Opinion ID: 2082485
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Mug Shot Comment

Text: During the guilt phase of the second trial, the State attempted to introduce a photograph of appellant, taken pursuant to his arrest. Appellant objected to the admission of the photograph, and the trial court took the objection under advisement. Later, the trial court explained to the jury the procedure the court was applying in deciding not to permit the jury to see the photograph: A Judge generally rules ... on the admissions of evidence when it is offered and if I have a question in my mind, I can take things under advisement, ladies and gentlemen there is a question before the Court as to whether on direct examination I can admit mug shots and you know that I have taken under advisement... . In this proceeding, appellant complains that the trial judge's reference to the photograph as a mug shot improperly suggested to the jury that appellant had a criminal history. Such a suggestion, appellant argues, prejudiced him in the eyes of the jury, and denied him a fair trial. Generally, we disdain the use of mug shots at trial for the very reason appellant complains of here. A jury might infer that a defendant who is well-known to the police, as a mug shot could demonstrate, has a criminal background. Ratcliffe v. State (1990), Ind., 553 N.E.2d 1208. If a jury were to infer such a history, then the jury might convict the defendant solely on this inference. Cf. Hardin v. State (1993), Ind., 611 N.E.2d 123 (evidence of other offenses cannot be admitted merely in an attempt to show some predisposition of the accused to commit criminal acts or to establish some likelihood that he might do so, absent some exception to this rule; the possible prejudice is that the jury might infer that the defendant possesses criminal character traits, and acted in conformity with such traits). In laying the foundation for the photograph, the State questioned Sergeant David Payne of the Tippecanoe County Sheriffs Department about the booking process subsequent to an arrest. Payne testified that law enforcement agencies routinely photograph arrestees following an arrest; that nothing about the photographs indicates either guilt or innocence; that the photographs of appellant and Bennett were taken in the manner Payne described; and that the photographs were used for identification purposes. The use of this term by the trial judge was improper and could have unduly influenced the jury. However, there is no basis to overturn the conclusion of the post-conviction court that no such undue influence occurred. The jury was informed that the photograph was taken incident to the arrest for the crimes for which appellant was then being tried. Further, the other evidence of guilt and of the death aggravators appears strong. This alleged error does not require the grant of post-conviction relief.