Clayton v. State

946 So. 2d 796, 2006 WL 1679386
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJune 20, 2006
Docket2003-KA-02210-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 946 So. 2d 796 (Clayton v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clayton v. State, 946 So. 2d 796, 2006 WL 1679386 (Mich. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

946 So.2d 796 (2006)

Jeffer R. CLAYTON a/k/a Jeffrey Ray Clayton, Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2003-KA-02210-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

June 20, 2006.
Rehearing Denied October 24, 2006.
Certiorari Denied January 11, 2007.

*798 Lisa D. Collums, Gulfport, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Scott Stuart, attorney for appellee.

Before LEE, P.J., IRVING and CHANDLER, JJ.

CHANDLER, J., for the Court.

¶ 1. A Harrison County jury found Jeffer R. Clayton guilty of armed robbery. The Circuit Court of Harrison County sentenced Clayton to fifteen years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections as a habitual offender. Clayton appeals, arguing that (1) the trial court erred by denying his motion for a speedy *799 trial; (2) his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to re-assert the speedy trial issue; (3) the trial court erred by denying Clayton's motion for a JNOV; and (4) the cumulative effect of the errors necessitates reversal. In a pro se supplemental brief, Clayton asserts several other grounds for his ineffective assistance of counsel claim and also argues that he was entitled to a jury instruction on impeachment.

¶ 2. We find no error and affirm Clayton's conviction and sentence.

FACTS

¶ 3. Clayton had a savings account at Hancock Bank. As of June 12, 2001, the account had a zero balance. At approximately 9:30 a.m. on June 14, 2001, Clayton entered the Highway 49 branch of Hancock Bank in Gulfport. He waited in line for the next available teller. Khiedrae DeLoach asked if she could help Clayton, who walked to Deloach's teller window and asked to make a withdrawal from his savings account. Deloach requested identification.

¶ 4. Deloach testified that, at this point, Clayton ordered her to give him money from her drawer and stated that he had a nine millimeter gun. Clayton also pulled up his shirttail and revealed the butt of a gun protruding from his pocket. Frightened, Deloach began collecting money from the drawer. Clayton told her to put it in an envelope. Deloach complied and gave Clayton some money in a white envelope with "Hancock Bank" printed on it. Clayton told Deloach that, if she told anyone about the robbery, he would kill her. Then, Clayton left the bank. Immediately, Deloach informed another teller that she had been robbed. Several bank employees rushed to the window and observed Clayton exiting the parking lot in a black Kia Sportage vehicle.

¶ 5. A bank employee called the police and described the getaway car. Several minutes later, Officers Matt Dailey and Anthony Stewart of the Gulfport Police Department observed a black Kia Sportage vehicle stopped at a red light on Highway 49. The officers stopped the vehicle and ordered its four occupants, including Clayton, to exit the vehicle and lie down on the ground. During this process, Officer Stewart observed an envelope with money in it protruding from Clayton's pants pocket. When Officer Dailey directed Clayton to stand, the envelope fell out of Clayton's pocket. Officer Dailey secured the envelope. Clayton told Officer Dailey that he had gone into the bank and told the teller that he wanted some money. He also said that the other people in the car were not involved and had not known what was going on.

¶ 6. Police discovered that the envelope taken from Clayton contained $1,510 in cash. The envelope was white with "Hancock Bank" printed on it. Later, bank employees discovered that $1,510 in cash was missing from Deloach's drawer. No gun was recovered despite searches of Clayton's person, the Kia Sportage, and the interior of the bank.

¶ 7. Clayton's version of events differed from that of Deloach. Clayton testified that he had visited the bank in order to make a $1,510 withdrawal from his savings account. Clayton stated that, when Deloach requested identification, he gave her his Social Security number. Then, Deloach counted out $1,510 in cash. She gave it to Clayton in an envelope and he left the bank. Clayton denied that he had brought a gun to the bank or robbed the bank. In closing arguments, Clayton's counsel argued that Deloach had mistakenly given Clayton the $1,510 without first checking his account balance. Counsel argued *800 that Deloach had lied about the robbery to conceal her mistake.

¶ 8. The jury found Clayton guilty of armed robbery.

LAW AND ANALYSIS

I. WHETHER CLAYTON WAS DENIED HIS RIGHT TO A SPEEDY TRIAL AS GUARANTEED BY THE SIXTH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND BY ARTICLE 3, SECTION 26 OF THE MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION.

¶ 9. Clayton's trial occurred on May 6 and 7, 2003. On May 1, 2002, Clayton filed a pro se motion to dismiss the case for lack of a speedy trial or, in the alternative, to be tried immediately. Clayton's counsel brought the motion forward for hearing on October 22, 2002, arguing that Clayton had been denied his constitutional right to a speedy trial and that the case should be dismissed. Following is a chronology of the events leading up to the speedy trial hearing:

May 2001—Clayton, serving a prison sentence for uttering a forgery, was released on earned release supervision.
June 14, 2001—Clayton was arrested for the armed robbery.
June 15, 2001—Due to Clayton's arrest, his earned release supervision was administratively revoked and he was sent back to Parchman to serve the duration of his sentence.
September 15, 2001—A detainer was placed in Clayton's file concerning the pending armed robbery charge.
November 28, 2001—Clayton's file was transferred to the district attorney's office.
February 18, 2002—Clayton was indicted for armed robbery.
June 14, 2002—Clayton's counsel filed an entry of appearance. Counsel stated that he was appointed in May 2002.
August 3, 2002—Order entered for Clayton to be transferred to the Harrison County Jail for arraignment on August 19, 2002 and trial on November 12, 2002. The prosecutor stated that the arraignment was originally set for July 1, 2002, but that the date was changed to August 19, 2002 per agreement with Clayton's counsel so that Clayton would not have to be transferred twice.

¶ 10. At the hearing, Clayton argued that his right to a speedy trial had been violated because he suffered actual prejudice from the delay in bringing him to trial. Specifically, he argued that the delay had hampered his defense by preventing defense counsel from locating alibi witnesses. He also contended that the detainer had negatively affected his conditions of incarceration by depriving him of opportunities for good time, trusty status, and to be transferred to a private facility. The trial court denied the motion. On appeal, Clayton argues that his right to a speedy trial was violated and the court should have dismissed the armed robbery charge.

¶ 11. The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to a speedy trial, which is a fundamental right. State v. Woodall, 801 So.2d 678, 681(¶ 8) (Miss.2001). The speedy trial right attaches when the defendant is accused, that is, "at the time of a formal indictment or information or else the actual restraints imposed by arrest and holding to a criminal charge." Bailey v. State, 463 So.2d 1059, 1062 (Miss.1985) (quoting Perry v. State, 419 So.2d 194, 198 (Miss.1982)).

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946 So. 2d 796, 2006 WL 1679386, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clayton-v-state-missctapp-2006.