Opinion ID: 1382318
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Issue Two: Exclusion of Chemical Dependency Evidence

Text: Next, the appellant argues that the circuit court erred when it excluded evidence regarding Nurse Grim's chemical dependency without performing the mandated Rule 404(b) analysis. [14] In considering this issue, we are mindful that, [r]ulings on the admissibility of evidence are largely within a trial court's sound discretion and should not be disturbed unless there has been an abuse of discretion. Syllabus point 2, State v. Peyatt, 173 W.Va. 317, 315 S.E.2d 574 (1983). The appellant argues that the evidence at issue is admissible under Rule 404(b) of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence, and that the circuit court failed to conduct the required Rule 404(b) analysis prior to excluding the evidence. This Court has stated: Where an offer of evidence is made under Rule 404(b) of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence, the trial court, pursuant to Rule 104(a) of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence, is to determine its admissibility. Before admitting the evidence, the trial court should conduct an in camera hearing as stated in State v. Dolin, 176 W.Va. 688, 347 S.E.2d 208 (1986). After hearing the evidence and arguments of counsel, the trial court must be satisfied by a preponderance of the evidence that the acts or conduct occurred and that the defendant committed the acts. If the trial court does not find by a preponderance of the evidence that the acts or conduct was committed or that the defendant was the actor, the evidence should be excluded under Rule 404(b). If a sufficient showing has been made, the trial court must then determine the relevancy of the evidence under Rules 401 and 402 of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence and conduct the balancing required under Rule 403 of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence. If the trial court is then satisfied that the Rule 404(b) evidence is admissible, it should instruct the jury on the limited purpose for which such evidence has been admitted. A limiting instruction should be given at the time the evidence is offered, and we recommend that it be repeated in the trial court's general charge to the jury at the conclusion of the evidence. Syllabus Point 2, State v. McGinnis, 193 W.Va. 147, 455 S.E.2d 516 (1994), see also, Syllabus Point 2, Stafford v. Rocky Hollow Coal Co., 198 W.Va. 593, 482 S.E.2d 210 (1996). Under this analysis, the trial court must first find by a preponderance of the evidence that the prior acts actually occurred. In the instant case, the defendant admitted her prior morphine addiction. The next step is that the trial court must determine the relevancy of the evidence under Rules 401 and 402. The threshold inquiry the court must make before admitting similar acts evidence under Rule 404(b) is whether that evidence is probative of a material issue other than character. Franklin D. Cleckley, Handbook on Evidence for West Virginia Lawyers, Vol. 1, § 4-5(B)(3)(a), p. 332 (1994) (citations omitted). Only if the evidence is found to be relevant is the balancing required under Rule 403 to be conducted. The circuit court held an in camera hearing on the admissibility of evidence of Nurse Grim's prior morphine addiction and determined that the evidence was not relevant to whether Nurse Grim negligently combined two incompatible drugs on July 28, 1994. We agree. `Relevant evidence means evidence having 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.' W.Va.R.Evid. 401. Syllabus Point 2, State v. Maynard, 183 W.Va. 1, 393 S.E.2d 221 (1990). The evidence in the instant case was undisputed that Nurse Grim gave the appellant a single injection of a combination of Solu-Medrol and Benadryl. The primary issue was whether Solu-Medrol and Benadryl are incompatible medications so that their combination in a single injection caused a negative reaction which resulted in injury to the appellant. Evidence concerning Nurse Grim's prior substance abuse does not have any tendency to make the incompatibility of Solu-Medrol and Benadryl more or less probable. Accordingly, we conclude that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in excluding evidence of Nurse Grim's prior substance abuse.