Opinion ID: 1667619
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: application of precepts to facts

Text: On the second day of trial, Hood testified he asked decedent what he [defendant] had said or wanted, and she told [him] that he wanted to have sex with her, and she doesn't want to have anything to do with him. The State offered the evidence, and continues to offer it, as admissible hearsay of direct evidence of the decedent's sexual aversion towards defendant and as admissible non-hearsay evidence circumstantially explaining decedent's subsequent conduct. We agree it is admissible as such. The extrajudicial declaration, introduced to prove the declarant's state of mind, is relevant to show she was not sexually interested in Brown and would have subsequently rejected his sexual advances. Her state of mind became a fact at issue from evidence elicited on cross-examination when it was coupled with other facts in evidence. And the evidence's probativeness outweighed any prejudice caused by its admittance. Although decedent's state of mind was not an ultimate issue at trial, it became an indirect, but material fact at issue. Testimonial and photographic evidence indicated decedent's death was preceded by unwanted sexual advances. Testimonial evidence suggested decedent willingly accompanied Brown to and from Prescott Place apartments. It also revealed she was sexually active as she was eighteen years old, unmarried and pregnant; had lived with Beatty; and had sexual intercourse with Hood, an acquaintance of two days. Moreover, cross-examination of State witnesses, Fox and Fender, implicated decedent's state of mind by eliciting testimony about her demeanor while entering Brown's vehicle and while driving off with him. The evidence of their harmonious interaction in the hours preceding her death, coupled with the evidence of her sexual permissiveness and of her partial disrobement, indirectly placed her state of mind at issue. The State needed to respond to the implication their interaction would remain harmonious under all circumstances. Her extrajudicial declaration, therefore, became probative as direct evidence of their future relationship entailing her wish not to have intercourse or sexual relations with him, and as circumstantial evidence that, if the opportunity arose, she would reject his sexual advances. By communicating her perception that defendant wanted her, the declaration contained an inadmissible hearsay component. The significance of the assertion, however, overshadowed any resulting prejudice. The assertion of defendant's desires is necessary to properly construe decedent's statement, she didn't want anything to do with him. It does not improperly refer to past beliefs or acts, or predict future conduct. Nor does it imply Brown has committed or will commit inflammatory or culpable acts. Thus, the relevancy and probative value of the evidence, when used to show decedent was sexually disinterested in defendant and would have rejected his advances, far outweighed the danger of the jury misusing the evidence. The trial court struck the proper balance when it ruled the extrajudicial declaration admissible. Furthermore, any improper inference the jury might have drawn from the declaration is overshadowed by defendant's statement to Cagle, evincing his subjective state of mind that he needed to have a woman. To protect against any possible misapplication of the extrajudicial declaration, Brown should have requested a limiting instruction, directing the jury to consider the declaration as evidence only of decedent's state of mind or of circumstantial proof of her subsequent conduct rather than for the truthfulness of the assertion he wanted her. Nevertheless, a review of the record as a whole demonstrates this omission is harmless. The State's opening statement, direct examination of Hood and closing arguments reveal, very little emphasis was placed upon the extrajudicial statement during the five day trial. Consequently, due to the overwhelming evidence of Brown's guilt, the lack of limiting instruction had minimal impact on the jury.