Court Opinion

ID: 9789842
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 01:42:35.380566+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:24.604974
License: Public Domain

RUSSON, Justice,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. I cannot agree with the majority that the trial court erred in admitting the testimony of the other two girls in this case. Not only was this evidence admissible under rule 404(b) of the Utah Rules of Evidence, but its probative value outweighed its prejudicial effect under rule 403.
The trial court’s rulings on the admissibility of evidence are reviewed under an “abuse of discretion” standard. State v. Hamilton, 827 P.2d 232, 239 (Utah 1992). Under this standard, we will not find an abuse of discretion unless the trial court’s determination was “beyond the limits of reasonability.” Id. at 240. However, today the majority enunciates a new standard, one which for all intents and purposes eliminates the trial court’s discretion and substitutes this court’s judgment as to the admissibility of evidence under rule 404(b).
Reviewing a trial court’s 404(b) determinations under such a nondiscretionary standard of review contravenes important policy considerations which underscore the need for a trial court’s broad discretion in evidentiary rulings. We have recently affirmed the trial court’s discretion under rule 403 relevancy determinations. Harline v. Barker, 912 P.2d 433, 441 (Utah 1996); State v. Troyer, 910 P.2d 1182, 1191 (Utah 1995); State v. Pena, 869 P.2d 932, 938 (Utah 1994). Rule 403 involves a similar balancing test to that employed by the trial court in a rule 404(b) determination. Under both rule 404(b) and rule 403, the trial court must weigh the appropriate factors and determine whether the probative value of the evidence is outweighed by the potential for prejudice. The trial court is in a better position than the appellate court to make such a determination. “The decision of the trial judge is accorded great deference because his firsthand expo*497sure to all the evidence and his familiarity with the course of the trial proceedings are the best qualifications available for evaluating the value of the evidence in its proper context.” 29 Am.Jur.2d Evidence § 462 (1994) (footnote omitted) (discussing Fed. R.Evid. 404(b)).
However, under the standard adopted by the majority, the trial court’s evidentiary determination based upon its familiarity with the proceedings and scope of the evidence will no longer be granted an appropriate amount of deference, but, rather, the majority insists that this court should make determinations as to the admissibility of evidence under rule 404(b) based only upon the record before it. Appellate judges relying only on a written record are seldom in as good of a position as a trial judge in determining the admissibility of evidence. This is why trial judges have been afforded discretion in this area.
Furthermore, the majority mischaraeter-izes the plain language of rule 404(b). The majority states, “[T]he general rule stated in the first sentence of Rule 404(b) is that prior crime evidence is inadmissible unless it has a special relevance to the crime charged by being probative of ‘motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident.’ ” However, the first sentence of rule 404(b) actually states, “Evidence of other crimes, wrongs or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show action in conformity therewith.” (Emphasis added.) The rule continues: “It may, however, be admissible for other purposes, such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or identity.” (Emphasis added.) I do not quarrel with the rule’s presumption of inadmissibility of other crimes’ evidence with respect to proving character. However, the rule plainly provides that, for other purposes, including plan or opportunity, such evidence may be admissible. Just how many friends would have to be molested while visiting this man’s daughter before the majority would be convinced that evidence of such abuse may be relevant to prove design or opportunity?
Finally, rather than applying its new rule to evidence of past sexual abuse of a child, which is at issue in this case, the majority takes the opportunity to apply its new, non-deferential standard to all evidence falling under the “other crimes” category. I cannot agree with the imposition of a new, nondefer-ential standard on such a broad category of evidence as that encompassed by the consideration of “other crimes” evidence under rule 404(b). In this case, we should be considering whether the trial court abused its discretion in admitting the evidence in question.
