Opinion ID: 2328430
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Deferred Ruling on Codefendant's Flight

Text: The defendant also insists that the trial justice's failure to admit evidence that codefendants Villanueva and Tejada fled the jurisdiction was unduly prejudicial and compromised the very core of her primary defense. According to her, this is so because the jury was unable to decide for themselves whether the men's flight was an indication of their guilt, thereby allowing an inference of her innocence. The defendant mischaracterizes the actions of the trial justice with respect to his ruling on the admissibility of evidence regarding the flight of the codefendants. Prior to trial, the trial justice addressed a motion by the state seeking to bar this evidence on relevancy grounds. At the hearing on the motion, there was argument, based on the projected testimony, about whether such evidence might appropriately be presented at trial. The defendant fervently advocated that she was entitled to demonstrate that Villanueva and Tejada, not she, committed the offenses charged. The trial justice reserved ruling on the state's motion, stating: It really depends on the way the case unfolds, and in the context which it might be brought up. I'm going to withhold that ruling until I have more information as we go forward. At no time during the course of the trial did defendant seek to revisit the issue or to introduce evidence of the whereabouts of Tejada or Villanueva. What defendant characterizes as the trial justice's refusal to admit evidence is more accurately described as a mere deferral on ruling. The motion was never finally ruled upon because it was not subsequently brought to the court's attention. Therefore, this issue is not properly before us on appeal.