Opinion ID: 1314867
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the admission of drug paraphernalia and homegrown marihuana

Text: As indicated above, drug paraphernalia owned by Marvin Griffith and marihuana grown by Griffith were admitted into evidence at the defendant's trial. These items were marked as State's exhibits in the presence of the jury on April 9, 1979, and were admitted into evidence on April 10, 1979. Marvin Griffith was the State's principal witness against the defendant, and the trial judge instructed the jury that the drug paraphernalia and homegrown marihuana were admitted only upon the question of whether Griffith was a dealer in marihuana. The action of a trial court in admitting or excluding evidence in the exercise of its discretion will not be disturbed by the appellate court unless it appears that such action amounts to an abuse of discretion. Syl. pt. 5 Casto v. Martin, 230 S.E.2d 722 (W.Va.1976) citing Syl. pt. 10, State v. Huffman, 141 W.Va. 55, 87 S.E.2d 541 (1955). However, upon a careful review of the record in this case, this Court agrees with the assertion of the defendant that the admission by the Fayette County Circuit Court of the drug paraphernalia and homegrown marihuana was prejudicial error and constituted an abuse of discretion. In State v. Hiott, 276 S.E.2d 163 (S.C.1981), the defendants were convicted of murder, attempted armed robbery and conspiracy. During the trial, the trial judge allowed the State to introduce various drugs into evidence to show a conspiracy to rob a pharmacy. However, the trial judge excluded all drug-related paraphernalia upon the basis that its prejudicial effect outweighed its probative value. 276 S.E.2d at 166. In reviewing the actions of the trial judge, the Supreme Court of South Carolina held that no error was committed. This balancing test of weighing the prejudicial effect of evidence against its probative value has been applied by this Court in various recent cases. State v. Young, 273 S.E.2d 592, 604 (W.Va.1980); State v. Green, 260 S.E.2d 257, 264 (W.Va.1979) and State v. Sette, 242 S.E.2d 464, 471 (W.Va.1978). In this case, the prejudicial effect against the defendant caused by the display of the drug paraphernalia and marihuana of Griffith clearly outweighed the probative value of such exhibits. These items had no bearing upon the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Specifically, forty-five of the State's forty-six exhibits were marked for identification before the jury during the testimony of Deputy Boley, the State's first witness called on April 9, 1979. At that time, no attempt was made to clearly distinguish those exhibits associated with Griffith from those associated with the defendant. It was not until the afternoon of April 10, 1979, after a considerable amount of testimony had been received by the jury, that the Court specifically instructed the jury that the drug paraphernalia and homegrown marihuana was to be associated only with Marvin Griffith. We hold, therefore, that the admission of these items was unduly prejudicial to the defendant. It is reversible error for a trial judge to admit into evidence in a criminal trial of a defendant charged with a marihuana violation drug paraphernalia and marihuana belonging to a state witness when such drug paraphernalia and marihuana have not been associated with the defendant and have no probative value relating to the guilt of the defendant.