Opinion ID: 2085790
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Gang Membership and Drug Related Activities

Text: Williams contends that the admission of the Ghetto Boy creed and Ghetto Boy commandments was evidence of a prior wrong or bad act inadmissible under Indiana Evidence Rule 404(b). The commandments list sixteen rules for an organization referred to as the Getto Gangster Nation. They embrace the theme of loyalty to the group and its leaders, called Kings, and list as one commandment, that criticism of the group will not be tolerated. The Getto Creed, which is signed by the words Brotherhood of the Struggle, is something akin to a statement of purpose, which again states loyalty to the group and its Kings. Both documents were seized pursuant to a warrant authorizing a search of Ridley's house, where Marbley had a bedroom. The commandments were found in Marbley's room and the creed was found either there, or in Ridley's mother's bedroom. At trial, all defendants objected to this evidence on two grounds: failure to authenticate and relevancy. Accordingly, the 404(b) claim is waived because it was not preserved at trial. Marshall, 621 N.E.2d at 316. Alternatively, Williams contends that even if admissible under 404(b), the creed and commandments should have been excluded because their prejudicial impact far outweighed their relevance. The State argues that these documents were evidence of membership in the Ghetto Boys and that this was a relevant issue in the case. We agree. The State contended that members of the Ghetto Boys planned to kill Reed because he stole from the gang. Membership in or involvement with the gang was therefore highly probative of the motive for the shooting in the case. As a general rule, evidence of motive is relevant in the proof of a crime. Tompkins v. State, 669 N.E.2d 394, 397 (Ind.1996). Testimony by gang members had established that the reason for the shooting was drug related and that the defendants were gang members. The creed and commandments, to the extent they show membership in an organization, corroborate this testimony. In sum, the evidence gives rise to an inference of motive and the balance of its probative value against prejudicial effect was within the court's discretion. In addition, Williams contends that these two documents were not properly authenticated. Although the argument is not developed on appeal and was not addressed by the State, the authentication argument made at trial focused on the fact that no effort was made to prove ownership of the documents. The officer who found the documents testified only to where and when she discovered them and to what they appeared to be on their face. This is not necessarily sufficient to establish by a witness with personal knowledge, in the language of Indiana Evidence Rule 901(a), that the matter in question [was] what [the] proponent claim[ed]. However, any of the defendants was free to offer an alternative explanation for the documents different from what they on their face appear to be. In the absence of genuine dispute as to authenticity, their admittance is not reversible error. Finally, Williams contends that it was error under Rule 404(b) to admit portions of Cornelious' testimony. Cornelious testified that Williams was a member of the Ghetto Boys, which he described as a gang that sells drugs, specifically crack cocaine. However, Williams did not object to this testimony at trial and the issue is waived. Mullins, 646 N.E.2d at 44. [17]