Opinion ID: 2264896
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: testimony concerning hospital admissions

Text: The defendant contends that the trial justice erred in admitting into evidence testimony concerning Amy's in-patient treatment at the Kent County Memorial Hospital psychiatric unit (following her attempted suicide) and her stay at Bradley Hospital for approximately nine months. The defendant argues that such evidence of hospitalization was irrelevant. Indeed, defendant had moved in limine to preclude the state from introducing such evidence. The trial justice at first granted the motion in limine but in response to an offer of proof by the state, decided to rule on the admissibility of this evidence as the questions were presented. She ultimately allowed Amy to testify that she went to these hospitals because of feeling suicidal as a result of defendant's sexual molestation. The trial justice considered such testimony to be relevant. The determination of relevance lies in the discretion of the trial justice, State v. Messa, 542 A.2d 1071, 1074-75 (R.I. 1988); State v. Champa, 494 A.2d 102, 106 (R.I. 1985). Rulings in respect to relevancy will not be disturbed on appeal in the absence of a showing of abuse of discretion. State v. Ashness, 461 A.2d 659, 674 (R.I. 1983). In the case at bar the credibility of the complaining witness was an issue of transcendent importance. According to her testimony the acts of sexual molestation committed by defendant took place over a period of nearly seven years. No complaint was made until after her suicide attempt that occurred almost nine years following the beginning of the alleged molestation. Consequently evidence concerning Amy's hospitalization was highly relevant as tending to corroborate her testimony concerning her reluctance to disclose the information and the effect that this nondisclosure had upon her psychological health. It was certainly no abuse of discretion to admit this corroborative evidence.