WPCN oM# GO\AEUc$"Small Circle"0 ,!XOXXX  TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T  8OXdd8  r(<,(j 8` `@E` ttx0 r_INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  t(>.*jxm` `@E` 8ttxP m tATJACKSON    AUGUST1999SESSION  `   STATEOFTENNESSEE,  h     )    `     h     ) `  Appellee , h     ) C.C.A.No.02C019901CC00036     `     h     ) vs . `     h     ) 򀀀CarrollCounty  t   `     h     ) O.B.FREEMANGREEN,JR. ,    ) Hon.C.CreedMcGinley,Judge  F   `     h     ) 2  `  Appellant . h     ) (AggravatedAssault)  h  `     h     ) FORTHEAPPELLANT: h     FORTHEAPPELLEE:     RAYMONDL.IVEY  h     PAULG.SUMMERS   P.O.Box667   h     AttorneyGeneral&Reporter  Huntingdon,TN38344 `     h   CLINTONJ.MORGAN `   `     h   CounselfortheState L  `     h 425FifthAvenueNorth `     h   Nashville,TN372430493 `     h     ROBERTRADFORD   4  `     h     DistrictAttorneyGeneral `     h ELEANORCAHILL #"  `     h     AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral $#  `     h   P.O.Box686̀ `     h Huntingdon,TN38344 Z&!%  OPINIONFILED:_____________  -(-  AFFIRMED (1x,1 JAMESCURWOODWITT,JR.,JUDGE   839   OPINION   `  Thedefendant,O.B.FreemanGreen,Jr.,appealshisCarrollCounty | CircuitCourtconvictionofaggravatedassault.SeeTenn.CodeAnn.3913 H 102(a)(1)(A)(1997).Afteratrialinwhichajuryreturnedaguiltyverdict,thetrialcourtimposedaRange񜛜IIsentenceofnineyearstobeservedintheTennesseeDepartmentofCorrection.Theonlyissueraisedbythedefendantinthisappealiswhetherthetrialcourterredinallowingtheimpeachmentofthedefendantasawitnessbytheuseofpastcriminalconvictions.Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. `  TheconvictionisbaseduponanoffensethatoccurredintheCarrollCountyjail.OnJanuary2,1998,thevictim,LarrySherrod,reportedtotheCarrollCountyjailtobeginservingaDUIsentence.Hiswifedroppedhimoffatthejailat6:55p.m.,andthevictimwasimmediatelyprocessedintothefacility.Hewasadmittedtohisassignedenclosure,whichheldapproximatelytwentyprisoners.Heimmediatelywenttoavacantcotandbegantomakeuphisbed,whenhewasapproachedbythedefendantandanotherprisonerwhowasnotidentified.Sherrodtestifiedthatthedefendantsaidtohim, Illmakeyoumybitch.Thiscommentstartledthevictim,andhestoodup.Thedefendantthenhithimtwice,oncewitheachfist,inthenose.Thevictimsnosebegantobleed,andheexperiencedpainandblurredvision.Hetriedtokickonthedoortotheenclosureinordertogetthejailersattention,butthedefendantcametohimagainandwarnedhimaboutsummoningtheofficersintotheenclosure.Thevictimthenwenttoatelephonethatwaslocatedwithintheenclosure,calledhiswife,andaskedhertocallthejailertosendsomeonetohelphim.Thevictimswifetestifiedshereceivedthecallat7:15p.m. `  Thevictimhadbledonhisshirtandonthefloor,andwhilehewastendingtohisinjuryinthebathroom,thedefendantbegantocleanupthebloodfromthefloor.Thevictimswifecalledthejailer,andofficersenteredtheenclosure 84: andtookthevictimtothehospital.Thevictimsnosefeltcrushed,hiseyeswerepuffyandturningblackunderneath,andheexperiencedaheadache,disorientation,andpaininhisfaceandteeth. `  OnJanuary19,1998,thevictimunderwentsurgeryonhisnose;however,boththevictimandhiswifetestifiedthathisfaceremaineddisfiguredbecausehisnose leanstowardtheright.Asofthetimeoftrial,thevictimcontinuedtoexperienceheadachesandsinusproblemswhichhehadnotexperiencedpriortotheinjury.Aradiologistwhoxrayedthevictimsnosetestifiedattrialandconfirmedthatthenosehadbeenbroken. `  Thedefendantcalledtwowitnesseswhowereinmatesinthevictimsenclosureatthetimeoftheoffense.Bothofthesewitnessesdeniedseeingthedefendantassaultthevictim.ThedefendanttestifiedsomewhaterraticallythathedidnotassaultthevictimandthatthevictimcameintothejailonDecember26,1997,notonJanuary2,1998. `  Thedefendantfiledapretrialmotioninlimineandaskedthetrialcourt p&!