Opinion ID: 2575818
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: W.R.E. 404(b) Evidence

Text: [¶ 31] Prior to trial, the State provided notice that it intended to introduce evidence of prior incidents of domestic violence involving Mr. Thomas and the victim, including two incidents in New Mexico, two incidents in Texas, one incident in Colorado, and several incidents at the motel in Rock Springs, where the couple was living prior to the incident giving rise to this case. After a hearing, the district court determined the evidence was admissible under W.R.E. 404(b) to show course of conduct, identity and absence of mistake or accident. The district court also determined the evidence was relevant and the potential for unfair prejudice from its admission did not outweigh its probative value. [¶ 32] Mr. Thomas contends the victim testified at trial concerning other incidents of domestic violence which had not been disclosed. He points to the following excerpt from the trial transcript: Q: [the State]: Was there a time when the relationship began to deteriorate? A: [victim]: Yes. Q: And when was that? A: About a year and a half ago  well, no, about two years ago, actually. Q: What was the change in the relationship? A: He  When he drank, he would drink, he would get violent. In fact, he started hitting me, calling me names. I was stupid, I couldn't do anything, nothing. No matter what I said, I was a liar. So he just hit me the whole time or embarrassed me in public. Q: Where would he hit you? A: Always in my face or my head or he would kick me in my legs, in my back, or he would hit me with whatever he had in his hand. Q: And why didn't you leave him? A: Because he was always sorry and he loved me and he didn't mean it. And I loved him and I thought that I could help him, maybe just help him, that he really meant it that he won't do it again. And I have never had anybody care for me my whole life. I haven't had anybody in my family. And he was always there no matter how angry he was at me, no matter what he did, he was always there to help me if I needed him and I thought he did love, he really did. But it wasn't love, I just wanted it to be, I guess. Q: Did the hitting get worse? A: Oh, yes, it got horrible. It was almost every day, it was almost before lunch or at lunch or it was nonstop all day long. At this point in the testimony, defense counsel asked to approach the bench, the court excused the jury and defense counsel moved for a mistrial on the grounds the testimony went beyond the Rule 404(b) notice. The State responded it had notified defense counsel it intended to introduce evidence concerning Mr. Thomas' and the victim's relationship in general, in addition to evidence of specific instances of violence. The district court directed the State to limit the testimony to the specific incidents identified in the Rule 404(b) notice, ordered no further testimony would be allowed concerning the generalities of the relationship and denied the motion for mistrial. When the trial resumed, the district court instructed the jurors that the victim's prior testimony referred to specific incidents of violence and they were to consider her testimony in that regard not as proof of the crime, but only as proof of a course of conduct, identity and an absence of mistake or accident. The State then proceeded to elicit testimony from the victim concerning the incidents of violence that occurred in New Mexico, Texas and Colorado. [¶ 33] Mr. Thomas contends the district court abused its discretion when it denied his motion for a mistrial. Specifically, he claims the district court abused its discretion when it failed to require the State to explain, after the mistrial motion, how or why the evidence was more probative than prejudicial, and proceeded merely to give a limiting instruction. Mr. Thomas also asserts the district court abused its discretion when it ruled prior to trial that the testimony concerning the prior incidents of domestic violence was more probative than prejudicial. [¶ 34] At the pre-trial hearing in which it ruled the evidence of prior violence between Mr. Thomas and the victim in New Mexico, Texas and Colorado was admissible, the district court applied the four-part test set forth in Vigil v. State, 926 P.2d 351, 357 (Wyo.1996). That is, the district court concluded: 1) the evidence was offered for a proper purpose; 2) the evidence was relevant; 3) the probative value of the evidence outweighed its potential for unfair prejudice; and 4) a limiting instruction should be given telling the jury to consider the evidence of prior violence only for the proper purpose for which it was admitted. Id. Thus, the district court determined before trial the evidence of prior violence was more probative than prejudicial. In reaching this conclusion, the district court was persuaded by the State's argument that the evidence demonstrated an ongoing pattern of Mr. Thomas' behavior, which culminated with the acts of violence on March 3, 2004, and helped to refute Mr. Thomas' claim that the victim caused her own injuries on March 3, 2004. From our review of the record, we are satisfied the district court appropriately considered the factors it was required to consider in ruling the evidence was admissible and we find no abuse of discretion. [¶ 35] We turn to consideration of the district court's ruling denying the motion for mistrial. As mentioned in paragraph 29 above, the focus of Mr. Thomas' claim of error is that the district court, in response to the mistrial motion, did not require the State to explain how or why the evidence was more probative than prejudicial before denying the motion. We are unaware of any requirement when a mistrial motion is made that the district court must hear argument from the State as to how or why the evidence giving rise to a motion was more probative than prejudicial. [¶ 36] The issue at the point when defense counsel moved for a mistrial was whether the testimony went beyond the scope of the State's notice of intent to use Rule 404(b) evidence. The district court in essence found it did, advised the State no more general testimony about the relationship would be allowed and instructed the State to limit its questioning to the specific incidents identified in the notice. The district court then instructed the jury the testimony previously presented concerned three specific incidents only and was to be considered not as proof of the crime but as proof of Mr. Thomas' course of conduct. Implicit in the district court's ruling is the finding that although the evidence went beyond the scope of the Rule 404(b) notice, any prejudicial effect the evidence might have did not warrant a mistrial. [¶ 37] We find no abuse of discretion in the district court's ruling the testimony went beyond the scope of the Rule 404(b) notice. We likewise find no abuse of discretion in the district court's ruling that the testimony did not warrant declaring a mistrial. Any prejudicial effect of the testimony was mitigated by the court's actions in reining in the State and the victim and instructing the jury. The instruction, noted above, was given to the jury immediately when the trial resumed. The instruction explicitly told the jurors they were to consider the prior testimony in reference to three specific incidents of violence. The jury was instructed again before deliberations that the victim's testimony concerning prior violence was admitted for the limited purpose of establishing course of conduct, identity and absence of mistake and not for the purpose of convicting Mr. Thomas. We assume juries follow a court's curative instructions. Metzger v. State, 4 P.3d 901, 908 (Wyo.2000). Under these circumstances, neither the admission of evidence beyond the scope of the Rule 404(b) notice nor the district court's failure to require the State to explain how or why that evidence was more probative than prejudicial warrants reversal.