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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
RONALD THOMAS
Appellant No. 1121 EDA 2013
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence March 18, 2013
In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0013001-2010
BEFORE: PANELLA, J., LAZARUS, J., and WECHT, J.
MEMORANDUM BY LAZARUS, J.: FILED OCTOBER 02, 2015
Ronald Thomas appeals from the judgment of sentence imposed in the
Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County after a jury convicted him of
first-degree murder1 and possession of instruments of crime.2 Upon careful
review, we vacate Thomas’ judgment of sentence and remand for a new
trial.
Thomas was convicted of shooting Anwar Ashmore twice in the chest
at point blank range, allegedly in retaliation for Ashmore having stolen
cocaine from him. Two witnesses gave statements to the police indicating
that they had seen Thomas shoot Ashmore. However, intimidation by
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1
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2502.
2
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 907.
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Thomas, or individuals acting on his behalf, allegedly caused those witnesses
to recant their previous statements at trial. Ultimately, however, a jury
convicted Thomas of Ashmore’s murder and he was sentenced to life
imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Thomas did not file post-sentence motions. On April 16, 2013, he filed
a timely notice of appeal to this Court, in which he raises the following
claims:3
1. Under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S.
Constitution as well as Article I, § 9 of the Pennsylvania
Constitution, did the [t]rial [c]ourt err in admitting
[Ashmore’s] purported hearsay statement as evidence?
2. Under the Sixth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments of
the U.S. Constitution as well as Article I, §§ 1 [and] 9 of the
Pennsylvania Constitution, did the [t]rial [c]ourt err in
permitting the prosecution to present [Thomas’] rap lyrics
and rap-related visual images as inculpatory evidence?
3. Under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S.
Constitution as well as Article I, § 9 of the Pennsylvania
Constitution, did the [t]rial [c]ourt err in denying [Thomas’]
mistrial motion?
4. Under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S.
Constitution as well as Article I, § 9 of the Pennsylvania
Constitution, did the [t]rial [c]ourt erroneously allow the
prosecution to repeatedly present extensive evidence of
purported witness intimidation?
5. Under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S.
Constitution as well as Article I, § 9 of the Pennsylvania
Constitution, was the evidence insufficient to sustain
[Thomas’] convictions?
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3
We have renumbered certain of Thomas’ claims for ease of disposition.
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Brief of Appellant, at 4.
Thomas first challenges the trial court’s admission of Ashmore’s
purported statement to his brother, Hasan Ashmore (“Hasan”), that
Ashmore had participated in a theft of cocaine from Thomas. Thomas claims
that Ashmore’s statement was both irrelevant and inadmissible because it
was hearsay not subject to any exception.
We begin by noting that the admission of evidence is committed to the
sound discretion of the trial court and our review is for an abuse of
discretion. Commonwealth v. Parker, 104 A.3d 17, 21 (Pa. Super. 2014).
In determining the admissibility of evidence, the trial court must
decide whether the evidence is relevant and, if so, whether its
probative value outweighs its prejudicial effect. Evidence is
relevant if it logically tends to establish a material fact in the
case, tends to make a fact at issue more or less probable, or
supports a reasonable inference or presumption regarding the
existence of a material fact. Evidence that merely advances an
inference of a material fact may be admissible, even where the
inference to be drawn stems only from human experience.
Moreover, . . . to be relevant, evidence need not be conclusive.
Commonwealth v. Hawk, 709 A.2d 373, 376 (Pa. 1998) (internal citations
and quotation marks omitted).
The Rules of Evidence provide as follows with regard to hearsay
statements:
“Hearsay” means a statement that[:]
(1) the declarant does not make while testifying at the current
trial or hearing; and
(2) a party offers in evidence to prove the truth of the matter
asserted in the statement.
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Pa.R.E. 801.
Notwithstanding, the Rules also provide certain exceptions to the rule
against hearsay, including a “state of mind” exception:
The following are not excluded by the rule against hearsay,
regardless of whether the declarant is available as a witness:
***
A statement of the declarant’s then-existing state of mind (such
as motive, intent or plan) or emotional, sensory, or physical
condition (such as mental feeling, pain, or bodily health), but not
including a statement of memory or belief to prove the fact
remembered or believed unless it relates to the validity or terms
of the declarant’s will.
