Opinion ID: 2221513
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether the danger of unfair prejudice substantially outweighed the probative value of the evidence

Text: ¶ 73. Having concluded that evidence of the Cindy P. assault was offered for proper purposes under Wis. Stat. § (Rule) 904.04(2) and was relevant under Wis. Stat. § (Rule) 904.01, we now must determine whether under Wis. Stat. § (Rule) 904.03 the probative value of the evidence was substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. `Unfair prejudice results when the proffered evidence has a tendency to influence the outcome by improper means or if it appeals to the jury's sympathies, arouses its sense of horror, provokes its instinct to punish or otherwise causes a jury to base its decision on something other than the established propositions in the case.' Gray, 225 Wis. 2d at 64 (quoting Sullivan, 216 Wis. 2d at 789-90.). ¶ 74. Although the trial court explicitly concluded that the probative value of the evidence was not outweighed by the danger of prejudice, the court did not explain its reasoning. The court did state that if the evidence had been offered only to establish motive, the danger of prejudice would have outweighed the probative value. Also, the court's determination that the evidence was admissible for the purposes of establishing opportunity, plan or scheme implicitly included a determination that the danger of prejudice did not outweigh the probative value of the evidence for those purposes. ¶ 75. We conclude that the record contains a reasonable basis for the trial court's determination that the probative value of the other crimes evidence was not substantially outweighed by the danger of prejudice under Wis. Stat. § (Rule) 904.03. The probative value of other crimes evidence `depends partially upon its nearness in time, place, and circumstance to the alleged crime or element sought to be proved.' Plymesser, 172 Wis. 2d at 595 (quoting Fishnick, 172 Wis. 2d at 261). In applying § (Rule) 904.03 to the other crimes evidence in Plymesser, this court pointed to the distinct similarities between the incidents. Plymesser, 172 Wis. 2d at 596. The court concluded that the fact that in both incidents the defendant drank with friends and then sexually assaulted the friends' daughters offset the thirteen-year gap in time between the assaults and the difference in the girls' ages. Id. Likewise, in Friedrich, analysis under § (Rule) 904.03 focused on the common elements between the crimes: the girls were of like age, they were part of the defendant's family or had a quasi-familial relationship with the defendant, the nature of the sexual contact was virtually identical, the defendant took advantage of the girls in a relationship of implied trust, and the defendant gratified his sexual desires through the physical contact. Friedrich, 135 Wis. 2d at 24. Thus, similarities between the other crimes evidence and the charged crime may render the other crimes evidence highly probative, outweighing the danger of prejudice. ¶ 76. As discussed, the Cindy P. and Tina H. incidents bore marked similarities. Both assaults involved particularly vulnerable victims, took place under circumstances in which there was a risk of discovery, and involved touching young girls between the legs. Consistent with Plymesser and Friedrich, the trial court could reasonably have determined that these similarities made the other crimes evidence highly probative of the defendant's motive, opportunity, plan or scheme to commit the charged crime. ¶ 77. In addition, unlike the other crimes at issue in Friedrich, the Cindy P. assault was a charged, convicted crime, to which the defendant had pled guilty. The high degree of reliability of the evidence of the Cindy P. assault increased its probative value. See Friedrich, 135 Wis. 2d at 55-56 and n.12 (Heffernan, C.J., dissenting) (suggesting that when prior acts resulted in an arrest, charge, or conviction, reliability may outweigh considerations of remoteness in time). ¶ 78. The defendant argues that because the State's case was so dependent on Tina H.'s credibility and because the prosecutor referred to the Cindy P. assault in both the opening statement and closing arguments, the danger of prejudice outweighed the probative value of the evidence. However, the trial court took steps to limit the danger of unfair prejudice posed by the evidence. The evidence was introduced in the form of a stipulation rather than through testimony, minimizing the danger of arousing the jury's sympathies or horror at the Cindy P. assault. Also, the elimination of any reference to the fact that the Cindy P. assault occurred in a church prevented the risk that jurors would be unfairly prejudiced by that fact. Furthermore, the court read a cautionary instruction to the jury immediately after the introduction of the Cindy P. evidence and once again after the closing arguments. Cautionary instructions help to limit the danger of unfair prejudice that might result from other crimes evidence. Plymesser, 172 Wis. 2d at 596-97 (citing Fishnick, 127 Wis. 2d at 262; Mink, 146 Wis. 2d at 17). [6] ¶ 79. In view of our precedents, we conclude that the trial court reasonably could have determined that the probative value of the Cindy P. evidence was not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice under Wis. Stat. § (Rule) 904.03. [7] ¶ 80. In conclusion, we hold that under the three-step analytical framework set forth in Sullivan, and consistent with the greater latitude rule, the trial court's decision to admit evidence of the defendant's prior conviction for sexual assault did not constitute an erroneous exercise of discretion.