$ todisallowtheusehispriorconvictionsasimpeachmentevidence.Thedefendantwasconvictedin1985ofrapeandkidnappingandin1988offivecountsofforgery.Priortothestaterestingitscaseatthetrial,thetrialcourtannouncedontherecorditsfindingsandrulingonthemotioninlimine.Thetrialcourtacknowledgedthatthe -@), priorconvictionswere somewhatremoteintime,butitfoundthatthedateofreleasefromincarcerationwaswithinthetenyearperiodsetforthinTennesseeEvidenceRule609.Thetrialcourtthenconsideredwhetherthedangerofunfairprejudicefromtheuseoftheconvictionsforimpeachmentpurposesoutweighedthe probativevalue,andthetrialjudgenotedthat,basedupontheopeningstatements P726 ofcounsel  #  1      ׀andthedefendantscrossexaminationofthevictim,thedefendants   versionoftheeventswouldbe diametricallyopposedtothatoftheallegedvictim.Accordingly,thetrialcourtfoundthatcredibilityisa very,veryimportantdeterminativepartofthecase.Thecourtfoundthatthedangerofunfairprejudicewasnotgreatandthattheprobativevalueforimpeachmentpurposesoutweighedthedangerofunfairprejudice.Thetrialcourttheninstructedthedefendantastohisrightsregardinghisdecisiontotestify. `  Whenthestatecommenceditscrossexaminationofthedefendant,itimpeachedhimwithevidenceofallthreepriorconvictions.Immediatelyfollowingthisimpeachment,thetrialcourtinstructedthejurythatiftheyfoundfromtheproofthatthedefendanthadbeenconvictedofapriorcrimeorcrimes,theycouldconsidersuchevidenceonlyforthepurposeofassessingthedefendantscredibilityandmaynotuseit astohisguiltforthecrimethatisontrial. `  Inthisappeal,thedefendantchallengesonlytheuseofthepriorconvictionsofrapeandkidnapping. `  TheStateofTennesseemayuseapriorconvictiontoimpeachanaccusediftheconvictionmeetsthecriteriaestablishedbyrule609,TennesseeRulesofEvidence.Thecriteriaestablishedbyrule609are:(a)thepriorconvictionwasforacrimepunishablebydeathorimprisonmentinexcessofone(1)yearoramisdemeanorconvictioninvolvingdishonestyorafalsestatement;(b)lessthanten(10)yearshaselapsedbetweenthedatetheaccusedwasreleasedfromconfinementandthecommencementofthepresentprosecution;(c)thestatemustgivereasonablewrittennoticeoftheparticularconvictionsitintendstousetoimpeachtheaccusedpriortotrial;and(d)thetrialcourtmustfindtheprobative p504 valueofeachconvictionontheissueofcredibilityoutweighsitsunfairprejudicialeffect.Tenn.R.Evid.609(a)(2)(3),(b);seeStatev.Farmer,841S.W.2d837,839  (Tenn.Crim.App.). `  Inthepresentcasethetrialcourtfoundthatthepriorconvictionswerefeloniesandthatlessthantenyearshadelapsedbetweenthedatetheaccusedwasreleasedfromconfinementandthecommencementofthepresentprosecution.Thetrialcourtfurtherfoundthatthestategavereasonablepretrialwrittennoticeoftheconvictionsitintendedtouseforimpeachmentpurposes.Thedefendantchallengesnoneofthesefindingsandarguesonlythattheprobativevalueoftheevidenceoftherapeandkidnappingconvictionswasoutweighedbytheunfairprejudicialeffect. `  Indeterminingwhethertheprobativevalueofapriorconvictiontobeusedtoimpeachanaccusedoutweighstheunfairprejudicialeffectontheissuestoberesolvedbythejury,thetrialcourtshould(a) assessthesimilaritybetweenthecrimeontrialandthecrimeunderlyingtheimpeachingconviction,and(b) analyzetherelevancetheimpeachingconvictionhastotheissueof,credibility.N.Cohen,D.Paine,andS.Sheppard,TennesseeLawofEvidence,609.9atp. p&!