Rel: December 15, 2023
Notice: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the advance sheets of Southern Reporter. Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of Decisions, Alabama Appellate Courts, 300 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 ((334) 229-0650), of any typographical or other errors, in order that corrections may be made before the opinion is published in Southern Reporter.
Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals OCTOBER TERM, 2023-2024 _________________________
CR-20-0751 _________________________
Brandon Blaine Berry
v.
State of Alabama
Appeal from Jackson Circuit Court (CC-18-1235 and CC-18-1236)
McCOOL, Judge.
Brandon Blaine Berry appeals his convictions for murder, see §
13A-6-2(a)(1), Ala. Code 1975, and first-degree kidnapping, see § 13A-6- CR-20-0751
43, Ala. Code 1975, and his resulting consecutive sentences of life
imprisonment. Berry was also ordered to pay a $60,000 fine, $10,000 to
the Alabama Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund, court costs, and
attorney fees.
Facts and Procedural History
The following evidence was presented at trial:
On the morning of September 6, 2018, Deputy Craig Holcomb with
the Jackson County Sheriff's Office encountered David Rivamonte, who
was walking on the edge of the railroad tracks near Whitaker Preserve.
Rivamonte informed Deputy Holcomb that he was walking from
Huntsville to Arab. Rivamonte declined Deputy Holcomb's offer to give
him a ride to the county line; however, Rivamonte complied with Deputy
Holcomb's request that he walk along the highway instead of walking
behind the residences along the train tracks. Later that same day,
Deputy Holcomb observed Rivamonte approximately two and one-half
miles further than he had been earlier, traveling toward Woodville or
Scottsboro.
On September 8, 2018, Rivamonte's mother reported him missing
after he had left home on the night of September 5, 2018. Investigator
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Ricky McCarver generated a report and a issued a "be-on-the-lookout"
sheet, also known as a "BOLO sheet," with information about Rivamonte
so that other law-enforcement officers could see that he was considered a
missing person. (R. 85-86.) The BOLO sheet stated that Rivamonte had
run away before and that Rivamonte was a "high-functioning autistic
man" that "does not drive, but hitchhikes." (R. 87.)
Ricky Bozarth testified that he was fishing on the river in Woodville
on September 6, 2018, when he heard someone yelling and trying to get
his attention. Bozarth saw a man standing on a "little island … in the
middle of the river." (R. 94.) Bozarth stated that the man, who was later
identified as Rivamonte, asked him about whether he would be able to
stay at the river, and Bozarth told him that he had "just as much right to
stay there as anybody." (R. 96.) Bozarth "pitched" Rivamonte a can of
Mountain Dew and a can of Vienna Sausage because Rivamonte was
thirsty and hungry. (R. 97.) According to Bozarth, Chevy Swinford
arrived at the river shortly thereafter. Swinford lived in a tent on the
river approximately 50 yards from where Bozarth had been fishing that
day. Swinford had a white Chevrolet truck that he also kept parked by
the river. When Swinford arrived, Bozarth told Swinford that Rivamonte
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had mentioned "something about staying over here with y'all or
something." (R. 97.) Bozarth claimed that Swinford paddled a small boat
over to the island to get Rivamonte and that then the two men paddled
up the river in the boat. Bozarth testified that the men and the boat went
out of sight for two or three hours.
Bozarth testified that when Swinford and Rivamonte returned to
the campsite, the three men hung out for a while until they decided to go
to the Mapco store to get something to eat and drink. Bozarth testified
that he drove himself to the Mapco store in his own vehicle and that
Rivamonte rode with Swinford in Swinford's truck. According to Bozarth,
Brandon Berry was also at the Mapco store. After leaving the Mapco
store, Bozarth went back to his house in Woodville. Bozarth claimed that
Berry, Swinford, and Rivamonte went to camper in which Berry lived,
where they were planning on "finishing up a tattoo … and initiating
[Rivamonte] into some kind of [white supremacist] group." (R. 103-4.)
Bozarth testified that, later in the evening, he went to Berry's
camper. When Bozarth arrived, Berry, Swinford, Rivamonte, and a girl
were inside the camper. Swinford and Berry were talking, and Rivamonte
was sitting in a chair, without a shirt, with a piece of tape over his mouth
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and a handcuff on his right hand. According to Bozarth, a few minutes
later, Swinford put a sawed-off shot gun to Rivamonte's lips. Bozarth
assumed these actions were all part of the alleged initiation process.
According to Bozarth, Rivamonte appeared to be unharmed. Berry asked
Bozarth for his pistol, and Bozarth handed the pistol to either Berry or
Swinford. Bozarth's pistol was an "Accu-Tek .380." (R. 112.) Bozarth
stated that he handed over his pistol because he had previously discussed
with Berry the possibility of trading the pistol for Berry's "little red car."
(R. 109.) Bozarth claimed that he then left the camper at the request of
Berry or Swinford in order to return to the river to pick up some of
Rivamonte's belongings that had been left at the river.
According to Bozarth, he returned to the river to collect Rivamonte's
belongings and then went by his house to eat. Approximately one hour
later, Bozarth claimed, he returned to Berry's camper; however, when he
arrived, no one was there. Bozarth testified that Swinford and Berry
returned two or three hours later in Swinford's truck. Bozarth handed
Rivamonte's belongings to Berry and Swinford, and Berry removed the
battery from Rivamonte's cellular telephone. Berry invited Bozarth to
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look under the blue tarp that was in the back of the truck. However,
Bozarth refused to look under the tarp.
