Opinion ID: 1608240
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Did the trial court err by improperly allowing the introduction of prior bad acts evidence?

Text: ¶ 21. Rule 404(b) of the Mississippi Rules of Evidence provides: Evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show that he acted in conformity therewith. It may, however, be admissible for other purposes such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. M.R.E. 404(b). ¶ 22. If the evidence is allowed under Rule 404(b), it must still pass through Rule 403, which is the ultimate filter through which all otherwise admissible evidence must pass. Bounds v. State, 688 So.2d 1362, 1370 (Miss.1997). The decision of whether to admit evidence is left to a trial court's broad discretion. Brown v. State, 534 So.2d 1019, 1024-25 (Miss.1988). ¶ 23. Detective Craft testified that McKee, while confessing to the robbery, said that he needed help because he was still on crack cocaine. Counsel for McKee objected and moved for a mistrial based on that statement, both of which were overruled by the trial court. The trial court did not perform a M.R.E. 403 balancing test on the record, nor did it give, or offer to give, a limiting instruction regarding the crack cocaine statement. However, we find this error to be harmless. ¶ 24. An error is harmless when it is apparent on the face of the record that a fair-minded jury could have arrived at no verdict other than that of guilty. Floyd v. City of Crystal Springs, 749 So.2d 110, 120 (Miss.1999) (citing Forrest v. State, 335 So.2d 900, 903 (Miss.1976)). This Court has previously held that [w]here the prejudice from an erroneous admission of evidence dims in comparison to other overwhelming evidence, this Court has refused to reverse. Carter v. State, 722 So.2d 1258, 1262 (Miss.1998) (citing Holland v. State, 587 So.2d 848, 864 (Miss.1991)). In this case, the evidence of McKee's guilt is overwhelming; therefore, a fair-minded jury could have arrived at no verdict other than guilty. ¶ 25. The testimony regarding McKee's use of cocaine was elicited by Officer Craft on direct examination by the State. The State never referred again to any point later in the trial to the statement. In fact, the only further mention of the statement was brought out by defense counsel on cross-examination of Officer Crafttwice, in fact. Immediately following the testimony of Officer Craft, defense counsel made his opening statement to the jury in which he informed the jury of three prior convictions of McKee. McKee then testified regarding the convictions. Notably, the offense which McKee has been convicted is not drug related, lessening the possibility that he was prejudiced by the testimony regarding his drug use. However, the prior convictions brought out by defense counsel were theft offenses, as was that of which McKee was convicted here. ¶ 26. We find that the prejudice, if any, from the erroneous admission of Officer Craft's testimony, dims in light of the overwhelming evidence of McKee's guilt presented by the State and in light of the fact that McKee's own counsel repeatedly emphasized his prior theft convictions. The weight and potential for unfair prejudice resulting from Officer Craft's testimony pales in comparison to the evidence of McKee's guilt. Clearly, Officer Craft's testimony did not prejudice McKee to such an extent as to require reversal. ¶ 27. Therefore, we hold, that the trial court did not commit reversible error by admitting the prior bad acts evidence.