Pa.R.E. 803(3).
Ashmore’s brother, Hasan, testified that Ashmore showed him cocaine
that Ashmore allegedly stole from Thomas’ stash house. N.T. Trial, 3/11/13,
at 15-17. Hasan also testified that he believed that the lyrics of Thomas’
song, “Take It How You Wanna,” were about Ashmore’s theft of cocaine from
Thomas. The lyrics included a threat by Thomas to kill the person
responsible and, according to Hasan, referred to Ashmore. Id. at 21-22.
The Commonwealth argues that Commonwealth v. Fletcher, 750
A.2d 261, 276 (Pa. 2000), controls. In Fletcher, our Supreme Court held
that the victim’s statement to another individual that he had smoked all of
the defendant’s crack was relevant to establish the victim’s state of mind
regarding his relationship with the defendant and fell within the state of
mind exception, as it established the presence of ill-will, malice, or motive
for the killing. Id. at 293. More recently, however, the Supreme Court has
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stated that “Fletcher’s broad approach to the admissibility of hearsay
evidence touching on a victim’s state of mind in a criminal homicide
prosecution is in substantial tension with the limitations described and
applied in the subsequent decisions of the Court.” Commonwealth v.
Moore, 937 A.2d 1062, 1071 (Pa. 2007).
In Moore, the appellant challenged the admission, under the state-of-
mind exception, of hearsay testimony regarding statements by the victim
that the appellant had previously robbed, assaulted and bullied the victim.
The Commonwealth proffered this evidence to establish that the appellant
had become enraged at his victim because he had the “effrontery” to fight
back after years of abuse. Id. at 1072. In concluding that the trial court
had erred in admitting the testimony, the Court noted that “an out-of[-]court
statement by a murder victim may be admitted to establish the motive of
the defendant when those statements are not offered to prove the truth of
the matter asserted.” Id. quoting Commonwealth v. Stallworth, 781
A.2d 110, 118 (Pa. 2001). Because the testimony in Moore was only
relevant to the degree that the statements were true, the Court held it to be
inadmissible.
More recently, this Court held in Commonwealth v. Green, 76 A.3d
575 (Pa. Super. 2013), that statements by the victim concerning the victim’s
state of mind toward Appellant are inadmissible. There, the appellant shot
his girlfriend after she had expressed to friends and family members her
intent to break off the relationship. The trial court allowed two witnesses to
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testify as to statements made by the victim regarding her relationship with
and fear of the appellant. In concluding that the trial court had erred in
admitting the hearsay testimony, the Court stated:
Considering the statements as evidence of Appellant’s motive, it
appears impossible to demonstrate such an inference without
accepting the statements for the truth of the matter asserted.
To be relevant as to Appellant’s motive, we would have to accept
that the Victim was fearful of Appellant and that she was
attempting to end their relationship. To accept these
conclusions as the basis for Appellant’s motive is to accept the
literal “truth” of the hearsay statements. If the Victim was not,
in fact, fearful of Appellant and in the process of ending their
relationship, then there was nothing about the hearsay
statements that provided evidence of motive. Put more
succinctly, it is only when the admitted hearsay statements are
taken as truthful that they provide competent evidence of
motive. [Our Supreme Court in Commonwealth v.]
Thornton[, 431 A.2d 248 (Pa. 1981),] rejected the admission of
such statements under the “state of mind” exception to the
hearsay rule. Either these statements were relevant but
inadmissible as hearsay without an applicable exception, or they
were not hearsay, in which case they were irrelevant.
Green, 76 A.3d at 581.
Likewise, here, Hasan’s hearsay testimony is only relevant for its
truth, as substantive evidence that Ashmore stole Thomas’ cocaine and thus
provided Thomas with a motive to kill Ashmore. As in Moore, while these
statements may have been admissible as circumstantial evidence of
Ashmore’s fear of Thomas, they could not properly be admitted as
substantive evidence of the theft of the cocaine over Ashmore’s hearsay
objection. See Moore, 937 A.2d at 1072. As Ashmore’s state of mind is not
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relevant to an issue of the case, the trial court erred in admitting the
testimony under the state of mind exception to the hearsay rule.
