Opinion ID: 1293641
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Testimony Concerning S.B.'s Mother's Absence at Trial

Text: Sandy Van Fleet testified that her sister, the victim, would generally call home about two or three times a week, that the last time she called home was on December 10, 1982, and that their mother had tried to call S.B. several times over the next week but did not get a response. Van Fleet's testimony about what her mother said regarding the failed attempts was not permitted based upon hearsay grounds. The following relevant exchange then occurred: Q. [Prosecutor:] The best of your knowledge, did anyone in your family ever see her or speak with her after December 10, 1982? A. [Witness Van Fleet:] No. Q. And, is your mother still living? A. Yes. Q. Is she here at this trial? A. No. Q. Why? Why isn't she? [Defense:] I'm going to object to relevance, Your Honor. [Counsel:] Overruled. Q. [Prosecutor:] Why isn't she here? A. [Witness:] Due to physical and mental. She couldn't handle it. The defendant argues this line of questioning had nothing to do with the issues of whether the defendant had consensual sex with or killed the victim. Rather, he contends this testimony was introduced solely to inflame the passions of the jury and prejudiced his right to a fair trial. According to K.S.A. 60-407(f), all relevant evidence is admissible, except as otherwise provided. See K.S.A. 60-401(b); State v. Groschang, 272 Kan. 652, 667, 36 P.3d 231 (2001). The determination of relevancy is a matter of logic and experience, not a matter of law. Nevertheless, there must be some material or logical connection between collateral facts and the inference or result they are supposed to establish for them to be competent. State v. Pennington, 276 Kan. 841, 847, 80 P.3d 44 (2003). Once relevancy is established, [t]he admission and exclusion of evidence lies within the sound discretion of the trial court. Appellate courts review the trial court's admission of evidence for abuse of discretion. Judicial discretion is abused when judicial action is arbitrary, fanciful, or unreasonable, or in other words, when no reasonable person would have taken the position that was taken by the trial court. Hebert, 277 Kan. 61, Syl. ¶ 9. The defendant relies primarily upon State v. Donesay, 265 Kan. 60, 959 P.2d 862 (1998). In that case, the primary issue was whether the defendant killed a police officer with premeditation. At trial, the victim's widow was permitted to testify in detail about the victim's personality and accomplishments and his relationship with her, other family members, and friends. The testimony spanned 28 pages of the transcript. The prosecutor referred to this testimony at length during opening and closing arguments. We found the testimony was irrelevant, prejudicial, and inflammatory, was not relevant to any material fact charged, and was intended to improperly influence the jury and prejudice the defendant's right to a fair trial. 265 Kan. at 84-85. The Donesay court applied a dual test in determining whether the admission of such testimony was harmless: First, we must determine if the admission of the evidence was inconsistent with substantial justice, i.e., whether substantial rights of defendant were affected by the admission of [the widow's] testimony. Second, if not, can we declare beyond a reasonable doubt that the error had little, if any, likelihood of having changed the result of the trial? 265 Kan. at 88. The court concluded that the testimony affected the defendant's right to a fair and impartial trial and reversed the convictions. 265 Kan. at 88-89. Van Fleet's testimony in this case is clearly distinguishable from the extensive prejudicial testimony in Donesay. It consisted of one short statement explaining that S.B.'s mother was not at the trial because she could not physically and mentally handle being there. The prosecutor asked no follow-up questions, and Van Fleet did not elaborate on her statement. Evidence regarding the last time S.B.'s mother talked to the victim alive was relevant to establishing the time frame for the murder. Since S.B.'s sister rather than her mother was testifying, the question (and answer) was a logical follow-up as to why S.B.'s mother was not testifying about the telephone calls in light of the hearsay objection. The district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting this evidence. Moreover, even if we were to find that the testimony was erroneously admitted, it cannot be said that the defendant's substantial rights were affected or that the error had any likelihood of changing the result of the trial. The defendant suggests that Van Fleet's testimony was of such an inflammatory nature that it contributed to the convictions. See State v. Eaton, 244 Kan. 370, 385-86, 769 P.2d 1157 (1989), overruled in part on other grounds State v. Chisholm, 250 Kan. 153, Syl. ¶ 4, 825 P.2d 147 (1992). He reasons that because Van Fleet's testimony did not contradict his theory of events, i.e., that he had consensual sex with S.B. and S.B. was alive when he left town, it was likely that the jury was irreparably prejudiced against him by virtue of its verdicts. The defendant's argument is without merit. It is unlikely that the one sentence response during a 3-day trial affected the substantial rights of the defendant. The defendant admits that the statement did not refute his theory of defense, and the statement had no connection to any material facts of the case. The fact that the jury did not believe the defendant's version of events is more readily attributable to the DNA evidence recovered from S.B.'s body and his abrupt departure than to this solitary statement regarding the absence of S.B.'s mother. As the defendant's substantial rights were not violated and no reasonable likelihood exists that the outcome of the trial would have been different, we conclude that any error in the admission of the statement was harmless.