Opinion ID: 2632445
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admission of statement to Officer Black about prior dealings with Lee

Text: ¶ 93 Gonzales argues that the trial court abused its discretion in admitting his statement to Officer Black that he had previously purchased ephedrine for Lee and that he met Lee near a dumpster to acquire methamphetamine. He further contends that he received ineffective assistance of counsel because the statement was used to prove his actions conformed with prior bad acts and his attorney failed to move to suppress it at trial. He also challenges the trial court's failure to conduct the required balancing test to determine whether the evidence was being offered for an admissible purpose. State v. Smith, 106 Wash.2d 772, 776, 725 P.2d 951 (1986). ¶ 94 The State first correctly notes that defense counsel objected to the admission of the statement, explicitly citing ER 404 as the basis for the objection. That said, the State acknowledges that the trial court did not conduct the required analysis on the record but argues that the record is sufficient to provide a basis for analysis by this court. It argues that the record shows that it offered Gonzales' statement only to show his intent to aid in the methamphetamine manufacturing process, not to prove his bad character. ¶ 95 Evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts of a defendant is not admissible to prove the defendant's character or to show he acted in conformity with his character. ER 404(b). Such evidence is admissible to prove motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. Id. Evidence is relevant if it has any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence. ER 401. Even relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. ER 403. The trial court determines whether evidence is relevant and an appellate court reviews the trial court's ruling for a `manifest abuse of discretion.' State v. Vreen, 143 Wash.2d 923, 932, 26 P.3d 236 (2001) (quoting State v. Luvene, 127 Wash.2d 690, 706-07, 903 P.2d 960 (1995)). ¶ 96 In determining whether the trial court abused its discretion in admitting Gonzales' statement regarding Lee, we note that Gonzales' intent was a key component of the State's case. The State's evidence relating to Gonzales' intent to manufacture methamphetamine was circumstantial. Aside from the physical evidence obtained from the search of the vehiclethe pseudoephedrine tablets and coffee filtersthe only evidence the State had that tied Gonzales to methamphetamine manufacturing was his statement about Lee to Officer Black. Thus, the statement was properly offered as evidence of intent rather than evidence of character. Regardless, as the State correctly points out later in its brief, Gonzales already admitted to being a drug user in other uncontested evidence. Any prejudice resulting from the trial court's admission of his statement to Officer Black would have been marginal. ¶ 97 We conclude Gonzales' statement was relevant to show his intent to participate in the methamphetamine manufacturing process, and the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the statement under ER 404(b). We also conclude Gonzales did not receive ineffective assistance of counsel because his attorney properly objected to admission of the statement under ER 404(b).