Court Opinion

ID: 9729024
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 14:24:50.873962+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:54.424065
License: Public Domain

PAUL M. SPINDEN, Judge,
dissenting.
The circuit court did not abuse its discretion in admitting Tyrell Peterson’s testimony that Bobby Davis tried to hit him with a car just two days before the shooting. The evidence was admissible because it helped construct a complete and coherent picture of the assault by establishing the context for that offense. It had a legitimate tendency to establish his guilt, and its probative value did not outweigh its potential prejudice. Moreover, Davis’ previous desire to injure Peterson bore directly on his motivation to encourage the shooting.
Two days before the shooting occurred, Davis confronted Peterson at Peterson’s apartment concerning Peterson’s involvement with Davis’ cousin. Peterson testified that Davis was angry and wanted to fight. After ordering Peterson not to “mess” with his cousin, Davis threatened to return to show him what would happen if he did not leave his cousin alone. Davis then returned to his car. Davis did not object to any of this testimony.
Davis objected only when he thought the state was going to ask Peterson whether or not Davis tried to run Peterson over with his car. Davis objected on the grounds that it was “a prior bad act and not germane.” The circuit court overruled Davis’ objection. Peterson testified that, as Davis drove his car away from Peterson’s apartment, Davis “pushed on the gas and tried to hit him.” Peterson said that the car “kind of’ hit his foot when he jumped out of the way and that Davis had to have seen him.
Two days after the car incident, on Saturday morning, Peterson saw Davis driving slowly past his apartment. Later that evening, Davis, along with his cousin’s brother, Sergio Wyatt, went to Peterson’s apartment looking for Peterson. Peterson was not there, but, according to Peterson’s roommate, he could tell by Davis’ tone that Davis was “hot” and that he was not there to “shake hands” with anyone. Davis and Wyatt left the apartment, and Peterson’s roommate telephoned Peterson to tell him to come home because Davis and Wyatt were “looking for problems.”
Later that evening, Davis, Wyatt, and two other companions returned to Peterson’s apartment to confront Peterson about his involvement with Davis’ cousin. The confrontation ended when Davis told Peterson that he did not want to fight because “this stuff is petty.” When one of Peterson’s friends told Davis and his companions to leave, Wyatt prepared to fight with Peterson’s friend. Davis stepped in between the men, pushed Wyatt back, and told him, “You can’t ‘whup’ him.” Davis then said, “Just do it,” and he began laughing and took off running. Wyatt pulled a gun from his waistband, began firing, and wounded three people.
The circuit court has broad discretion in determining the admissibility of evidence, and we should reverse the circuit court’s *173determination only when it clearly abuses its discretion. State v. Johnson, 207 S.W.3d 24, 42 (Mo. banc 2006), ‘petition for cert, filed, No. 06-10222 (U.S. Mar. 19, 2007). “Generally, evidence of uncharged crimes, wrongs, or acts is inadmissible for the purpose of showing the defendant’s propensity to commit such crimes.” Id. If, however, evidence of uncharged misconduct is “logically relevant, in that it has some legitimate tendency to establish directly the accused’s guilt of the charges for which he is on trial, and legally relevant, in that its probative value outweighs its prejudicial effect,” it may be admissible. Id. “Evidence of prior uncharged misconduct generally has a legitimate tendency to prove the specific crime charged when it tends to establish motive, intent, the absence of mistake or accident, a common scheme or plan, or the identity of the person charged with the commission of the crime on trial.” State v. Barriner, 34 S.W.3d 139, 145 (Mo. banc 2000). Moreover, “[a]n exception to the general rule that evidence of uncharged misconduct is inadmissible ‘is recognized for evidence of uncharged crimes that are part of the circumstances or the sequence of events surrounding the offense charged.’ ” Johnson, 207 S.W.3d at 42 (quoting State v. Morrow, 968 S.W.2d 100, 107 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 896, 119 S.Ct. 222, 142 L.Ed.2d 182 (1998)). Evidence of uncharged crimes is admissible to present a complete and coherent picture of the charged crimes. Morrow, 968 S.W.2d at 107.
The evidence concerning Davis’ attempt to hit Peterson with his car just two days before the shooting was interconnected with the shooting, and it set the context for the events leading up to the shooting. See State v. Harris, 870 S.W.2d 798, 810 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 953, 115 S.Ct. 371, 130 L.Ed.2d 323 (1994). The level of Davis’ anger toward Peterson was made more clear when, in addition to threatening Peterson, Davis attempted to hit Peterson with his car. Two days later, Davis confronted Peterson again about his involvement with his cousin. Wyatt’s shooting of the three victims was just a continuation of the dispute between Davis and Peterson concerning Peterson’s involvement with Davis’ cousin. The evidence surrounding the car incident merely added to the complete and coherent picture of the shooting; therefore, the circuit court did not err in admitting it.
Contrary to the majority’s conclusion, Davis’ previous desire to injure Peterson bore directly on his motivation to encourage the shooting, and Davis’ prior interaction with Peterson was “closely connected” with his actions on the night of the shooting so as to constitute a part of it. See Johnson, 207 S.W.3d at 42 (testimony of six-year-old victim’s friend that defendant had stalked her and the victim two days before victim’s murder was admissible as prior bad act evidence).
Seeing no merit in Davis’ remaining contentions on appeal, I would, therefore, affirm the circuit court’s judgment convicting Davis of assault in the first degree.