Opinion ID: 1652429
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: authentication of penalty phase evidence.

Text: During the penalty phase of the trial, the Commonwealth introduced judgments of the State of Colorado reflecting prior convictions of Appellant of three counts of sexual assault on a child and one count of criminal attempt to commit inducement of child prostitution; and a judgment of the Trigg Circuit Court, Kentucky, reflecting a prior conviction of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. Appellant does not contest the authenticity of any of these judgments. However, he does claim it was reversible error to permit the Commonwealth to introduce a record of the Colorado Department of Corrections containing Appellant's description, mug shot, and fingerprint card. This record contains the notarized certificate of an employee of Offender Records that it is a full, true and correct copy of the original in my custody. Appellant claims this certification is insufficient to permit self-authentication under KRE 902(2), (4), or (11). However, a notarized document needs no further authentication. KRE 902(8); KRS 422.100. Even if that were not so, the document merely provides further identification of Appellant as being the subject of the Colorado convictions, a fact which he does not contest. Thus, the introduction of this document did not prejudice him in any way. RCr 9.22.