Opinion ID: 3153229
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: T-Shirt Photograph and Video Game

Text: The petitioner asserts that the circuit court erred by admitting two items of evidence during the bifurcated mercy phase of his trial: the photograph of the t-shirt he was wearing on the night of the shootings, and his “Assassin’s Creed” video game. Arguing that neither the message on the t-shirt or the video game had anything to do with the crimes, and that both were extremely inflammatory to the jury, the petitioner contends their admission violated Rule 403 of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence: “Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice[.]” W.Va. R. Evid. 403, in part.7 The State responds that this evidence was probative of the petitioner’s character, which was at issue during the mercy phase, and that the evidence was not unfairly prejudicial given the violent, premeditated nature of these crimes. Moreover, because the evidence was only admitted during the bifurcated mercy phase, the State explains that it could not have impacted the jury’s determination of guilt. “A trial court’s evidentiary rulings, as well as its application of the Rules of Evidence, are subject to review under an abuse of discretion standard.” Syl. Pt. 4, State v. Rodoussakis, 204 W.Va. 58, 511 S.E.2d 469 (1998). With regard to evidence in the mercy phase, we have held the following: 7 This opinion quotes the version of Rule 403 in effect at the time of trial. Stylistic changes, immaterial to the issues on appeal, have since been made to the rule. 15 The type of evidence that is admissible in the mercy phase of a bifurcated first degree murder proceeding is much broader than the evidence admissible for purposes of determining a defendant’s guilt or innocence. Admissible evidence necessarily encompasses evidence of the defendant’s character, including evidence concerning the defendant’s past, present and future, as well as evidence surrounding the nature of the crime committed by the defendant that warranted a jury finding the defendant guilty of first degree murder, so long as that evidence is found by the trial court to be relevant under Rule 401 of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence and not unduly prejudicial pursuant to Rule 403 of the West Virginia Rules of Evidence. Syl. Pt. 7, State v. McLaughlin, 226 W.Va. 229, 700 S.E.2d 289 (2010). Having reviewed the appendix record, we find no abuse of discretion in the trial court’s admission of the t-shirt photograph and the video game during the mercy phase. At this stage of the bifurcated trial, the jury was permitted to consider evidence of the petitioner’s character. Id. Given the ruthless nature of these crimes, the message on the t- shirt worn on the very night of these crimes was probative of the petitioner’s character. He was angry at his aunt and uncle for throwing him and his mother out of their home, and he showed no mercy when he shot his aunt in the back and later shot his fleeing uncle. Furthermore, prior to the State’s admission of the video game, the petitioner’s expert witness had already testified that the petitioner “loses himself in the fantasy world of . . . video gaming[.]” Defense counsel was permitted to argue to the jury that these items bore no connection to the shootings. We simply cannot conclude that this evidence was unduly 16 prejudicial. Finally, even if we were to find error in the admission of this evidence, it would be harmless. The other evidence presented to the jury, in both phases of the trial, is more than sufficient to support the recommendation against mercy.