Opinion ID: 1058084
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Admission of First Degree Murder Indictment

Text: Ivy argues that the prosecution improperly introduced his prior indictment for first degree murder when establishing his prior conviction for second degree murder as an aggravating circumstance during the sentencing proceeding. Ivy argues that the indictment for first degree murder was irrelevant and unfairly prejudicial because the jury may have believed he pleaded guilty to second degree murder to avoid being convicted of the greater offense. The State argues that the introduction of the indictment was not erroneous. The admission of evidence in the sentencing phase is governed by Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-204(c), which provides in part: In all cases where the state relies upon the aggravating factor that the defendant was previously convicted of one (1) or more felonies, other than the present charge, whose statutory elements involve the use of violence to the person, either party shall be permitted to introduce evidence concerning the facts and circumstances of the prior conviction. Such evidence shall not be construed to pose a danger of creating unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, or misleading the jury and shall not be subject to exclusion on the ground that the probative value of such evidence is outweighed by prejudice to either party. Such evidence shall be used by the jury in determining the weight to be accorded the aggravating factor. (Emphasis added). In our view, the trial court erred in allowing the prosecution to introduce Ivy's prior indictment for first degree murder when Ivy's prior conviction was for second degree murder. First, there is no authority allowing an offense charged in a prior indictment to be considered as an aggravating circumstance. Indeed, our prior case law has long established that the prosecution may not rely on prior accusations, arrests, or indictments. See State v. Buck, 670 S.W.2d 600, 606 (Tenn.1984). Second, there is no authority allowing admission of a defendant's prior indictment simply because the prosecution is relying on a prior conviction stemming from that indictment to establish the prior violent felony aggravating circumstance under Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-204(i)(2). As discussed in the preceding issue, the threshold question of whether a prior conviction satisfies the requirements of section 204(i)(2) is a question of law for the trial court and not a question of fact for the jury to decide. In addition, the prior indictment for first degree murder was not evidence of the facts and circumstances of Ivy's prior conviction for second degree murder as required for admission under Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-204(c). An indictment is not evidence of an offense but rather a charging instrument that informs the accused of the nature and cause of the accusation. U.S. Const. amend. VI; Tenn. Const. art. I, § 9; Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-13-202 (an indictment must state the facts constituting the offense in ordinary and concise language). The purpose of an indictment is to enable a defendant to know the accusation, to furnish the trial court an adequate basis for entry of a proper judgment, and to protect a defendant from a subsequent prosecution for the same offense. See State v. Hill, 954 S.W.2d 725, 727 (Tenn.1997). In sum, because a prior indictment is not evidence of a charged offense, it cannot properly be considered evidence of the facts and circumstances of [a] prior conviction. See Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-204(c). We further conclude, however, that the error was harmless because it did not affect the outcome. Although Ivy's prior first degree murder indictment was read to the jury and introduced as an exhibit, the evidence clearly established that Ivy's prior conviction was for second degree murder in that case and not for first degree murder. The trial court instructed the jury that the prosecution was relying on Ivy's prior conviction for second degree murder as a felony involving violence to the person as an aggravating circumstance. Moreover, the trial court instructed the jury that the prosecution was relying on Ivy's prior convictions for especially aggravated robbery and aggravated assault as felonies involving violence to a person to support the aggravating circumstance. The jury was not instructed that Ivy's prior indictment for first degree murder could be used as an aggravating circumstance. The transcript also reveals that the prosecution's relatively brief closing arguments contained no reference to Ivy's first degree murder indictment and instead were confined to Ivy's prior convictions. Given these circumstances, and the weight of Ivy's prior violent felony convictions in support of this aggravating circumstance, the introduction into evidence of the first degree murder indictment did not affect the outcome. See State v. Cribbs, 967 S.W.2d 773, 781 (Tenn.1998) (error in admitting defendant's prior conviction for second degree burglary did not affect the outcome where it was not used as an aggravating circumstance and where the defendant had three convictions that properly established the prior violent felony aggravating circumstance).