Opinion ID: 2551758
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Evidence of Marital Discord

Text: Thompkins contends that the evidence of marital discord violated his right to confrontation. Frances' mother testified regarding the protection from abuse orders Frances had obtained against Thompkins. Later, the State introduced the protection from abuse orders as exhibits. Defense counsel objected to the admission of this evidence. The admission of evidence lies within the sound discretion of the trial court. An appellate court's standard of review regarding a trial court's admission of evidence, subject to exclusionary rules, is abuse of discretion. Judicial discretion is abused when judicial action is arbitrary, fanciful, or unreasonable. If reasonable persons could differ as to the propriety of the action taken by the trial court, then it cannot be said that the trial court abused its discretion. One who asserts that the court abused its discretion bears the burden of showing such abuse of discretion. State v. Lumley, 266 Kan. 939, 950, 976 P.2d 486 (1999). The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution gives a criminal defendant the right to be confronted with the witnesses against him or her. Coy v. Iowa, 487 U.S. 1012, 1015, 101 L. Ed. 2d 857, 108 S. Ct. 2798 (1988). Subject to certain exceptions not applicable to this case, the Confrontation Clause guarantees the defendant the right to physically confront those witnesses who will testify against him or her in a face-to-face meeting before the trier of fact. 487 U.S. at 1016. An error of constitutional magnitude is serious and may not be held to be harmless unless the appellate court is willing to declare a belief that it was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Thus, before we may declare the error harmless, we must be able to declare beyond a reasonable doubt that the error had little, if any, likelihood of having changed the result of the trial. State v. Bell, 266 Kan. 896, 920, 975 P.2d 239, cert. denied 528 U.S. 905 (1999). Evidence of the events at issue and other events contemporaneous with them between a defendant and a victim are admissible independent of K.S.A. 60-455 if the evidence is to establish the relationship between the parties. State v. Taylor, 234 Kan. 401, 407, 673 P.2d 1140 (1983). The rule in Kansas is that in a case of marital homicide, evidence of a discordant marital relationship and a wife's fear of her husband's temper is admissible to show the defendant's motive and intent. 234 Kan. at 408. Hearsay statements made by a deceased spouse-declarant are admissible as evidence of marital discord if the trial court finds that the statements have particular guarantees of trustworthiness. State v. Drach, 268 Kan. 636, 1 P.3d 864. The evidence of prior marital discord or abuse was not admitted to prove that Thompkins was abusive. The relevance of the prior protection orders pertained to the fact that the previous orders had been withdrawn by Frances after she reconciled with Thompkins; whereas the final protection order was not withdrawn by Frances because Frances had no intention of reconciling with Thompkins. The evidence was relevant to prove the State's theory that Thompkins killed Frances after realizing that Frances finally intended to terminate the relationship. The evidence was relevant to prove that Thompkins' killing of his wife was premeditated. The admission of the evidence of prior protection orders was not offered to prove the truth of the matter. The admission into evidence of Thompkins' statements and letters of marital discord went directly to the State's theory that Thompkins premeditated the killing of his wife when he realized that Frances had decided not to reconcile with him.