a proper basis for an assignment of error. The judgment of conviction is affirmed. HALL, C.J., STEWART, Associate C.J., and HOWE and ZIMMERMAN, JJ., concur.