Bozarth testified that he eventually got his pistol back from
Swinford about six or seven days later and that the pistol had a "groove
cut in the side toward the end of the barrel." (R. 117.) When Bozarth
asked Swinford about it, Swinford stated that Berry had "notched it" to
signify that "he had done something." (R. 118.) Bozarth also testified
that, in his statement given to Investigator Rick Bremmer of the Jackson
County Sheriff’s Office, he had stated: "If I remember, I overheard [Berry]
tell someone that he had the guts to do what [Swinford] didn't." (R. 137.)
Swinford testified that on September 6, 2018, when he returned to
his campsite at the river where he had been living, Rivamonte was on an
island. Swinford stated that he rowed his boat over to where Rivamonte
was located on the island to take Rivamonte food and water. Rivamonte
got in the boat with Swinford, and the two men went fishing for about 30
minutes while Rivamonte ate the food that Swinford had given him. After
Rivamonte told Swinford that he was still hungry, the men returned to
the campsite and went in Swinford's white Chevrolet truck to the Mapco
store to get more food. While at the Mapco store, Swinford saw Berry and
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spoke to him before returning to the campsite on the river. Swinford
testified that, on the way back to the campsite, Rivamonte told him that
he had "raped a 10-year-old boy and a dog." (R. 584.) Swinford claimed
that he then dropped Rivamonte off at the campsite and went to Berry's
camper. When Swinford arrived at Berry's camper, Berry and Cloressa
Cox, Berry's girlfriend, were there. Swinford told Berry about
Rivamonte's claim that he had raped a 10-year old boy and a dog.
According to Swinford, Berry told Swinford that he wanted to meet
Rivamonte. Swinford stated that he and Berry "smoked a little weed"
before Swinford returned to his campsite at the river. Swinford stated
that he invited Rivamonte to go back to Berry's camper to get a tattoo.
Swinford claimed that, after arriving back at Berry's camper, Berry
and Rivamonte were talking when Rivamonte suddenly "blurted out
[that] he raped a 10-year old boy and a dog" and that Rivamonte was
"bragging" about what he had done. (R. 590.) Swinford claimed that Berry
was "heated" and began raising his voice. (R. 590.) Swinford stated that
Bozarth then arrived at Berry's camper and Swinford went outside to
talk to Bozarth. While Swinford was outside, Berry came outside and told
Bozarth what Rivamonte had said. According to Swinford, Bozarth
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handed Berry two white zip ties, and Swinford and Berry both went back
inside the camper. Berry instructed Bozarth to go get Rivamonte's
belongings from the river, and Bozarth left Berry's camper. Swinford
testified that Berry asked Rivamonte if he would be willing to "shave his
head and get a tattoo" because Rivamonte had told Berry and Swinford
that he just wanted to "be like" Berry and Swinford. (R. 593.) When
Rivamonte said "yeah," Berry told Rivamonte to "[c]ome on. I'm going to
introduce to some real crackers. … Let's go cut your hair." (R. 593.)
Swinford testified that Berry and Cox got in Berry's vehicle and that he
and Rivamonte got in Swinford's truck. Swinford then followed Berry to
a mobile home, which was later determined to belong to Patrick Lee
Turner.
According to Swinford, once the men and Cox arrived at Turner's
mobile home, they all went inside. Swinford stated that he was "fearful"
inside the mobile home, and he described the mobile home as "scary"
because the kitchen cabinets and counters were covered in plastic, there
was a blue tarp spread out on the kitchen floor, and there was a chair in
the middle of the kitchen. (R. 596.) Berry told Rivamonte to sit in the
chair, and Berry zip-tied him to the chair. Swinford said that he was in a
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nearby room and that "it sounded like [Berry] hit [Rivamonte] a couple
of times," so Swinford "leaned over and looked around, and [saw Berry
hit Rivamonte] a couple more times." (R. 598.) Berry eventually untied
Rivamonte and told him to go outside. Swinford stated that he went
outside a few minutes later and saw Berry in the driver's seat of
Swinford's truck. Rivamonte was in the passenger seat. According to
Swinford, when he told Berry to get out of his truck, Berry pointed a
pistol at Swinford and told him to get away from the truck and that he
was taking Rivamonte "down the road." (R. 600.) Swinford claimed that
Berry "slammed the door and sped off" and returned to Turner's mobile
home without Rivamonte about five minutes later. (R. 601.) Berry got in
his car and Swinford got in his truck. Swinford then followed Berry to
Berry's camper.
Swinford testified that when he returned to Berry's camper, Berry
told Swinford to come look under a tarp that was in the back of Swinford's
truck, which Swinford had not noticed until arriving back at Berry's
camper. When Berry lifted the tarp for Swinford, Swinford saw "part of a
hand or some skin." (R. 603.) Swinford testified that he started "freaking
out," but Berry told Swinford and Cox, "Y'all know too much. You can't
9 CR-20-0751
leave now." (R. 604.) Berry pulled a wheelbarrow over to Swinford's truck
and started to pull Rivamonte's body out of the back of the truck.
Swinford testified that he "puked," went to another camper on the Berry
property, and "took four Xanaxes" before he accidentally "passed out" in
the upper camper. (R. 604.) Swinford testified that he left the following
morning.
