Antonio Lee Thomas Ray v. Commonwealth of Kentucky

Kentucky Supreme Court·Decided April 17, 2024·No. 2022 SC 0532·Unknown

Opinion

IMPORTANT NOTICE

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED OPINION

THIS OPINION IS DESIGNATED “NOT TO BE PUBLISHED.” PURSUANT TO THE RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE PROMULGATED BY THE SUPREME COURT, RAP 40(D), THIS OPINION IS NOT TO BE PUBLISHED AND SHALL NOT BE CITED OR USED AS BINDING PRECEDENT IN ANY OTHER CASE IN ANY COURT OF THIS STATE; HOWEVER, UNPUBLISHED KENTUCKY APPELLATE DECISIONS, RENDERED AFTER JANUARY 1, 2003, MAY BE CITED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COURT IF THERE IS NO PUBLISHED OPINION THAT WOULD ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE BEFORE THE COURT. OPINIONS CITED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COURT SHALL BE SET OUT AS AN UNPUBLISHED DECISION IN THE FILED DOCUMENT AND A COPY OF THE ENTIRE DECISION SHALL BE TENDERED ALONG WITH THE DOCUMENT TO THE COURT AND ALL PARTIES TO THE ACTION.

RENDERED: APRIL 18, 2024

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED

Supreme Court of Kentucky 2022-SC-0532-MR

ANTONIO LEE THOMAS RAY APPELLANT

ON APPEAL FROM WARREN CIRCUIT COURT V. HONORABLE STEVE ALAN WILSON, JUDGE NO. 20-CR-00188

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY APPELLEE

MEMORANDUM OPINION OF THE COURT AFFIRMING

A Warren Circuit Court jury found Antonio Lee Thomas Ray guilty of first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, and of being a first-degree persistent felony offender. The trial court sentenced Ray to thirty-five years in prison in accordance with the jury’s recommendation. Ray raises several issues on appeal, including that the trial court erred by (1) failing to instruct the jury on the lesser-included offense of theft by unlawful taking for the July 2019 incident; (2) denying his motion to suppress the statement he made to police; and (3) denying his motion for directed verdicts as to both robberies. After careful review, we affirm the judgment of the Warren Circuit Court.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY Antonio Lee Thomas Ray was convicted of two robbery incidents at two separate Family Dollar stores in Bowling Green, Kentucky. On July 7, 2019, Ray entered the Family Dollar store on Gordon Avenue at closing time. Jenny Barnett was working as the assistant manager that night and was training a new assistant manager. Ray walked in the store with his shirt pulled halfway up over his face and yelled “Robbery! Robbery!” as he jumped over the counter and approached Barnett. Barnett opened the cash register and gave Ray the available cash. Ray pushed something metal into Barnett’s back and said he wanted more money. Barnett believed he had a gun. Barnett then lifted the till of the drawer and gave Ray the cash underneath it. Ray then jumped over the counter again and fled the store with approximately $400 in cash.

During trial, Barnett admitted that she did not see a gun and was not sure that Ray had one, but that she believed he did at the time. Although Barnett was unable to identify Ray, Ray admitted to committing the robbery during his December 6 interview. During that confession, Ray told officers there were two women in the store that night and described in detail the route he took to enter and exit the store. He explained that the worst part was that a drug dealer took the money from him, so he ended up with nothing. Ray did not recall implying that he had a gun.

On November 14, 2019, Miesha Whitney-Patton was the assistant manager working at a different Family Dollar store in Bowling Green. At trial, she testified that as she was closing the store, she heard a knock at the door.

In the courtroom she identified Ray as the man she saw standing at the door. She testified that Ray came in the store wanting to purchase a drink, but he had insufficient funds on his card. He then attempted to obtain cash at the ATM but as there was no money on the card, he was unable to obtain cash and left the store. Whitney-Patton remembered Ray from this incident.

Sue Anna Boyd was working as the assistant manager at the same Family Dollar store on November 16, 2019, when a man came into the store and came behind the counter. Boyd testified that the man showed her a closed knife and demanded cash. She told him that she could not open the cash drawer without him making a purchase, so he appeared to look for something to buy and his wallet. Seemingly frustrated, he left the store and Boyd called 911. During the 911 call, Boyd described the man as a “tall black man” wearing a gray jacket with the strings pulled so tight that you could not see his face well. The surveillance video of this interaction was played for the jury.

