Opinion ID: 1998034
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: admission of burglars' tools into evidence

Text: Next, we consider Williams's contention that the trial judge erred by admitting into evidence, over objection, several items taken from a bag that was in Williams's possession at the time of his arrest and from a briefcase seized from his residence. The items, some of which were characterized as burglars' tools by the State during closing arguments, included handcuffs, a pry bar, and a can of mace. Williams contends that these items lacked probative value because there was no evidence linking the tools to the murders or the other crimes with which he was charged. Further, he asserts that the admission of the pry bar, handcuffs, and mace was highly prejudicial because the items gave the jury a basis from which to infer that Williams had a propensity to commit crimes, and that he may have used the items to commit unrelated crimes. In order for evidence to be admissible in a criminal case, that evidence must be relevant. [2] State v. Joynes, 314 Md. 113, 119, 549 A.2d 380, 383 (1988); Dorsey v. State, 276 Md. 638, 643, 350 A.2d 665, 669 (1976). Evidence is relevant when it tends to establish or disprove a fact at issue in the case. Joynes, 314 Md. at 119, 549 A.2d at 383. As we explained in Joynes: There are two important components to relevant evidence: materiality and probative value. Materiality looks to the relation between the propositions for which the evidence is offered and the issues in the case. The second aspect of relevance is probative value, which is the tendency of evidence to establish the proposition that it is offered to prove.    Evidence which is thus not probative of the proposition at which it is directed is deemed `irrelevant.' The trial judge is usually in the best position to evaluate the probative value of the proffered evidence. Where evidence is utterly lacking in probative value, it may be condemned as `remote' or `speculative.' (Citations omitted). 314 Md. at 119-20, 549 A.2d at 383. A trial judge's determination on relevance will not be reversed absent an abuse of discretion. White v. State, 324 Md. 626, 637, 598 A.2d 187, 192 (1991). A finding by the trial judge that a particular piece of evidence is relevant, however, does not mean that evidence is automatically admissible. Even relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Hunt v. State, 321 Md. 387, 425, 583 A.2d 218, 236 (1990), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 835, 112 S.Ct. 117, 116 L.Ed.2d 86 (1991); 5 LYNN MCLAIN, MARYLAND EVIDENCE § 403.1, at 297 (1987). As with the trial court's relevancy determination, a decision to admit relevant evidence over an objection that the evidence is unfairly prejudicial will not be reversed absent an abuse of discretion. Hunt, 321 Md. at 425, 583 A.2d at 236. Applying these principles to the instant case, we conclude that the judge abused his discretion in admitting the crow bar and can of mace found in Williams's possession at the time of his arrest. The State contends that the crow bar and mace were offered to prove that Williams had the ability to burglarize the victims' home and subdue its occupants. According to the State, the crow bar and mace were relevant to connect Williams to the burglary of the Gilbert/Trias home because the items were found in his possession soon after the crime was committed, and the jury could infer that Williams was attempting to flee, with evidence of the crimes, after seeing news broadcasts indicating he was a suspect. We find these connections to the charged crimes to be highly remote and speculative. There is simply no evidence in the record establishing any connection between the crow bar and mace and the crimes with which Williams was charged. As we discussed, in section II, supra, there was insufficient evidence adduced at trial to support a finding that Williams broke into the house. There was no indication that the crow bar was used to gain entry into the house, and the State conceded in its brief and during oral argument that there were no signs of forced entry into the home. There is no indication that Williams even had the crow bar and/or mace in his possession at the time he allegedly committed the murders and other crimes. Contrary to the State's contention that the items were seized soon after the crimes, the crow bar and mace were not taken from Williams until the day of his arrest, approximately four days after the murder and robbery of Gilbert and Trias. Since there is no evidence establishing a connection between the crow bar and mace and the crimes, the probative value of the items was virtually nil. Furthermore, the danger of unfair prejudice in admitting the crow bar and mace substantially outweighed any minimal probative value. The admission of the items gave the jury a basis from which to conclude that Williams had a propensity to commit crimes, especially burglary. This danger was acute given the State's Attorney's reference to the items as burglars' tools during closing arguments. This Court has made clear that evidence tending to link a defendant to uncharged, unrelated criminal conduct is generally inadmissible. [3] See, e.g, Ross v. State, 276 Md. 664, 669, 350 A.2d 680, 684 (1976). The purpose of this rule is to prevent the jury from convicting a defendant on the basis that the defendant is a person of general criminal character, rather than a finding that the defendant committed the specific crimes charged. See id.; 5 MARYLAND EVIDENCE § 404.5, at 352. See also Ayers v. State, 335 Md. 602, 631 n. 8, 645 A.2d 22, 36 n. 8 (1994)(other crimes evidence is excluded because it is generally too prejudicial), cert. denied,  ____ U.S. ____, 115 S.Ct. 942, 130 L.Ed.2d 886 (1995). Since there was no evidence linking the crow bar or mace to the crimes with which Williams was charged, there is a strong probability that the jury may have inferred from the evidence that Williams was a person of general criminal character. The danger of this kind of unfair prejudice substantially outweighed any minimal probative value of the crow bar and the mace. See State v. Acklin, 171 Conn. 105, 368 A.2d 212, 216-17 (1976)(holding that admission of masks and ropes seized from defendants at time of arrest was error because there was no evidence linking the articles to the robbery with which the defendants were charged). We hold that the trial judge erred in admitting the crow bar and mace. Williams also objects to the admission of the two pair of handcuffs seized from a briefcase found during a search of his room. Williams contends that only speculation connected the handcuffs to the murders. We disagree. The evidence established that the bodies of Gilbert and Trias were found face down on their bed with their hands behind their backs in an unnatural position. Hence, it would be logical for the jury to infer that the victims' hands were bound behind their backs before they were shot. Further, there was no evidence of ligature marks on the victims' hands or wrists which might have indicated that rope was used. Thus, it might also be reasonable to infer that handcuffs were used in the murders. Therefore, the probative value of the handcuffs outweighed any prejudicial effect. We agree with the State that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in admitting the handcuffs.