Thomas also claims that the trial court erred in admitting rap lyrics
and related images. Specifically, the court allowed the Commonwealth to
present evidence of a song entitled “Take It How You Wanna,” which was co-
authored by Thomas and two other individuals. The song tells the story of
an individual who is angered that someone stole a brick of cocaine belonging
to the narrator and states that “somebody gonna die on this [corner]. For
touching shit don’t belong to ya.” In light of Hasan’s testimony regarding
Ashmore’s statement that he had stolen cocaine from Thomas, the trial court
admitted the lyrics as evidence of Thomas’ state of mind pursuant to Pa.R.E.
404(b).
Generally, evidence of other crimes, wrongs or acts is inadmissible to
prove a person’s character in order to show that the person acted in
accordance with that character on a particular occasion. Pennsylvania Rule
of Evidence 404(b) provides as follows:
(b) Crimes, Wrongs or Other Acts.
(1) Prohibited Uses. Evidence of a crime, wrong, or
other act is not admissible to prove a person’s character in
order to show that on a particular occasion the person
acted in accordance with the character.
(2) Permitted Uses. This evidence may be admissible
for another purpose, such as proving motive, opportunity,
intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of
mistake, or lack of accident. In a criminal case this
evidence is admissible only if the probative value of the
evidence outweighs its potential for unfair prejudice.
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Pa.R.E. 404(b).
Here, the trial court concluded that the rap lyrics were properly
admitted to demonstrate Thomas’ motive for killing Ashmore. The court
stated:
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, [Thomas] was involved in
the sale of drugs, and a large quantity of drugs was stolen from
his “stash house.” Following the theft of drugs, [Thomas]
recorded a song wherein he stated that the stolen drugs were
worth a significant amount of money, money which substantially
impacted his quality of life, and that said act of betrayal would
be his reason for killing the person responsible. This
demonstration of [Thomas’] motive, growing out of his
involvement in drug dealing, and the statement of intent
contained in his rap lyrics, constituted the type of evidence that
our courts have unequivocally deemed admissible in similar
situations. Accordingly, this evidence was properly admitted to
demonstrate [Thomas’] motive for killing the decedent.
Trial Court Opinion, 12/20/13, at 11 (citations omitted).
Thomas argues that the evidence was irrelevant and, even if not, the
probative value of the evidence was outweighed by its potential for unfair
prejudice.4 Thomas also argued that it only served to influence the jurors’
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4
Thomas also presents constitutional claims regarding the admission of the
rap lyrics. In his brief, Thomas purports to cite to a portion of the record in
which he claims counsel presented the constitutional argument. However, a
review of that portion of the trial record indicates that the cited argument by
counsel: (1) related solely to the admission of the videotape evidence, and
(2) addressed relevance and not violations of a constitutional dimension.
Accordingly, as Thomas failed to preserve this issue before the trial court,
the issue is waived and we will not consider it herein. See Pa.R.A.P. 302(a)
(“Issues not raised in the lower court are waived and cannot be raised for
the first time on appeal.”); Commonwealth v. Colavita, 993 A.2d 874 (Pa.
2010) (appellate courts may not reach claims that were not raised below).
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opinion of Thomas’ character and not to prove motive or intent. Thomas
also notes that the jurors became “inordinately focused” on the rap music
evidence, asking to see the CD cover and examine the lyric sheet and
inquiring as to the release date of “Take It How You Wanna.” Thomas
asserts that rap music is “inherently fictitious” and, as such, is irrelevant and
should not be used as a “confessional statement.”
In response, the Commonwealth argues that the rap music evidence is
clearly relevant in light of the testimony of the victim’s brother, Hasan
Ashmore, regarding Thomas’ motive for killing Ashmore: Ashmore’s alleged
theft of Thomas’ cocaine stash. Moreover, the Commonwealth claims, the
evidence was not prohibited by Rule 404 because it was admitted to prove
motive, intent and ill-will. For the following reasons, we conclude that the
trial court improperly admitted the rap lyric evidence.
