Opinion ID: 867277
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Guns and ammunition

Text: ¶ 20 Hargrave objected to the admission of guns, boxes of ammunition, and shell casings found at his campsite, arguing that the evidence was not relevant because the guns and ammunition were not used during the murders. The court overruled Hargrave's objection, finding the evidence of Hargrave's arrest with Boggs's guns relevant to rebut Hargrave's claim that he did not know that Boggs would have a gun during the restaurant robbery. [5] ¶ 21 We review the trial court's evidentiary ruling for abuse of discretion. State v. Aguilar, 209 Ariz. 40, 49 ¶ 29, 97 P.3d 865, 874 (2004). ¶ 22 In State v. Ellison, we found that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting evidence that a defendant possessed a gun before and after the charged crime because it made the defendant's story less plausible. 213 Ariz. 116, 133 ¶ 58, 140 P.3d 899, 915 (2006). The evidence here was similarly relevant to rebut Hargrave's main defensethat he did not know Boggs would have a gun. The trial judge did not abuse his discretion in admitting evidence of the campsite guns and ammunition. [6]