Opinion ID: 2232847
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence of the Victim's Prior Drug Use

Text: Williams argues that he is entitled to a new trial because the trial court erred by refusing to allow the defense to inquire into the victim's prior drug use. The trial court allowed defense counsel to elicit testimony regarding the victim's use of drugs on the day of the incident because it was relevant to her ability to perceive and recall the events in dispute. However, prior drug use was held irrelevant. Relevant evidence means evidence having 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. Ind. Evidence Rule 401. Before the adoption of the Indiana Rules of Evidence, Indiana courts consistently upheld decisions of trial courts excluding evidence of a witness' past drug use as irrelevant. Kimble v. State, 569 N.E.2d 653, 654 (Ind.1991) (victim's wife could be questioned regarding her drug use on the night in question but any questions about her past drug use were irrelevant); Trice v. State, 519 N.E.2d 535, 537 (Ind.1988) (testimony of government witness' alleged involvement in drug dealing was totally irrelevant); McKim v. State, 476 N.E.2d 503, 506 (Ind.1985) (extent of victim's use of drugs and alcohol would be pertinent only to her ability to recall the events on the dates in question had she been using drugs or alcohol at that time, or if she were on drugs at trial, or if her drug and alcohol abuse was so extensive that her mind was impaired); Denney v. State, 524 N.E.2d 1301, 1302-03 (Ind.Ct.App.1988) (evidence of witness' prior drug use is relevant only to the extent that 1) it affects the witness' ability to accurately recall the events on the date in question, or 2) the witness is unable relate the facts at trial, or 3) drugs have significantly diminished the witness' mental capacity). Indiana Evidence Rule 401 permits evidence relevant to a broader range of facts, but does not change the concept of relevance. [2] Therefore, we see no reason to deviate from these prior holdings. [3] In this case, the victim testified that she did not use drugs on the day of the incident. The defense's effort to question the victim about her prior drug use was justified solely on the basis of challenging her credibility. The jury had ample opportunity to assess the credibility of her testimony as defense counsel repeatedly challenged the accuracy of her memory. Moreover, there was no showing that the victim's consumption of drugs on prior occasions was of such a degree that it substantially affected her current ability to perceive, remember, or testify. Indeed, the trial court noted that there was no evidence presented of the victim's inability to recall the incident. [4] Therefore, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding the evidence. [5] See Willoughby v. State, 660 N.E.2d 570, 580-81 (Ind.1996) (trial court has broad discretion to determine the admissibility of evidence). Additionally, the trial court properly excluded testimony of the victim's friend who would have testified about the victim's prior drug use. The trial court again found such testimony irrelevant unless the friend could testify that the victim used drugs on the date in question. As discussed above, the fact that the victim had used drugs, in and of itself, is not relevant. Accordingly, the trial court properly excluded the friend's testimony.