Allowing the Jury to Hear About Defendant’s Prior Crimes Was Error

Although finding it to be harmless error, the Fourth Department determined the jury should not have been allowed to hear portions of defendant’s grand jury testimony which included references to being on parole, being imprisoned and having sold drugs:

We agree with defendant that County Court erred in failing to consider the appropriate factors when it allowed the jury to hear portions of defendant’s grand jury testimony that included references to being on parole, serving five years for robbing banks, and having on occasion sold drugs. “Prejudicial material ‘not necessary to a full comprehension of the’ directly related evidence . . . is inadmissible, even though part of the same conversation . . . or, indeed, of the same sentence” … . That principle applies to the admission at trial of a defendant’s grand jury testimony just as it does to, e.g., audio recordings of telephone conversations … , statements made during the course of a crime to an undercover police officer …, and admissions made to police officers during custodial interrogation …. The court allowed the jury to hear such portions of defendant’s grand jury testimony after concluding only that the statements were voluntary.  In doing so, the court failed to consider whether such evidence was relevant and probative to any issue in this case … and then, if so, whether “its probative value exceed[ed] the potential for prejudice resulting to the defendant” … .  People v Woods, 322, KA 08-02465, 4th Dept. 3-22-13