Opinion ID: 2365043
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence Relating to Alternative Source of Semen

Text: [¶ 16] Robinson also contends that the court erred by excluding the evidence because the exclusion prevented him from presenting to the jury another possible source of semen. Specifically, Robinson sought to admit evidence of the prior sexual assault in support of his theory that his blood sample had been mistakenly switched with the blood sample of Brown's ex-boyfriend. The court excluded this evidence in its entirety in ruling on Robinson's motion in limine, but subsequently revised the ruling after Ivan Boudreau testified to having obtained and transported two blood sample kits. As a consequence, the jury learned that Brown may have had sexual contact with her ex-boyfriend in the twelve hours preceding her reported assault by Robinson and that the authorities had taken and analyzed blood samples from both the ex-boyfriend and Robinson. The court rejected Robinson's argument, however, that Boudreau's testimony regarding the existence of two blood samples had opened the door to the admission of the details of the prior rape. [¶ 17] The court's original reliance on Rule 412 as part of its rationale for wholly excluding evidence of the prior rape, when offered for the purpose of showing that the accused was not the source of the semen, was misplaced because that rule explicitly states that such evidence is admissible. See M.R. Evid. 412(b)(1) (Evidence, other than reputation or opinion evidence, of sexual behavior with persons other than the accused, [may be admitted when] offered by the accused upon the issue of whether the accused was or was not, with respect to the alleged victim, the source of semen or injury.). The court nonetheless acted within the discretion afforded by Rule 403 by only admitting evidence that Brown may have had sexual relations with her ex-boyfriend, who provided a blood sample for testing, and otherwise excluding the details of the assault. The court's revised ruling provided Robinson a factual basis upon which to argue that the blood samples may have been switched. In fact, Robinson presented this theory to the jury as part of his closing argument. The details of the first sexual assault  that it was in fact a violent rape that occurred at the party approximately two hours before the second sexual assault  had no bearing on whether Robinson's and the ex-boyfriend's blood samples had been switched. [¶ 18] Because the details of the first sexual assault had little or no probative value on the issue of the handling and transport of the blood samples, but may have confused the issues, misled the jury or wasted the jury's time by generating a trial within a trial as to what actually occurred at the party, the Superior Court acted within its discretion in excluding the evidence pursuant to Rule 403. The entry is: Judgment affirmed.