Opinion ID: 2441278
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Voodoo Man Testimony

Text: Simmons claims that the trial court erred during the guilt phase in allowing two witnesses to testify regarding Simmons's plans and preparations to steal from and murder a neighborhood resident known as the voodoo man. This testimony, according to Simmons, constituted evidence of prior bad acts, was not offered for any of the recognized exceptions to the evidentiary rule that excludes evidence of other crimes, and was both irrelevant and highly prejudicial.
The first mention of the voodoo man at trial came from Christie Brooks, who testified that Simmons came by her house about five hours prior to the break-in at Shirley Crook's residence and told her that he and two others were going to rob the voodoo man. Defense counsel did not object to Christie Brooks's testimony and, on appeal, Simmons requests plain error review. In State v. Brown, 902 S.W.2d 278, 284 (Mo. banc 1995), we said: [U]nless a claim of plain error facially establishes substantial grounds for believing that manifest injustice or miscarriage of justice has resulted, this Court will decline to exercise its discretion to review for plain error under Rule 30.20. We will, however, consider related claims of ineffective assistance of counsel for failure to preserve the alleged trial error under the test of Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). Simmons's point does not raise a substantial ground for finding plain error on its face.
Additional and more detailed testimony regarding the plot to rob the voodoo man arose later in the trial when John Tessmer testified. Defense counsel had filed a motion in limine regarding Tessmer's testimony about the voodoo man, which the trial court overruled. Defense counsel offered a continuing objection to the testimony at trial, which was also overruled. Tessmer testified that Simmons talked about a plan to murder someone because he wanted a bunch of money. Simmons told Tessmer he would throw the victim off a bridge and had the voodoo man in mind. Simmons discussed the plan with Tessmer three to five times during the early part of September. The voodoo man was always the intended victim whenever Simmons discussed his plan with Tessmer. Simmons also discussed the plan with Tessmer and Charlie Benjamin while at Brian Moomey's house, saying that he wanted to kill someone and get a bunch of money by tying them up and throwing them off a bridge or by tying the victim to a tree and getting the victim's bank card. Tessmer also testified that he observed Simmons making masks out of sweatshirts so the voodoo man would not see their faces. About four days prior to Shirley Crook's murder, Simmons allegedly asked Charlie Benjamin to help them kill somebody, according to Tessmer. Tessmer said that about three days before the murder, he saw ropes and gloves at Simmons's house. On September 8, Simmons told Tessmer that he wanted to meet him and Charlie Benjamin at Brian Moomey's house at 2:00 a.m. the following morning for the purpose of committing the murder. Tessmer met Simmons at Brian Moomey's house but did not go with him to Shirley Crook's house. Tessmer did not believe that Simmons was actually intending to rob and murder someone that night. Tessmer also testified that Simmons did not have any weapons, masks, or other equipment with him that night. The trial court has broad discretion to exclude or admit evidence at trial. This Court will reverse only upon a showing of a clear abuse of discretion. State v. Parkhurst, 845 S.W.2d 31 (Mo. banc 1992). A trial court's admission of irrelevant and immaterial evidence, even of other crimes, will not be reversed on appeal absent a showing of prejudice. State v. Ellis, 853 S.W.2d 440, 445 (Mo.App.1993). Tessmer's testimony is not other crimes testimony. It speaks directly to Simmons's motive and the deliberateness of his general plan to steal and murder. On that basis it is admissible. Nevertheless, and assuming for the sake of argument only that Tessmer's testimony should have been excluded, we do not find that its inclusion prejudiced Simmons in light of the other, overwhelming evidence of Simmons's guilt. This case is not at all like State v. Sladek, 835 S.W.2d 308 (Mo. banc 1992), on which Simmons relies. In Sladek , it was explicitly clear that the trier of fact (in that case, the court), relied on the uncharged transgressions to convict Sladek. When sentencing Sladek, the trial court said that the state had a very weak case, that absent the evidence of Sladek's uncharged transgressions the trial court would not have found Sladek guilty, and that if the evidence of the uncharged transgressions should not have come in, then Sladek's conviction should be reversed on appeal. Id. at 310-11. In sum, Simmons has made no showing of prejudice that flowed from the testimony of John Tessmer. We find no abuse of discretion on the part of the trial court in overruling the defense's motion in limine and continuing objections at trial regarding John Tessmer's testimony.