Opinion ID: 2090140
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: jones' pregnancy and child's death

Text: Finally, Williams argues trial counsel was ineffective in failing to file a motion in limine precluding the State from discussing the death of Jones' child and in failing to object to such discussion at trial. The district court concluded that Williams was not prejudiced by this discussion. The district court reasoned that evidence of the pregnancy was admissible, that the death of a pregnant woman could be assumed to result in the death of her unborn child, and that thus, the jury would in any event be aware of the death of Jones' child, even had objections been made and sustained. This court also reviewed the substance of this claim on direct appeal, stating: Williams' first assignment of error is that the trial court erred in allowing the prosecution to adduce evidence of the birth of Jones' child. Williams contends this evidence was unduly prejudicial and should have been excluded. .... As the State submits, evidence of the birth of Jones' child tended to prove that Jones was pregnant. From this evidence and from the testimony of Bobby Ashley, Williams' lover, to the effect that the child was his, the jury could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that Williams deliberately killed Jones out of jealousy. Though the subsequent death of the child may have been somewhat inflammatory, we cannot say that the admission of this evidence in the context of this trial rises to the level of prejudicial or plain error. State v. Williams, 247 Neb. at 881-83, 530 N.W.2d at 907-08. This court concluded, therefore, that evidence of Jones' pregnancy was relevant to Williams' motive and sufficiently probative to satisfy § 27-403. Id. This court also concluded that evidence regarding the child's death was not reversible error. Id. Given that determination, it is clear that Williams has not proved that she was prejudiced by her trial counsel's failure to make objections and preserve the issue for appellate review. Moreover, the district court's reasoning is sound in that the jury could in any event assume that the death of a pregnant woman would also result in the death of her unborn child. Given the prior determination of this court and the district court's sound reasoning, we conclude that the district court's determination that Williams did not prove she was prejudiced is not clearly erroneous.