Opinion ID: 2087709
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Autopsy Evidence at Sentencing Hearing

Text: The defendant next charges that reversible error occurred at his sentencing hearing because the trial court failed to exclude testimony from the medical examiner regarding the autopsy on Officer Doyle. Our review of the record reveals, however, that the defendant did not object to any of this testimony by the medical examiner, Dr. Stein. The issue of the propriety of that testimony has thus been waived. ( Simms, 143 Ill.2d at 170, 157 Ill.Dec. 483, 572 N.E.2d 947.) In an apparent attempt to avoid waiver, the defendant refers to the fact that he made a motion, prior to the start of the aggravation-mitigation phase, to limit evidence concerning the Doyle murder. However, this vague motion did not address Dr. Stein's testimony and thus did not dispel the defendant's obligation to object to testimony he considered improper, and to thereby give the trial court an opportunity to rule on the propriety of the testimony. Even if this issue were not waived, we would find no error in the admission of the autopsy evidence. The standard for admissibility at a capital sentencing hearing is relevance and reliability. ( People v. Fair (1994), 159 Ill.2d 51, 89, 201 Ill.Dec. 23, 636 N.E.2d 455; People v. Young (1989), 128 Ill.2d 1, 53, 131 Ill.Dec. 78, 538 N.E.2d 453.) The evaluation of relevancy and reliability is left to the sound discretion of the trial court. ( Fair, 159 Ill.2d at 89, 201 Ill.Dec. 23, 636 N.E.2d 455; Young, 128 Ill.2d at 54, 131 Ill.Dec. 78, 538 N.E.2d 453.) Evidence of other crimes, even if they did not result in prosecution or conviction, is admissible if it is found to be sufficiently relevant and reliable. ( Young, 128 Ill.2d at 54, 131 Ill.Dec. 78, 538 N.E.2d 453; People v. Owens (1984), 102 Ill.2d 88, 110, 79 Ill.Dec. 663, 464 N.E.2d 261.) When a prior conviction has been proved, the prosecution may introduce evidence concerning the details of that offense, as long as that information is relevant and reliable. Owens, 102 Ill.2d at 112, 79 Ill.Dec. 663, 464 N.E.2d 261. Under these precedents, there was clearly no error in allowing the testimony regarding the autopsy on Officer Doyle. The defendant's conviction for the murder of Officer Doyle was proved at the eligibility phase of his sentencing hearing. Evidence regarding the details of that crime was therefore admissible, as long as it was relevant and reliable. ( Owens, 102 Ill.2d at 112, 79 Ill.Dec. 663, 464 N.E.2d 261.) The autopsy evidence satisfied both of those requirements. The injuries sustained by Officer Doyle were relevant to show the deliberate nature of the defendant's actions in killing him. Moreover, there is no contention by the defendant that the testimony of the medical examiner who performed the autopsy is not reliable evidence of the findings of that autopsy. This court has previously held that testimony regarding an autopsy of a crime victim and photographs of the autopsy are properly admitted at phase two of a death sentencing hearing ( People v. Rissley (1995), 165 Ill.2d 364, 404-05, 209 Ill.Dec. 205, 651 N.E.2d 133; and even at the guilt phase of a capital trial ( Peeples, 155 Ill.2d at 474, 186 Ill.Dec. 341, 616 N.E.2d 294; Henderson, 142 Ill.2d at 319-20, 154 Ill.Dec. 785, 568 N.E.2d 1234). The admission of Dr. Stein's testimony regarding the autopsy of Officer Doyle was not error.