Harold Eugene Williams v. State of Maryland, No. 25, September Term 2017. Opinion by Hotten, J.
CRIMINAL LAW – EVIDENCE – RELEVANCY OF PRIOR CONVICTION – The Court of Appeals held that the trial court did not err in concluding that Williams’ prior battery conviction was relevant to a character witness’ testimony for Williams’ peaceful reputation in the community. Even though Williams’ prior conviction predated his relationship with each of his character witnesses, the conviction was not so remote that it had no relevant value to Williams’ character for peacefulness. As such, it was not an error for the circuit court to admit evidence of the conviction.
CRIMINAL LAW – EVIDENCE – PREJUDICIAL NATURE OF PRIOR CONVICTION – The Court of Appeals held that the probative value of Williams’ 1990 battery conviction was not so substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice that its admission was an abuse of discretion. An abuse of discretion may lie “where no reasonable person would take the view adopted by the trial court[ ]” Alexis v. State, 437 Md. 457, 478, 87 A.3d 1243, 1254 (2014). A reasonable person could conclude that evidence of Williams’ 1990 prior battery conviction was probative of his reputation for peacefulness some years later. Therefore, evidence of Williams’ 1990 battery conviction was not so remote that admitting it at trial was an abuse of discretion. Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County Case No. C-02-CR-15-000668 Argued: November 2, 2017 IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
OF MARYLAND
No. 25
September Term, 2017 ____________________________
HAROLD EUGENE WILLIAMS
v.
STATE OF MARYLAND
____________________________
Barbera, C.J., Greene, Adkins, McDonald, Watts, Hotten, Getty,
JJ. ____________________________
Opinion by Hotten, J. Watts, J., joins in judgment only. ____________________________
Filed: January 19, 2018 FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
This case stems from an incident between Petitioner, Harold Eugene Williams, and
his then girlfriend, Angela Swan. Following an altercation between Williams and Swan,
Williams was charged and later tried on seven counts, including first-degree assault,
second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, three weapons-related offenses, and posting
revenge pornography in violation of Md. Code (2002, 2012 Repl. Vol., 2016 Supp.), § 3-
809 of the Criminal Law Article. A jury found Williams guilty of second-degree assault,
acquitting him on the remaining charges. The following facts were adduced at trial:
Williams and Swan shared an intimate relationship from 2012 until October of 2015.
In the last few months of the relationship, they frequently quarreled. Williams and Swan
did not reside together, but Swan had a key to Williams’ home, kept personal belongings
there, and frequently spent the night. Swan testified that Williams’ possessed a silver
handgun and a rifle. Swan also testified that Williams kept the handgun under his pillow,
and she would typically move the handgun under the bed when she stayed overnight. On
October 23, 2015, Swan spent the night at Williams’ home. The following morning, Swan
went into Williams’ bathroom wearing only a shirt. While Swan was using the second-
floor bathroom, Williams, who was on the first floor, heard Swan’s cell phone ringing.
Williams picked up Swan’s phone, and saw a text message from another man, along with
messages from three other men. Williams also saw that Swan previously sent a nude
photograph to someone. With Swan’s phone in hand, Williams confronted Swan, and
threw her phone at her. Williams called Swan a derogatory term and told her to leave.
Before Swan could leave, Williams shoved her against the bathroom wall and began hitting her body. Crying, Swan tried to leave the bathroom but Williams threw her into the
hallway, on the floor. While Swan was on her back, Williams continued yelling, punching,
and kicking Swan’s body. Swan begged for time to get her things and leave. As she walked
up the stairs to gather her belongings, Williams began walking down the stairs. According
to Swan, Williams threw Swan’s pants at her, and held a gun to her head while he used her
cell phone to tell someone to come get Swan before he killed her. Swan testified that
Williams then pushed her down the stairs, but she eventually got up, and went to the first
floor to get her purse to leave. Williams came to the first floor, pushed Swan into a closet,
and took her purse, but Williams still held the gun. Swan ran up to the second floor where
she was able to grab a towel to wrap around her waist. She also took some of Williams’
belongings with the intention of trading his things back for hers, and left the house.
After the confrontation, Swan drove to a nearby convenience store to call 911. She
told the operator that Williams had attacked her and held a gun to her head, but that she did
not need medical attention. A police officer arrived to assist Swan. Swan explained that
Williams still had some of her belongings, including her cell phone. The officer went to
Williams’ house and retrieved Swan’s cell phone. Once Swan secured her phone, she saw
that her nude photograph posted to her Facebook account, but the police officer showed
Swan how to delete the post. The day after the incident, Swan went to Northwest Hospital
for treatment.
