State v. Steed

665 A.2d 1072, 140 N.H. 153, 1995 N.H. LEXIS 115
CourtSupreme Court of New Hampshire
DecidedAugust 17, 1995
DocketNo. 94-190
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 665 A.2d 1072 (State v. Steed) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Steed, 665 A.2d 1072, 140 N.H. 153, 1995 N.H. LEXIS 115 (N.H. 1995).

Opinions

JOHNSON, J.

A Superior Court (O’Neil, J.) jury convicted the defendant, Richard Steed, of criminal trespass for violating a domestic violence restraining order. See RSA 173-B:8, 1(a) (1994) (amended 1994); RSA 635:2 (1986). Steed appeals, arguing that the superior court erred in: (1) admitting evidence that he possessed a gun seventeen hours after the offense charged; (2) admitting the victim’s ex parte domestic violence petition, through which she had [154]*154sought to restrain the defendant; (3) excluding a new version of a form for domestic violence restraining orders; (4) denying his motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence; and (5) denying his motion-for reconsideration of his sentence; We affirm.

The superior court trial was a de novo appeal from Steed’s conviction in the district court of criminal trespass for violating the restraining order. See RSA 599:1 (Supp. 1994). In the superior court, the victim testified as follows. She and Steed were involved in a romantic relátionship and lived together for over- a year. The victim ended the relationship in May 1993 and moved into a house she had just purchased. Soon afterwards, Steed began harassing her and her friends and family with telephone calls. Steed repeatedly asked the victim if he could see her and threatened her when she refused. The victim testified that she was afraid of Steed because he had a drinking problem and a gun. She recounted' an incident when she believed he was threatening her with the gun.

On June 10, 1993, the victim obtained a domestic violence restraining order forbidding Steed from entering her residence. A police officer served Steed with the order the same'day. In the early hours of June 15, the victim twice heard Steed’s car, with its distinctive muffler, in her driveway, but she did not see his car. Then, between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m., the victim observed Steed pull his car into her driveway, walk to'the garage attached to her house, return to his car, and drive away. She called the police and gave a statement to Officer Charles Hillsgrove that evening.

• After obtaining a warrant for Steed’s arrest, Hillsgrove drove to the victim’s home. The time was approximately 10:30 p.m., still on June 15,1993. Steed was at the victim’s home, parked in front of the house; He drove away as Hillsgrove approached, and Hillsgrove followed him, blue lights flashing. When Steed came to a stop, Hillsgrove saw him hide something under his front seat. After arresting him, Hillsgrove asked Steed if he had any weapons in the car. Steed replied that' he did not, but a search shortly thereafter revealed a loaded revolver. Steed had a permit to carry the gun.

Hillsgrove. testified that Steed confessed he had been in the victim’s driveway that morning. Steed, on the other hand, admitted at trial to being near the victim’s property but denied entering her driveway. He also testified that he thought the restraining order simply prohibited him from entering the victim’s house, and his lawyer argued to the jury that he did not knowingly violate the order. The jury returned a verdict of guilty.

Approximately one month later, Steed filed a motion for a new trial, on the basis of newly discovered evidence. The evidence [155]*155consisted of a videotaped recording of conversations between Steed and Hillsgrove on June 15, 1993, after Steed’s arrest. Steed argued that Hillsgrove’s recorded statements contradicted the officer’s assertion at trial that Steed had confessed to being on the victim’s property. At the hearing on the motion, Steed’s counsel admitted to possessing the videotape prior to trial but stated that he did not review it “in detail” until afterwards. The superior court denied the motion.

The superior court sentenced Steed to twelve months in the house of correction and two years of probation. Noting that the district court had not sentenced him to any period of incarceration, Steed filed a motion for reconsideration. The superior court denied this motion, and Steed appealed.

Steed first contests the admission of evidence that he had a gun in his car at the time of his arrest. He contends that this evidence was irrelevant and “only served to inflame or confuse the jury.” Steed does not argue that the admission of this evidence violated New Hampshire Rule of Evidence 404(b). We therefore address this issue under our traditional tests of relevancy and prejudice, cf. State v. Allen, 128 N.H. 390, 398, 514 A.2d 1263, 1268-69 (1986); see also N.H. R. Ev. 401, 403, and express no opinion whether our recent decisions in State v. Bassett, 139 N.H. 493, 659 A.2d 891 (1995), and State v. McGlew, 139 N.H. 505, 658 A.2d 1191 (1995), would compel a different analysis or result.

“Evidentiary rulings are within the sound discretion of the trial court,” Clipper Affiliates v. Checovich, 138 N.H. 271, 275, 638 A.2d 791, 794 (1994), and “[t]he defendant has the burden to demonstrate that the trial court’s discretionary ruling is clearly untenable or unreasonable to the prejudice of his case,” State v. Bouchard, 138 N.H. 581, 583, 643 A.2d 963, 965 (1994). We hold that Steed has failed to meet this burden.

To establish Steed’s guilt, the State had to prove that he knew he was not licensed or privileged to enter the victim’s driveway. RSA 635:2, I; State v. Wentworth, 118 N.H. 832, 839, 395 A.2d 858, 863 (1978). At trial, Steed denied that he knowingly violated the restraining order. Officer Hillsgrove’s testimony regarding the gun tended to counter this assertion. As recounted above, Steed immediately drove away from the victim’s housé when Hillsgrove appeared in his police cruiser. When stopped, Steed apparently hid his permitted gun under the front seat of his car. Then, when Hillsgrove arrested him for criminal trespass, Steed lied about the gun, denying its presence. The jury could have reasonably concluded that Steed’s behavior manifested an effort to [156]*156flee and avoid suspicion, hallmarks of a defendant’s consciousness of guilt. See State v. Philbrook, 138 N.H. 601, 603, 644 A.2d 66, 67 (1994) (effort to flee); State v. Thorp, 86 N.H. 501, 506-07, 171 A. 633, 638 (1934) (effort to avoid suspicion). The evidence was therefore relevant to the issue of intent. See N.H. R. EV. 401.

Steed does not explain how this evidence might have “inflame[d] or confuse[d]” the jury. Although the evidence likely prejudiced Steed, its probative value was not “substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice . . . [or] confusion of the issues.” N.H. R. EV. 403. Intent was a hotly contested issue at trial. The superior court would therefore have been justified in assigning the evidence a high probative value. Moreover, neither the prosecutor nor the court used this evidence to invite any improper inferences about Steed’s character or disposition. In closing argument, for example, the prosecutor made no mention of Steed’s earlier, threatening use of the gun against the victim.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
665 A.2d 1072, 140 N.H. 153, 1995 N.H. LEXIS 115, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-steed-nh-1995.