Feld v. Gerst

66 P.3d 1268, 205 Ariz. 91
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedApril 29, 2003
Docket1-CA SA 02-0276
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 66 P.3d 1268 (Feld v. Gerst) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Feld v. Gerst, 66 P.3d 1268, 205 Ariz. 91 (Ark. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

66 P.3d 1268 (2003)
205 Ariz. 91

Jason Mendy FELD, Petitioner,
v.
The Honorable Stephen A. GERST, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, in and for the County of Maricopa, Respondent Judge,
State of Arizona, Real Party in Interest.

No. 1-CA SA 02-0276.

Court of Appeals of Arizona, Division 1, Department B.

April 29, 2003.

*1269 Maynard Murray Cronin, Erickson & Curran, P.L.C. By Daniel D. Maynard and Jennifer A. Sparks, Phoenix, Attorneys for Petitioner.

Richard M. Romley, Maricopa County Attorney By Colleen L. French, Deputy County Attorney, Phoenix, Attorneys for Real Party in Interest.

OPINION

WINTHROP, Judge.

¶ 1 In this special action, we have been asked to review the trial court's decision to admit evidence of prior bad acts under Rule 404(c), Arizona Rules of Evidence (2003). For the following reasons, we accept jurisdiction and grant relief.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2 The State alleges that defendant Feld kissed and fondled K.K. over her clothing and without her consent. The relationship began when defendant, a realtor, sold a home to K.K. and her husband. Some months later, *1270 defendant visited K.K. at her home, where he was invited in and they shared a glass of wine. Defendant raised the possibility of having an extra-marital sexual relationship; K.K. declined. A few months later, defendant returned to K.K.'s home. During this visit, defendant was given a tour of the home. When they reached the bedroom, defendant allegedly pinned K.K. to the bed and made the subject unwelcome physical advances. No clothing was removed, and defendant eventually desisted in his efforts, and left the home. Defendant was subsequently charged with attempted sexual assault, kidnapping and sexual abuse.

¶ 3 Prior to trial, the State filed a Rule 404(c) allegation, seeking to introduce evidence of a prior act of sexual misconduct that allegedly occurred on July 21, 1989. The State claimed that, on that date, defendant invited R.M., a female loan officer, to meet some prospective buyers at a vacant home that he was selling. When she arrived, there were no prospective buyers, and defendant indicated that they had "just cancelled." R.M. was given a tour of the home, during which defendant tried to kiss her and fondled her breast while they were on a couch. When R.M. said she was not interested and started to leave, defendant picked her up, carried her into a bedroom, pinned her on a bed, and again attempted to kiss her. Defendant was subsequently charged with sexual abuse, was tried and acquitted.

¶ 4 In response to the Rule 404(c) allegation, Defendant contended that his acquittal of this charge prohibited the use of this incident as a prior bad act under Rule 404(c). He also argued that R.M. had consented to the advances, and that, under any circumstance, the prejudice associated with admission of such evidence would clearly outweigh its probative value.

¶ 5 On October 15 and 21, 2002, the trial court conducted an evidentiary hearing with respect to the State's Rule 404(c) allegation. During such hearing, the court took testimony from R.M., from defendant and from Robert Emerick, an expert witness. Based upon a proffer of R.M.'s testimony and the charged act, Emerick testified that defendant had violated society's sexual norms, had engaged in sexually aberrant behavior, and referred to a study that purportedly concluded that convicted rapists continue to be recidivists for up to fifteen years. Emerick testified that, in his opinion, defendant had a character trait giving rise to an aberrant sexual propensity. On cross-examination, Emerick conceded that the patterns of conduct in these two incidents were somewhat different and the fact that defendant was acquitted of the earlier charge, if true, would affect his opinion. He further agreed that a determination of propensity could be more precisely made by looking at a person's course of behavior throughout the years, and conceded that an individual could commit isolated acts of "sexually deviant" behavior that would not necessarily establish a "propensity" for such conduct. Finally, Emerick conceded he was not aware of any study predictive of recidivism as it relates to inappropriate groping or other sexually offensive behavior short of rape.

¶ 6 On October 23, 2002, the trial court issued an order granting the State's motion to introduce the evidence concerning R.M. This special action followed.

JURISDICTION

¶ 7 The availability of a remedy by appeal does not necessarily foreclose this court's exercise of discretion to accept jurisdiction. Ariz. Dep't. of Pub. Safety v. Superior Court, 190 Ariz. 490, 491, 949 P.2d 983, 984 (App.1997). The appellate courts have accepted jurisdiction in cases when the grant of special action relief would effectively terminate the litigation. See Sanchez v. Coxon, 175 Ariz. 93, 94, 854 P.2d 126, 127 (1993); Emmons v. Superior Court, 192 Ariz. 509, 510, 968 P.2d 582, 583 (App.1998); Polacke v. Superior Court, 170 Ariz. 217, 218, 823 P.2d 84, 85 (App.1991). Thus, appellate courts have accepted special action jurisdiction when it would conserve judicial resources. Martin v. Reinstein, 195 Ariz. 293, 300, ¶ 9, 987 P.2d 779, 786 (App.1999). Finally, acceptance of jurisdiction has been justified as a matter of judicial economy when allowing the case to proceed to trial would result in an inevitable reversal and needlessly require the petitioner to pursue the issue through appeal. *1271 Harris Trust Bank of Ariz. v. Superior Court, 188 Ariz. 159, 162, 933 P.2d 1227, 1230 (App.1996).

¶ 8 Here, defendant contends that admission of the prior act evidence was an abuse of the trial court's discretion, and that going through with the trial would subject him to unnecessary expense and public embarrassment. Even assuming this to be true, we do not believe such consequence, in and of itself, is enough to compel acceptance of jurisdiction. Of more significance, however, is the State's concession that, without admission of the alleged prior bad act, it will not proceed with the prosecution of defendant on the incident involving K.K. Based upon such concession, we believe that, as a matter of judicial economy, and because granting special action relief will effectively terminate this prosecution, we should exercise our discretion to accept jurisdiction.

RULE 404(c)

¶ 9 Rule 404, Arizona Rules of Evidence, sets forth the well-established principle that evidence of a person's character or a trait of character is generally not admissible to prove that such person acted in conformity therewith on a particular occasion. Limited exceptions to this general prohibition are provided in subsections (a),(b) and (c). Subsection (c) provides, in pertinent part:

In a criminal case in which a defendant is charged with having committed a sexual offense, ..., evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts may be admitted by the court if relevant to show that the defendant had a character trait giving rise to an aberrant sexual propensity to commit the offense charged.

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Bluebook (online)
66 P.3d 1268, 205 Ariz. 91, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/feld-v-gerst-arizctapp-2003.