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CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION OF EVIDENCE OF UNCHARGED CRIMES AND BAD ACTS EXPLAINED, EVIDENCE OF PRIOR DOMESTIC ABUSE PROPERLY ADMITTED IN THIS CRIMINAL CONTEMPT PROSECUTION (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined evidence of prior domestic abuse was properly admitted in this criminal contempt proceeding. The court explained the criteria for the admission of evidence of uncharged crimes and bad acts (Molineux evidence):

“[E]vidence of a defendant's uncharged crimes or prior misconduct is not admissible if it cannot logically be connected to some specific material issue in the case, and tends only to demonstrate the defendant's propensity to commit the crime charged” … . Even where there is a proper nonpropensity purpose, “the decision whether to admit evidence of defendant's prior bad acts rests upon the trial court's discretionary balancing of probative value and unfair prejudice” … . Thus, “[a]dmissibility of evidence under these principles is determined by reference to a two-part inquiry . . . The first level of this inquiry requires the proponent of the evidence, as a threshold matter, to identify some issue, other than mere criminal propensity, to which the evidence is relevant . . . Once such a showing is made, the court must go on to weigh the evidence's probative worth against its potential for mischief to determine whether it should ultimately be placed before the fact finder. This weighing process is discretionary, but the threshold problem of identifying a specific issue, other than propensity, to which the evidence pertains poses a question of law”… .

Contrary to the defendant's contention, the County Court did conduct the requisite “two-part inquiry.” The court determined that evidence of the defendant's prior acts of abuse against the complainant were admissible “as relevant background material regarding the defendant's relationship with the complainant, to explain the issuance of a temporary order of protection, and as evidence of the defendant's motive and intent in the commission of the charged crimes” … . The court then concluded that the probative value of the evidence outweighed any prejudice to the defendant …. Furthermore, the court gave the jury appropriate limiting instructions, to which defense counsel did not object, as to the limited purpose for which that evidence was received … . People v Bittrolff, 2018 NY Slip Op 06551, Second Dept 10-3-18

CRIMINAL LAW (EVIDENCE, CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION OF EVIDENCE OF UNCHARGED CRIMES AND BAD ACTS EXPLAINED, EVIDENCE OF PRIOR DOMESTIC ABUSE PROPERLY ADMITTED IN THIS CRIMINAL CONTEMPT PROSECUTION (SECOND DEPT))/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION OF EVIDENCE OF UNCHARGED CRIMES AND BAD ACTS EXPLAINED, EVIDENCE OF PRIOR DOMESTIC ABUSE PROPERLY ADMITTED IN THIS CRIMINAL CONTEMPT PROSECUTION (SECOND DEPT)/MOLINEUX (CRIMINAL LAW, CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION OF EVIDENCE OF UNCHARGED CRIMES AND BAD ACTS EXPLAINED, EVIDENCE OF PRIOR DOMESTIC ABUSE PROPERLY ADMITTED IN THIS CRIMINAL CONTEMPT PROSECUTION (SECOND DEPT))/UNCHARGED CRIMES AND BAD ACTS (CRIMINAL LAW, EVIDENCE, CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION OF EVIDENCE OF UNCHARGED CRIMES AND BAD ACTS EXPLAINED, EVIDENCE OF PRIOR DOMESTIC ABUSE PROPERLY ADMITTED IN THIS CRIMINAL CONTEMPT PROSECUTION (SECOND DEPT))

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