Opinion ID: 2607859
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: admissibility of plea agreement between ann fisher and the state of arizona

Text: Defendant challenges the trial court's refusal to admit into evidence the plea agreement between the state and Ann Fisher. We find exclusion was proper. A fundamental requirement for admission of any evidence is that it be relevant. Ariz.R.Evid. 402. To be relevant, evidence must have any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence. Ariz.R. Evid. 401. A plea agreement is relevant to impeach a witness' testimony. Since the witness, Ann Fisher, informed the trial judge that she would not testify concerning any facts of consequence to the determination of whether James Fisher committed the murder of Bailey, the plea agreement had no relevance. It was, therefore, properly excluded.