Court Opinion

ID: 9884758
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 03:10:55.987696+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:40:55.284776
License: Public Domain

BAKER, Chief Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. Although I fully agree with the majority's conclusion that it was error for the trial court to permit the State to show the jury the video, I do not agree that it was reversible error. Miller's defense was mistaken identity-he argued that he was not the person in the Hquor store. As the State points out, Miller "did not dispute that someone was in the liquor store and pulled out a shotgun that had been concealed under that individual's coat; he just claimed that he was not that man." Appellee's Br. p. 19. Thus, the YouTube video, which concerned a person's ability to hide weapons under his clothes, was not prejudicial to Miller. I cannot conclude that the video was so inflammatory that it would have altered the way in which the jury viewed Miller and the case as a whole, and given that the video was irrelevant to Miller's defense, I can only conclude that the trial court's decision to permit the State to show the video to the jury was harmless error.
I have reviewed Miller's remaining three arguments-improper denial of his motion for judgment on the evidence, insufficient evidence, and improper sentencing statement-and I do not believe he is entitled to relief on any of those grounds.
Therefore, I would affirm.