Opinion ID: 1358977
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: evidence of the first robbery

Text: Next we consider whether evidence of defendant's commission of the first robbery was probative on the issue of defendant's ability to form the specific intent to commit first degree murder following the second robbery. At trial defendant advised the court he would present evidence on diminished capacity and lack of ability to deliberate. Defendant's position was that the first robbery was not relevant to deliberation. The State's position was that evidence of the first robbery did not establish deliberation but it did indicate a capacity to form a specific intent to perform a particular act during a time period close to the time of the killing. The court offered several times to give the cautionary instructions in NMSA 1978, UJI Crim. 40.28 (Repl.Pamp. 1982), regarding evidence of other wrongs and offenses. Defendant refused the instructions. The admission of evidence is within the trial court's discretion and will not be disturbed absent a clear abuse of discretion. State v. Stout, 96 N.M. 29, 627 P.2d 871 (1981). See State v. Valdez, 83 N.M. 632, 495 P.2d 1079 (Ct.App. 1972), aff'd, 83 N.M. 720, 497 P.2d 231 (1972), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 1077 (1972). Additionally, admission of evidence under NMSA 1978, Evid. Rule 404(b) (Repl.Pamp. 1983), is governed by the same abuse of discretion standard. State v. Allen, 91 N.M. 759, 581 P.2d 22 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 91 N.M. 751, 580 P.2d 972 (1978). Rule 404(b) provides that evidence is admissible for purposes such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity or absence of mistake or accident. The evidence of acts performed during the first robbery was used as a basis for forming the opinion of the expert psychistrist, Dr. Welch, a State's witness on the defendant's capacity to form intent. At trial Dr. Welch testified that the acts of defendant close to the time of the killing were indicative of his ability to form intent and to deliberate. Examples given by Dr. Welch of acts performed by defendant prior to the second robbery that required intent and deliberation were: the forming of the intent to rob the first Pic Quik store; carrying a gun; directing the clerk and a customer at the first store to go into the back room and count to five, then directing them to count to fifty, thus showing a recognition that more time was required to get away. In Dr. Welch's opinion, defendant showed he recognized the consequences of the act of robbing the first store when he warned Johnson not to tell anyone about the robbery. Evidence is admissible under Rule 404(b) if it is probative of a material element at issue. State v. Beachum, 96 N.M. 566, 632 P.2d 1204 (Ct.App. 1981). We are convinced that the acts of defendant within hours of the killing were so close in time as to be relevant and probative of the material issue of capacity to form intent. Furthermore, defendant agreed to allow certain portions of his taped statement to be read to the jury because he thought it was going to benefit him. The defendant's statement, which included references to the first robbery, was played for the jury over defendant's objection. Exculpatory portions were then read from a transcript to the jury at defendant's request. The exculpatory portions included the following: Officer: What made you decide to get hold of your friend, Ron Johnson, to come with you? McGhee: Well     because I knowed    that he would know that I did it to that other Pic Quik. We cannot allow defendant to selectively use and exclude evidence regarding the robbery of the other Pic Quik. Defendant also argues that the prejudicial effect of the evidence of the first robbery outweighed its probative value. On appeal we must consider the probative value in determining whether discretion was abused. State v. Schifani, 92 N.M. 127, 584 P.2d 174 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 92 N.M. 180, 585 P.2d 324 (1978). The trial court must weigh the probative value of the evidence as against its possible prejudicial effect when admitting evidence as to intent and motive under NMSA 1978, Evid.Rule 403 (Repl.Pamp. 1983). Id. In State v. Garcia, 99 N.M. 771, 776, 664 P.2d 969, 974, cert. denied, 462 U.S. 1112, 103 S.Ct. 2464, 77 L.Ed.2d 1341 (1983), we stated, The fact that competent evidence may tend to prejudice a defendant is not grounds in and of itself for exclusion of that evidence. The trial court must determine whether the probative value of the evidence is outweighed by its prejudicial effect. In doing this, the trial court must be sensitive of the potential prejudice that is always inherent in evidence of a defendant's prior wrong acts. The trial court has a duty to excise evidence of uncharged acts if it can be done without destroying the relevancy of the evidence which addresses the charges, defenses or issues. However, if the evidence is so interwined, the trial court may allow the evidence. [Citations omitted.] Furthermore, under Rule 404(b) the evidence of other wrongs is admissible to show defendant's intent or plan. State v. Schifani, 92 N.M. at 129, 584 P.2d at 176. The evidence the trial court admitted in Schifani was testimony of persons who had had dealings with the defendant similar to those of the victim's in the three counts being tried. The only defense raised by defendant was that of incapacity to form the intent to commit first degree murder. In light of this defense, the acts of the defendant which show the ability to form the intent to commit two identical crimes within four hours is evidence of a continuing performance of conduct by the defendant that is so intertwined with the ability to form the intent to commit first degree murder after the second robbery, that it is permissible evidence under State v. Garcia . The trial court properly exercised its discretion in determining that the probative value of evidence of the first robbery outweighed any prejudicial effect. State v. Garcia . The remaining issues raised by defendant were reviewed and found to be without merit. The conviction and sentence are affirmed. IT IS SO ORDERED. FEDERICI, C.J., and WALTERS, J., concur.