Opinion ID: 1172674
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Necessity of Evidence

Text: To constitute evidence of a common scheme or plan the prior misconduct must be an integral part of a larger or overarching scheme or plan. State v. Lough, 125 Wash.2d 847, 889 P.2d 487 (1995). Alternatively, the evidence may demonstrate a commonly used scheme or plan. See id. at 854-55, 889 P.2d 487. The State argues here that Schnell's evidence was admissible under the common scheme or plan exception because his crimes against Ms. Washa were part of his overarching plan to rape, rob, and assault Ms. Schnell. Assuming that the evidence was part of a common scheme or plan, it should, nevertheless, have been excluded because it was not necessary to prove an essential element of the crime charged. The State says the Schnell evidence was necessary to rebut Defendant's claim that Ms. Washa's murder was an accident or an act of panic, not premeditated murder, and Defendant's claim that the sexual intercourse with Ms. Washa was consensual. Initially, I find the State's justification for the Schnell evidence disingenuous, considering Defendant never testified and, in fact, offered no defense at all. Most of the evidence against Defendant came from his confession, which Defendant attempted to keep out of evidence. The confession was offered by the State in its case in chief as substantive evidence. Thus, it is the State's own evidence, contained in the confession, which the State is attempting to discredit with Schnell's testimony. The State should not be allowed to offer confession evidence, over defense objection, and then claim that ER 404 evidence is necessary to rebut Defendant's claim that he lacked premeditation to murder or that sex was consensual. This is particularly true where Defendant has not testified or offered any evidence regarding premeditation, motive, or intent. See State v. Lavaris, 106 Wash.2d 340, 346, 721 P.2d 515 (1986) (State may not call witness for primary purpose of impeaching him with otherwise inadmissible testimony). More importantly, the State's assertions regarding the need for Schnell's testimony are simply not born out by the evidence. Rather than casting doubt on premeditation, Defendant's confession establishes it. In his confession, Defendant stated: I realized if I left her there, she could just bang and clang and crunch and scream and be out very quickly. Otherwise, I would have just left her there and that's when I went to the back of the truck and I ... killed her. Ex. 89, tape 2, side 1, at 630-650. Moreover, Defendant's discussion of being panicked was in relation to moving the car after he had killed her. I forgot that trunks have like holes and things like that. So I panicked and left that place and drove around.... Ex. 89, tape 1, side 2 at 50-60. Defendant said he killed Ms. Washa because she was a stranger and it made sense for him to kill her. Ex. 89, tape 1, side 1 at 625-635. Clearly, Ms. Schnell's testimony was not necessary on the issue of premeditation. Nor was the evidence necessary on the issue of consent. He stated in his confession that during intercourse he noticed she was looking at the door and thinking of escape. In response, Brown stated he decided to have a little control ... make her a little more scared of me. Ex. 89, tape 2, side 1. Further, the physical evidence overwhelmingly proved that intercourse was not consensual. See Majority at 556. Finally, it is difficult to see how Defendant's conduct with Ms. Schnell had any bearing on his premeditation in the Washa murder or the consensual nature of his sexual contact with Ms. Washa. Defendant was not charged with premeditation in the Schnell crime, nor was he charged or convicted of sexual assault on Ms. Schnell. Considering the overwhelmingly strong case for the State based on the physical evidence and Defendant's confession, it is clear that the real reason the State offered Schnell's testimony was to demonstrate the Defendant's propensity to rape, rob, and slash women's throats. The State candidly stated the exclusion of Schnell's testimony would not have changed the outcome of this case. Br. of Resp't at 109. The State thus concedes the evidence was not necessary. In the present case, the exclusion of Schnell's testimony would not have changed the outcome of this case. The remaining evidence, including Brown's confession, is overwhelming. The heinous acts the defendant committed upon Washa were far more compelling than the streamlined testimony from Schnell concerning what the defendant did to her. Br. of Resp't at 109.