Opinion ID: 528434
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Victim Impact Evidence (Claim 7)

Text: 107 During the sentencing phase of the trial, the prosecutor engaged the victim's husband in the following colloquy: 108 A: If I was home, my wife would open a door, although she would prefer I do so. Throughout our marriage she often was upset if I opened the door to strangers, mentioning the danger there might be. I did not feel that danger, but my wife did. 109 Q: All right, sir. Now, was she particularly concerned with black strangers? 110 Defense: Your Honor, I'm going to object to leading the witness and suggesting the answer. 111 Court: Sustained. Reframe your question. 112 Q: Did she have any particular concerns about who the strangers were that would come to the door? 113 A: All strangers upset my wife if they were young and male. 114 Bertolotti argues that this colloquy introduced impermissible victim-impact evidence into the trial. See South Carolina v. Gathers, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 2207, 104 L.Ed.2d 876 (1989); Booth v. Maryland, 482 U.S. 496, 107 S.Ct. 2529, 96 L.Ed.2d 440 (1987). This evidence was not introduced for the purpose of establishing the personal worth of the victim, decrying the emotional impact of the murder upon the Ward family, or describing the family's perception of the crime. Cf. Gathers, 109 S.Ct. at 2210; Booth, 482 U.S. at 498, 107 S.Ct. at 2531. Rather, the prosecutor introduced the evidence to rebut Bertolotti's defense to burglary--that he had been invited into the Ward home. This evidence relate[d] directly to the circumstances of the crime, and was relevant to rebut an argument offered by the defendant. Booth, 482 U.S. at 507 n. 10, 107 S.Ct. at 2535 n. 10; cf. Gathers, 109 S.Ct. at 2211 (text of papers carried by victim not relevant to circumstances of the crime because there was no likelihood that petitioner had read the text or murdered the victim because of the text). Moreover, and as the district court concluded, this colloquy is of a markedly different scope and tone from the evidence condemned by the Booth Court. As the evidence was relevant to prove a fact in issue, cf. Fed.R. Evid. 401 & 402, and not overly prejudicial or inflammatory, cf. Fed.R.Evid. 403, we cannot say that this information was constitutionally impermissible or totally irrelevant to the sentencing process. Cf. Booth, 482 U.S. at 502, 107 S.Ct. at 2533 (quoting Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862, 885, 103 S.Ct. 2733, 2747, 77 L.Ed.2d 235 (1983)).