Court Opinion

ID: 9847823
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:07:56.017624+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:37.137968
License: Public Domain

FINNEY, Chief Justice:
I respectfully dissent. The admission of the enhanced photograph depicting the victim’s children served no legitimate evidentiary purpose, and acted only to arouse the jury’s sympathy and prejudice, and therefore should have been excluded. Compare State v. Rosemond, 335 S.C. 593, 518 S.E.2d 588 (1999)(Finney, C.J., dissenting); State v. Livingston, 327 S.C. 17, 488 S.E.2d 313 (1997). Further, in my opinion, the trial judge abused his discretion in excluding the letter proffered by appellant to impeach the witness. I simply do not understand, and the majority does not explain, how the letter would have confused the jury. In my view, these two evidentiary errors in the guilt phase require a reversal.
*131Finally, I cannot agree that the trial court’s erroneous limitation on appellant’s sister’s plea for mercy was harmless error. Her statement, in response to a single question, that she loves appellant with all her heart is not the equivalent of a general plea for mercy. Compare State v. Torrence, 305 S.C. 45, 406 S.E.2d 315 (1991)(harmless error where appellant’s mother permitted to testify she did not want him to die, that she loved him, and that she wanted him to get help).
For the reasons given above, I would reverse and remand for a new trial.