We begin by noting that the cases relied upon by the trial court are
inapposite. First, neither case involves the admission of rap lyrics as
evidence of motive. Second, both cases are factually distinguishable. In
Commonwealth v. Hall, 565 A.2d 144 (Pa. 1989), the appellant challenged
the trial court’s admission of evidence regarding his past drug dealing. In
affirming the trial court’s allowance of the testimony, the Supreme Court
concluded that the evidence presented at trial “established that the victims
were known drug dealers; further that the victims recently cheated the
appellant in a drug deal and, finally that the appellant had killed the victims
in revenge for cheating him.” Id. at 149. Accordingly, in light of the other
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evidence adduced at trial, questions regarding the appellant’s prior drug
dealings were relevant to establish his motive.
Here, the only evidence either connecting Thomas to the drug trade or
demonstrating that Thomas possessed a drug-related motive for killing
Ashmore was the testimony of Ashmore’s brother, which we have already
determined to have been improperly admitted. As such, unlike in Hall,
there is no other record evidence corroborating the Commonwealth’s
assertion that the rap lyrics are anything more than fictional depictions of
street life in North Philadelphia.
In Commonwealth v. Reid, 642 A.2d 453 (Pa. 1994), the appellant
asserted that the trial court erred in permitting the jury to learn of his
association with the Junior Black Mafia. At trial, a Commonwealth witness
testified that he had seen the appellant shoot the victim. In an attempt to
impeach that witness, the defense inquired about a prior inconsistent
statement indicating that the witness, who had known the appellant for
years, could not identify the shooter. In response, the Commonwealth
elicited testimony from the witness that his prior inconsistent statement was
the result of threats made against him by the Junior Black Mafia. In
affirming the trial court’s ruling, the Supreme Court concluded that, by
asking about the prior inconsistent statement, the defense had “opened the
door” to the Commonwealth’s introduction of the evidence regarding the
Junior Black Mafia. Here, in contrast, Thomas did not pursue any evidence
or line of questioning that would have opened the door to the introduction of
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the rap music evidence. Moreover, we have now held to be excluded the
only other evidence adduced at trial that would have rendered the rap lyrics
relevant.
The Commonwealth relies on two Pennsylvania cases involving the
admission of rap lyrics in support of its argument that the rap evidence was
relevant and admissible. In Commonwealth v. Flamer, 53 A.3d 82 (Pa.
Super. 2012), two defendants, the Flamer brothers, were charged with the
murder of Allen Moment, Jr. Prior to trial in that case, the Commonwealth
filed a motion in limine to introduce evidence that the Flamers had conspired
with a third individual, Derrick White, to kill a witness in the Moment trial.
The trial court granted admission of some of the Commonwealth’s evidence,
but denied admission of most of it. The Commonwealth filed an
interlocutory appeal of the trial court’s adverse rulings on several of those
evidentiary issues, including one involving the admission of one of the
defendants’ writings and raps, recovered in his prison cell, which the trial
court found to be irrelevant and prejudicial. In the raps, the defendant
talked about people “‘keeping their mouths shut,’ sending his friends to kill
for him, and ‘popping shells’ in people that ‘run their mouth.’” Id. at 89. In
reversing the trial court, this Court concluded that the raps “have a tendency
to show contemplation for conspiratorial arrangement” and are, therefore,
relevant. The Court also found that the raps were not unduly prejudicial.
We find Flamer to be distinguishable from the instant matter because
in that case, there was other record evidence, in addition to the rap lyrics,
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establishing the Flamers’ motive for killing the witness. This other evidence
provided a context in which the jury could consider the rap lyrics. In
contrast, here, with the exclusion of Hasan Ashmore’s testimony, there is no
other evidence either connecting Thomas to the drug trade or establishing a
motive of retaliation for drug theft. As such, the relevancy of the rap lyrics
is based upon nothing more than speculation.
