Opinion ID: 1060063
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Statutory Admissibility

Text: Beck asserts that even if constitutionally permissible, the criminal procedure provisions within Title 19.2 of the Virginia Code limit victim impact evidence in a capital murder case to that received from the victim's family members. In support of this position, Beck relies upon Code §§ 19.2-11.01, 19.2-264.5 and 19.2-299.1. Beck asserts that, when read in concert, these three statutes provide only for gathering and presentation of evidence from those persons designated as victims under the Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act (the Act). Code § 19.2-11.01 to -11.4. We disagree. Pertinent to our resolution of this issue, the code prescribes: § 19.2-11.01. Crime victim and witness rights. A. In recognition of the Commonwealth's concern for the victims and witnesses of crime, it is the purpose of this chapter to ensure that the full impact of crime is brought to the attention of the courts of the Commonwealth; .... 4. Victim input. a. Victims shall be given the opportunity, pursuant to § 19.2-299.1, to prepare a written victim impact statement prior to sentencing of a defendant and may provide information to any individual or agency charged with investigating the social history of a person or preparing a victim impact statement under the provisions of §§ 16.1-273 and 53.1-155 or any other applicable law. .... B. For purposes of this chapter,  victim  means ... a spouse, parent or legal guardian of such a person who ... was the victim of a homicide. § 19.2-264.5. Post-sentence reports. When the punishment of any person has been fixed at death, the court shall, before imposing sentence, direct a probation officer of the court to thoroughly investigate the history of the defendant and any and all other relevant facts, to the end that the court may be fully advised as to whether the sentence of death is appropriate and just. Reports shall be made, presented and filed as provided in § 19.2-299 except that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, such reports shall in all cases contain a Victim Impact Statement. Such statement shall contain the same information and be prepared in the same manner as Victim Impact Statements prepared pursuant to § 19.2-299.1. After consideration of the report, and upon good cause shown, the court may set aside the sentence of death and impose a sentence of imprisonment for life. § 19.2-299.1. When Victim Impact Statement required; contents; uses. The presentence report prepared pursuant to § 19.2-299 shall, with the consent of the victim, as defined in § 19.2-11.01, in all cases involving offenses other than capital murder, include a Victim Impact Statement. Victim Impact Statements in all cases involving capital murder shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with the provisions of § 19.2-264.5. A Victim Impact Statement shall be kept confidential and shall be sealed upon entry of the sentencing order. If prepared by someone other than the victim, it shall ... provide such other information as the court may require related to the impact of the offense upon the victim. Beck asserts that by limiting the definition of victim in the Act to the spouse, parent or legal guardian of the deceased, the legislature implicitly intended to limit the admissibility of victim impact evidence to that provided by such persons for the reports described in Code §§ 19.2-264.5 and 19.2-299.1. There is no merit to this assertion. While the Act provides for the right of victims, as defined therein, to prepare a written impact statement, nothing within the Act limits the nature of victim impact evidence to such statements alone. Similarly, the reference to the Act in Code § 19.2-299.1 merely defines the person or persons whose consent the Commonwealth must obtain in order to include the victim impact statement in the sentencing report. Moreover, by its express terms Code § 19.2-299.1 exempts the Commonwealth from having to obtain such consent in capital murder trials, and the preparation of a victim impact report in a capital murder trial, though done in the same manner as other such reports under Code § 19.2-299.1, is mandated by Code § 19.2-264.5. The clear import of the Act is to preserve the right of victims of crimes to have the impact of those crimes upon their lives considered as part of the sentencing process, if that is their wish, and to protect their privacy thereafter. The requirement in Code § 19.2-299.1 of obtaining victim consent to include the statement of the victim in the pre-sentence report is further recognition of the right of victims to maintain their privacy if they so desire. By exempting the Commonwealth from having to seek such consent when presenting victim impact evidence during capital murder trials, the legislature has recognized expressly that the impact of such crimes is of such magnitude as to require the consideration of victim impact evidence even at the risk of intruding upon the sensibilities of those closest to the victim. Nothing in Code § 19.2-299.1 expressly or implicitly limits the sources on which the Commonwealth may draw in its preparation of the victim impact portion of the presentence report. Rather, the report is to contain whatever information the trial court may require related to the impact of the offense upon the victim. Accordingly, we hold that the statutes do not limit evidence of victim impact to that received from the victim's family members. Rather, the circumstances of the individual case will dictate what evidence will be necessary and relevant, and from what sources it may be drawn. In a capital murder trial, as in any other criminal proceeding, the determination of the admissibility of relevant evidence is within the sound discretion of the trial court subject to the test of abuse of that discretion. See Coe v. Commonwealth, 231 Va. 83, 87, 340 S.E.2d 820, 823 (1986); Stamper v. Commonwealth, 220 Va. 260, 269-70, 257 S.E.2d 808, 815-16 (1979), cert. denied, 445 U.S. 972, 100 S.Ct. 1666, 64 L.Ed.2d 249 (1980).