Opinion ID: 1318712
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admissibility of Bad Acts

Text: Immediately after 13-year-old Bernadette Touney, the oldest sister, was sworn to be a witness, defense counsel requested a bench conference, and then moved for exclusion pursuant to Rule 404(b), W.R.E., of any reference to Crozier asking that Bernadette find Kathy McCord to obtain some marijuana for him. The prosecutor responsively argued that the evidence was critical because in the cross-examination of the pathologist who performed the autopsy there was some question whether Freddie was still alive around 10:00 or 10:30 p.m., and that it was also relevant to explain why Kathy McCord, the next witness, was at the Touney home so late at night. The motion was denied and the evidence admitted. On appeal, appellant contends that this evidence was not relevant, was prejudicial, and placed him on trial for being a bad person. Rule 404(b), W.R.E., provides: (b) Other crimes, wrongs, or acts.  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. The trial judge, in denying appellant's motion to exclude the evidence, properly acknowledged that prior bad acts may be admissible under certain circumstances. Wyoming case law reinforces the trial judge's remark: Our court, in State v. Lindsay, 77 Wyo. 410, 317 P.2d 506, 510, recognized that evidence is not to be excluded because it tends to show the commission of other offenses `where it tends to prove facts material in the trial.' Valerio v. State, Wyo., 429 P.2d 317, 318 (1967). Another recognized exception to the Rule 404(b) exclusionary rule is that evidence of other criminal activity is admissible if it forms part of the history of the event or serves to enhance the natural development of the facts. Commonwealth v. Evans, 343 Pa.Super. 118, 494 A.2d 383, 390 (1985); Commonwealth v. Murphy, 346 Pa.Super. 438, 499 A.2d 1080, 1083 (1985). Pennsylvania refers to this as the same transaction rule. It is also known as the complete story exception. State v. Richmond, 114 Ariz. 186, 560 P.2d 41 (1976), cert. denied 433 U.S. 915, 97 S.Ct. 2988, 53 L.Ed.2d 1101, application denied 434 U.S. 1323, 98 S.Ct. 8, 54 L.Ed.2d 34, reh. denied 434 U.S. 976, 98 S.Ct. 1537, 54 L.Ed.2d 469 (1977); State v. Collins, 111 Ariz. 303, 528 P.2d 829 (1974). The exception has also been recognized in Wyoming. Hopkinson v. State, supra. In Wyoming perhaps it would be characterized as the course of conduct exception. State v. Lindsay, 77 Wyo. 410, 317 P.2d 506 (1957). See also Hatheway v. State, Wyo., 623 P.2d 741 (1981); State v. Grider, 74 Wyo. 88, 284 P.2d 400, reh. denied 74 Wyo. 88, 288 P.2d 766 (1955). See also 1A Wigmore on Evidence § 218; 2 Louisell and Mueller, Federal Evidence § 140; Annot., 41 A.L.R. Fed. 497, 515, Admissibility Under Rule 404(b), of Federal Rules of Evidence of Evidence of Other Crimes, Wrongs, or Acts Not Similar to Offense Charged. The probative value of this evidence must outweigh its prejudicial effect. Noetzelmann v. State, 721 P.2d 579 (Wyo. 1986). In appealing his first-degree murder conviction in State v. Richmond, supra, appellant claimed as error the playing at trial of a tape in which he recounted his version of the circumstances surrounding the murder:    In the course of his narration the defendant mentioned that he and Faith smoked marijuana while parked at the Birdcage awaiting Becky and that after dividing the proceeds of the robbery he and Faith `fixed up again.' He also stated that Becky Corella was carrying a pistol on the night in question. The defendant argues that those isolated pieces of testimony painted him as a marijuana smoker, a dope addict and a gun carrier, and that none of these facts is relevant to the crime charged. 560 P.2d at 48. The Arizona Supreme Court held that:    The defendant's explanation of the events which happened preceding and subsequent to the homicide were admissible in order that the full story could be understood. There was no error in the admission of the evidence. 560 P.2d at 49. We also find the case of State v. Hockings, 29 Or. App. 139, 562 P.2d 587, cert. denied 434 U.S. 1049, 98 S.Ct. 899, 54 L.Ed.2d 802 (1977), particularly helpful in this discussion: When approaching the question of admissibility of `other crime' evidence courts often state as a rule that this evidence is inadmissible unless it comes under one of the many exceptions to that particular exclusionary rule. To state such a general rule masks the complete progression of analysis in determining admissibility. It is more proper to first determine if the proffered evidence is relevant, without regard to its character, and then determine if there is some recognized exclusionary rule in the law of evidence which would nevertheless keep it out. 562 P.2d at 590. The evidence admitted in the case at bar was convincingly relevant and particularly so for the State. Since appellant did not testify, Bernadette was the only witness who could give an account of the entire evening of March 3 as it unfolded at the Touney home. The only time that Bernadette was not at home during the evening was at about 10:00 p.m., when she went to find Kathy McCord, to obtain some marijuana for the appellant. Kathy and Bernadette visited other neighbors in their search for marijuana, and then Kathy returned with Bernadette to the Touney trailer. Some explanation for Bernadette's late-night visit to Kathy and the time lapse before both returned to the Touney home was a necessary ingredient to the jury's complete understanding of the times and events of the evening as related by Bernadette. It was also relevant to afford an explanation for Kathy's visit to the Touney home that night, in addition to the State's purpose of establishing that Freddie was still alive at that time. The same-transaction rule addressed by the Pennsylvania courts appropriately applies, and we adopt the principle stated.    The time sequence of the [crime] is not continuous if there is some sort of a legal timeout taken during periods while the defendant is committing other crimes   . United States v. Gibson, 625 F.2d 887, 888 (9th Cir.1980). A differentiation must be recognized between bad acts removed from the immediate transaction and all rules appropriate to such evidence, and the immediate-circumstance (same-transaction) evidence to which the rule to be applied is inordinate prejudice without reciprocal probative justification. What happened here should normally be admissible unless the prejudice factors overweight relevancy. See Noetzelmann v. State, supra. No error in admission of the evidence resulted under the facts of this case.