On cross-examination, Swinford admitted that, at the time of the
incident, he "periodically" used methamphetamine and other drugs. He
testified that, when Berry dropped the tailgate on Swinford's truck and
told him to look at it, Berry smiled as if he was of proud of what he had
done. According to Swinford, Berry also told him that he had asked
Rivamonte "if he wanted it in the back or front, and [Rivamonte] told him
in the back." (R. 691.) Swinford claimed that Berry told him that he "shot
twice" and that Rivamonte then turned around and told Berry that he
had missed so Berry shot once more. (R. 691.) Later, Swinford testified
that Berry may have shot only once from behind Rivamonte.
Matthew Justin Pruitt, Berry's best friend, testified that Berry
called him on September 7, 2018, and asked for Pruitt's help. Pruitt
identified photographs that were taken by Investigator Bremmer of
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Pruitt's cellular telephone, which showed text messages that Pruitt had
received from Berry. A picture that had been sent in one of the text
messages was a picture of a body. The message had been sent at 6:00 a.m.
on Saturday, September 8, 2018.
Raymond Thompson, Berry's cousin, testified that on Tuesday,
September 11, 2018, he spoke with Berry, who asked Thompson for
money. Thompson claimed that Berry later came to his house with a
woman that Thompson did not know. According to Thompson, Berry
began to tell him that "he killed this guy" that was a "child rapist" and
that the man had told Berry that "he was going to rape [Berry's] little
girl." (R. 193.) Thompson said that Berry claimed that "the girl held the
guy at gunpoint" while Berry was beating the man. (R. 193.) Thompson
testified that Berry claimed that, when he came outside to the truck on
the evening of the incident, Swinford was outside and Berry told
Swinford to "get in or get out of the way." (R. 194.) According to
Thompson, Berry alleged that Swinford did not get in the truck.
Thompson claimed that Berry told him that he then went outside and put
the man in the truck and "took him down the road." (R. 194.) Berry also
stated that the man told him, "You better go ahead and kill me because
11 CR-20-0751
if you don't your daughter will be next." (R. 194.) Thompson testified that
when Berry was telling him the story of the incident, Berry appeared to
be on drugs.
Investigator Bremmer testified that he had heard from more than
one source that Swinford and Berry had been involved in the killing of
someone. Investigator Bremmer knew that Swinford lived at the river,
and, on September 12, 2018, he tried to visit Swinford; however, Swinford
was not there. Investigator Bremmer identified photographs of
Swinford's tent, his white truck, and the two-man boat that was on the
riverbank. Investigator Bremmer stated that in the middle of the boat
there appeared to be a bloodstain. According to Investigator Bremmer,
Swinford's boat and truck were hauled to a secure building inside the jail.
Investigator Bremmer also visited Berry's camper; however, Berry was
not there. That same day, Investigator Bremmer visited Thompson,
during which time he took Thompson's statement, and Pruitt, from whom
he collected Pruitt's cellular telephone.
Investigator Bremmer interviewed Berry on September 13, 2018,
and the video recording of that interview was played for the jury.
Investigator Bremmer also identified multiple photographs taken during
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his investigation of the Berry's property, including photographs of a
front-end loader bucket on a tractor, wheelbarrows, and several random
items of debris. While searching Berry's camper, officers noticed a path
that appeared to have been recently "run through with a piece of
equipment, and a fence post at the corner of the driveway and the county
road [that] had either been run over [or] backed over." (R. 281.) Further
investigation led to the discovery of a blue tarp containing a dead body,
which was determined to be Rivamonte. The skull was not attached to
the rest of the body.
Although Investigator Bremmer collected several samples to be
tested from what appeared to be blood on the truck bed of Swinford's
truck, there was no evidence of Rivamonte's blood or DNA found on
Swinford's truck. There was also no evidence of Rivamonte's blood or
DNA found at Berry's camper or Turner's mobile home.
Rivamonte's cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound
to the head. The autopsy indicated that Rivamonte also likely sustained
injuries from traumatic head injuries. The class characteristics measured
and observed by a forensic specialist on the projectile taken from
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Rivamonte's head during his autopsy were "consistent with Accu-tek
firearms." (R. 507.)
Turner testified that, in September 2018, Berry came by his mobile
home and was "bragging" to Turner that "he was going to get his ranking
or something" and that Berry was "a real motherfucker." (R. 733; 737.)
Turner claimed at trial that he remembered talking to Investigator
Bremmer around September 2018, that Investigator Bremmer wrote
down a statement while he was talking, and that Turner signed the
written statement. However, Turner also claimed at trial that his
memory was failing due to health problems and that he could not
remember exactly what he had told Investigator Bremmer. The
prosecutor quoted to Turner portions of the written statement, which
included statements that Berry had allegedly told Turner when he visited
him in September 2018, and the prosecutor asked Turner whether he
remembered telling Investigator Bremmer such information; however,
Turner testified that he neither remembered Berry making such
statements to him, nor remembered exactly what he had told to
Investigator Bremmer.
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Joseph McGeehee, Berry's cellmate when they both were at the
county jail, testified that, when McGeehee arrived in the cell, Berry asked
him if he "had a problem sharing a cell with a killer." (R. 774.) McGeehee
also testified that he heard Berry tell another cellmate that Berry "killed
a man from Paint Rock River." (R. 776.)
Ashley Pruitt ("Ashley") testified that Berry was her best friend.
She claimed that, around midnight on Saturday, September 8, 2018,
Berry's father, Donald, picked her up at her brother's house and brought
her to his trailer, which was near Berry's camper, in order for Ashley to
help Berry "clean up" his camper. (R. 485.) While she was at Donald's
trailer, Berry came inside to get a lighter and then returned outside.
