Opinion ID: 1060569
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 31

Heading: Statement of Intent of Future Wrongdoing and Prior Bad Act

Text: Prior to the testimony of Angela Ragland, a jury-out hearing was held to determine the admissibility of testimony regarding the appellant's prior rape charge and statements made by the appellant to Angela Ragland regarding his intent to kill Marvin Eckford, to rob a bank, and to leave town. The trial court permitted the introduction of the testimony, finding that it would be rare that any statements made by any defendant during the course of a criminal enterprise to be excluded if there are crimes that require proof of culpability, state of mind, et cetera, they would usually be considered res gestae, so closely connected with the crime, with the offense, that they can't be separated from it. All of these statements reflect upon that, that he is on a killing spree, going to kill ... that clearly is some proof of the defendant's mental state, that he was on a violent binge. You know, he commits one murder, he commits two murders, he might as well commit three, what-difference-does-it-make sort of attitude. It's also proof of, of course, the mental state. Words like, I've been accused of one rape ... [w]ould serve as a motive. That's another thing, motive, intent, state of mind.... Certainly shows intent ... that he knew what he had done.... Arguably evidence that the defendant was coherent, that he knew what he had done, he knew what he was going to do and that he had presence of mind about all of these things.... In summary, all of these remarks are clearly admissible.... But all of these things, particularly when you're thinking about the requirements of culpability being proven, when you're thinking about the position that's going to be taken.... Statements made during the course of the crime or even afterwards which would reflect upon the defendant's thinking, mental state, what he had on his mind, and all of these things do that. So they're going to be admissible for these numerous reasons, not to mention res gestae.