Baynor v. State

736 A.2d 325, 355 Md. 726, 1999 Md. LEXIS 499
CourtCourt of Appeals of Maryland
DecidedAugust 31, 1999
Docket145, Sept. Term, 1998
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 736 A.2d 325 (Baynor v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baynor v. State, 736 A.2d 325, 355 Md. 726, 1999 Md. LEXIS 499 (Md. 1999).

Opinions

RODOWSKY, Judge.

The petitioner, Gary Baynor (Baynor), here seeks reversal of his conviction for murder and other offenses, contending that the State failed to furnish discoverable information concerning Baynor’s confession and that the trial court abused its discretion in circumscribing, both at the suppression hearing and at Baynor’s jury trial, the defense examination of the detectives who obtained the confession.1

[730]*730On the evening of February 1, 1996, Dion Williams (Williams) and Marvin Nock (Nock) were shot while standing at the 3300 block of Edgewood Street in Baltimore City. Williams was struck four times and later died from a gunshot wound to his chest. Nock was struck three times, in his chest, hip, and foot, and survived.

After Nock was discharged from the hospital, he assisted homicide detectives from the Baltimore City Police Department in preparing a composite of two shooting suspects. As a result of their investigation the homicide detectives ultimately were able to present Nock with an array of six photographs from which he identified Baynor as one of the shooters.

On September 26, 1996, Baynor, then nineteen years old, was arrested on charges of death-eligible, first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, assault with intent to murder, and the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. He was interviewed about noon that day by Homicide Detectives Michael Glenn and Wayne Jones in a room in the Homicide Unit at the Police Headquarters. Baynor asked why he was brought to the Homicide Unit, and Detective Glenn told him that he was charged with murder. Baynor then asked what penalty could he receive for murder, and Detective Glenn responded that he could receive either life imprisonment or the death penalty.2

[731]*731At 12:41 p.m. Baynor was taken to be photographed. Between 12:48 and 12:58 p.m. the detectives obtained Baynor’s identifying information. Following a brief recess, Detectives Glenn and Jones advised Baynor of his Miranda rights from 1:10 to 1:28 p.m. With the aid of an explanation of rights form, the detectives advised Baynor that: (1) he had the absolute right to remain silent; (2) anything he said or wrote may be used against him in a court of law; (3) he had the right to talk to a lawyer at any time; (4) he had a right to have a lawyer appointed for him if he wanted one and could not afford to hire one; and (5) even if he agreed to answer questions he could stop at any time and request a lawyer and no further questions would be asked. At 1:28 p.m. Baynor completed the form and acknowledged that he fully understood his rights and that he was freely and voluntarily willing to answer questions without having an attorney present. The interview began at 1:28 p.m. and concluded at 3:21 p.m. with an audio tape recorded statement that began at 3:12 p.m. In the recorded statement Baynor admitted shooting at Williams and Nock. Specifically, Baynor stated that he and a friend had planned to rob Williams and Nock, but then either Williams or Nock pulled out a gun and began shooting.3

The transcription of Baynor’s recorded statement is seven and one quarter letter size pages. The first two pages are a point by point reconfirmation by Baynor of his written waiver of rights. The inculpatory section of that transcript reads as follows:

“GLENN: Okay. Mr. Baynor we’re here in reference to the uh, homicide of Dion Williams which occurred on the first of February, 1996 at approximately 2158 hours. Can you tell me what happened ... ?
“BAYNOR: Well 1 got a hack on Edmondson Avenue and I went to go pick up a friend of mines and the hack had [732]*732took us to uh, Edgewood and Liberty Heights. So we went up there to make a robbery to uh, get a friend of mine out of jail which his name is ... I can tell his name?
“GLENN: Go ahead and say his name sir.
“BAYNOR: His name is uh, Billy Lowery and um, we went ... to go up there to uh, you know make a robbery to get him out of jail and when we get up there, we gets around the corner and a friend of mine pull a gun out and uh tells him, he say kicks it out. And the kid pulled out a gun and started shooting and we shoot back. So after that we ran. I ran one way he ran the other way. I gets on, I don’t know the street but I gets on Garrison and he meets me on Garrison also and he calls his sister and his sister come get us and she drops me off on 13 South Carey Street and he goes about his business.... And after that we just left and when ... Billy get home I give him the gun back. And uh, that’s when everything happens.
“JONES: When you say everything happen, what happened to Billy after you gave him the gun back?
“BAYNOR: What happened to Billy? He gets locked up for the handgun.
“JONES: Okay. And ... what type of weapon did you have?
“BAYNOR: A nine millimeter, sir.
“JONES: What color was it, black or silver?
“BAYNOR: Black.
“JONES: How many shots did you fire during the incident?
“BAYNOR: One or two shots.
“JONES: How far away were you standing from the individual that you were ... attempting, you and this partner?
“BAYNOR: ... [Ajcross the street.—It’s like a cross. He was on one side and I was on the other side.
“JONES: In distance, approximately how far away?
“BAYNOR: It’s about 50 feet.
[733]*733“GLENN: Do you know how many shots [your partner] fired?
“BAYNOR: Uh, it was a lot sir.
“GLENN: Do you know how many shots the victim fired?
“BAYNOR: The victim shot ... he shot like once ... once or twice.
“JONES: Do you know what if anything was taken from the victim?
“BAYNOR: Some money sir.
“JONES: Do you know bow much?
“BAYNOR: No I don’t sir.
“JONES: Did you get any money?
“BAYNOR: About 20, 30, 40 dollars.”

Baynor was indicted, and the first appearance of his counsel was on December 11, 1996. That day, the State disclosed that Baynor had made a taped statement, and the tape and a transcript of it were made available to the defense.

In January 1997, Baynor requested that the State, pursuant to Maryland Rule 4-263, furnish to him, inter alia, “any relevant material or information regarding the acquisition of statements made by the defendant,” and the substance of each oral statement made by Baynor to a State agent that the State intended to use at hearing or trial.

During a pretrial hearing held on September 24, 25, and 26, 1997, Baynor moved to suppress the nine-minute recorded statement. Baynor alleged that during the interrogation he initially denied involvement in the shooting.

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Baynor v. State
736 A.2d 325 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
736 A.2d 325, 355 Md. 726, 1999 Md. LEXIS 499, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baynor-v-state-md-1999.