Opinion ID: 1742459
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Victim's Checking Account

Text: Nooner argues that the circuit court erred in failing to exclude evidence of the victim's checking account. He makes a Rule 403 argument in this regard that the relevance of the checking account and checks was outweighed by its prejudice to him. See Ark.R.Evid. 403. This is a matter of trial court discretion. Lindsey v. State, 319 Ark. 132, 890 S.W.2d 584 (1994); Simpson v. Hurt, 294 Ark. 41, 740 S.W.2d 618 (1987). Aggravated robbery was the underlying felony for the State's charge of capital murder. It was essential that robbery be proved by the State. Antonia Kennedy testified to seeing the victim's checkbook with his name on the checks in the possession of Nooner. She described the color of the checks as beige or tan. Her credibility was challenged by the defense as to the existence of the checking account and the color of the checkbook. A bank employee laid the foundation for a check which had the victim's name and signature. Kennedy then testified that these checks looked like those she saw in the car with Nooner. As the evidence of the checks was part and parcel of the State's evidence establishing robbery, we find no abuse of discretion in the court's receiving this evidence.