Opinion ID: 891666
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prejudicial Impact Versus Probative Value

Text: {33} Finally, Defendant argues that the evidence of his accusations against Green was more prejudicial than probative and should have been excluded under Rule 11-403, which gives courts discretion to exclude otherwise relevant and admissible evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by its prejudicial impact. Gallegos, 2007-NMSC-007, ¶ 22, 141 N.M. 185, 152 P.3d 828; see Rojo, 1999-NMSC-001, ¶ 48, 126 N.M. 438, 971 P.2d 829. {34} The accusations Defendant made to Green's ex-wife and the police purported to show scandalous intentions on the part of Green, not of Defendant. To the extent that they reflected adversely on Defendant instead of Green, it was only because they reflected a malicious intent to harm and isolate Green, which made them probative evidence of Defendant's own motive and intent. [T]he fact that some jurors might find this evidence offensive or inflammatory does not necessarily require its exclusion. Rojo, 1999-NMSC-001, ¶ 48, 126 N.M. 438, 971 P.2d 829. {35} [D]etermining whether the prejudicial impact of evidence outweighs its probative value is left to the discretion of the trial court. State v. Wilson, 117 N.M. 11, 17, 868 P.2d 656, 662 (Ct.App.1993). We should reverse only where we find the trial court has abused that discretion. Rojo, 1999-NMSC-001, ¶ 48, 126 N.M. 438, 971 P.2d 829. In this case, the State offered both testimony of Defendant's frantic warning calls and the actual images he faxed to Green's ex-wife that he claimed were illustrations of what Green intended to do to his own son. After considering the arguments of counsel, the district judge made considered decisions to admit the testimony and exclude the graphic depictions as unduly prejudicial. {36} It is obvious that the trial judge took seriously his responsibility under Rule 11-403 to balance the prejudicial and probative aspects of the evidence by permitting testimony related to the accusations while barring the related graphic images. Because the evidence was probative of motive and intent, and because the trial court took prudent and reasonable steps to minimize any unduly prejudicial effect, we conclude that admission of the testimony was not an abuse of discretion.