Ashley stated that she followed Berry to check on him. She stated that
there was a "real bad smell" and that Berry told Ashley that he needed
help cleaning up "because he had a pedophile." (R. 787.) Berry indicated
to Ashley that he had something in a wheelbarrow, and she said that
there was a blue tarp in the wheelbarrow. Berry told Ashley that
Swinford had shot someone. (R. 798.)
Cox testified that she was dating Berry at the time of the incident.
She remembers being at Berry's camper the night of the incident when
15 CR-20-0751
Swinford and a man whom she did not know arrived. According to Cox,
the men began arguing, and Berry and Swinford began hitting the other
man. The man eventually left the camper and got into Swinford's truck.
Cox testified that Swinford, Berry, the other man, and she all went to
Turner's mobile home. Cox testified that she heard Swinford and Berry
striking the man, who was sitting in a chair in the kitchen. Cox stated
that later she observed Berry and the other man leave in Swinford's
truck. According to Cox, a few minutes later, Berry returned in
Swinford's truck alone. Cox testified that she then left and went back to
her own house.
Deborah Baugh testified on behalf of the defense. Baugh claimed
that she and a friend were involved in a dispute with Swinford in April
2019 and that Swinford stated that "he had already killed one, and he
would not care to kill again." (R. 937.)
Jamie Ledbetter also testified on behalf of the defense. Ledbetter
testified that, on September 6 or 7, 2018, he met Rivamonte, who was at
the river with Swinford at the time. At that time, Ledbetter noticed that
Rivamonte was wearing moccasins. The following day, Ledbetter saw
Swinford at the river again. Ledbetter saw that Swinford was wearing
16 CR-20-0751
Rivamonte's moccasins. According to Ledbetter, he asked Swinford why
he was wearing Rivamonte's shoes, and Swinford stated, "I killed him
last night. I killed him." (R. 944.) At the time, Ledbetter did not believe
Swinford. Swinford told Ledbetter that Rivamonte was a "pedophile" and
that Rivamonte had told Swinford that he had raped a little girl and some
animals." (R. 944.) Ledbetter testified that Swinford then nodded toward
the bed of Swinford's truck, which is near the rail of the truck on which
Ledbetter had been leaning. Ledbetter then looked and saw "blood and
brain matter" in the bed of the truck. (R. 945.) Ledbetter claimed that
Swinford then described the incident in detail to Ledbetter and that
Swinford claimed that he had shot Rivamonte in the head twice.
The jury found Berry guilty of murder and first-degree kidnapping,
and he was sentenced to consecutive terms of life imprisonment. Berry
filed a motion for new trial, which was denied by operation of law. This
appeal follows.
Discussion
I.
On appeal, Berry raises three arguments. First, Berry alleges that
the trial court erred when it admitted a picture depicting Rivamonte’s
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body lying in the bed of a truck because, he says, the picture was not
properly authenticated under Rule 901(a), Ala. R. Evid. At trial, during
the State's direct examination of Matthew Pruitt, the State introduced,
over the defense's objection, several photographs of text messages on a
cellular telephone that were allegedly sent from Berry to Pruitt. The
photographs of the text messages contained a picture of Rivamonte’s body
in the bed of a truck.
In his brief on appeal, Berry contends that, because "Pruitt never
expressed any familiarity with the subject matter or accuracy of the
contents of [the picture that he received] as is required for proper
admissibility," it was improper to admit the picture under Rule 901(a).
(Berry's brief at 25.) On the other hand, the State contends that the
prosecution "was not attempting to authenticate the picture that Berry
sent to the witness Matthew Pruitt"; instead, the State argues, the
prosecution "was attempting to introduce a photograph of the cellular
telephone depicting the picture that Pruitt received." (State's brief at 22-
23.) The State further argues that Pruitt's testimony was not required
"to identify the person depicted in the picture, or where the picture was
taken, who took it or other such matters" but, instead, that "Pruitt's
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identification of his own cellular telephone, the picture he had received
and from who he received it was sufficient under Rule 901(a) to
authenticate" the photograph of the cellular telephone. (State's brief at
24.)
"Alabama courts have often stated that a trial court has substantial
discretion in determining whether evidence is admissible and that a trial
court's decision will not be reversed unless its determination constitutes
a clear abuse of discretion." Hosch v. State, 155 So. 3d 1048, 1081 (Ala.
Crim. App. 2013) (citing Ex parte Loggins, 771 So. 2d 1093, 1103 (Ala.
2000)). This Court recently explained:
"Rule 901(a), Ala. R. Evid., provides that '[t]he requirement of authentication or identification as a condition precedent to admissibility is satisfied by evidence sufficient to support a finding that the matter in question is what its proponent claims.' The authentication requirement is a relatively low threshold to meet. '[A]ll that is required under Rule 901' is that the proponent of the evidence make 'a prima facie showing that the [evidence] ... is likely authentic'; the proof of authenticity 'does not [have to] establish beyond a shadow of a doubt the authenticity of the [evidence]' and ' "does not have to be conclusive or overwhelming." ' Royal Ins. Co. of America v. Crowne Inv., Inc., 903 So. 2d 802, 809 (Ala. 2004) (quoting the Advisory Committee Notes to Rule 901). See also United States v. McDaniel, 433 F. App'x 701, 704 (10th Cir. 2011) ('We have repeatedly instructed that Rule 901[, Fed. R. Evid.,] sets a low bar for admissibility.')."
