Court Opinion

ID: 9561712
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:14:43.419673+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:14:17.286609
License: Public Domain

FELDMAN, Vice Chief Justice,
concurring.
I concur in the result but write separately because I disagree with the majority’s conclusion that the trial judge had discretion to admit the cover of the pornographic magazine so that “[wjhile we might agree that it would have been better to exclude the magazine cover, we cannot say that it was error to allow its admission.” 152 Ariz. at 589, 734 P.2d at 74. Admission of the magazine cover was not a question of discretion; the majority fails to recognize plain error.
The court correctly notes that the decision to admit or reject evidence on the grounds that the probative value does or does not outweigh the danger of unfair prejudice is within the trial court’s discretion. Rule 403, Ariz.R.Evid., 17A A.R.S. (Supp.1986). Absent abuse, we will not reverse the result of a Rule 403 balancing performed by a trial court. The majority fails to realize, however, that the trial court balances only when there are disputed factual questions or inferences, or conflicting procedural or policy considerations. City of Phoenix v. Geyler, 144 Ariz. 323, 329, 697 P.2d 1073, 1079 (1985). If there is nothing to balance, the determination of admissibility is simply a matter of law. Gorman v. City of Phoenix, 152 Ariz. 179, 182, 731 P.2d 74, 77 (1987); State v. Moran, 151 Ariz. 378, 381, 728 P.2d 248, 251 (1986); State v. Chapple, 135 Ariz. 281, 297 n. 18, 660 P.2d 1208, 1224 n. 18 (1983); Johnson v. Howard, 45 Wash.2d 433, 436, 275 P.2d 736, 739 (1954).
In this case, there was nothing to balance. Rule 403 presupposes that the evidence sought to be admitted has probative value. The pornographic magazine cover had no probative value; it was irrelevant. *591Rule 401, Ariz.R.Evid., 17A A.R.S. (Supp. 1986). Investigators already had lifted the defendant’s latent fingerprint from the magazine and the defense was not challenging the manner in which the print was obtained. Realizing that the magazine cover was irrelevant, the trial judge instructed the jury that the “pictures on the magazine cover are not evidence of any fact in this case____” This instruction leads one to question why the magazine cover was admitted. The majority chooses to ignore this question and the conclusion the answer demands. Admitting the irrelevant magazine cover which arguably could have unfairly prejudiced the jury was legal error. See State v. Steele, 120 Ariz. 462, 464, 586 P.2d 1274, 1276 (1978) (reversed and remanded because sole purpose for introducing evidence was to prejudice the jury); see generally M. UDALL & J. LIVERMORE, ARIZONA LAW OF EVIDENCE §§ 81, 82, at 160-69 (2d ed. 1982).
The error here would be grounds for reversal were it prejudicial. However, because the other evidence in the case was overwhelming, and the magazine cover was unlikely to have determinatively influenced the jury’s decision, I believe the admission was harmless error. See, e.g., State v. Williams, 133 Ariz. 220, 226, 650 P.2d 1202, 1208 (1982). I therefore concur in the result.