Williams testified in his defense, and denied punching, kicking, or threatening Swan
with a gun. He denied that he even owned a gun. Williams testified that after he saw the
nude photographs sent to other men on Swan’s phone, he went into the second-floor
2 bathroom of his house and confronted Swan. He claimed that he repeatedly told her to
leave, so he went to the first floor, opened the door, and threw her purse outside. Williams
admitted that when Swan came downstairs she had a towel around her waist, which he tried
to grab while pushing her out of the door, but that instead of leaving, Swan went back
upstairs. Williams said he wanted Swan to leave, so he went to the third floor bedroom
and threw her clothing down the steps, but not at her. Later, Williams went to his front
door where he saw Swan, who demanded that Williams return her phone and indicated that
she contacted the police. Williams left and went to his neighbor, Arkina Taylor’s, house
with Swan’s phone. Williams returned home, and a few minutes later, the police arrived
at his front door.
At trial, Williams’ attorney and the trial judge explained to Williams that the State
could use a previous battery conviction to impeach him. The following colloquy occurred
at the bench:
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: It’s my understanding, and am I correct, Mr. Miller, that you have no crimes of impeachment that you would be willing to use against Mr. Williams?
[STATE]: I guess pursuant to the impeachment rule for prior convictions, going towards veracity, yes.
THE COURT: So, are you saying that you have something else that you can get in from some other avenue?
[STATE]: Well --
THE COURT: I mean if he got on the stand and denied something, then, of course you could, but I’m --that’s not likely to come up.
[STATE]: Yeah, and I don’t want to -- I will approach before making my argument on that, and I don’t want to give my arguments away –
3 THE COURT: Uh-huh.
[STATE]: -- but do I have -- there is a disqualifying offense, which theoretically could become relevant.
****
[STATE]: I think there are scenarios where the door may be open for some of his prior convictions to come in.
THE COURT: Okay. I can’t conceive of that, but you may be absolutely correct; maybe that’s what will happen. And I assume you’ve spoken to your client about that?
[DEFENSE COUNSEL}: Yes. Let me just break that down into regular English.
THE COURT: Okay.
[QUESTIONS BY DEFENSE COUNSEL]:
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: You don’t have any convictions in your background that the State could use as impeachment in terms of moral turpitude, so the State cannot use any past convictions to say, hey, you’re a bad person. Do you understand that?
[WILLIAMS] Yes.
THE COURT: Or that he’s a liar.
[STATE]: It’s not just about -- yeah.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Right. Or that you’re lying. Do you understand that?
[WILLIAMS]: Yes.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Now, if you testify certain ways, maybe one or more of your past convictions may come in to prove that you’re lying. Do you understand that?
4 [WILLIAMS]: Yes.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Do you have any questions about that?
[WILLIAMS]: No.
Williams called his former neighbor, Arkina Taylor, to testify as a character witness.
Taylor knew Williams for ten years and opined that he was “[a] hard-working fun-loving
guy that just likes to have a good time.” Taylor testified that Williams had a reputation in
the community for being a peaceful person, and that she had never seen him become violent
or with a firearm.
After Taylor’s direct examination, the State requested to approach the bench. The
following colloquy occurred:
[STATE]: Your Honor, this is the exact scenario I was talking about. Now that she has said he’s a peaceful person --
THE COURT: Uh-huh.
[STATE]: -- the State is entitled to rebut that by asking her if she’s aware that he has a prior conviction for battery.
THE COURT: Uh-huh. I think you are, too. Do you want to say anything about it?
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I do. I think that the State should not be allowed to do that. If the State knew the specific facts of what that battery is, they --
THE COURT: Well, why would that be, because I don’t think the State is allowed to get into the facts; all they’re allowed to do is ask that single question. Remember, they’re not allowed to say or ask for their --
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I would think at this point, that they’re referring to a conviction back in 1990 and I think it’s certainly more prejudicial than probative and I don’t think the State should be allowed --
[STATE]: It is 1990, Your Honor.
5 THE COURT: 1990. If she’s known him for 10 years --
[STATE]: But they’re -- it’s her best friend, so it’s very relevant if she [sic] ever told him if she is aware of his prior convictions --
[STATE]: -- that he’s a peaceful and non-violent man. I mean it’s completely relevant, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Uh-huh. I think it is, too.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: And I would just argue that this is a conviction that dates back 25 years.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: It dates a full 16 years prior to her knowing him.
