Opinion ID: 1744864
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: assignment numbers six and seven

Text: In these assignments, the defendants complain of the introduction of evidence which revealed the condition of the other twelve children living in the defendant's home. This evidence consisted of the testimony of Ms. Bobby Lafitte, of the Department of Health and Human Resources, Dr. Clarence Poinbeouf, the coroner, Dr. Leigh Dillard, a medical expert, and the other members of the defendant's family. This testimony revealed that the children suffered from vitamin deficiency, rickets, distended abdomens, abnormal enzyme production in the liver, muscle damage due to enzymes spilling over into the blood stream, and evidence of whippings and beatings. Dr. Poinbeouf testified that many of the children had been nutritionally abused, causing protein malnutrition and ultimately the distended abdomens due to an enlarged liver. Dr. Dillard testified that abrasions and loss of skin over the knuckles of one of the children resulted from roaches crawling on the child's hands and eating the skin from her knuckles while she was bound. Twenty-one photographs were introduced to corroborate the condition of the children. The defendants contend that all of this evidence constituted inadmissible other crimes evidence. Generally, evidence of other acts of misconduct is not admissible. The introduction of such evidence merely to prove that the defendant is a bad man involves constitutional problems because of the danger that a defendant may be tried for a charge of which he has no notice, for which he is unprepared, and which unfairly prejudices him in the eyes of the jury. State v. Goza, 408 So.2d 1349 (La.1982), State v. Abercrombie, 375 So.2d 1170 (La.1979), State v. Prieur, 277 So.2d 126 (La.1973). An exception to the general rule of inadmissibility may exist where the state seeks to introduce evidence of other crimes for some substantially relevant purpose other than to show that the defendant is guilty because he is a man of general criminal character. State v. Harris, 383 So.2d 1 (La.1980); State v. Sutfield, 354 So.2d 1334 (La.1978). Aside from the related offenses admissible as part of the res gestae and convictions admissible for impeachment purposes, Louisiana statutes provide for only three instances where other crimes evidence is substantially relevant such as to qualify as an exception to the general rule of exclusion: acts relevant to show intent, knowledge, or system. La. R.S. 15:445, 446. State v. Harris, supra . Admission of another crime committed by the same system as the offense charged might also be relevant to show the identity of the defendant as the offender. State v. Talbert, 416 So.2d 97 (La.1982); State v. Hatcher, 372 So.2d 1024 (La.1979); State v. Harris, supra ; State v. Waddles, 336 So.2d 810 (La.1976). Other jurisprudentially recognized exceptions include other crimes evidence introduced to show motive, State v. Lafleur, 398 So.2d 1074 (La.1981), State v. Sutfield, supra , State v. Dowdy, 217 La. 773, 47 So.2d 496 (1950), prior sex crimes committed against the same prosecutrix, State v. Alciese, 403 So.2d 665 (La.1981) and cases cited therein, and evidence of criminal acts of the accused constituting admissions by conduct intended to obstruct justice or avoid punishment for the present crime, State v. Burnette and Granger, 353 So.2d 989 (La.1978). See, Comment, Other Crimes Evidence in LouisianaTo Show Knowledge Intent, System, Etc. In The Case In Chief, 33 La.L.Rev. 614 (1973). Once a determination is made that the other crimes evidence is presented for one of these substantially relevant purposes, the court then has the obligation to balance the probative value of the evidence against its prejudicial effect before the evidence can be admitted. State v. Germain, 433 So.2d 110 (La.1983); State v. Humphrey, 412 So.2d 507 (La.1982) (on rehearing); State v. Harris, supra ; State v. Sutfield, supra ; State v. Prieur, supra . In cases of child beatings or abuse, we have found evidence of other instances of misconduct against children or the family admissible under a variety of exceptions: intent. State v. Germain, supra , State v. Bradford, 259 La. 381, 250 So.2d 375 (1971); identity, State v. Germain, supra , State v. Humphrey, supra , and the comments of Lemmon, J. concurring in State v. Germain, supra ; and motive, State v. Lafleur, supra . We have not recognized, however, an additional exception to the rule of exclusion which would establish an automatic substantial relevancy for other crimes evidence in cases of child beatings or abuse. See State v. Morris, 362 So.2d 1379 (La. 1978). [3] See also Harvey v. State, 604 P.2d 586 (Alaska 1979); Note, EvidenceChild Abuse, 16 Land and Water Law Rev. 769 (1981). La.R.S. 15:445 provides that in order to show intent, evidence is admissible of similar acts, independent of the act charged as a crime in the indictment, for though intent is a question of fact, it need not be proven as a fact, it may be inferred from the circumstances of the transactions. The relevancy of other crimes to prove intent stems from the doctrine of chances. The attempt is merely to discover the intent accompanying the act in question; and the prior doing of other similar acts, whether clearly a part of a scheme or not, is useful as reducing the possibility that the act in question was done with innocent intent. The argument is based purely on the doctrine of chances, and it is the mere repetition of instances, and not their system or scheme, that satisfies our logical demand. 