Opinion ID: 1096680
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the trial court erred in overruling ginn's objection to evidence of other crimes.

Text: ¶ 10. Ginn assigns as the second error that the trial court erred in admitting her statement, which contained an admission of a previous crime(s). The statement made was: I also believe that on other occurrances [sic] pills that we [Ginn and Hill] purchased were for Kris Ray. Again, Ginn was charged with two counts: possession of precursors with intent to manufacture and possession of methamphetamine. This Court reviews the admission of evidence under an abuse of discretion standard. Farris v. State, 764 So.2d 411, 428 (Miss.2000). This Court has held: A case may be reversed based on the admission of evidence if the admission results in prejudice and harm or adversely affects a substantial right of a party. Farris, 764 So.2d at 428; Hansen v. State, 592 So.2d 114, 132 (Miss. 1991). Smith v. State, 839 So.2d 489, 494-95(¶ 8) (Miss.2003). Ginn also argues that the statement was not admissible under Miss. R. Evid. 401, 402, 403, and 404(b). ¶ 11. However, as discussed above, this statement was admitted to show that Ginn knew that these items were used in the manufacture of methamphetamine under Miss. R. Evid. 404(b). The trial court correctly held that the probative value of this evidence was not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Miss. R. Evid. 403. The statement was also relevant in that it placed Ginn herself in possession of the precursor materials. Miss. R. Evid. 401 & 402. ¶ 12. In Crosswhite v. State, 732 So.2d 856, 863 (Miss.1998), this Court held that the trial court properly admitted an envelope with words significant to manufacture of methamphetamine as evidence of knowledge. In De La Beckwith v. State, 707 So.2d 547, 579-80 (Miss.1997), we upheld the admission of letters and statements the defendant made to others in the past and held that they were relevant for showing motive and intent. We further held that any issue about remoteness in time went to relevancy, which was a matter for the jury to determine. ¶ 13. Here, Ginn knew that the chemicals found in the vehicle in which she was a passenger (pseudoephedrine, liquid Heet, and Prestone starter fluid) were used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. The statement went directly to her knowledge in that she and Hill had previously purchased the pseudoephedrine pills for the cook. The evidence was relevant, and the probative value substantially outweighed any prejudicial effect. The statement was admissible for purposes of showing knowledge or intent. Ginn also had the opportunity to soften the blow of this evidence if she were concerned about its adverse impact upon the jury. Ginn had prefiled Jury Instruction Number D-3, a cautionary instruction, which, if tendered to the trial court for consideration and given to the jury, would have informed the jury of the limited evidentiary value of this statement, such as going to proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, and absence of mistake or accident. However, at the jury instruction conference, defense counsel chose to withdraw this instruction. See White v. State, 722 So.2d 1242, 1247-48 (Miss.1998); Carr v. State, 655 So.2d 824, 837 (Miss.1995); Ford v. State, 555 So.2d 691, 695-96 (Miss.1989). ¶ 14. Therefore, this issue is without merit.