THE COURT: Does that make any difference?
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I think it does. I think it’s certainly more prejudicial than probative.
THE COURT: Well, here’s the problem I’m having and maybe you can help me with this; there’s a difference between admitting it (indiscernible - 10:52:04) and admitting it because it may not be a true fact, if he’s always been a peaceful man, right?
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Uh-huh.
THE COURT: And I think the State is trying to get it in to show that he’s not peaceful. And so there’s no requirement that it did not date back to at least-- you know, even in 15 years.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I think there is. I specifically asked whether or not, based upon her knowledge of him and the length of time that she knew him, that he was peaceful, and based upon that, her knowledge, and those ten years of his reputation in the community, I think unless the State has some other hinge of evidence that he’s gotten a reputation, based upon that past prior for being not peaceful or being violent, it shouldn’t be allowed.
6 [STATE]: They opened the door. They put his peacefulness in evidence.
[STATE]: Whether--and I’m not going to do this--first off, I do it (indiscernible - 10:53:03) how well she knows him, because if she doesn’t know about this, then she really doesn’t know him that well, and if she does know about this, then he’s not a peaceful--his reputation is in question. They’ve completely opened this door--
THE COURT: I think it comes in and the [State] will be entitled to say, knowing that, does that change your opinion of his peaceful character.
On cross-examination, the State asked Taylor if she was aware of Williams’ prior
battery conviction. She indicated that she was not. When asked whether a previous battery
conviction would change her opinion of Williams as a peaceful or violent person, she
indicated it would not.
Dana Webb, Williams’ former girlfriend, and Kamran Jones, Williams’ family
friend and co-worker, also testified on Williams’ behalf. Webb had known Williams for
six years, and testified that Williams has a reputation in the community for peacefulness,
generosity, and kindness. She had never seen him with a firearm. When asked by
Williams’ attorney whether Webb was aware a prior conviction for battery, she indicated
she was not. When asked if that would alter her opinion of Williams, she said it would not.
Jones testified that he has known Williams for fifteen years, and had never seen him with
a firearm. Jones explained that Williams has a reputation in the community for being a
peaceful person, a businessman, and entrepreneur. When asked by Williams’ attorney
whether Jones was aware a prior conviction for battery, he said he was not. When asked if
that would change his opinion of Williams, he said it would not. The State revisited
7 Williams’ previous battery conviction on cross-examination of Webb and Jones, and the
witnesses reiterated their earlier responses.
At the end of the State’s case-in-chief, the trial court granted Williams’ motion for
judgment of acquittal on the charge of posting revenge pornography. The State entered a
nolle prosequi on the charge of use of a handgun in the commission of a felony. The trial
court submitted the remaining counts to the jury. The jury returned a guilty verdict on the
second-degree assault count and acquitted Williams of the four remaining counts. The trial
court imposed a sentence of three years imprisonment, with all but six months suspended,
to be followed by two years of supervised probation. Williams filed a timely appeal to the
Court of Special Appeals.
On appeal, Williams argued that the trial court improperly admitted evidence of his
1990 battery conviction (“1990 battery conviction”). Williams v. State, 232 Md. App. 342,
351, 157 A.3d 398, 402–03, cert. granted, 454 Md. 679, 165 A.3d 474 (2017). Williams
contended that, as a matter of law, the 1990 battery conviction was too remote in time to
be relevant. Id. Alternatively, Williams contended that the probative value of the battery
conviction was substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, and admission
of the prior conviction was an abuse of discretion. Id. In a reported opinion, the Court of
Special Appeals affirmed Williams’ conviction. Id. at 360, 157 A.3d at 408. The
intermediate appellate court reasoned that Williams’ 1990 battery conviction was not so
old that, as a matter of law, it no longer had any conceivable relevance to his character for
peacefulness. Id. at 355, 157 A.3d at 405. The Court of Special Appeals held that the trial
court, in the exercise of its discretion, was permitted to allow the State to impeach character
8 witnesses with evidence of Williams’ 25-year-old battery conviction. Id. at 357, 157 A.3d
at 406. Each character witness testified regarding Williams’ reputation for peacefulness,
thus, it was not unreasonable for the trial court to permit the State to use Williams’
conviction to challenge the basis for the witnesses’ testimony.1 Id. In a timely manner,
Williams filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to this Court.
