Opinion ID: 1300993
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: admission of evidence on firearms

Text: Last, Appellants allege the trial court erred in admitting testimony regarding their possession of firearms. Appellants contend the prejudicial effect of such testimony outweighed any probative value in that it raised the implication that they were bad persons and improperly placed their characters in issue. In overruling Appellants' objection, the trial court noted that illegal weapons generally are connected to illicit drug operations, and evidence that weapons were in the possession of Appellants could have probative value to show motive and intent. As we held in State v. Kimbrell, 294 S.C. 51, 362 S.E.2d 630 (1987), evidence of weapons may be relevant to show intent in a drug prosecution. Thus, the evidence was properly admitted. For the foregoing reasons, we affirm Appellants' convictions for conspiring to traffic in Counts One and Two. Appellants' convictions and sentences on Count Six of the indictment for trafficking in cocaine are vacated for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. AFFIRMED IN PART AND VACATED IN PART. HARWELL, C.J., and CHANDLER and MOORE, JJ., concur. FINNEY, J., dissents in separate opinion.