19 CR-20-0751
Harrison v. State, [Ms. CR-21-0423, August 18, 2023] ___ So. 3d ___, ___
(Ala. Crim. App. 2023). Ultimately, the question of authenticity is one for
the trier of fact to decide, and it is the fact-finder's responsibility to weigh
the evidence in determining authenticity. Tidwell v. State, 496 So. 2d
109 (Ala. Crim. App. 1986). See also Byrd v. Bentley, 850 So. 2d 232 (Ala.
2002); Advisory Committee's Notes to Rule 901, Ala. R. Evid.
Further, Rule 901(b)(1) provides that "[t]estimony that a matter is
what it is claimed to be" is sufficient authentication "conforming with the
requirements of this rule." Rule 901(b)(4) provides that evidence can be
authenticated by "[d]istinctive characteristics and the like," including
"[a]ppearance, contents, substance, internal patterns, or other distinctive
characteristics, taken in conjunction with circumstances."
In addressing the authentication of electronic evidence, this Court,
quoting the Idaho Supreme Court, has stated:
" 'Other jurisdictions have recognized that electronic evidence may be authenticated in a number of different ways consistent with Federal Rule 901 and corresponding state statutes. Courts have not required proponents offering printouts of e-mails, internet chat room dialogues, and cellular phone text messages to authenticate them with direct evidence, such as an admission by the author or the testimony of a witness who saw the purported author typing the message. See, e.g., United States v. Fluker, 698 F.3d 988, 999 (7th Cir. 2012). Rather, courts have held that circumstantial
20 CR-20-0751
evidence establishing that the evidence was what the proponent claimed it to be was sufficient. See, e.g., State v. Thompson, 777 N.W.2d 617, 624 (N.D. 2010) (providing a comprehensive review of other jurisdictions' authenticity requirements for electronic communications). Circumstantial proof might include the e-mail address, cell phone number, or screen name connected with the message; the content of the messages, facts included within the text, or style of writing; and metadata such as the document's size, last modification date, or the computer IP address. See Fluker, 698 F.3d at 999; United States v. Siddiqui, 235 F.3d 1318, 1322-1323 (11th Cir. 2000); United States v. Safavian, 435 F. Supp. 2d 36, 40-41 (D.D.C. 2006).'
"[State v. Koch,] 157 Idaho 89, 334 P. 3d [280] at 287-88 [(2014)]."
Culp v. State, 178 So. 3d 378, 384 (Ala. Crim. App. 2014). Additionally,
"[t]he proponent of the evidence needs to establish only a reasonable
probability that the document is what it is claimed to be. Once this
reasonable probability is shown, any inconclusiveness over the exhibit's
connection with the events at issue goes to the exhibit's weight, not its
admissibility." Id. at 385.
In Knight v. State, 300 So. 3d 76, 110 (Ala. Crim. App. 2018), this
Court considered the authentication of screenshots of social-media pages
when "[t]he State offered screenshots of what purported to be Knight's
social-media profile on the Facebook social-media platform" that
contained pictures that supported the State's theory of the case against
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Knight. This Court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion
by admitting screenshots of the social-media pages when the police
detective testified that he had found the pages under Knight's nickname,
the social-media profile included pictures of Knight, and an El Camino
automobile was pictured, "which dovetailed with Knight's own admission
to the detective that he wanted an El Camino." Id. The police detective
in Knight also testified that the screenshots had not been altered. As this
Court again explained, "Rule 901 requires only a showing sufficient to
indicate that the evidence is what it purports to be." Id.
In the present case, Pruitt testified that the photographs in
question were photographs taken of his cellular telephone and that the
photographs depicted text-message conversations between him and
Berry. Pruitt testified about the context of the text conversations he had
engaged in with Berry. He also identified the challenged picture as a
picture that had been sent to him via text message by Berry. He claimed
that the photographs "fairly and accurately depict the message that [he]
received from [Berry]." (R. 168.) Although Berry contends that the picture
of Rivamonte's body in the truck bed was not properly authenticated
because Pruitt did not express familiarity with the subject matter or the
22 CR-20-0751
accuracy of the contents of the picture that had been sent to Pruitt, the
record shows that the State was not separately presenting the picture of
Rivamonte's body in a truck bed for authentication apart from the other
text messages; rather, the State was presenting the picture for
authentication as part of a number of purported text messages that
Pruitt received from Berry in order to show that Berry had sent the
picture of the dead body to Pruitt. Circumstantial evidence is sufficient
to show that the evidence is what the State purported it to be, and here
the evidence presented strongly indicates that the picture was indeed a
part of the text messages that Berry sent to Pruitt. Therefore, the
photographs of the text-message conversation, including the challenged
picture within the text messages, were properly authenticated and
admitted into evidence. Consequently, Berry is not entitled to relief on
this claim.
II.
Next, Berry contends that the trial court erred when it allowed a
witness's recorded recollection to be read into testimony when the
witness could not testify that the recorded recollection was true and
correct pursuant to Rule 803(5), Ala. R. Evid.
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During the trial, the State called Turner to testify, and the
prosecutor sought to question Turner about what he had told Investigator
Bremmer on September 19, 2018, regarding a conversation that had
occurred between Berry and Turner shortly after the murder. At trial,
Turner claimed that he did not remember what he had previously said to
Investigator Bremmer. Outside the presence of the jury, during a voir
dire examination, Turner was given a chance to read the written
statement that Investigator Bremmer had prepared and Turner had
signed. Turner indicated that he could not read the written statement.