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
Williams presents the following three questions for our review:
1. Is a conviction that is more than fifteen years old irrelevant as a matter of law to a character witness’ opinion about a defendant?
2. Were questions revealing Williams’ prior conviction, which occurred at least a decade before any of his character witnesses had met him, irrelevant to their opinions as to his reputation for peacefulness?
3. Were questions revealing Williams’ prior conviction substantially more prejudicial than they were probative of the witnesses’ opinions as to his reputation for peacefulness?
For the reasons that follow, we answer each question presented in the negative and
affirm the Court of Special Appeals.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
Interpretation of the Maryland Rules presents a question of law, and are thus
reviewed de novo to ascertain whether the trial court was legally correct in its rulings. State
v. Graves, 447 Md. 230, 240, 135 A.3d 376, 382 (2016); Lisy Corp. v. McCormick & Co.,
1 Williams additionally challenged the trial court’s refusal to give the jury a reinstruction on defense of property. Id. 232 Md. App. at 359, 157 A.3d at 407. The Court of Special Appeals held that the trial court did not err in refusing reinstruction, and jury instructions are not at issue before this Court. Id. 9 445 Md. 213, 221, 126 A.3d 55, 60 (2015); Williams v. State, 435 Md. 474, 483, 79 A.3d
931, 936 (2013); State v. Daughtry, 419 Md. 35, 46, 18 A.3d 60, 67 (2011); DRD Pool
Serv., Inc. v. Freed, 416 Md. 46, 62, 5 A.3d 45, 55 (2010); Khalifa v. Shannon, 404 Md.
107, 142, 945 A.2d 1244, 1264 (2008); Gray v. State, 388 Md. 366, 375, 879 A.2d 1064,
1068 (2005); Davis v. Slater, 383 Md. 599, 604, 861 A.2d 78, 80–81 (2004). See Cole v.
State, 378 Md. 42, 56, 835 A.2d 600, 607 (2003) (observing that the application of the
Maryland Rules to a particular situation is a question of law reviewed de novo). In
determining whether a trial court properly exercised its discretion, an appellate court will
typically not disturb the lower courts’ exercise of its discretion unless the decision is not
based on sound legal principles. Therefore, we interpret the Maryland Rules de novo, and
review the trial judge’s admissions for an abuse of discretion.
DISCUSSION
Although Williams presents three questions for our consideration, Williams’
arguments rest primarily on two grounds; first, whether Williams’ prior battery conviction
is relevant to his current reputation for peacefulness, and second, whether the probative
value of the 1990 conviction is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.
On relevancy grounds, Williams argues that this Court should hold that evidence of a
defendant’s prior conviction that is more than fifteen years old, and thus inadmissible for
impeachment under Maryland Rule 5-609, is also irrelevant to rebut the testimony of a
character witness under Maryland Rule 5-404(a)(2)(A). Williams asks us to hold that even
if we do not apply a fifteen-year limit on rebuttal evidence, that the evidence was not
relevant because it was substantially more prejudicial than probative. Williams’ 1990
10 battery conviction predated the time when any of the character witnesses had known
Williams by at least a decade, and was similar to the crime for which he was on trial. For
reasons we will explain, we decline to adopt a fifteen-year limitation for rebuttal evidence.
Further, the probative value of the evidence here was not substantially outweighed by the
danger of unfair prejudice.
I. Relevance of the 1990 Battery Conviction
Williams asserts that the 1990 battery conviction is too remote in time to be
probative. Particularly, he asserts that because the battery conviction was fifteen years
before he met Taylor, the prior conviction cannot be probative of Taylor’s opinion of
Williams’ reputation for peacefulness in the community as of 2015, roughly twenty-five
years later. Although this Court reviews a trial court’s determination of relevance under
an abuse of discretion standard, Young v. State, 370 Md. 686, 720, 806 A.2d 233, 253
(2002), the relevancy of evidence is a legal determination defined by statute. See Md. Rule
5-401. Evidence is relevant if it has “any tendency to make the existence of any fact that
is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it
would be without the evidence.” Id. In other terms, evidence is relevant if it has any
tendency to make any fact more or less probable. Id. Having “any tendency” to make “any
fact” more or less probable is a very low bar to meet. State v. Simms, 420 Md. 705, 727,
25 A.3d 144, 157 (2011). We have explained that for evidence to be relevant, “[t]he proper
inquiry is whether the evidence could support an inference that the defendant’s conduct
demonstrates a consciousness of guilt. If so, the evidence is relevant and generally
11 admissible.” Id. (quoting Thomas v. State, 397 Md. 557, 577, 919 A.2d 49, 61 (2007)
(emphasis omitted).
