Court Opinion

ID: 9676744
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:31:43.104175+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:50.723059
License: Public Domain

*189WINTERSHEIMER, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion because the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in consolidating the three indictments for a single trial.
It is well settled that the trial judge has broad discretion with regard to joinder and the decision of the trial judge will not be overturned in the absence of a showing of a clear abuse of discretion or prejudice to the defendant. Cannon v. Commonwealth, Ky., 777 S.W.2d 591 (1989). RCr 9.12 permits separate indictments to be joined for trial if the offenses could have been joined in a single indictment. RCr 6.18 allows separate offenses to be charged in the same indictment if the offenses are of the same or similar character or are based on the same acts as transactions connected together or constituting parts of a common scheme or plan.
A conviction resulting from a joinder of offenses in a single trial will be reversed on appeal only if the joinder is found to amount to a “clear abuse of discretion and prejudice to the defendant is positively shown.” Spencer v. Commonwealth, Ky., 554 S.W.2d 355 (1977). “In determining whether a joinder of offenses for trial is prejudicial, a significant factor to be considered is whether the evidence of one of the offenses would be admissible in a separate trial for the other offense. If the evidence is admissible, the joinder of offenses, in most instances, will not be prejudicial.” Spencer, supra.
Here the trial judge allowed consolidation for trial of three separate indictments, each of which involved a series of sexual offenses related to different child victims.
Pendleton v. Commonwealth, Ky., 685 S.W.2d 549 (1985) provides in part that evidence of independent sexual acts between the accused and persons other than the victim are admissible if such acts are similar to that charged and not too remote in time provided the acts are relevant to prove intent, motive or a common plan or pattern of activity. Here, the evidence of Rearick’s conduct involving two of the victims would have been admissible in a separate trial of charges involving a third victim. All of the conduct was similar and not remote in time. All of the three cases involved a series of sexual activity with young children; the defendant was in a position of authority concerning each victim; and the charged crimes all occurred in the defendant’s residence. Consequently, under Spencer, supra, the offenses could all be joined for a single trial.
The majority opinion misapplies the standards set forth in the majority decisions in Billings v. Commonwealth, Ky., 843 S.W.2d 890 (1992) and Gray v. Commonwealth, Ky., 843 S.W.2d 895 (1992). It is interesting to note that neither of these authorities was cited by Rearick in his brief. Here the multiple sexual crimes are strikingly similar and clearly constitute a signature crime.
The trial judge did not abuse his discretion in granting the consolidation and there was no prejudice to the defendant. I would affirm the convictions in all respects.
SPAIN, J., joins in this dissent.