$ 376(3rded.1995);seeFarmer,841S.W.2dat839. Thestandardisnotwhether P(#& thereisanyprejudicetothedefendantbyallowingthestatetousetheprior 0*%( convictionforimpeachment,butwhetherthepossibleprejudiceisoutweighedbytheprobativevalueoftheevidenceastothedefendantscredibilityasawitness.Statev.Roberts,943S.W.2d403,408(Tenn.Crim.App.1996)(italicsinoriginal). / +.  `  Inreviewingthetrialcourtsdetermination,thiscourt doesnotreevaluatewhethertheprobativevalueofthe...priorconvictionsoutweighsthepossibleprejudicialeffectitmighthavehad.Weonlyevaluatewhetherthetrialjudgeabusedhisdiscretion.... Id;seealsoStatev.Harris,839S.W.2d54,66 0948 (Tenn.1992). `  Inreviewingthetrialcourtsexerciseofdiscretioninthepresentcase,wereadilydiscernthenexusbetweentheviolenceimplicitinrapeandkidnappingandtheexplicitviolencethatwasshowninthecaseontrial. However,thefactthatapriorconvictioninvolvesasimilarcrimeforwhichthedefendantisbeingtrieddoesnotautomaticallyrequireitsexclusion.Statev.Blevins,968S.W.2d888,893 @  (Tenn.Crim.App.1997). [T]hetrialcourtmustanalyzethepriorconvictionandtheoffenseontrialtodeterminewhethertheconvictionsprobativevalueoncredibilityisoutweighedbythedangerofunfairprejudiceonthesubstantiveissues.Id.In  thepresentcase,thecourtconcludedthattheprobativevalueweighedheavierinthebalance.Forthereasonsexplainedbelow,weholdthatthisdiscretionarydecisionshouldnotbedisturbed. `  Inanalyzingthisissue,weinitiallynotethatthepriorconvictionswerebothfelonies.Eventhoughthepriorconvictionsimpactoncredibilityshouldbeconsidered,Rule609doesnotrequireasathresholdmatterthatpriorfeloniesofferedforimpeachmentinvolvedishonestyorfalsestatement,asisthecasewithpriormisdemeanorconvictions.SeeTenn.R.Evid.609(a)(2);Blevins,968S.W.32d p&!$ at89293.Second,althoughviolencemaybeimplicitintheprioroffensesofrapeandkidnapping,thedefendantwasnotontrialinthetrialcourtforeitheroftheseoffenses.Thus,althoughtheoffenseshadasimilarcharacteristic,theywerenotidentical.Third,thetrialcourtaptlyobservedthat,becausethedefendantcontradictedthevictimsversionoftheevents,thedefendantscredibilitywasakeyissueinthetrial.Finally,thetrialcourttookpainstoexplaintherule609determinationtothedefendantandtoinformhimofhisrightsattendanttohisdecisiontotestify,andfollowingtheintroductionoftheimpeachingconvictionsduringthedefendantstestimony,thetrialcourtgaveclearandcogentadmonitionstothejuryconcerningtheproperuseoftheimpeachmentevidence.   #  2      ׀ 3.2 Ї `  Wefindthatthefactorsreferencedabovesupportthetrialjudgeintheexerciseofhisdiscretiontoallowtheimpeachmentevidence. `  Fortheforegoingreasons,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed. `     h     ________________________________ `     h     JAMESCURWOODWITT,JR.,JUDGECONCUR:_______________________________DAVIDH.WELLES,JUDGE_______________________________JERRYL.SMITH,JUDGE