04/11/94 State Tennessee V. John Rickman

We granted this appeal to determine whether Tennessee should adopt a "sex crimes" exception to the general rule that evidence of other crimes is not admissible in a criminal prosecution. We conclude that Tennessee should not recognize a "sex crimes" exception to the general rule, but that it has recognized a narrow special rule which admits prior sex crimes into evidence if they are included in the indictment. Because the evidence of prior sex crimes admitted here was not included in the indictment and was wholly independent from the sex crime for which the defendant was indicted, the evidence was inadmissible. The Court of Criminal Appeals' judgment is, therefore, reversed and the case is remanded for a new trial.