Opinion ID: 1311026
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Victim's Mother's Testimony

Text: In the guilt phase of the trial, the Commonwealth called as a witness the victim's mother, Florence Dickie. Over Breard's objection on relevancy grounds, the mother was allowed to identify her daughter from a photograph that previously had been admitted into evidence. The witness, without further objection, testified that the victim was her only child, that her daughter wore eyeglasses, that she was 39 years old when she was killed, and that she was single and lived alone. The mother also testified that she never had heard her daughter mention the name, Angel Breard, and that she did not know of anyone who might have wanted to harm her daughter. Apparently, the mother was crying when she left the witness stand. Four other witnesses then testified. After the trial was recessed for a lunch break, Breard moved for a mistrial, claiming that the mother's testimony had no probative value and was irrelevant. He further claimed that he was prejudiced by the mother's statement that the victim was her only child and by the witness' sobbing as she left the witness stand. The trial court denied the motion, and Breard contends that the court's ruling was reversible error. We do not agree. A motion for a mistrial must be made promptly; otherwise, the claim is deemed to have been waived. Prompt action is required in order to allow a trial court to take whatever corrective measures it may deem to be appropriate. Beavers, 245 Va. at 279, 427 S.E.2d at 419. In the present case, we will not consider Breard's assignment of error relating to the denial of the motion for a mistrial because the motion was untimely. Rule 5:25.