2 Wigmore, Evidence, § 302 p. 200 (3rd ed. 1940). Professor McCormick has stated that for questions of intent, the purpose of which such evidence may be relevant is to show by similar offenses that the act for which the defendant is on trial was not inadvertent, accidental, unintentional, or without guilty knowledge. See McCormick, Evidence § 190 at 450 (Cleary ed. 1972). Before evidence of other crimes is admitted as proof of intent, however, three prerequisites must be satisfied: (1) the prior acts must be similar, La.R.S. 15:445, Wigmore, supra; (2) there must be a real and genuine contested issue of intent at trial, State v. Monroe, 364 So.2d 570 (La.1978), State v. Nelson, 357 So.2d 1100 (La.1978), State v. Germain, supra ; (3) the probative value of the evidence must outweigh its prejudicial effect, State v. Harris, supra , State v. Prieur, supra . We find that in the current case, the evidence of the condition of the defendants' family was evidence of intent, and was admissible as a recognized exception to the rule of exclusion. The defendants were charged with the specific intent second degree murder which is defined in La.R.S. 14:30.1 as ... the killing of a human being [w]hen the offender has a specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm. The issue of intent was real and genuinely contested at the trial. The defendants asserted, in the opening statement of their attorney, that the actions that led to Arthur's death were merely part of their scheme of discipline for the child, and that they never intended to harm him. By this assertion, the defendants' direction put the question of the requisite criminal intent for the commission of the crime at issue. State v. Germain, supra . See State v. Morris, supra, 362 So.2d at 1381, n. 2. The evidence was substantially relevant to prove that the injuries caused to Arthur Armstead were not inadvertent, accidental, unintentional, or without guilty knowledge. State v. Harris, supra . We do not find merit in the defendants' contention that the evidence was inadmissible as proof of intent under La.R.S. 15:445 because it did not constitute evidence of similar acts. Essentially, the defendants argue that the offenses against the other children constituted only cruelty to juveniles, while the state has alleged that against Arthur they constituted second degree murder. While this statement contains undeniable truths, it is only so because of Arthur's untimely death. La.R.S. 15:445 does not speak in terms of similar crimes, but rather similar acts. The acts toward Arthur were essentially the same as the acts toward the other children, while they may have been more intense and severe. Given time, it may well have been that any of the other children in the household may have expired, and the defendants cannot argue that the mere fact that they did not die changed the nature of the acts against them. We also find that the probative value of the other acts evidence outweighed its obvious prejudicial effect. The defendants placed the issue of intent squarely before the trier of fact as their sole defense to the charges against them. The defendants placed at issue the possibility that Arthur's death was a bizarre, unintentional result of discipline, and we cannot say that under this circumstance, introduction of evidence revealing a consistent pattern of severe brutality was unduly prejudicial. See State v. Germain, supra . Finally, the defendants argue that the other crimes evidence was inadmissible because they received no prior notice or hearing. The state, within a reasonable time before trial, must furnish in writing to the defendant a particularized statement of the other acts or offenses it intends to offer, specifying the exception to the general exclusionary rule upon which it intends to rely for their admissibility. State v. Germain, supra ; State v. Goza, supra ; State v. Prieur, supra . We have reviewed the record in the case, and we find that the state did not give the defendant the required Prieur notice of its intention to introduce the evidence of the condition of the other children. However, an irregularity or error cannot be availed of after verdict unless it was objected to at the time of occurrence. La.C.Cr.P. art. 841; State v. Morris, 429 So.2d 111 (La.1983). In the instant case, while the defendants strenuously objected to the introduction of the other crimes evidence on the ground that it did not qualify under any of the exceptions to the general rule of exclusion, there was no objection to the lack of Prieur notice. Nor did the defendants ask for a continuance to prepare for the evidence or for a hearing to determine its admissibility. Under these circumstances, we hold that the defendants waived their right to prior notice and hearing. Cf. State v. Morris, supra . Moreover, in his relevancy objection to the introduction of the other crimes evidence, defense counsel noted that all of the parties, including the judge, had already heard all of this evidence at the various pretrial hearings. In his opening statement, he made reference to the inflammatory and prejudicial evidence that would be taken during the trial, apparently referring to the other crimes evidence. The cross-examinations of the state's witness were competent and displayed thorough pretrial preparation. Nothing suggests that the defendants were in any way surprised by the presentation of the evidence of the condition of the other children in the household. Cf. State v. Germain, supra . While prejudice is not a requirement for the establishment of a Prieur violation, the defendants' awareness of the eminent introduction of the other crimes evidence and their decision to object only on relevancy grounds, fully supports a finding of waiver. Accordingly, these assignments of error have no merit.