Court Opinion

ID: 9581645
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:17:06.582857+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:37:09.343690
License: Public Domain

Fletcher, Justice,
concurring specially as to Division 2.
In the present case, the state sought to introduce evidence of four separate incidents wherein the accused had threatened to kill a man with whom his ex-wife or his daughter was involved. I agree with the majority that evidence of these four independent acts was admissible in the present case but I write separately to examine such evidence more closely.
The words used by the state in the notice of its intent to present the independent act evidence involved here stated that the evidence was being offered “for the purpose of identifying the defendant, and showing a common motive, plan, scheme, bent of mind, modus operands or [course] of conduct.” Those basic words, in numerous variations, are being used like some magic litany to justify the introduction *473of independent act evidence in case after case that comes before this court. However, there is nothing magic about those words and their use is no substitute for the requisite analysis that this type of evidence must undergo before it may be introduced: evidence of the independent acts must be offered for some purpose other than to show that the accused is a person of bad character. Additionally, it must be demonstrated that the relevance of the independent act evidence outweighs its inherently prejudicial nature.
Decided October 22, 1992.
William W. Keith III, for appellant.
Jack O. Partain III, District Attorney, Michael J. Bowers, Attorney General, Susan V. Boleyn, Senior Assistant Attorney General, C. A. Benjamin Woolf, Staff Attorney, for appellee.
Here, because Edwards admitted shooting the victim, the issue of identity of the perpetrator of the crime was not in dispute. Thus, the relevance of the challenged evidence as to the identity of the perpetrator was far outweighed by the prejudice created in the minds of the jurors by the introduction of the evidence and did not justify its admission.
However, Edwards’ defense was based upon his claim that he had fired at the victim in self-defense when the victim, with an unidentified object in his hand, rushed at Edwards. The state, on the other hand, sought to prove that Edwards had not acted in self-defense but out of jealousy for the victim’s involvement with Edwards’ ex-wife. Edwards’ defense turned upon the intent behind his act of firing at the victim and, as a result, the earlier instances of threats made by Edwards were relevant to show that Edwards’ intent was not to defend himself from the victim but to kill the victim because of the victim’s involvement with Edwards’ ex-wife.
Because the prejudice inherent in the independent act evidence could be said to be outweighed by its relevance to Edwards’ intent, I concur specially with Division 2 of the majority opinion.