Buckner v. State

714 So. 2d 384, 1998 WL 174658
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedApril 16, 1998
Docket89001
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 714 So. 2d 384 (Buckner v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Buckner v. State, 714 So. 2d 384, 1998 WL 174658 (Fla. 1998).

Opinion

714 So.2d 384 (1998)

Perry Omar BUCKNER, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 89001.

Supreme Court of Florida.

April 16, 1998.
Rehearing Denied June 11, 1998.

*386 James B. Gibson, Public Defender, and Christopher S. Quarles, Assistant Public Defender, Chief, Capital Appeals, Seventh Judicial Circuit, Daytona Beach, for Appellant.

Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General and Curtis M. French, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Perry Omar Buckner appeals his convictions of shooting into an occupied conveyance (count I) and first-degree murder (count II) and respective sentences, including his sentence of death for the first-degree murder conviction. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. For the reasons expressed, we affirm his convictions on both counts and sentence for count I, but reverse his sentence of death on count II and remand this cause for imposition of a life sentence without possibility of parole.

The following evidence was presented at trial. Buckner, who was eighteen years of age at the time of these crimes, and a number of other individuals went to a bar together. Buckner's off-and-on girlfriend, Latarcia Hampton (Tasha), arrived separately. Tasha was seen dancing that night with Thaddeus Richardson (the victim), and Tasha and Buckner were seen arguing.[1]

At the time the bar closed, the victim was sitting outside in his vehicle. Witnesses who spoke to the victim just before he was murdered stated that he was in a good mood. Buckner was seen exiting the bar and walking quickly over to the victim's vehicle. The two exchanged a few words and were seen "tussling" while the victim was still in the car. At this point, Buckner shot the victim twice and then walked away. The victim exited the vehicle and yelled "Oh my God, somebody help me." Buckner walked back to the victim and shot him three more times. One witness, Garlinda Lewis, stated that *387 Buckner told the victim just before firing the last three shots: "Mother fucker, you ain't had enough?"[2]

Medical testimony reflected that the victim had been shot five times: two wounds to the upper neck area; one to the right chest; one to the abdomen, and one in the back of the neck from a shot fired from only a few inches away. Death was caused by internal hemorrhaging, and the victim could have remained conscious for several minutes before he died. The murder weapon was never recovered.

Buckner testified in his defense that, as he was walking away from the bar, the victim's car began to back up; that he bumped on the car to let the victim know he was behind it; and that the victim shouted an obscenity at him when he tried to explain why he hit the car. He further contended that the victim then reached down for a gun and that, as Buckner rushed the car, the gun went off. The victim got out of the car still holding the gun and in the struggle that then occurred, it went off twice more. Buckner managed to get the gun and when the victim continued to attack him, Buckner fired three times, dropped the gun, and ran. He stated that the other witnesses were lying about what occurred.

Buckner was convicted as charged.

In the penalty phase proceeding, the State introduced testimony from the victim's family regarding the personality of the victim. The defense introduced evidence in mitigation regarding Buckner's troubled childhood, his low IQ (88) and learning disabilities, his age (actual, 18; mental, 14), and his ability to adjust to prison.

The jury recommended death by a vote of seven to five. The judge followed this recommendation, finding two factors in aggravation (heinous, atrocious, or cruel (HAC), and cold, calculated, and premeditated (CCP)) and four factors in mitigation to which he gave slight weight.[3]

In this appeal, Buckner raises seven issues, claiming that (1) the evidence is insufficient to support a conviction of first-degree murder; (2) Buckner was involuntarily absent from portions of the proceeding and inappropriately shackled; (3) the death sentence is inappropriate in this case; (4) the judge failed to engage in an independent weighing process; (5) extrajudicial evidence created undue sympathy, which warranted a mistrial; (6) the trial judge improperly excused three prospective jurors; and (7) a death sentence based on a recommendation by a bare majority of the jury is unconstitutional. The first two issues and the fifth issue address the guilt phase of Buckner's trial; the other four address his penalty phase.

Guilt Phase

In his first guilt phase issue, Bucker asserts that the evidence presented in this case is insufficient to support a conviction of first-degree murder. He contends that many of the witnesses who testified were not credible; inconsistencies were present in much of the testimony; and even the trial judge recognized that the issue of premeditation in this case constituted an "extremely close call." He contends there is no credible evidence to establish the premeditation necessary for a first-degree murder conviction. We disagree.

Premeditation need only exist for such time as will allow the accused to be conscious of the nature of the act the accused is about to commit and the probable result of the act. Coolen v. State, 696 So.2d 738 (Fla. 1997); Asay v. State, 580 So.2d 610 (Fla. *388 1991); Wilson v. State, 493 So.2d 1019 (Fla. 1986). In ruling on a motion for acquittal, the trial judge must determine if competent evidence from which the jury could infer guilt to the exclusion of all other inferences is present. State v. Law, 559 So.2d 187 (Fla. 1989). If so, that view of the evidence must be taken in the light most favorable to the State. Id. at 189. Evidence from which premeditation may be inferred includes such things as the nature of the weapon used, the presence or absence of adequate provocation, previous difficulties between the parties, the manner in which the homicide was committed, and the nature and manner of the wounds inflicted. Jackson v. State, 575 So.2d 181 (Fla.1991).

Buckner acknowledges that the victim provided at least some provocation by dancing with Tasha in front of Buckner's friends on the night of the murder, that Buckner initiated the confrontation by approaching the victim's car window, that Buckner and victim "tussled" while the victim was still in the car, and that two shots were fired while the victim was still in the car. Moreover, the testimony of numerous witnesses established that, after the first two shots, Buckner walked away from the victim's vehicle into the crowd, and, after the victim got out of his vehicle and pleaded for help, Buckner walked back to the victim and shot him three more times. Buckner then left the scene and disposed of the gun. Even discounting inconsistencies in the testimony of witnesses and statements allegedly made by Buckner, it is clear that the last three shots were not fired during any struggle and were fired after Buckner had time to reflect on the consequences of his actions. We find that the evidence was sufficient to support, at a minimum, that the last three shots were premeditated.

Next, Buckner argues that he was involuntarily absent from bench conferences and was unable to view a critical videotape because he was shackled. Prior to the exercise of any peremptory challenges, defense counsel explained to Buckner that he had a constitutional right to be present at the bench conferences.

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Bluebook (online)
714 So. 2d 384, 1998 WL 174658, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/buckner-v-state-fla-1998.