Opinion ID: 1444179
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Admission of uncharged prior bad acts

Text: Appellant argues that it was fundamentally unfair for the district court to allow the prosecutor to introduce prior bad acts involving an incident where appellant threatened another inmate with shears, and to admit into evidence crimes listed in a letter appellant wrote to Detective Samolovich. We do not address appellant's contention because, even though appellant objected at an August 3, 1996 hearing, those two prior bad acts were not directly at issue in that proceeding and appellant's objection was too general to preserve those issues for appeal. Appellant also argues that it was unfair for the jury to hear evidence of prior bad acts involving Peggy Bond, Tangie Flood, and Harry Heverly. In 1976, appellant beat up Ed Skinner, an acquaintance of Bond's, forced Bond to steal a stereo, kidnapped her twice, and raped her. In 1978, appellant attempted to murder Heverly after appellant and Michael Perry forcibly entered Heverly's house outside Reno. Flood was living at Heverly's house. Appellant pointed a shotgun at Flood's stomach and shot Heverly in the back of the head. The men then drove away with Flood. Appellant threatened to kill Flood, then forced her out of the car, had her sit on her knees facing away from him, put a gun to her head and told her that if she told the police the truth about what happened he would kill her. Appellant argues that these incidents were so old that he could not effectively rebut them. The decision to admit particular evidence during the penalty phase is within the sound discretion of the district court and will not be disturbed absent an abuse of that discretion. Wesley v. State, 112 Nev. 503, 519, 916 P.2d 793, 804 (1996), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 117 S.Ct. 1268, 137 L.Ed.2d 346 (1997). Evidence of the defendant's character and specific instances of conduct is admissible in the penalty phase of a capital case, but the evidence must be relevant and the danger of unfair prejudice must not substantially outweigh its probative value. Pellegrini v. State, 104 Nev. 625, 630-31, 764 P.2d 484, 488 (1988); see NRS 48.035(1), 175.552(3). In addition, a defendant's character and record are relevant to the jury's determination of the appropriate sentence for a capital crime. Pellegrini, 104 Nev. at 630, 764 P.2d at 488 (citing Jones v. State, 101 Nev. 573, 707 P.2d 1128 (1985)). The district court held hearings outside the presence of the jury as to the Bond and Flood/Heverly incidents and concluded that there was clear and convincing evidence that both incidents occurred. We conclude that the Bond and Flood/Heverly incidents were relevant to show appellant's propensity to commit acts of violence. See Domingues v. State, 112 Nev. 683, 697, 917 P.2d 1364, 1374 (holding that incidents of squeezing girlfriend's breasts with so much force that fingers touched and throwing basketball with full force into girlfriend's face were properly admitted at penalty hearing to show defendant's propensity to commit violent acts), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 117 S.Ct. 396, 136 L.Ed.2d 311 (1996). Further, we conclude that any unfair prejudicial effect of these prior bad acts did not substantially outweigh their probative value. Accordingly, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting evidence of these prior bad acts.