Thereafter, the State attempted to read portions of the written statement
to Turner; however, Turner indicated that he did not remember the
information contained in the written statement. He claimed that he
remembered talking to Investigator Bremmer and that Investigator
Bremmer "wrote down some stuff." (R. 750.) Turner also testified that he
had initialed and signed the written statement that Investigator
Bremmer had prepared during their discussion. However, Turner stated,
although he remembered signing the written statement, he is unsure
whether the written statement that Investigator Bremmer prepared is
an accurate reflection of what Turner told Investigator Bremmer because
24 CR-20-0751
he never read the written statement before he signed it. Over defense
counsel's objection, the State was allowed to question Turner about the
contents of the written statement during various portions of its direct
examination in front of the jury.
Berry argues on appeal that, because Turner was unable to confirm
whether the written statement was an "accurate reflection of what
[Turner] told [Investigator Bremmer]," Turner was unable to "properly
adopt the statement as is required" by Rule 803(5). (Berry's brief at 28.)
Thus, he claims, the written statement "should not have been read into
the record." (Berry's brief at 29.)
The State contends that the prerequisites for admitting the written
statement were met because "it can be reasonably and fairly inferred
from the entirety of Turner's statement that Turner gave a statement to
Investigator Bremmer." (State's brief at 26.) The State insists that
because Turner "provided the information that was written," "identified
his signature and initials on the statement," and did not deny that the
information was true, the prerequisites for admission under Rule 803(5)
were met despite the fact that Turner could not confirm the accuracy of
the written statement. (State's brief at 26.)
25 CR-20-0751
As previously stated, the question of the admissibility of evidence
is generally left to the trial court to determine, and the court's
determination on that issue will not be reversed except upon a clear
showing of abuse of discretion. See Hosch, 155 So. 3d at 1081. Rule 803(5)
provides:
"The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule, even though the declarant is available as a witness:
"….
"(5) … A memorandum or record concerning a matter about which a witness once had knowledge but now has insufficient recollection to enable the witness to testify fully and accurately, shown to have been made or adopted by the witness when the matter was fresh in the witness's memory and to reflect that knowledge correctly."
Additionally, the "elements" of a past recollection recorded have
been stated by Professors Gamble and Goodwin as follows:
"(1) That the witness personally observed the event or facts referred to in the memorandum or record, and that the memorandum or record was made or seen by the witness either contemporaneously with the event or when the witness'[s] recollection of the event was fairly fresh. It is not essential, to benefit from past recollection recorded, that the witness shall have made the memorandum or record. The memorandum or record may have been made by another person if the witness saw it when the event was fairly fresh in the witness'[s] memory.
26 CR-20-0751
"(2) That the witness then knew the contents of the memorandum or record and knew such contents to be true and correct. Where the witness testifies that the memorandum or record is in his own handwriting, the witness may testify further that he knows from his general practice of making writings of that kind that what he wrote was true.
"(3) That the witness possesses insufficient recollection, other than the testimony to the matters stated in (1) and (2) above, to enable him to testify fully and accurately."
(Charles W. Gamble, Robert J. Goodwin, and Terrence W. McCarthy,
McElroy's Alabama Evidence § 116.03(2) (7th ed. 2020) (footnotes
omitted).
In the present case, Turner admitted that he remembered Berry
coming to his mobile home in September 2018. He also recalled portions
of the conversation he had with Berry. However, he was unable to
remember anything else that Berry had told him. The State, using the
written statement Investigator Bremmer had prepared and Turner had
signed, unsuccessfully attempted to refresh Turner's memory. Turner
admitted to speaking with Investigator Bremmer shortly after the
murder and after he had spoken to Berry. Additionally, although he could
not remember everything that he had told Investigator Bremmer, he
remembers Investigator Bremmer preparing the written statement and
remembers initialing and signing the statement. Turner indicated that
27 CR-20-0751
those events that were recorded in the written statement occurred when
his memory was more fresh because his memory had gotten worse
recently due to a battle with sickness. Although Turner was unable to
definitively state whether the written statement reflected exactly what
he had told Investigator Bremmer because he could not recall exactly
what he had said when he spoke to Investigator Bremmer, one can infer
from the totality of Turner's testimony that the written statement
reflected the information that Turner provided to Investigator Bremmer.
Regardless, even if the use of portions of the written statement was
erroneous, the error would have been harmless. Rule 45, Ala. R. App. P.,
provides, in part:
"No judgment may be reversed or set aside, nor new trial granted in any civil or criminal case on the ground of ... the improper admission or rejection of evidence ... unless in the opinion of the court to which the appeal is taken or application is made, after an examination of the entire cause, it should appear that the error complained of has probably injuriously affected substantial rights of the parties."
This Court has further explained that "[t]he United States Supreme
Court has recognized that most errors do not automatically render a trial
unfair and, thus, can be harmless." Whitehead v. State, 777 So. 2d 781,
847 (Ala. Crim. App. 1999)(citing Arizona v. Fulminante, 499 U.S. 278
28 CR-20-0751
(1991)) aff'd, 777 So. 2d 854 (Ala. 2000). "After finding error, an appellate
court may still affirm a conviction or sentence on the ground that the
error was harmless, if indeed it was." Davis v. State, 718 So. 2d 1148,
1164 (Ala. Crim. App. 1995), aff'd, 718 So. 2d 1166 (Ala. 1998). "The
purpose of the harmless error rule is to avoid setting aside a conviction
or sentence for small errors or defects that have little, if any, likelihood
of changing the result of the trial or sentencing." Davis, 718 So. 2d at
1164. " 'The admission of hearsay evidence in violation of the accused's
constitutional right of confrontation is not automatically a ground for
reversal.' " Chavers v. State, 714 So. 2d 341, 344 (Ala. Crim. App.