The Commonwealth also relies on Commonwealth v. Ragan, 645
A.2d 811 (Pa. 1994). There, the trial court admitted lyrics to a rap song
recorded by the defendant’s rap group, which described someone being shot
to death. The appellant claimed that the lyrics were irrelevant since the
song did not deal with the specific murder for which he was on trial.
However, the Supreme Court concluded that, because the lyrics were
introduced in response to testimony on direct examination in which the
appellant had portrayed himself as a college student and artist, “[t]he fruits
of appellant’s artistic leanings were clearly relevant to rebut this testimony.”
Here, unlike in Ragan, Thomas did not open the door to the
Commonwealth’s presentation of the rap evidence, nor was it introduced to
rebut defense evidence.
In the case at bar, the relevancy of the rap lyrics is inextricably linked
to the inadmissible testimony of Hasan Ashmore, the victim’s brother,
regarding the fact that the victim had told him that he had stolen cocaine
from Thomas. Without Ashmore’s testimony, there is no nexus between the
events described in “Take It How You Wanna” and the shooting of the victim.
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Indeed, Ashmore’s testimony was the only evidence linking Thomas to the
drug trade. In each of the cases cited by the trial court and the
Commonwealth, the statements contained in the rap lyrics in question were
made relevant by other evidence adduced by the Commonwealth at trial.
Thus, the other evidence made it more likely that the statements contained
in the rap lyrics were not fictional, but rather reflections of the defendants’
state of mind or motive. Here, except for the inadmissible testimony of
Hasan Ashmore, the Commonwealth presented no evidence that Thomas
was either involved in the drug trade or possessed any motive to kill the
decedent. The lyrics did not mention the victim by name and, standing
alone, any connection between the lyrics and the crime is entirely
speculative. In short, considered in the vacuum created by the exclusion of
Hasan’s testimony, the rap lyrics do not make the fact at issue – that
Thomas killed Ashmore – more or less probable. See Pa.R.E. 401.
Therefore, it necessarily follows that the admission of the rap lyrics into
evidence was also erroneous.
Having concluded that the trial court erred in admitting Hasan
Ashmore’s hearsay testimony and the rap evidence, we must determine
whether the admission of that evidence amounted to harmless error. Id. at
1073.
It is well established that an error is harmless only if we are
convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that there is no reasonable
possibility that the error could have contributed to the verdict.
The Commonwealth bears the burden of establishing the
harmlessness of the error. This burden is satisfied when the
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Commonwealth is able to show that: (1) the error did not
prejudice the defendant or the prejudice was de minimis; or (2)
the erroneously admitted evidence was merely cumulative of
other untainted evidence which was substantially similar to the
erroneously admitted evidence; or (3) the properly admitted and
uncontradicted evidence of guilt was so overwhelming and the
prejudicial [e]ffect of the error so insignificant by comparison
that the error could not have contributed to the verdict.
Commonwealth v. Laich, 777 A.2d 1057, 1062-63 (Pa. 2001).
After reviewing the record, we are not convinced that there is no
reasonable possibility that the trial court’s errors could have contributed to
the verdict. Hasan Ashmore’s testimony and the rap lyrics were the only
pieces of evidence connecting Thomas to the sale of illegal drugs and
providing Thomas with a motive to kill Ashmore. Without this evidence, the
Commonwealth’s case consisted of several witnesses who have recanted
and/or changed their testimony regarding Thomas’ involvement in the
shooting of Anwar Ashmore. Thus, we cannot say that the testimony of
these witnesses provided uncontradicted evidence of Thomas’ guilt that was
so overwhelming that the erroneously admitted evidence could not have
contributed to the verdict. See id. Indeed, during its deliberations, the jury
made multiple requests to examine the evidence involving the rap song,
demonstrating the importance that the jury placed on this evidence.
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For the foregoing reasons, we are constrained to vacate Thomas’
judgment of sentence and remand the case for a new trial in accordance
with the dictates of this memorandum.5
Judgment of sentence vacated; case remanded; jurisdiction
relinquished.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 10/2/2015
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5
Because of our disposition of the matter, we need not address Thomas’
remaining issues on appeal.
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