Opinion ID: 1985278
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Issue 1 Reference to Prior Record

Text: Prior to trial, defendant sought, and the trial court granted, a motion in limine excluding any evidence regarding defendant's prior criminal history. During the trial, the prosecutor sought to place in evidence a videotaped statement of one of the perpetrators. The statement contained the following reference: Yeh, she (defendant's girlfriend) knew we did [commit the robbery], and she told [defendant] that if he didn't straighten up he was going to go back to prison and all that stuff you know,... Defense counsel objected to the admission of the exhibits as follows: I have no objection to the first several pages of this, Your Honor. They get into other matters toward the end not relating to this case which I would object to. But, I have no objection relating to anything in this case. Defendant now contends that the trial court erred in admitting the exhibits into evidence because of the reference to defendant's criminal background. We deem the issue waived for failure to raise a specific objection at the time the evidence was offered. See Abner v. State (1985), Ind., 479 N.E.2d 1254; Goodman v. State (1985), Ind., 479 N.E.2d 513; Smith v. State (1985), Ind., 475 N.E.2d 1139. Notwithstanding the waiver, we note that there was overwhelming evidence supporting the jury's determination of guilt in this case. In light of this, we find that the vague reference to defendant's prior criminal history, buried as it was in the context of the witness's lengthy statement, to be harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Wallace v. State (1985), Ind., 486 N.E.2d 445, cert. denied, (1986), ___ U.S. ___, 106 S.Ct. 3311, 92 L.Ed.2d 723; Chapman v. California (1967), 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705.