Opinion ID: 155680
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: p rior b ad a cts

Text: In his fourth claim, Mr. Duvall contends that his Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated because the trial court permitted the State to introduce evidence of a number of his prior “bad acts.” In particular, Mr. Duvall argues that the testimony of Connie McKinney and Donald Bobbett violated his due process rights. “[S]tate court rulings on the admissibility of evidence may not be questioned in federal habeas proceedings unless they render the trial so fundamentally unfair as to constitute a denial of federal constitutional rights.” Tucker v. Makowski, 883 F.2d 877, 881 (10th Cir. 1989) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). “[W]e will not disturb a state court’s admission of evidence of prior crimes, wrongs or acts unless the probative value of such evidence is so greatly outweighed by the prejudice flowing from its admission that the admission denies defendant due process of law.” Hopkinson v. Shillinger, 866 F.2d 1185, 1197 (10th Cir. 1989). At trial, the prosecution introduced evidence of Mr. Duvall’s prior acts of violence towards Karla in order to rebut Mr. Duvall’s anticipated defense of provocation. Ms. McKinney, the victim’s neighbor, testified about an incident that occurred one to two weeks before the murder. Ms. McKinney stated that Karla ran over to her apartment and asked Ms. McKinney’s son to lock the door. - 36 - Karla then hid under Ms. McKinney’s kitchen table. Karla was so frightened that her trembling caused the table to shake. Ms. McKinney offered to call the police. Karla stated that her husband would kill her if he was arrested. When Mr. Duvall arrived, Ms. McKinney refused to open the door. Mr. Duvall then threatened to “get” Ms. McKinney as well as his wife. Tr. at 678. When Ms. McKinney informed Mr. Duvall that she had called her brother, Mr. Duvall threatened to “get” him in addition to the women. Id. Mr. Bobbett, the victim’s brother, testified about an incident that occurred about three weeks before Karla Duvall’s death. Mr. Bobbett stated that he received a phone call from Karla after she had fought with Mr. Duvall. Karla asked Mr. Bobbett to come and pick her up. When Mr. Bobbett arrived at Karla’s, she told him that Mr. Duvall would kill her if she left him. In admitting the testimony of Ms. McKinney and Mr. Bobbett, the trial court advised the jury that the statements were not introduced for the truth of the matter asserted. The court emphasized that the testimony related only to the issue of provocation. 6 Because Mr. Duvall failed to introduce sufficient evidence of 6 In admitting the testimony of Ms. McKinney, the court advised the jury: Ladies and gentlemen, let me interrupt at this point to speak concerning the statement that you have heard that was made. That statement is introduced, not for the truth of the matter related in the statement, but only as that statement relates to the state of mind of the deceased, Karla Duvall, in relation to the defendant, John Duvall. Not for the truth of the statement, (continued...) - 37 - provocation, however, the trial judge instructed the jury to disregard the testimony. Instruction No. 10 provided: During the trial, you heard the testimony of Connie McKinney and Don Bobb[e]tt as to certain statements made by the decedent, Karla Duvall, as to threats related to her by the defendant. You were instructed during the trial that you could consider the statements only as they might relate to the Decedent’s state of mind. At this point, you are instructed to disregard all statements of the decedent, as they are not relevant to any of the issues you will be called upon to decide. R. at 151. Mistakenly admitted evidence of prior crimes or convictions can, in some instances, “imping[e] upon the fundamental fairness of the trial itself.” United States v. Parker, 604 F.2d 1327, 1329 (10th Cir. 1979), overruled on other 6 (...continued) but only as it may shed light as to the state of mind of the decedent. Tr. at 674-75. Similarly, in admitting the testimony of Mr. Bobbett, the court explained to the parties out of the presence of the jury: The only reason I’m letting them in, statements made by defense counsel that he believes by the time the evidence is over, that the Court would instruct this jury on manslaughter. Now, manslaughter requires adequate provocation, and I’m using by analogy, or reasoning by analogy that that’s very close to self-defense type of matter, or although that’s not being pled. In other words, the Defendant indicated some action by the decedent in this matter that would cause, or adequate provocation, sufficient to cause heat of passion. Now, if that doesn’t occur, I don’t know where we stand in this matter. Otherwise, these type of statements are irrelevant. Tr. at 703-04. - 38 - grounds by United States v. Pennon, 816 F.2d 527, 528 (10th Cir. 1987). This court, however, as well as other circuits, has found that the improper admission of evidence of prior acts does not rise to the level of constitutional error if the trial judge later instructs the jury to disregard the evidence. See Scrivner v. Tansy, 68 F.3d 1234, 1239-40 (10th Cir. 1995); Warden v. Wyrick, 770 F.2d 112, 116 (8th Cir. 1985); McAffee v. Procunier, 761 F.2d 1124, 1127 (5th Cir. 1985) (“This Court has held that such instructions to disregard often cure error.”); cf. United States v. Parker, 604 F.2d 1327, 1329 (10th Cir. 1979) (finding guilty verdict fundamentally unfair where the court improperly admitted evidence of prior conviction with no corrective instruction). The trial judge in this case instructed the jury to “disregard all statements of the decedent” about which Ms. McKinney and Mr. Bobbett had testified. R. at 151. Because the court gave this instruction, and because there is no reason to believe that the jury did not adhere to it, we conclude that there was no error at the trial. Even if we were to find that the admission of the prior acts testimony was constitutionally erroneous, we would conclude that the error was harmless. Federal courts grant habeas relief for errors of the “trial type” only when the error had a substantial and injurious effect in determining the jury’s verdict. Tuttle v. Utah, 57 F.3d 879, 883 (1995) (quoting Brecht v. Abrahamson, 507 U.S. 619, 623 (1993)). The evidence in this case, including the confession of Mr. Duvall, amply - 39 - supports the guilty verdict and sentence, regardless of the testimony of Ms. McKinney and Mr. Bobbett. Thus, we have no doubt that any error that might have occurred here was harmless. Cf. O’Neal v. McAninch, 513 U.S. 435, 436-42 (1995) (requiring relief to be granted if harmlessness of the error is in “grave doubt”). For the above reasons, Mr. Duvall is not entitled to habeas relief on this ground.