Opinion ID: 2174566
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admission of Prior Crimes

Text: James Svara, an accomplice, testified concerning the participation of himself, defendant, and two others in the armed robbery in Evansville. In addition Svara was permitted to testify, over defense counsel's numerous objections, about other criminal activity which the group had conducted. The first of these crimes was the stealing of a white 1974 T-Bird. Next Svara described the planning of an armed robbery by himself and the defendant in Michigan City. Svara was to gain entrance into the home under the guise of a salesman and then bind the victims so that he and the defendant could rob them. To accomplish this, Svara was given an attache case, duct tape similar to that used in the Evansville robbery, handcuffs, and a.22 automatic pistol with a silencer attached. Svara identified the pistol which ballistics proved to be the weapon fired into the chair during the robbery in this case. However, the Michigan City robbery was thwarted when no one was found at the home. First, we note the general rule that evidence showing the commission of other crimes is inadmissible to prove the guilt of the accused. Maldonado v. State, (1976) Ind., 355 N.E.2d 843. Earlier, this Court was called upon to determine the admissibility of the testimony concerning the white T-Bird in the trial of co-defendant, Abel Maldonado. Svara and Maldonado stole the car in Chicago. The car was subsequently used in the robbery at Evansville. In ruling on the admissibility of the testimony concerning the stolen car, we stated: It is always proper to show the instruments used in a crime were owned or possessed by the defendant. Corroborative evidence of how and where he obtained such instruments is certainly proper. Maldonado v. State , at 847. We also ruled that the reference to the attempted Michigan City robbery was admissible. As an exception to the general rule, prior crimes that are nearly identical in method are admissible. This exception requires much more than mere repetition of similar crimes; The device used must be so unusual and distinctive as to be like a signature. Riddle v. State, (1976) Ind., 348 N.E.2d 635; McCormick on Evidence, § 190 at 449 (2d ed. 1972). In this instance several aspects of the two crimes were both identical and distinctive. Some of these similarities include the method of gaining entry, the way the victims were to be bound and weapons used in the commission of both crimes. As we held in Maldonado, these features were sufficiently distinctive to be of probative value and, therefore, properly admitted. Defendant also argues that the testimony of an FBI agent was inadmissible and should have resulted in declaration of a mistrial. The agent testified that he arrested the defendant for unlawful interstate flight to avoid prosecution for armed robbery. Defense counsel immediately objected and sought a mistrial. Following one more question and heated exchanges between counsel the trial court struck agent Kaspar's testimony and instructed the jury in the following manner: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, the Court is striking from the record in its entirety the testimony of F.B.I. Agent Marcus Kaspar and I am instructing the Jury and admonishing the Jury at this time to disregard that testimony in its entirety. And I am further informing the Jury at this time that the Warrant upon which the defendant was arrested was issued pursuant to and for the matters here under consideration and that there were no other crimes involved. I am further admonishing the State of Indiana at this time that there will be no other evidentiary matter regarding the arrest of the defendant, Biggerstaff. It is defendant's position that White v. State, supra , requires reversal in this instance. The facts in White were that a police officer was called to the stand for the purpose of identifying the accused. The officer stated that he had previously seen the defendant when he was brought into the police station in connection with an armed robbery. That robbery was not the crime with which the trial dealt. This Court listed several factors to be considered when determining the adequacy of striking improper testimony and admonishing the jury as opposed to the necessity of declaring a mistrial. After consideration of those factors, we determine whether the defendant has been placed in a position of grave peril to which he should not have been exposed. As was acknowledged in White, the facts of each case by necessity are determinative of the outcome. As stated earlier, the general rule is that the granting of a mistrial lies largely within the discretion of the trial judge and such matters will not be reversed on review absent an abuse of discretion. Pulliam v. State, supra ; Martin v. State, supra ; Duke v. State, (1968) 249 Ind. 466, 233 N.E.2d 159. After close examination of the facts in this case, we do not believe the trial judge erred in denying the motion for mistrial. The issuance of the warrant and subsequent arrest by the FBI agent stemmed from the armed robbery in Evansville. It was obvious that the defendant had been arrested and the fact that the arrest was effectuated by the FBI would have little prejudicial impact. Coupled with the slight prejudice is the instruction by the trial court to the jury that they were to disregard the agent's testimony and the fact that the arrest arose from the crime with which defendant is charged. For these reasons we believe the trial court properly acted within its discretion.