Opinion ID: 1060523
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 25

Heading: Evidence of Other Perpetrators

Text: Both appellants argue the trial court limited their ability to establish that other people involved in the Memphis drug trade had motives to kill the victims in this case. Again, the admissibility of evidence is within the sound discretion of the trial court, and this Court will not interfere with that discretion absent a clear showing of abuse. See State v. Howard, 926 S.W.2d 579, 585 (Tenn.Crim.App.1996). Evidence is relevant if it has any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence. Rule 401, Tenn.R.Evid. However, relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury. Rule 403. As is commonly recognized, an accused is entitled to present evidence implicating others in the crime. See Green v. State, 154 Tenn. 26, 285 S.W. 554 (1926); Sawyers v. State, 83 Tenn. 694 (1885); State v. Spurlock, 874 S.W.2d 602, 612-13 (Tenn.Crim.App.1993). Evidence in support of this third party defense, however, must conform to the general rules governing the admissibility of evidence. State v. McAlister, 751 S.W.2d 436, 439 (Tenn.Crim.App.1987). The evidence must be the type that would be admissible against the third party if he or she were on trial, and the proof must be limited to facts inconsistent with the appellant's guilt. State v. Kilburn, 782 S.W.2d 199, 204-05 (Tenn.Crim.App.1989). Accordingly, hearsay evidence implicating another individual would not be admissible. Having reviewed the record in light of the appellants' claims, we find that the trial court did not exclude any relevant admissible evidence tending to implicate others in the murders while exonerating the appellants. The jury was well aware that Marcellos Anderson was heavily involved in the drug trade in Memphis. The jury heard evidence about Anderson's drug dealings with Johnson and Adair. The jury heard that Anderson and Adair had previously been shot by others in drive-by shootings. They heard that Andre Tucker, the brother of one of the victims in this case, was subsequently killed after the appellants had been arrested on the present charges. As the state notes, this evidence clearly suggests that the killings in the drug world were still happening. The evidence the appellants refer to was either hearsay (testimony that Anderson was in debt to Colombian drug dealers) or cumulative and would have confused the issues and misled the jury (attacks on others involved in the Memphis drug trade). Again, the jury knew this case centered around activities in the drug world and they could reasonably have used their common knowledge to conclude that there were many players involved. The evidence in this case, however, pointed to the guilt of the appellants. This issue is without merit.