Opinion ID: 1043999
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Rebuttal of Defendant's Theory of the Defense

Text: The State asserts that the evidence of the acquittals of Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate was relevant based on Defendant's theory that they were responsible for the murder of Ms. Fisher. The State concedes, however, that it would be improper to argue that Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate didn't do it because they were acquitted. This Court has recognized that a criminal defendant has the right to a defense. Included within that right is the right to present evidence that a person other than the defendant committed the crime. State v. Rice, 184 S.W.3d 646, 671 (Tenn.2006) (citing State v. Powers, 101 S.W.3d 383, 394 (Tenn.2003)); see also Holmes v. South Carolina, 547 U.S. 319, 330-31, 126 S.Ct. 1727, 164 L.Ed.2d 503 (2006). In the present case, Defendant has a right to suggest that Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate were the persons responsible for the murder of Ms. Fisher. The State's reliance on the evidence of the acquittals of Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate to rebut Defendant's theory of the case is not well-founded. For the evidence of the acquittals of Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate to be relevant to rebut the defense, the evidence would have to make it more probable or less probable that they committed the murder. Tenn. R. Evid. 401. The acquittals do not meet this requirement. An acquittal is not evidence of innocence but rather evidence of the failure of the State to prove guilt of a defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-201(a) (2010). Although the acquittal carries legal force, the conclusion reached was based on the evidence considered by the jury in the previous trial, which is necessarily different than the evidence considered in Defendant's case. Stated otherwise, the acquittals of Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate are the opinions of twelve jurors who were charged with the responsibility of determining whether the State had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. When considering all of the evidence before them, the jurors in Defendant's case may come to a different conclusion concerning the responsibility of Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate. The evidence of the prior acquittals therefore does not demonstrate that it is more or less probable that Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate committed the crime and is inadmissible to demonstrate their innocence. The issue of the guilt or innocence of Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate was fundamental to Defendant's theory of the case. The introduction of evidence of the prior acquittals of Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate invited the jury in this case to rely on the prior verdicts as substantive evidence of the innocence of Mr. Blades and Mr. Tate. The evidence of the acquittals suggested that they were previously determined to be innocent of the murder and more probably than not affected the jury verdict. We hold that the error was not harmless and the trial court committed reversible error. See Tenn. R.App. P. 36(b); State v. Rodriguez, 254 S.W.3d 361, 372 (Tenn.2008). We therefore remand the case for a new trial.