Opinion ID: 1465188
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony of Prior Bad Acts

Text: As his second claim of error, Appellant contends that the trial court erroneously allowed evidence in when the State's witnesses testified about his prior bad acts absent any notice, as required by KRE 404(c). Specifically, Appellant cites six statements, which he argues should have been excluded as impermissible KRE 404(b) evidence. Because Appellant failed to object at trial to any of the six statements, he failed to preserve the issue for our review. RCr 9.22. Nevertheless, Appellant urges us to review the alleged error under the palpable error rule pursuant to RCr 10.26 and KRE 103(e). A palpable error is one which affects the substantial rights of a party and relief may be granted for palpable errors only upon a determination that a manifest injustice has resulted from the error. Partin v. Commonwealth, Ky., 918 S.W.2d 219, 224 (1996). To show manifest injustice, the reviewing court must find, upon a consideration of the whole case, a substantial possibility that the result would have been different but for the alleged error. Id. The parties have stipulated to the conclusive evidence of Appellant's suspended license; therefore, our concerns regarding this issue are Appellant's Wanton Endangerment charge as well as DUI charge. After consideration of the entire record we find that admission of these statements did not reach the level of palpable error as required for reversal. The evidence of Appellant's intoxication at the time of his arrest is overwhelming. Appellant does not dispute that on the day in question he had drunk some beers. An open beer can and several additional beer cans were found on the floor of his truck at the time of his arrest. Ms. Sullivan also testified that Appellant was drunk when he left the house with their son. The officer on the scene described Appellant as reeking of alcohol and slurring in speech. When asked as to his destination, Appellant replied that he was heading to the bootlegger's. In the opinion of Sergeant Cross, Appellant was intoxicated. Moreover, his testimony describing Appellant's belligerent conduct after arrest [4] and use of abusive language at the detention center to which he was transported immediately thereafter [5] was also evidence from which the jury could reasonably infer Appellant's state of intoxication. Given the overwhelming nature of the evidence as to the issue of intoxication, it is clearly beyond a reasonable doubt that, without the statements, Appellant would have still been found intoxicated while driving. Even if we agreed with Appellant that these six statements constitute KRE 404(b) evidence, the admission of these statements does not rise to the level of palpable error and no manifest injustice occurred. For the reasons set forth in this opinion, the convictions and sentences imposed by the Pulaski Circuit Court in this case are affirmed. LAMBERT, C.J.; GRAVES, KELLER, and WINTERSHEIMER, JJ., concur. JOHNSTONE, J., dissents by separate opinion in which COOPER and SCOTT, JJ., join.