1997)(quoting Rouse v. State, 548 So. 2d 643, 647 (Ala. Crim. App. 1989)).
"Erroneous admission of hearsay evidence is subject to a harmless-error
analysis." Baird v. State, 849 So. 2d 223, 238 (Ala. Crim. App. 2002).
In the present case, the portions of the written statement that the
State quoted were cumulative to the testimony provided by Swinford.
This Court has repeatedly held that "[a]ny error in the admission of
hearsay testimony [is] harmless beyond a reasonable doubt when the
testimony is cumulative to other lawfully admitted testimony." Belisle v.
State, 11 So. 3d 256, 299 (citing McNair v. State, 706 So. 2d 828, 851 (Ala.
29 CR-20-0751
Crim. App. 1997)). See also Gobble v. State, 104 So. 3d 920, 958 (Ala.
Crim. App. 2010). Therefore, Berry is not entitled to relief on this ground.
III.
Lastly, Berry argues that he was entitled to a new trial on the basis
of juror misconduct because, he says, the veniremember who served as
the foreperson of the jury failed to disclose his "close, personal
relationship with the State's key witness." (Berry's brief at 17.)
In the present case, Berry filed a motion for new trial alleging, in
part, that he was entitled to a new trial because the foreperson of the jury
had committed juror misconduct. 1 Specifically, in his motion, Berry
claimed that, two days after he was convicted, the trial court informed
his trial counsel and the State that the foreperson of the jury, Juror J.H.,
had engaged in inappropriate communications about the case with a
member of the court's staff prior to the jury's deliberations. Berry claimed
that the communication between Juror J.H. and the member of the
court's staff related to "the nature of [Juror J.H.'s] relationship with the
1Berry also alleged that he was entitled to a new trial because the
State had failed to present sufficient evidence to convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Berry should be convicted of murder and kidnapping. However, Berry does not raise this claim in his brief on appeal. 30 CR-20-0751
State's key witness, Chevy Swinford," who was also "the person alleged
by the defense to be the actual murderer and kidnapper of the victim in
this matter." (C. 244.) Berry claimed that Juror J.H. had not been
forthcoming during voir dire about the extent and nature of his
relationship with Swinford, which the defense alleged was more fraternal
in nature than Berry was initially led to believe. In support of his
argument in his motion for new trial, Berry claimed that Juror J.H. and
Swinford "were 'tagged' together in multiple Facebook posts, wherein
they are seen in photos with arms around each other and in which [they]
refer to each other as 'brother.' " (C. 245.) He also claimed:
"There are also multiple posts in which [Juror J.H. and Swinford] express affection for each other. Posts include expressions of love (‘I truly love yall (sic)’) and messages of adoration: ‘Happy fathers (sic) day to the most awesome men I know! You have all touched my life in one way or another and ive (sic) been able to take something ive (sic) learned from you and apply it to my own life. However big or small youve (sic) made a difference in me and I want to thank you.' "
(C. 245.) Berry attached an affidavit from his trial counsel, as well as
other exhibits, in support of his motion for a new trial.
The State did not file a response to Berry's motion for a new trial.
Although the trial court set a hearing date for the motion for a new trial,
31 CR-20-0751
the hearing was scheduled for September 10, 2021, which was after the
motion had been denied by operation of law. The trial court issued an
order on September 13, 2021, stating:
"The Defendant's motion for new trial was denied by operation of law 60-days after sentencing. See Rule 24.4, Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure.
"Further, based on the testimony and arguments made at a hearing conducted on September 10, 2021, the grounds for the Defendant's motion for new trial were not proven, and, to the extent possible under the law, the motion for new trial is also denied on its merits."
(C. 257.)
Because Berry was sentenced on June 29, 2021, the motion was
denied by operation of law on August 30, 2021. See Rule 24.4, Ala. R.
Crim. P. 2
The Alabama Supreme Court has held that
"[t]he proper standard for determining whether juror misconduct warrants a new trial, as set out by this Court's precedent, is whether the misconduct might have prejudiced, not whether it actually did prejudice, the defendant. See Ex parte Stewart, 659 So. 2d 122 (Ala. 1993); Campbell v. Williams, 638 So. 2d 804 (Ala. 1994); Union Mortgage Co. v. Barlow, 595 So. 2d 1335 (Ala. 1992), cert. denied, 506 U.S.
2The 60th day was actually August 28, 2021; however, because that
day was a Saturday, the motion was deemed denied the next business day, Monday, August 30, 2021. See Rule 1.3(a), Ala. R. Crim. P. See also Bryant v. State, 29 So 3d 928, 935 n.4 (Ala. Crim. App. 2009). 32 CR-20-0751
906, 113 S.Ct. 301, 121 L.Ed.2d 224 (1992). The 'might-have- been-prejudiced' standard, of course, casts a 'lighter' burden on the defendant than the actual-prejudice standard. See Tomlin v. State, [695 So. 2d 157, 170 (Ala. Crim. App. 1996)]…
"It is true that the parties in a case are entitled to true and honest answers to their questions on voir dire, so that they may exercise their peremptory strikes wisely. See Fabianke v. Weaver, 527 So. 2d 1253 (Ala. 1988). However, not every failure to respond properly to questions propounded during voir dire 'automatically entitles [the defendant] to a new trial or reversal of the cause on appeal.' Freeman v. Hall, 286 Ala. 161, 166, 238 So. 2d 330, 335 (1970); see also Dawson v. State, [710 So. 2d 472, 474 (Ala. 1997)]; and Reed v. State, [547 So. 2d 596 (Ala. 1989)]. As stated previously, the proper standard to apply in determining whether a party is entitled to a new trial in this circumstance is 'whether the defendant might have been prejudiced by a veniremember's failure to make a proper response.' Ex parte Stewart, 659 So. 2d at 124. Further, the determination of whether a party might have been prejudiced, i.e., whether there was probable prejudice, is a matter within the trial court's discretion. Eaton v. Horton, 565 So. 2d 183 (Ala. 1990); Land & Assocs., Inc. v. Simmons, 562 So. 2d 140 (Ala. 1989) (Houston, J., concurring specially).