Generally, the “State may not offer, as proof of guilt, evidence that the defendant is
a person of bad character and, therefore, likely to commit the offense charged.” State v.
Watson, 321 Md. 47, 52, 580 A.2d 1067, 1069 (1990). Simply put, evidence of an
individual’s character or character trait is inadmissible to prove that on a particular
occasion, that individual acted in accordance with that character trait. Md. Rule 5-
404(a)(1). The commonly known caveat to the general rule allows a criminal defendant to
offer evidence of his own pertinent character trait. Id. 5-404(a)(2)(A). However, once the
defendant offers evidence of that character trait, the State may offer evidence to discolor a
showing of that same trait. Md. Rule 5-404(a)(2)(A). See id. (stating “[a]n accused may
offer evidence of the accused’s pertinent trait of character. If the evidence is admitted, the
prosecution may offer evidence to rebut it[ ]”). See also Watson, 321 Md. at 52, 580 A.2d
at 1069 (explaining that if a character witness testifies about the defendant’s good character
for a relevant trait, the State may offer evidence to establish the defendant’s bad character
for that same trait). As prescribed by the rule, Williams was able to introduce evidence of
his character for peacefulness through three character witnesses, Taylor, Webb, and Jones.
The Maryland Rules also prescribe the method and means that a party must employ
to prove or rebut character evidence. Maryland Rule 5-405(a) explains that when evidence
of a person’s character trait is “admissible, proof may be made by testimony as to reputation
or by testimony in the form of an opinion. On cross-examination, inquiry is allowable into
relevant specific instances of conduct.” Md. Rule 5-405(a). Thus, the defendant may call
12 a witness to testify regarding the witness’ personal opinion of the defendant’s pertinent
trait, or about the defendant’s reputation for that pertinent trait. Here, Williams called
three character witnesses, but argues that his 1990 battery conviction was too remote in
time to be relevant because the conviction occurred at least a decade before Williams knew
any of the three witnesses. Thus, Williams contends that the 1990 battery conviction is not
probative of his character for peacefulness because the conviction predated his relationship
with the witnesses, and therefore the witnesses’ impression of Williams’ reputation.
Before the Court of Special Appeals, Williams relied on State v. Watson, and argued
that his prior conviction was too remote in time to be relevant of his character during cross-
examination of his character witness. Williams employs the same approach before this
Court. The Court of Special Appeals determined that Watson was inapposite, and we agree.
Williams, 232 Md. App. at 352, 157 A.3d at 403. In Watson, the defendant was charged
with first-degree murder. Watson, 321 Md. at 49, 580 A.2d at 1068. Prior to trial, Watson
moved in limine to preclude the State from introducing evidence of a six-year old
conviction for “second-degree rape” under Maryland Code (1957, 1987 Repl.Vol., 1990
Cum.Supp.), Article 27, § 463(a)(3), which makes it unlawful to have vaginal intercourse
with a person under the age of fourteen, when the defendant is more than four years older
than the victim. Id. at 50, 580 A.2d at 1068. An investigation of the second-degree rape
revealed that Watson and the thirteen year-old victim “engaged in vaginal intercourse on
more than one occasion, but the victim but was never forced to do so. The victim also
stated that she was in love with the accused.” Id. at 51, 580 A.2d at 1069. Prior to trial,
the trial judge properly precluded cross-examination on the second-degree rape conviction
13 because it was not a common law crime relevant to Watson’s credibility. Id. at 50, 580
A.2d at 1068.
During the trial, Watson called eight character witness on his behalf, who all
testified to his peaceful nature and non-violent character. Id. Over defense counsel’s
objection, the State cross-examined the character witnesses as to whether they were aware
that Watson was convicted of second-degree rape, and whether that knowledge caused
them to change their opinions. Id. Most of the witnesses were aware of the rape conviction
and testified that it did not change their opinion. Id. at 50–51, 580 A.2d 1068. In an
unreported opinion, the Court of Special Appeals concluded that the trial court erred in
admitting evidence of the second-degree rape conviction, and reversed Watson’s murder
conviction. Id. at 51, 580 A.2d at 1069. We granted certiorari to determine whether
Watson’s second-degree rape conviction “was admissible to impeach the opinions
expressed by defense witnesses who testified to Watson’s good character for peacefulness
and non-violence.” Id. at 51–52, 580 A.2d at 1069.