I would hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in determining that the similarities between the incidents involving B.J.L. and T.M. and the incident involving A.W. were sufficient to render testimony relating to the other incidents admissible under rule 404(b) to show opportunity or motive. Accord State v. Tecca, 220 Mont. 168, 714 P.2d 136, 138 (1986) (“While the prior acts were not identical to the offense committed in this case, there is sufficient similarity to sustain admission.”). In each of the instances testified to, as well as in A.W.’s case, Doporto abused his position of authority as an adult and a parent to commit sexual acts with a child. Each incident involved sexual abuse bn a young female victim with whom Doporto’s contact arose out of a social event with the Doporto family. In both the incidents testified to by B.J.L. and the incident attested to by A.W., Doporto had come into contact with the victim when the victim came to visit one of Doporto’s daughters at Dopor-to’s home. Likewise, the incidents attested to by T.M. occurred when Doporto came into contact with T.M. at a Doporto family gathering. Thus, in each incident, Doporto’s presence as an adult and a parent put him in a position of authority with respect to the girls, and in each incident, Doporto took advantage of his position to commit sexual acts with them. These facts clearly point to a common motive and opportunity, and it cannot be said that the trial court abused its discretion in so concluding.
Moreover, the testimony of B.J.L. and T.M. was relevant to prove Doporto’s identity as the perpetrator of the crime against A.W. Although the trial court did not state that the *498two girls’ testimony was relevant to show identity, we may affirm on any available ground. White v. Deseelhorst, 879 P.2d 1371, 1376 (Utah 1994). Other than A.W.’s own uncontroverted testimony, the State presented evidence showing that A.W. was sexually abused but did not provide any eyewitness testimony. The testimony of the two girls that they were sexually abused under similar circumstances by Doporto served to corroborate A.W.’s testimony and, accordingly, was clearly relevant and admissible to show identity.
In addition, the probative value of the two girls’ testimony was not outweighed by the prejudice to Doporto under rule 403. In State v. Shickles, 760 P.2d 291 (Utah 1988), this court adopted several factors to assist a trial court in weighing the evidence under rule 403. These factors include
“the strength of the evidence as to the commission of the other crime, the similarities between the crimes, the interval of time that has elapsed between the crimes, the need for the evidence, the efficacy of alternative proof, and the degree to which the evidence probably will rouse the jury to overmastering hostility.”
Id. at 295-96 (quoting E. Cleary, McCormick on Evidence § 190, at 565 (3d ed. 1984)). First, as discussed above, the incidents testified to by B.J.L. and T.M. were sufficiently similar to the incident attested to by A.W. to support their admissibility. Second, two of the three incidents attested to by the other girls occurred within one and two years of the incident attested to by A.W. Third, the other girls’ testimony was necessary to corroborate A.W.’s testimony, as the State provided no eyewitnesses. Therefore, I would hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the testimony of B.J.L. and T.M. under rule 403.
Even if the trial court did err in admitting the two girls’ testimony under rule 403, this error will not result in reversal unless the error is harmful. See Hamilton, 827 P.2d at 240. “In order to constitute reversible error, the error complained of must be sufficiently prejudicial that there is a reasonable likelihood of a more favorable result for the defendant in its absence.” State v. Featherson, 781 P.2d 424, 431 (Utah 1989).
Viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the jury’s verdict, it cannot be said that the trial court’s admission of the girls’ testimony under rule 403, even if error, was such that it undermined the verdict. The State presented strong direct and circumstantial evidence of the crime committed upon A.W. A.W.’s testimony that she was sexually abused by Doporto was uneontro-verted. Further, the jury was presented with evidence that A.W. had, in fact, been sexually abused. A.W.’s aunt testified that subsequent to the alleged incident, she discovered a black stain covering the crotch of A.W.’s panties and that when A.W. got into the bath, it hurt for her to sit in the water. An expert for the State testified that a child who was anally raped by an adult would likely experience a rectal tear, that the tear would bleed, that dried blood could look black, and that the tear would be very painful. A.W.’s mother testified that A.W.’s behavior changed shortly after the alleged incident: A.W. experienced difficulty in school, wanted to change her name and appearance, and withdrew from adults, particularly men. In short, the State provided ample evidence outside of the testimony of the two other girls such that there is no reasonable likelihood that the results would have been more favorable to Doporto without that testimony.
Therefore, I would conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the testimony of the other two victims, and in any case, the admission of such evidence did not undermine the jury verdict because of the overwhelming evidence to support it.