Opinion ID: 1684864
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Other Bad Acts and Crimes

Text: Anderson next argues that the evidence of the burglary of Jeannie Magee's home and the Solvey shooting was admitted solely to show that he is a bad person and to inflame the jury against him. He asserts that this evidence was unduly prejudicial and was not relevant to prove intent. Further, he asserts that even if evidence of the Solvey shooting was relevant to the Creech murder, evidence of the Magee burglary was clearly not relevant. Anderson also asserts that it was error to allow testimony about guns and ammunition discovered at Anderson's home, but which were not tied to Ms. Creech's murder or the Solvey shooting. The general rule is that evidence of other crimes by the accused, not charged in the indictment or information and not a part of the same transaction, is not admissible at the trial of the accused. See Smith v. State, 351 Ark. 468, 95 S.W.3d 801 (2003). However, Arkansas Rule of Evidence 404(b) provides that evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts may be admissible to prove motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. See McCoy v. State, 354 Ark. 322, 123 S.W.3d 901 (2003). See also Ark. R. Evid. 404(b). The admission or rejection of evidence under Rule 404(b) is committed to the sound discretion of the trial court, and this court will not reverse absent a showing of manifest abuse of that discretion. See Gaines v. State, 340 Ark. 99, 8 S.W.3d 547 (2000). In Smith v. State, supra , this court commented on the issue of independent relevance and precisely when evidence of other crimes may meet that criterion: This court has further made it clear that if the introduction of testimony of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is independently relevant to the main issue  relevant in the sense of tending to prove some material point rather than merely to prove that the defendant is a criminal  then evidence of that conduct may be admissible with a proper cautionary instruction by the court. Clem v. State, 351 Ark. 112, 90 S.W.3d 428 (2002). Thus, if the evidence of another crime, wrong, or act is relevant to show that the offense of which the appellant is accused actually occurred and is not introduced merely to prove bad character, it will not be excluded. Id. Stated another way, the test for establishing motive, intent, or plan as a Rule 404(b) exception is whether the evidence of the other act has independent relevance. Burmingham v. State, 342 Ark. 95, 27 S.W.3d 351 (2000); Haire v. State, 340 Ark. 11, 8 S.W.3d 468 (2000). See also Burley v. State, 348 Ark. 422, 73 S.W.3d 600 (2002) (prior bad acts independently relevant to prove motive in not contacting police); Williams v. State, 343 Ark. 591, 36 S.W.3d 324 (2001) (prior crime independently relevant as proof of intent to commit charged offenses); Eliott v. State, 342 Ark. 237, 27 S.W.3d 432 (2000) (escape conviction was not used to show appellant's character, but was independently relevant to show his consciousness of guilt of the rape offenses). 351 Ark. at 473, 95 S.W.3d at 804 (footnote omitted). In the case before us, Anderson's 2:26 a.m. statement, which was his second statement, reveals that he admitted to committing both the Magee burglary and the Solvey shooting. He told the investigators that about three days prior to shooting Ms. Creech: ... I was planning to shoot someone, but I didn't, I didn't really know, you know, I didn't pinpoint anyone. It was just shoot, shoot someone. So I went out walking one night and it started raining real hard, and I walked upon by In and Out parking lot by the firecracker stand. And [a] diesel was parked pretty close to the firecracker stand. And you know, I thought, you know, this could be my, this could be my chance. So, I walked up on this diesel and stepped up on the ramp and opened the door and got in and when I seen [Solvey], I just shot repeatedly. Regarding the Magee burglary, Anderson said in his statement: A couple of weeks before the truck stop accident I figured I'd break in a house. And I pretty much knew what I was looking for. Guns. And I knew this person had a gun. Cause I used to be friends with him. We conclude that the State was entitled to present evidence of where Anderson obtained the gun used in the Creech murder. In addition, it was just prior to the Solvey shooting that Anderson formed the intent to take a life, as his own statement demonstrates. Moreover, in his 1:48 a.m. statement, the first statement, Anderson told police officers that life just seemed unimportant and that there was no reason in particular that he chose to kill Ms. Creech. The charge against him was premeditated and deliberate capital murder. As the circuit court found, although the evidence of Anderson's other crimes was prejudicial, it was not unfairly prejudicial, as it was more probative of a plan and intent to steal guns for use in killing someone. Jeannie Magee's father, William Magee, testified that the two guns introduced into evidence, Exhibits 46 and 53, were guns he had given his daughter. [5] While Exhibit 46 was not tied to either shooting, it was evidence of the Magee burglary, which again was probative of a plan and intent to steal guns. We conclude that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in denying Anderson's motion either to redact the statements or in denying Anderson's motion in limine.