State v. Rushing

749 P.2d 910, 156 Ariz. 1, 1988 Ariz. LEXIS 1
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 5, 1988
DocketCR-86-0210-AP
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 749 P.2d 910 (State v. Rushing) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Rushing, 749 P.2d 910, 156 Ariz. 1, 1988 Ariz. LEXIS 1 (Ark. 1988).

Opinion

*2 MOELLER, Justice.

JURISDICTION

Defendant Gregory Rushing appeals from his convictions and sentences for aggravated assault, misdemeanor assault, burglary, and theft. On appeal, he makes two contentions:

1. The trial court erred in admitting photographs showing the victims’ injuries; and
2. The trial court erred in failing to advise the defendant that the sentences imposed in the instant case would be consecutive to the sentences imposed in the cases where he violated his probation.

On these two issues, we find no error and affirm the convictions and sentences on the aggravated assault count, the misdemeanor assault count, and the burglary count. Based upon our review of the entire record for fundamental error, we conclude that a modification of the theft conviction is required. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Ariz. Const, art. 6, § 5(3), and A.R.S. § 13-4031.

FACTS

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on May 3, 1985, an intruder broke into the Florence, Arizona home of an elderly ill woman. The woman’s sister, also elderly and somewhat infirm, was present, visiting her sister. The intruder immediately began beating the two women and making sexual advances upon them. As the assaults continued, the man alternated between the women, abusing one until she lost consciousness and then turning to attack the other. Finally, one of the sisters escaped and summoned help from neighbors. The neighbors telephoned the police, and one neighbor started toward the house where the attack was occurring. As he approached the house, he observed a man burst out of the house carrying a “bag” under his arm. The “bag” was the purse of one of the victims.

The attacker was observed fleeing on foot. The victims' neighbors saw a man fitting a general description of the attacker in the vicinity of a home where a party was in progress. The police concluded that the attacker might be at the party. Officers observed a panel truck leave the party. When police were unable to locate the assailant at the party, they contacted the owner of the panel truck who informed them that he had given the defendant a ride home from the party.

When police contacted defendant, he was wearing clothes similar to those worn by the attacker. He was also wearing a wedding band with the inscription “GR to AM”, and a,date ‘>‘7/22/09.” This was the wedding ring of the victims’ parents and belonged to one of the victims, who had removed it from her hand and placed it in her purse shortly before the attack. That purse was stolen during the attack. Abundant other evidence tied defendant to the crimes.

After defendant was found guilty by a jury, he waived jury trial on the state’s allegation of a prior felony conviction and entered an admission to it. At the sentencing hearing, the trial court found that defendant was on probation for two separate felonies at the time of the instant offenses, which triggered the life imprisonment provision of A.R.S. § 13-604.02 insofar as the aggravated assault count was concerned. He received aggravated sentences on the remaining counts to be served concurrently with his life sentence. However, all of the new sentences were ordered to be served consecutively to the sentences defendant received on his probation revocations.

ADMISSION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

The trial judge admitted a number of photographs into evidence which depicted the injuries suffered by the victims. Defendant, relying largely on State v. Chapple, 135 Ariz. 281, 660 P.2d 1208 (1983), argues that the photographs should not have been admitted because their prejudicial effect outweighed their probative value.

Our analysis begins by observing that decisions concerning the admission of evidence are within the sound discretion of the *3 trial court. Absent an abuse of that discretion, a reviewing court will not overturn the trial court. State v. Hensley, 142 Ariz. 598, 602, 691 P.2d 689, 693 (1984).

While Chappie discusses and clarifies the rules concerning the admissibility of allegedly “inflammatory” photographs, the decision simply applies Rules 402 and 403 of the Arizona Rules of Evidence. To be admissible into evidence, photographs, like all other evidence, must first be relevant. Rule 402, Arizona Rules of Evidence; Chapple, 135 Ariz. at 288, 660 P.2d at 1215. Second, “[a]lthough relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice____” Rule 403, Arizona Rules of Evidence. See also Chapple, 135 Ariz. at 288, 660 P.2d at 1215. Thus, we must first address the relevancy of the evidence.

Rushing was charged with two counts of aggravated assault under A.R.S. § 13-1204(A)(1) on the theory that he had caused “serious physical injury” to the victims. “Serious physical injury” includes “physical injury which creates a reasonable risk of death, or which causes serious and permanent disfigurement, or serious impairment of health or loss or protracted impairment of the function of any bodily organ or limb.” A.R.S. § 13-105(31) (formerly A.R.S. § 13-105(29)). To prove this element, the state offered the testimony of a doctor and one of the victims. This testimony was illustrated and supplemented by the photographs. The trial court certainly did not abuse its discretion in finding the photographs relevant.

Nor did the court abuse its discretion in finding that the probative value of the photographs was not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. The photographs are not gruesome. Admittedly, they are somewhat unpleasant, but they accurately and fairly depict the results of the defendant’s crimes, which were relevant issues in the case. Compare Chapple, 135 Ariz. at 287, 660 P.2d at 1214; State v. Moorman, 154 Ariz. 578, 586, 744 P.2d 679, 687 (1987). Obviously, they did not so inflame the jury as to render it incapable of making critical factual determinations. This is amply demonstrated by the fact that the jurors acquitted the defendant of a charge of sexual assault and convicted him of only the lesser-included offense of simple assault on one of the victims. There was no error in admitting the photographs.

VOLUNTARINESS OF ADMISSION TO PRIOR FELONY

Following the jury verdicts, defendant waived his right to a jury trial on the state’s allegation of a prior felony conviction and entered an admission to it.

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Bluebook (online)
749 P.2d 910, 156 Ariz. 1, 1988 Ariz. LEXIS 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rushing-ariz-1988.