In Watson, we affirmed the Court of Special Appeals and agreed that the trial court
erred in allowing the State to use a second-degree rape conviction during cross-
examination of a character witness, because having sex with a consenting thirteen year-old
girl bore little relationship to the defendant’s character for peacefulness. Id. at 56, 580
A.2d at 1071. Watson’s premise is that Watson’s second-degree rape conviction was
“irrelevant to the impeachment issue for which it was offered.” Id. (internal citations
omitted). Our conclusion that Watson does not support Williams’ position could end here,
14 because unlike Watson’s second-degree rape conviction that had no bearing on his
character for peacefulness, Williams’ does.
Williams’ conviction for battery, then a common law crime, was previously defined
as the “unlawful beating of another[.]” Kellum v. State, 223 Md. 80, 85, 162 A.2d 473,
476 (1960). We have also defined common law battery as the “unlawful application of
force to the person of another[,]” Snowden v. State, 321 Md. 612, 617, 583 A.2d 1056,
1059 (1991), and as “‘any unlawful force used against the person of another, no matter
how slight [.]’” Edmund v. State, 398 Md. 562, 571, 921 A.2d 264, 269 (2007) (quoting
State v. Duckett, 306 Md. 503, 510, 510 A.2d 253, 257 (1986) (internal citations omitted).
See also Lamb v. State, 93 Md. App. 422, 448, 613 A.2d 402, 414 (1992) (quoting R.
Perkins, Criminal Law, 152–153 (3d ed. 1982) (defining battery as “an application of force
to the person of another ‘by the aggressor himself, or by some substance which he puts in
motion.’”). As the variations of common law battery demonstrate, battery is the unlawful
forceful touching by one person to another. Battery undoubtedly bears on an individual’s
character for non-violence. Therefore, Williams’ argument that Watson supports his
position fails, because the prior conviction at issue here, unlike in Watson, is indicative of
one’s character for peacefulness. Watson also did not involve a conviction that was “too
remote in time to be relevant” on the character witnesses’ cross-examination. At issue then
is the relevance of the 1990 battery conviction if it predates Williams’ relationship with all
of his character witnesses.
On the point of the remoteness of his conviction, Williams offers no authority. The
Court of Special Appeals held, and Williams concedes, that there is no time bar for prior
15 convictions expressly stated in Maryland Rule 5-404(a)(2)(A). However, Williams asserts
that the limitation explicitly stated in Maryland Rule 5-609, should apply here. Williams
argues that a conviction that predated the witnesses’ relationships with Williams by ten to
nineteen years had no relevance to their opinions about his reputation in the community in
2015, and asks us to read the same fifteen-year limitation expressly written in Maryland
Rule 5-609, implicitly in Maryland Rule 5-404. See Md. Rule 5-609(b) (“[e]vidence of a
conviction is not admissible under this Rule if a period of more than 15 years has elapsed
since the date of the conviction, except as to a conviction for perjury for which no time
limit applies”). “Our interpretation of the Maryland Rules is a question of law; as such, we
review a trial court’s determinations on matters of interpretation without deference.”
Pinkney v. State, 427 Md. 77, 88, 46 A.3d 413, 419 (2012).
It is well established that when we interpret the Maryland Rules, we first examine
the plain language. Id. at 88, 46 A.3d 413, 420. After this step, our analysis ends if:
the words are clear and unambiguous.... Only when the language of the rule is ambiguous is it necessary that we look elsewhere to ascertain legislative intent. We are also to give effect to the entire rule, neither adding, nor deleting, words in order to give it a meaning not otherwise evident by the words actually used. Finally, we seek to give the rule a reasonable interpretation, not one that is illogical or incompatible with common sense.
State v. Taylor, 431 Md. 615, 630–31, 66 A.3d 698, 707 (2013) (quoting Brown &
Williamson Tobacco Corp. v. Gress, 378 Md. 667, 676, 838 A.2d 362, 367 (2003) (internal
citations omitted). Following these cardinal rules of interpretation we decline to read a
fifteen-year limitation into Maryland Rule 5-404 where none exists. Where Williams has
offered no compelling reason for the bright line limitation, and the statute provides for no
16 indication that one should be implicitly included, we shall not read language into a statute
that is not consistent with legislative intent.
