Opinion ID: 1671765
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether the trial court erred in admitting into evidence irrelevant and prejudicial testimony concerning medgar evers' civil rights activities.

Text: ¶ 186. On direct examination, Myrlie Evers was permitted to testify, over defense objection, about Medgar Evers' involvement as Mississippi's field secretary of the NAACP, his efforts to integrate the schools and his quest for equal rights for African American citizens. Beckwith argues this evidence was irrelevant and was introduced solely to prejudice the predominantly African American jury against him. He cites only Berry v. State, 455 So.2d 774, 776 (Miss. 1984), which stated the general rule that the character or reputation of the deceased is not admissible in a murder case. Beckwith contends that even if the evidence had the slightest modicum of relevancy, its prejudicial effect outweighed any shred of probative value. ¶ 187. Indeed, evidence of a person's character, and evidence of other crimes wrongs or acts to prove his character, are not generally admissible to show that he acted in conformity therewith on a particular occasion. Miss. R. Evid. 404. We find, however, that evidence of Medgar Evers' civil rights activities was admissible for the same purpose and to the same extent as was evidence of Beckwith's hostile views toward civil rights leaders and the black race, i.e., to show motive. It was the State's contention that Beckwith murdered Medgar Evers precisely because of Evers' civil rights activities for the advancement of the rights of African Americans. As previously discussed, the State is permitted to put on evidence of motive, and the evidence here complained of was relevant to the State's theory of Beckwith's motive for killing Medgar Evers. We also find that the probative value of the evidence was not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. We decline to rule, as Beckwith entreats, that the evidence was unfairly prejudicial simply because the jury was predominantly African American. Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting this evidence.