Although Whitney-Patton, the assistant manager who observed Ray in the store previously, was not present on November 16 when the robbery occurred, she watched the video surveillance from the event and identified Ray based on his clothing. Ray was wearing the same clothing on November 16 that he wore during their encounter on November 14, even including his shoes – black and red Nike shoes with white soles. In addition, approximately one and one-half hours after the November 16 robbery, Officer Devin Mitchell stopped a vehicle driven by a female, and Ray was in the passenger seat. The dash camera video from that encounter showed Ray exiting the vehicle and

walking around the back to the driver’s side (after it was discovered that the driver’s license was suspended and officers told Ray he would need to drive). In the video, Ray is seen wearing the same black tennis shoes with the white soles.

Detective Sean Johnson was assigned to investigate the November 2019 incident. After reviewing the surveillance footage and interviewing Whitney- Patton, Detective Johnson, another detective, and two patrol officers approached Ray at his last known address. Detectives advised Ray that his name had come up during an investigation and they wanted to speak with him. Although the detectives informed Ray he was not in custody, they advised him of his Miranda 1 rights before asking him any investigative questions. The encounter was captured by body camera and after a brief exchange, Ray stated he was going to contact an attorney. Detectives asked if he had an attorney and Ray said “no,” but that he was going to get one that day. Ray retreated into the residence and the officers returned to their vehicles. After a short amount of time had passed, the officers determined they had probable cause and arrested Ray. Ray immediately asked the officers to talk, but Detective Johnson told Ray that since he requested an attorney, they could no longer speak to him. Ray then claimed that he did not actually ask for a lawyer but only stated that he could get a lawyer.

At the beginning of the interview at the police station, Detective Johnson again questioned Ray about having previously requested a lawyer and not

1 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966).

wanting to talk. Ray acknowledged that he was being recorded, and said he wanted to talk. Ray was again advised of his Miranda rights and proceeded to make a statement. During the interview, Ray admitted to committing the July and November robberies. Ray’s interview at the police station was played for the jury.

At trial, Ray testified and denied having committed either robbery. He explained that it would have been physically impossible for him to jump the counter as the robber had done during the July 2019 incident because of an injury to his leg and even showed the jury a scar from the surgery. Ray also explained that although he initially denied involvement in the incidents when speaking with police, he felt pressured and thought the only way to get out of the police station was to tell the police what they wanted to hear.

Following a two-day jury trial, Ray was convicted of first-degree robbery for the November 2019 incident, second-degree robbery for the July 2019 incident, and for being a first-degree persistent felony offender. He was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison in accordance with the jury’s recommendation. Ray now appeals as a matter of right.

ANALYSIS

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Antonio Lee Thomas Ray v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, (Ky. 2024).

Antonio Lee Thomas Ray v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Antonio Lee Thomas Ray v. Commonwealth of Kentucky) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Edwards v. Arizona
451 U.S. 477 (Supreme Court, 1981)
Commonwealth v. Swift
237 S.W.3d 193 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2007)
Commonwealth v. Benham
816 S.W.2d 186 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 1991)
Roberson v. Commonwealth
185 S.W.3d 634 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2006)
Swain v. Commonwealth
887 S.W.2d 346 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 1994)
Commonwealth v. English
993 S.W.2d 941 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 1999)
Moore v. Asente
110 S.W.3d 336 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2003)
Ernst v. Commonwealth
160 S.W.3d 744 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2005)
Potts v. Commonwealth
172 S.W.3d 345 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2005)
Jackson v. Commonwealth
187 S.W.3d 300 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2006)
Martin v. Commonwealth
207 S.W.3d 1 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2006)
Tunstull v. Commonwealth
337 S.W.3d 576 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2011)
Thomas v. Commonwealth
170 S.W.3d 343 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2005)
Smith v. Commonwealth
920 S.W.2d 514 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 1996)
David Alan Jenkins v. Commonwealth of Kentucky
496 S.W.3d 435 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2016)
Commonwealth v. Ousley
393 S.W.3d 15 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2013)
Turley v. Commonwealth
399 S.W.3d 412 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2013)
Sargent v. Shaffer
467 S.W.3d 198 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2015)