Opinion ID: 2109272
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: KKK Photograph

Text: [¶ 8] Kalex contends that the court abused its discretion when it admitted a photograph of him in a KKK outfit because the photograph's prejudicial nature substantially outweighed its probative value. He contends that the jurors did not need a photograph to know what a KKK uniform looks like, and that the image was inflammatory. He contends the admission of the photograph was not harmless error. [¶ 9] The State contends that the photograph was probative of whether Kalex placed Holland in reasonable fear that the crime w[ould] be committed. 17-A M.R.S.A. § 210(1)(A). The State also contends that, if the court erred in admitting the photograph, the error was harmless because the record contains other evidence of Kalex's racism. [¶ 10] We review a court's determination of the admissibility of a photograph pursuant to Rule 403 for an abuse of discretion. State v. Francis, 539 A.2d 213, 215 (Me.1988). [¶ 11] Rule 403 of the Maine Rules of Evidence provides that, [a]lthough relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence. A photograph is admissible if it truly and accurately depicts what it purports to represent, is relevant to some issue involved in the litigation, and its probative value is not outweighed by any tendency it may have toward unfair prejudice. State v. Plante, 623 A.2d 166, 167 (Me.1993). [¶ 12] We stated that an array of mug shots including a photograph of the defendant was inadmissible pursuant to Rule 403 because it had an undue tendency to move the jury to convict [the defendant] on the improper basis of his criminal record. State v. Almurshidy, 1999 ME 97, ¶ 17, 732 A.2d 280, 285; see also State v. Robbins, 666 A.2d 85, 87-88 (Me.1995) (holding that the court erred in admitting a photographic array because there were no identification issues relating to the array and the mug shot of the defendant unfairly besmirched his character). We also held that a court erred in admitting a gruesome photograph of a victim when the essential evidentiary value in the photograph [was] tenuous in the extreme because it did not advance any material facts beyond the trial testimony and there was no dispute concerning identification. State v. Conner, 434 A.2d 509, 512-13 (Me.1981). By contrast, when a photograph of a victim had slight evidentiary value, but was not gruesome, we held that it was within the court's discretion to admit the photograph early in the trial before it was clear the defendant would not dispute the cause of death. State v. Joy, 452 A.2d 408, 412-13 (Me.1982). [¶ 13] We conclude that in the circumstances of this case the admission of the photograph was not so unfairly prejudicial that it was beyond the scope of the court's discretion to admit it for its probative value in determining whether Kalex's behavior in 1999 contributed to a reasonable fear on Holland's part that Kalex would act on his July 25, 2000, threat. The photograph was not gruesome and did not suggest any convictions or other acts unsupported by testimony.