Opinion ID: 1858107
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: Prior Criminal Convictions/Assignment of Error 5

Text: By this assignment of error, defendant asserts the trial court erred when it allowed the jury to learn of defendant's prior criminal convictions, without issuing a curative instruction, during the State's cross-examination of a defense expert in the penalty phase even though the defense had not introduced evidence of defendant's lack of good character or his criminal history. However, whether or not defendant has placed his character, or lack thereof, at issue in the penalty phase is irrelevant because a defendant's character is at issue in a Louisiana capital sentencing hearing. State v. Comeaux, 93-2729, p. 5 (La.7/1/97), 699 So.2d 16, 20 (emphasis in original)(quoting Sawyer, 422 So.2d at 104). In the penalty phase in its case-in-chief, the State introduced evidence only of defendant's 1988 guilty plea convictions for purse-snatching and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. Both of these incidents involved victims whom the State characterized as vulnerable because of their age or limited mental capacity. There had previously been proper notice and a hearing to determine admissibility for these crimes. The State introduced evidence of these crimes through court documents, victim testimony, and a probation officer's testimony. During the defense's case-in-chief in the penalty phase, the defense called Dr. Gouvier who testified defendant was of limited intelligence, severely depressed and genuinely remorseful. During cross-examination of Dr. Gouvier by the State, the following exchange took place: Q: Now, I want to talk about a person, you talked about him having problems about breaking the code; I want to talk about a person being street smart. Are you aware that the crimes for which he has been convicted, two prior felonies, this double murder, all involved elderly, what I would call, vulnerable victims? Are you aware of this? A. I did not know that the car thefts involved elderly victims. Q: I'm talking about a purse snatching, a form of robbery, involving a seventyyear-old female that was dragged to the ground. You were not aware of this? A. Ino the age of the victims, no. (Emphasis added). The two prior felonies mentioned by the prosecutor was clearly a reference to the 1988 guilty plea convictions for purse-snatching and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling which had been previously properly admitted in the State's penalty phase case-inchief. The doctor responded, however: I did not know that the car thefts involved elderly victims, no. The State is not chargeable for a defense witness' unresponsive, blurted reply which alerts jurors to the fact defendant has other convictions. See, e.g., State v. Overton, 337 So.2d 1058, 1063 (La.1976). The defense did not object. More likely than not, had the court even issued a curative instruction, this would have drawn even more attention to the expert's statement regarding the other crimes. The record fails to show this brief reference by defendant's expert to other crimes not introduced at the penalty phase caused defendant any prejudice.