Opinion ID: 1894811
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: evidence of prior bad acts on the part of defendant gilbert

Text: Gilbert argues that the trial justice committed prejudicial error in allowing evidence to be presented against him that related to his having caused Ted Alan Cassey to engage in sexual acts with his baby sister, Anny, and brother, Marcus, and also upon the family dog, Sparky. He suggests that this evidence was irrelevant to the charges of sexual conduct on his part and that it was highly prejudicial. He also argues that there was a failure on the part of the prosecution to establish reasonable necessity for the introduction of this evidence under the doctrine enunciated in State v. Jalette, 119 R.I. 614, 382 A.2d 526 (1978). It is notable that this evidence was admitted without objection posed by Gilbert. No doctrine is more firmly settled in this jurisdiction than the rule that objections to evidence must be raised before the trial court and may not be presented for the first time on appeal. State v. Estrada, 537 A.2d 983, 986 (R.I. 1988); State v. Byrnes, 433 A.2d 658, 670-71 (R.I. 1981); State v. Duggan, 414 A.2d 788, 791 (R.I. 1980). A party who fails to record a specific objection is determined to have waived his rights on appeal. State v. Long, 488 A.2d 427, 432 (R.I. 1985). The only exception to the raise or waive rule is set forth in State v. Burke, 522 A.2d 725, 731 (R.I. 1987). In that case we enunciated a three-part test to qualify for such exception: (1) the error complained of must be more than harmless error, (2) the record must be sufficient to permit a determination of the issue, and (3) counsel's failure to raise the issue at trial must be attributed to a novel rule of law that counsel could not reasonably have known during the trial. Id. Moreover, this exception applies only when the defendant's basic constitutional rights are at issue. State v. Estrada, 537 A.2d at 987. As in Estrada, this case could not qualify as an exception to the raise or waive rule. Even if we were to decide that the evidence now challenged implicated defendant's constitutional rights as opposed to a mere evidentiary rule, Gilbert's reasons for failing to object could not satisfy the third prong of the test. Certainly the argument on appeal is not based upon a novel rule of law but upon an established evidentiary principle. As a consequence, this issue is not properly before this court for review. Further, the trial justice limited any prejudice that might result from the admission of such testimony against Gilbert in his final charge to the jury in which he admonished the jurors that evidence concerning sexual acts other than those actually charged against defendant could be considered only for the limited purpose of establishing guilty knowledge, intent, motive, design, plan, scheme, system, or lewd disposition toward the victim in accordance with our prior decision in State v. Pignolet, 465 A.2d 176, 181 (R.I. 1983). Consequently even if this issue were squarely presented to us, the admission of this evidence would not constitute prejudicial error.