Opinion ID: 1262799
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Deputy Lam's Testimony

Text: Deputy Sheriff William C. Lam was called as a witness by the Commonwealth to relate statements Beavers had made to him regarding Mrs. Lowery's murder. At the beginning of his direct testimony, Beavers's counsel observed that Lam appeared to be reading from a document that had not been admitted into evidence. The Commonwealth's Attorney indicated that the purpose of the document was to refresh Deputy Lam's memory, and then asked Lam whether the document was the one that [he] previously testified about in this court? At this point, Beavers's counsel moved for a mistrial. The trial court denied that motion but strongly cautioned the Commonwealth's Attorney to refrain from any further references to another court proceeding. When Deputy Lam resumed his testimony, Beavers's counsel objected again on grounds that the witness appeared to be reading from the document. The court overruled this objection, and a similar objection made shortly thereafter. However, the court sustained Beavers's third objection to Deputy Lam's apparent reading from the document and instructed the jury to disregard the testimony in its entirety. Beavers argues that even though the trial court gave the cautionary instruction, Lam's testimony was so prejudicial that the instruction to disregard the testimony given by the court could not cure the error. Deputy Lam testified in part that Beavers told him that he had no other choice but to do what he had done because [Mrs. Lowery] could identify him. Beavers argues that this testimony provided the only direct evidence of Beavers's intent to kill Mrs. Lowery. Because the jury found Beavers guilty of premeditation in the murder of Mrs. Lowery, Beavers reasons that the statement so indelibly prejudiced the jury that it was error for the trial court to simply give a cautionary instruction and to deny Beavers's motion for a mistrial. We disagree. A trial court exercises its discretion when it determines whether it should grant a motion for mistrial. Whether improper evidence is so prejudicial as to require a mistrial is a question of fact to be resolved by the trial court in each particular case. Lewis v. Commonwealth, 211 Va. 80, 83, 175 S.E.2d 236, 238 (1970). Unless this Court can say that the trial court's resolution of that question was wrong as a matter of law, it will not disturb the trial court's decision on appeal. Spencer v. Commonwealth, 240 Va. 78, 95, 393 S.E.2d 609, 619 (1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 908, 111 S.Ct. 281, 112 L.Ed.2d 235 (1991). A judgment will not be reversed for the improper admission of evidence that a court subsequently directs a jury to disregard because juries are presumed to follow prompt, explicit, and curative instructions. LeVasseur v. Commonwealth, 225 Va. 564, 589, 304 S.E.2d 644, 657 (1983), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 1063, 104 S.Ct. 744, 79 L.Ed.2d 202 (1984). When the evidence is so prejudicial that it probably remained on the minds of the jury and influenced their verdict, however, the judgment will be reversed on appeal. Asbury v. Commonwealth, 211 Va. 101, 104, 175 S.E.2d 239, 241-42 (1970) (citations omitted). In this case, the trial court evaluated the effect of the testimony and, considering the impact of the testimony under all the circumstances, decided that a curative instruction to ignore the testimony was the appropriate corrective measure. Although Beavers asserts that Lam's testimony contained the only direct evidence of his intent to kill Mrs. Lowery, evidence supporting premeditation had already been introduced. [3] Under the circumstances of this case, we cannot say that the trial court erroneously determined that Deputy Lam's testimony was not, as a matter of fact, so prejudicial that a mistrial was warranted. Consequently, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in issuing a prompt curative instruction instead of granting Beavers's motion for a mistrial.