" 'The determination of whether the complaining party was prejudiced by a juror's failure to answer voir dire questions is a matter within the discretion of the trial court and will not be reversed unless the court has abused its discretion. Some of the factors that this Court has approved for using to determine whether there was probable prejudice include: "temporal remoteness of the matter inquired about, the ambiguity of the question propounded, the prospective juror's inadvertence or willfulness in falsifying or failing to answer, the failure of the
33 CR-20-0751
juror to recollect, and the materiality of the matter inquired about." '
"Union Mortgage Co. v. Barlow, 595 So. 2d at 1342-43 (quoting Freeman v. Hall, supra (other citations omitted)). …
"The form of prejudice that would entitle a party to relief for a juror's nondisclosure or falsification in voir dire would be its effect, if any, to cause the party to forgo challenging the juror for cause or exercising a peremptory challenge to strike the juror. Ex parte Ledbetter, 404 So. 2d 731 (Ala. 1981); Warrick v. State, 460 So. 2d 320 (Ala. Crim. App. 1984); and Leach v. State, 31 Ala. App. 390, 18 So. 2d 285 (1944). If the party establishes that the juror's disclosure of the truth would have caused the party either to (successfully) challenge the juror for cause or to exercise a peremptory challenge to strike the juror, then the party has made a prima facie showing of prejudice. Id. Such prejudice can be established by the obvious tendency of the true facts to bias the juror, as in Ledbetter, supra, or by direct testimony of trial counsel that the true facts would have prompted a challenge against the juror, as in State v. Freeman, 605 So.2d 1258 (Ala. Crim. App. 1992)."
Ex parte Dobyne, 805 So. 2d 763, 771-72 (Ala. 2001) (footnote omitted).
In the present case, Berry filed a motion for new trial, in which he
raised a potentially meritorious argument. He also supported his motion
with exhibits containing evidence that was not presented at trial.
However, his motion for new trial was denied by operation of law before
the trial court held a hearing or ruled on the matter.
This Court addressed a similar situation in Stinson v. State, 964
So. 2d 684 (Ala. Crim. App. 2006), in which the trial court held a hearing
34 CR-20-0751
and took evidence on the defendant's motion for new trial after the 60-
day period and subsequently entered an order denying the motion for new
trial. This Court explained:
"Here, we have a situation similar to the one in Edgar v. State, 646 So. 2d 683, 685 (Ala. 1994), in which the trial court held a hearing on the motion for a new trial after the 60-day period; therefore, it did not take evidence until after the motion had already been denied by operation of law. Although the trial court, in Edgar, denied the motion, it failed to include in its order any specific findings. The Alabama Supreme Court held:
" 'We hold that where, as here, a criminal defendant's motion for a new trial is denied under the provisions of Rule 24.4, Ala. R. Crim. P., without an affirmative statement by the trial judge giving the ruling a presumption of correctness and the defendant supports his new trial motion by evidence that was not presented at trial, and that evidence, if not controverted by the State, will entitle him to a new trial, the denial by operation of law should be reversed and the case remanded for the trial court to conduct a hearing on his motion for new trial and then enter an order either granting or denying the motion.'
"Edgar v. State, 646 So. 2d at 687.
"Additionally, this Court in Banks v. State, 845 So. 2d 9 (Ala. Crim. App. 2002), addressed a situation similar to the case at bar, having before it an affirmative response from the trial court denying a motion to withdraw a guilty plea, over which it no longer had jurisdiction because the motion had been denied by operation of law. Here, as in Banks, the trial court's written order has no legal significance, because the
35 CR-20-0751
trial court no longer had jurisdiction to rule on the motion for a new trial. Because this Court cannot consider any proceedings in the trial court that occurred beyond the 60-day limit, a remand is necessary to bestow jurisdiction on the trial court. Moreover, we are confident that the trial court, which presided over the trial and the hearing on the motion for a new trial, is in the best position to make any findings of fact regarding Stinson's claims. See, e.g., Vinnie v. State, 866 So. 2d 1175, 1176 (Ala. Crim. App. 2002)."
Stinson, 964 So. 2d at 686.
Based on the foregoing, this case is remanded, and the trial court is
directed to either review the transcript of the hearing on Berry's motion
for a new trial or to conduct any additional proceedings it deems
necessary and to issue an order, making specific findings of fact regarding
Berry's juror-misconduct claim. The record on return to remand shall
include a copy of the transcript of any proceedings used to make a
determination on this claim, as well as the trial court's specific written
findings of fact. Due return shall be made to this Court no later than 56
days from the date of this opinion.
REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS.
Windom, P.J., and Kellum, Cole, and Minor, JJ., concur in the
result.