Opinion ID: 859237
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Personal history evidence

Text: ¶46 During her opening statement in the guilt phase, defense counsel told the jury that Hardy was born to a heroinaddicted prostitute who had an abusive pimp, and that Hardy had certain cognitive impairments as a result of witnessing that drug abuse and violence. The prosecutor objected on relevance grounds. At a side-bar conference, the defense argued that the jury would have to determine whether Hardy thought Don was Tiffany’s pimp or lover to assess his contention that he was 21 attempting to keep her safe, not to track her down to kill her. Defense counsel also stated that, to support Hardy’s selfdefense theory, he intended to tell the jury that Hardy had been previously shot nine times as a result of a love triangle and was consequently disabled. The trial court sustained the State’s objection, ruling that information about the mother’s pimp and the shooting in which Hardy was injured twenty-four years earlier was too remote and irrelevant.6 ¶47 Before Hardy testified, the defense again challenged the court’s ruling. Hardy argued that to rebut the State’s theory of premeditation he must be able to support a theory of self defense, second degree murder, or manslaughter by testifying that having witnessed his mother’s altercations with pimps predisposed him to fear pimps on behalf of women he cared for, and that his disability from having been shot nine times by a woman’s jealous boyfriend would prevent him from taking on a 300-pound individual like Don. ¶48 The court overruled Hardy’s objection, finding that the probative value was diminished because the proffered evidence was remote and uncorroborated, and the prejudicial impact far outweighed this attenuated value. The court, 6 The exclusion of Hardy’s personal-history evidence was limited to the guilt phase. During the penalty phase, the evidence was admitted without objection. 22 however, allowed Hardy “to explain that he does have physical limitations, and that he has injuries that prevent him from being mobile.” Additionally, Hardy testified without objection about his care and love for Tiffany and his knowledge of Don’s reputation for violence. Hardy argues that exclusion of his personal-history evidence hindered his ability to present a viable defense. ¶49 A defendant’s constitutional right to present a defense “is limited to the presentation of matters admissible under ordinary evidentiary rules.” State v. Dickens, 187 Ariz. 1, 14, 926 P.2d 468, 481 (1996), abrogated in part on other grounds by Ferrero, 229 Ariz. at 243 ¶ 20, 274 P.3d at 513; see also Taylor v. Illinois, 484 U.S. 400, 410, 411 n.15 (1988). To be admissible, evidence must be relevant, Ariz. R. Evid. 401, and its probative value must not be substantially outweighed by a danger of unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury, undue delay, wasting time, or needlessly presenting cumulative evidence, Ariz. R. Evid. 403. As probative value diminishes, the potential increases that it will be substantially outweighed by the dangers identified in Rule 403. Cf. United States v. Rewald, 889 F.2d 836, 853 (9th Cir. 1989) (considering Federal Rule of Evidence 403). We review a trial court’s determination of relevance and admissibility of evidence for an abuse of discretion. State v. Rutledge, 205 Ariz. 7, 10 23 ¶ 15, 66 P.3d 50, 53 (2003). ¶50 Assuming that the proffered evidence was relevant to prove Hardy’s state of mind, the trial court could reasonably find it inadmissible under Rule 403. Any probative value was greatly reduced because the evidence related to remote events that did not involve any victim of the crimes at issue. Evidence of Hardy’s mother’s prostitution or an unrelated gun battle could confuse the issues or mislead the jury by shifting the focus away from the defendant’s alleged assaults on the victims. See United States v. Chase, 451 F.3d 474, 480 (8th Cir. 2006); State v. Larose, 554 A.2d 227, 231 (Vt. 1988). ¶51 To the extent Hardy’s proffered evidence was relevant to support the theory that he intended to protect Tiffany, it called for uncorroborated speculation that Don was Tiffany’s pimp. Thus, testimony of his mother’s violent incidents with pimps also could confuse the issues and lead the jury to base its determination on conjecture and unsound reasoning. See United States v. Iron Hawk, 612 F.3d 1031, 1040 (8th Cir. 2010). In sum, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding Hardy’s proffered personal-history evidence during the trial’s guilt phase.