Court Opinion

ID: 9784006
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 20:35:36.426943+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:35:46.744434
License: Public Domain

Judge NEY
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I concur with parts I, III, and TV of the majority opinion. However, I dissent to part II because I conclude that under the facts of this ease, the trial court abused its discretion and violated defendant’s due process rights when it refused to instruct on or permit any evidence of defendant’s acquittal in both cases relating to the CRE 404(b) witnesses.
I agree that evidence of prior acts that otherwise qualifies for admission under CRE 404(b) is not barred from admission by collateral estoppel because of the defendant’s acquittal on criminal charges arising out of those acts. See Dowling v. United States, 493 U.S. 342, 110 S.Ct. 668, 107 L.Ed.2d 708 (1990) (jury was instructed that petitioner had been acquitted on the charge arising from the prior events described in the testimony, and the Court concluded that admission of evidence of those prior events did not violate double jeopardy or due process); People v. Wallen, 996 P.2d 182 (Colo.App.1999); People v. Conley, 804 P.2d 240 (Colo.App.1990).
I also agree that an instruction about a defendant’s acquittal is not always required. Colorado courts have not ruled whether a jury must be informed of a defendant’s acquittal.
Those courts that have considered the matter have concluded that the trial court must determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether the evidence of the acquittal is relevant and should be admitted. See United States v. Wells, 347 F.3d 280 (8th Cir.2003); United States v. Smith, 145 F.3d 458 (1st Cir.1998); Hess v. State, 20 P.3d 1121 (Alaska 2001). As the majority notes, and the trial court recognized, an instruction regarding the defendant’s acquittal is generally required where the jury has learned that criminal charges had been filed against the defendant. Courts have recognized that evidence of an acquittal is relevant in those cases to counter the jury’s conclusion that the defendant had been convicted in the prior cases. E.g., People v. Bedoya, 325 Ill.App.3d 926, 259 Ill.Dec. 243, 758 N.E.2d 366 (2001).
Here, the trial court expressed concern that there is always the inherent danger that the jury will use CRE 404(b) evidence for an improper purpose. See CRE 403,
The trial court also fully recognized the possible prejudice to defendant if the jury were permitted to speculate whether charges had been brought against him as a result of the events related by the CRE 404(b) witnesses, and the court considered whether an instruction advising the jury of defendant’s acquittal would be required. Further, the court considered giving an instruction to supplement the standard CRE 404(b) limiting instruction to admonish the jury “not to speculate as to the circumstances surrounding that particular incident or incidents in this case.” However, the court did not give this instruction.
In granting the prosecution’s motion in limine to bar any evidence or instruction on defendant’s prior acquittals as to the events described in the CRE 404(b) testimony, the trial court prohibited both sides from introducing any evidence that previous charges had been brought against defendant or that *326the charges had been tried. The parties were instructed to refer to testimony in the previous cases simply as “testimony” without elaboration and to avoid using the terms “trial” and “charges.” Both sides fully complied with the court’s instructions in questioning the CRE 404(b) witnesses and referred to their prior testimony “in hearings.”
The court also gave a limiting instruction prior to each CRE 404(b) witness’s testimony:
A limiting instruction is an instruction of law which I will give you at this time which explains how you are to view certain evidence that is being admitted. In this particular case there is a limitation upon evidence that you are hearing from [this witness]. This particular evidence may be used as evidence for the purpose of showing lack of consent, common plan or scheme, intent or knowledge, and you should consider it as evidence for no other purpose.
However, because the two CRE 404(b) witnesses were the first witnesses and the jury had therefore heard no evidence of the offense for which defendant was charged here, the jury had no context in which to place this instruction.
Further, the CRE 404(b) witnesses related not only the events involving defendant, but also subsequent events involving reports to the police, conversations with an investigator, and, as to one of the women, nude pictures taken by the police and the details of her medical examination, including reference to a rape kit. Therefore, it was likely that the jury would speculate that there was some follow up to these events, including the filing of charges and a subsequent trial.
I therefore conclude that the trial court’s good faith effort to limit the testimony and exclude any evidence of the previous charges and trial did not protect defendant from the jury’s speculation that charges were filed and a trial was held. The record demonstrates that the jury not only speculated, but also concluded that in fact there had been a trial. During deliberations the jury requested “to see previous trial transcripts.” Defendant then renewed his request for an instruction advising the jury of his acquittal, which was again denied by the court.
Where, as here, the jury speculates as to the charges and trial arising out of CRE 404(b) incidents, I conclude that it is an abuse of discretion by the trial court to refuse to instruct a jury as to the defendant’s acquittal of those charges. I would therefore set aside defendant’s conviction and remand this case to the trial court for a new trial.