Williams’ character for peacefulness was placed at issue when he called three
character witnesses to testify regarding his peaceful and non-violent nature. In
conformance with the Maryland Rules, once Williams’ counsel began that line of
questioning, the door was opened for the State to cross-examine Williams’ witnesses on
that issue. It appears from the first colloquy referenced supra, among the State, Williams’
counsel, and the trial court, that Williams was made aware that the State could use this
conviction to discredit any proffered character for peacefulness. Because Williams placed
his character at issue, the State was entitled to rebut that evidence. The 1990 battery
conviction was not so old, that it failed to meet the low bar of making “any fact that is of
consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable[.]” Md.
Rule 5-401. Evidence of a violent character, as a matter of law, had some bearing on the
action at issue, an assault. Even though the conviction was some years before any of the
witnesses knew Williams, the evidence allowed the jurors to weigh all pertinent aspects of
Williams’ character for non-violence. As the Court of Special Appeals affirmed, “the jury
might arguably have gotten an incomplete impression of Williams’[] character for
peacefulness.…” Williams, 232 Md. App. at 355, 157 A.3d at 405. Therefore, the trial
court did not err in deciding that the 1990 battery conviction bore some legal relevance to
the character witnesses’ testimony.
17 II. The Value of the 1990 Battery Conviction
Williams next contends that even if this Court decides that evidence of his 1990
battery conviction was relevant, its probative value is substantially outweighed by the
danger of unfair prejudice. Even relevant evidence must be excluded “if its probative value
is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or
misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless
presentation of cumulative evidence.” Md. Rule 5-403. Improper cross-examination of a
character witness can be highly prejudicial. However, “a decision to admit relevant
evidence over an objection that the evidence is unfairly prejudicial will not be reversed
absent an abuse of discretion.” Merzbacher v. State, 346 Md. 391, 405, 697 A.2d 432, 439
(1997). An abuse of discretion “has been said to occur ‘where no reasonable person would
take the view adopted by the trial court,’ or when the court acts ‘without reference to any
guiding rules or principles.’” Alexis v. State, 437 Md. 457, 478, 87 A.3d 1243, 1254 (2014)
(quoting King v. State, 407 Md. 682, 697, 967 A.2d 790, 798 (2009) (emphasis omitted).
Williams repeats that evidence of the 1990 battery conviction was not probative at
all because it occurred before any of his character witnesses knew him, but adds that the
evidence was also highly prejudicial. Williams additionally includes that there was little,
if any, probative value in the witnesses’ lack of knowledge about the 1990 battery
conviction because a person could be very familiar with Williams during that time period
without being aware of the conviction. Williams asserts that the jurors were prejudiced
against him because they were informed of the 1990 battery conviction at trial. Williams
was on trial for second-degree assault, and the jury was instructed on the battery modality
18 of assault. See Md. Code, (Repl. Vol. 2012) Criminal Law Article, § 3-201 (defining assault
as “the crimes of assault, battery, and assault and battery, which retain their judicially
determined meanings[ ]”). As before the Court of Special Appeals, Williams relies on
authority from Ricketts v. State, 291 Md. 701, 436 A.2d 906 (1981) and Michelson v. State,
335 U.S. 469, 69 S. Ct. 213, 93 L. Ed. 168 (1948).
Williams quotes Ricketts’ premise that, “[w]here the crime for which the defendant
is on trial is identical or similar to the crime for which he has been previously convicted
the danger is greater, as the jury may conclude that because he did it before he most likely
has done it again.” Ricketts, 291 Md. at 703, 436 A.2d at 908. A jury convicted Ricketts
on charges of second-degree rape, second-degree sexual offense, and burglary. Id. at 702,
436 A.2d at 907. When Ricketts testified in his own defense, the trial judge allowed the
prosecutor to question Ricketts about a three-year old conviction for indecent exposure,
which was then used to impeach his credibility. Id. The Ricketts Court cautioned against
admitting impeachment evidence of a similar prior crime because “[t]he net effect of such
evidence is often to discourage the defendant from taking the stand.” Id. at 703, 436 A.2d
at 908.
