Opinion ID: 2551758
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence of Incarceration

Text: Prior to trial, the prosecution filed a memorandum in support of its introduction into evidence the fact that Thompkins was incarcerated. In a pretrial conference, the prosecutor stated that she intended to introduce the evidence of Thompkins' state of mind his obsession with his wife, not K.S.A. 60-455 evidence of the other crime. The prosecutor explained that the State's theory of the case was that Thompkins killed Frances because she obtained a protection order and filed for divorce. It was at this point Thompkins realized Frances was leaving him and he could not tolerate her withdrawal from the marriage. The State contended that Thompkins' letters from jail were probative as to why he killed Frances and the fact he was incarcerated was the reason he had to wait until the day after his release to kill her. The prosecutor stated that she would not introduce evidence of why Thompkins was incarcerated and suggested that the court give a limiting instruction. The court agreed to admit the evidence to show motive and premeditation. At trial, over defense counsel's objection, the State was permitted to introduce evidence that Thompkins was held in Johnson County and Wyandotte County jails immediately preceding the murder of Frances. The evidence was introduced by Frances' mother, who testified that she received two phone calls from Thompkins while he was in the county jails, and through letters that Thompkins sent to Frances, in which he indicated that he was in jail. Thompkins argues this evidence denied him the right to a fair trial because its prejudicial nature outweighed its probative value. He asserts that the K.S.A. 60-455 evidence allowed the jury to speculate about the nature of his prior crimes and the fact he was in jail did not relate to the only issue before the jurypremeditation. Thompkins' argument regarding the applicability of res gestae and K.S.A. 60-455 as the basis for admitting the incarceration evidence fails to acknowledge that the trial court admitted the evidence relative to motive and opportunity, not as K.S.A. 60-455 evidence. The question is, did the prejudicial nature of the evidence outweigh its probative value? K.S.A. 60-455 provides: Subject to K.S.A. 60-447 evidence that a person committed a crime or civil wrong on a specified occasion, [sic] is inadmissible to prove his or her disposition to commit crime or civil wrong as the basis for an inference that the person committed another crime or civil wrong on another specified occasion but, subject to K.S.A. 60-445 and 60-448 such evidence is admissible when relevant to prove some other material fact including motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity or absence of mistake or accident. Three requirements must be satisfied to admit evidence under K.S.A. 60-455. First, the evidence is relevant to prove one of the facts specified in the statute. Second, the fact is a disputed, material fact. Third, the probative value of the evidence outweighs its potential prejudice. For examples of prior crimes evidence admitted independent of K.S.A. 60-455, see State v. Prosper, 260 Kan. 743, 750-51, 926 P.2d 231 (1996) (continuing course of contacts between drug seller and customer to show relationship); State v. Humphrey, 258 Kan. 351, 363, 905 P.2d 664 (1995) (relationship or continuing course of conduct between parties). Letters Thompkins wrote to Frances before her death and to Frances' mother after Frances was killed were reviewed by the court prior to trial. The court was aware of the circumstances, and the date and context of the letters. On September 20, 1994, while Thompkins was in jail, he was served with a protection from abuse order. In a letter postmarked September 21, 1994, Thompkins wrote: Dear Frances, Hello, How are you doing? I hope you are doing swell. The last time I saw you you said that you needed to go to the doctor. I hope you're okay. Sasha said she was going across the street to see me the last time I talked to her. I told her that I would be away for quite some time. Tell [her] that I love her and I'm sorry for being away. Tell your folks hello, also. I hope pops is fine and everyone doing well. Tell them I apologize for the things I've put them through. Frances we really need to talk. I'm sorry that it[`s] taken times like these and after we have abused each other to realize all we needed to do was talk to each other. I can't come to you for more reasons than one. Frances, I don't know why you hurt me so as you do. I don't know why you do a lot of things that are totally uncalled for. I know I provoke you sometimes and say things I don't mean, but I never go to the law on you. You've attacked me with deadly weapons, you have tried to kill me in the past but I have never call[ed] the police on you. Now, thanks to your actions I will never get out of jail for 2 years. That's right thanks to your actions I'm now in more trouble than you could imagine. You know those orange stickers on the door at 1953, well those are courtesy of you. The sherif [sic] department put those there because of you. Because I saw them, I decided to leave K.C. ... Your actions also put me back into Wyandotte courts, I had a chance to get into a program in Johnson County that would have given me a job a place to stay, and put me through rehab. Because you filed for a restraining order that will not happen.... Why, the police. I don't call them on you. Your actions are the one's that deserve police intervention. I say things, but you do things. I feel you had no right. You had left why call the police. Now they have a case saying my threat[s] are also a felony which will give me another to [sic] years in the pen. I love you. You see I can say that. My actions were those of someone who needed help with a problem that was destroying him personally. Then everything that he loved. My actions did keep us down, but were not something that was directly aimed to destroy you. Mostly I hurt myself, then you and Sasha. Like you said I never listened to you. I want you to know that I heard everything you was saying. But you never heard me. Everything I did was asking you to love me and by loving me helping me. Look back Frances, we know I had a problem. So you say I was your problem, so you just drop me and everything [is] okay right. Once you get rid of Solly, God going to bless you in every way. Drugs made me do what I did. Why? What? How? did you do all the things you have done. Help me understand. Let me know why I have to go through all the things I'm facing alone. Why the courts are involved with what we have to settle between ourselves. No matter what the courts do Frances, it still comes down to you and me. No matter how they rule, it's still you and me. Thompkins was released from jail on October 21, 1994. He killed Frances on October 22, 1994. In a letter postmarked October 31, 1994, to Frances' mother, written from jail where Thompkins was incarcerated on this case, Thompkins wrote, in part: I know nothing I say can bring her back, but I loved her more than you can know. I asked only that she talk to me everything else that happened was by her choice. In time you will come to realize this. I told her a long time ago no matter who she involved in our marriage problem in the end it still came down to me and her. May God have mercy on my soul. I'm very sorry things turned out as they have[. M]ay justice and God's will be done. The State's theory of the case was that Thompkins, after receiving notice of the final protection from abuse order while he was in jail on an unrelated charge, determined to attempt to reconcile with Frances and to kill Frances if reconciliation did not occur. Thompkins was not able to carry out this plan until release from jail. The State contended that the fact that Thompkins was in jail when he planned the murder of Frances was relevant to prove its case. Further, the fact that Thompkins was in jail was not admitted to prove his disposition to commit crime as the basis for an inference he committed the murder of Frances, but to prove motive and lack of opportunity until his release. Therefore, according to the State, the evidence that Thompkins was in jail immediately preceding the crime was relevant to motive and opportunity.