Opinion ID: 1890458
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: 1. Evidence of the Complainant's Reputation for Violence in the Community

Text: In support of appellant's claim of self-defense, counsel sought to introduce evidence showing that the appellant had knowledge of prior aggressive acts by the complainant and of the complainant's reputation for violence in the community. The trial court admitted testimony from the appellant, as well as from three other defense witnesses, regarding at least ten specific prior acts, known to the appellant, in which the complainant had either assaulted the appellant or another person. [2] The trial court did not permit, however, evidence of the complainant's reputation in the community for violence. As the trial court correctly observed, [t]here is no dispute that to support a self-defense claim, the accused may show prior acts of violence committed by the victim about which the accused knew, because [s]uch evidence is relevant to the reasonableness of the accused's fear of the victim. Harris v. United States, 618 A.2d 140, 143 (D.C.1992) (citing Matter of M.W.G., 427 A.2d 440, 443 (D.C.1981); United States v. Akers, 374 A.2d 874, 877 (D.C.1977)). Evidence of the defendant's knowledge of the victim's reputation for violence is similarly admissible, because it tends to support the contention that the accused acted from an honest and reasonable apprehension of imminent bodily harm because of the information imparted to him about the complainant. King v. United States, 177 A.2d 912, 913 (D.C.1962); see also Cooper v. Untited States, 353 A.2d 696, 700 n. 8 (D.C.1975) (evidence of either victim's reputation for violence or victim's specific prior acts of violence, if known by the defendant at the time in question, may be admitted to show the reasonableness of defendant's fear of the victim). Except in homicide cases (where the person alleged to have been the aggressor is unavailable for questioning), however, neither evidence of the victim's prior violent acts nor evidence of reputation for violence can be admitted for the purpose of proving that the victim was the first aggressor. See King, 177 A.2d at 913. [3] Our review of the record suggests there was confusion about the application and interplay of the specific act/reputation rules and the state-of-mind/first-aggressor rules. This confusion is evident in the bench conference concerning defense counsel's attempt to ask witness Larry Cato about the complainant's reputation for violence. [4] The trial court correctly ruled to exclude evidence of the victim's reputation for violence to prove she was the first aggressor, since this was not a homicide case. That ruling extended to evidence of prior specific acts of violence. See Harris, 618 A.2d at 144. The court was also correct in admitting evidence of the complainant's past acts of violence only to show the reasonableness of the appellant's fear of the complainant, but erred in refusing to admit reputation evidence for that purpose. The error was harmless, however, given the abundance of specific acts of violence by the complainant introduced into evidence by several defense witnesses, including testimony by the appellant that the complainant had attacked her on previous occasions. [5] Thus, there was no abuse of discretion. See Mercer v. United States, 724 A.2d 1176, 1182 (D.C.1999) (evidentiary rulings reviewed for abuse of discretion); ( James) Johnson v. United States, 398 A.2d 354, 366-67 (D.C.1979) (prejudice is an integral factor in review for abuse of discretion).