The portion of Ricketts cited by Williams, and the facts at issue in Ricketts, are
inapposite to Williams’ position for two primary reasons. First, Williams’ reliance on
Ricketts is improper because the Ricketts’ Court cautioned against admission of prior
crimes for impeachment purposes during the defendant’s testimony. Williams testified in
his own defense, and evidence of the 1990 battery conviction during his testimony is not
the error that he complains of here. Rather, he finds issue with the impeachment of
19 character witnesses’ opinions’ after testifying to his strong reputation for peacefulness in
the community. Ricketts does not involve character witnesses. Second, the Ricketts Court
resolved that Ricketts’ past conviction for indecent exposure, had no bearing on a moral
depravity to sufficiently impact his credibility. Id. at 710, 436 A.2d at 911. As discussed
previously, a battery, which requires an application of unlawful force to another person,
bears on a person’s character for non-violence. Here, the 1990 battery conviction has a
relation, albeit lengthy, to Williams’ character for peacefulness.
Williams’ reliance on Michelson to assert that his 1990 battery conviction was so
remote that the prejudicial nature substantially outweighed the evidence’s probative value,
is also unpersuasive. In 1947, Michelson was charged with bribing a federal revenue agent.
Michelson, 335 U.S. at 470, 69 S. Ct. at 216. Michelson testified in his own defense.
During direct-examination, his own counsel brought out that, in 1927, he was convicted of
a misdemeanor for trading in counterfeit watch dials. Id. at 471, 69 S. Ct. at 216. On cross-
examination Michelson was asked about an incident in 1930, where executing an
application for a license to deal in second-hand jewelry, he answered ‘No’ to the question
whether he had previously been arrested or summoned for any offense. Id. Michelson
called five character witnesses, who all testified that he had a good reputation. Id. On
cross-examination, the Government asked four of the five witnesses if they heard that
Michelson was arrested for receiving stolen goods twenty-seven years prior. Id. None of
the witnesses appeared to be aware of Michelson’s previous arrest. Id.
While affirming that questions asked to ascertain the witness’ knowledge of rumors,
are not allowed, the Court explained that “[e]vents a generation old are likely to be lived
20 down and dropped from the present thought and talk of the community and to be absent
from the knowledge of younger or more recent acquaintances. The court in its discretion
may well exclude inquiry about rumors of an event so remote, unless recent misconduct
revived them.” Michelson, 335 U.S. at 484, 69 S. Ct. at 222. Williams’ prior battery is not
a rumor. The evidence here does not involve musings of Williams’ reputation currently,
or in 1990, but an actual conviction. Further, an allegation for receiving stolen goods does
not bear on an individual’s peaceful character like a conviction for battery. As such, the
proposition from Michelson, that rumors should not be revived on cross-examination, does
not support this scenario where Williams has previously been convicted for a crime bearing
on his character for peacefulness.
Other than the references to Michelson and Ricketts, Williams offers no additional
authority demonstrating that it was an abuse of discretion for the trial court to admit
evidence of Williams’ 1990 battery conviction because its probative value was
substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice. The crux of Williams’ argument demands
that it was highly prejudicial to inform the jurors of Williams’ 1990 battery conviction,
when the jurors were similarly being asked to decide if Williams committed the battery
modality of assault. All evidence, by its nature, is prejudicial. A defendant, however, must
suffer unfair prejudice for exclusion under Maryland Rule 5-403. The prejudicial nature
necessarily must be measured in comparison to the evidence’s probative value. As we have
discussed, the 1990 battery conviction had some probative value because previously
committing a battery directly pertains to an individual’s peaceful nature, which is at issue
in Williams’ case. Given the probative nature of the evidence, it was reasonable to allow
21 the jury to consider the evidence. Critical to our determination that the prejudicial nature
was not unfair, is that Williams was acquitted of the greater charge of first-degree assault,
and numerous other offenses. Thus, it was not an abuse of discretion for the trial judge to
admit evidence of Williams’ 1990 battery conviction.
CONCLUSION
Accordingly, we conclude that Williams’ 1990 battery conviction was not irrelevant
as a matter of law. We decline to read a fifteen-year limitation into Maryland Rule 5-404.
Williams’ 1990 battery conviction had some bearing on his character for peacefulness,
making some fact in the trial court’s proceeding more or less probable. Additionally,
where a statute is unambiguous we apply the statute’s plain language. Here, Maryland
Rule 5-404 unambiguously does not provide a fifteen-year limitation for rebuttal evidence,
thus we decline to create one where no clear avenue exists. It was not an abuse of discretion
for the trial judge to admit evidence of the 1990 battery conviction. The relevance of the
jurors having a complete picture of Williams’ character wat not substantially outweighed
by the danger of unfair prejudice.
JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS IS AFFIRMED. COSTS TO BE PAID BY PETITIONER.
Judge Watts joins in judgment only.