Cochran v. State

913 So. 2d 371, 2005 WL 895179
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedApril 19, 2005
Docket2003-KA-01859-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 913 So. 2d 371 (Cochran 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
Cochran v. State, 913 So. 2d 371, 2005 WL 895179 (Mich. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

913 So.2d 371 (2005)

Michael COCHRAN, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2003-KA-01859-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

April 19, 2005.

*372 Richard B. Lewis, Clarksdale, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Deirdre McCrory, attorney for appellee.

Before BRIDGES, P.J., IRVING and MYERS, JJ.

BRIDGES, P.J., for the Court.

¶ 1. A jury sitting before the Coahoma County Circuit Court found Michael Cochran guilty of armed robbery, attempted armed robbery and aggravated assault. The circuit court sentenced Michael to two fifty-year terms and one twenty-year term. Additionally, the circuit court set the three *373 sentences to run concurrent to one another. Following his trial, Michael filed unsuccessful motions for directed verdict, judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and a new trial. Aggrieved, Michael appeals and requests resolution of the following issues:

I. DID THE COURT ERR IN FAILING TO GRANT THE DEFENDANT'S ALIBI INSTRUCTION.
II. DID THE COURT ERR IN OVERRULING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS THE PHOTOGRAPHIC LINE-UP.
III. DID THE COURT ERR IN FAILING TO ALLOW THE DEFENDANT TO INTRODUCE EVIDENCE OF AN ALLEGED CONFESSION BY AN UNAVAILABLE WITNESS TO ONE OF THE CRIMES FOR WHICH THE DEFENDANT WAS CHARGED.

Finding no error, we affirm.

Facts

¶ 2. The facts of this case center around the early morning hours of June 17, 2002. Around 2:00 a.m., Leon Collins got an order to go from Kemp's restaurant in Clarksdale, Mississippi. After Collins got his food, he left Kemp's and went to get into his car. A man armed with a pistol stopped Collins. Collins began to run, but stopped and put his hands in the air when he heard the gunman fire a shot. The gunman stuck the pistol in Collins's face and demanded Collins's wallet. Collins threw his wallet on the ground. The gunman picked Collins's wallet up and left the scene. Collins's wallet reportedly contained about forty-five dollars. Collins went to the Clarksdale Police Department and reported the events to Officer Barry Smith and Investigator Robbie Linley. Collins identified the gunman as "one of the Cochran boys on Bolivar [Street]" and later identified Michael Cochran from a photo line up.

¶ 3. Joseph Jones, a truck driver, parked his truck in a parking lot to get some rest. Around 5:00 a.m., Jones's rest was interrupted by two men standing near Jones's truck. One man asked if Jones could light his cigarette. The other man reached through the partially opened driver's side window and stuck a gun in Jones's stomach. The gunman demanded Jones's money. Jones responded that he did not have any money with him. Doubtful, the gunman searched Jones's pockets and found that Jones was truthful. Disappointed, the gunman shot Jones and ran away.

¶ 4. Later that same day, Jones attempted to identify his attackers from a photo line up. Jones could not identify a suspect. However, investigators were able to lift latent fingerprints from Jones's truck. Those fingerprints, taken from the driver's door, window, and handle, belonged to Michael.

¶ 5. Michael was arrested and Officer Linley obtained a warrant to search Michael's house. The search produced a 9mm pistol. The pistol belonged to Michael's father, Robert Cochran, Sr. Authorities sent the pistol to the State Crime Lab. The State Crime Lab performed ballistics tests on the pistol. The Crime Lab compared a spent casing, taken from Jones's truck, and a bullet that fell from Jones's stomach and leg to those from the pistol. According to the results of the tests, Robert's pistol was the same pistol that fired the bullet that wounded Jones.

¶ 6. At trial, the State produced the testimony of Collins and Jones. Both men identified Michael as their assailant. The State also presented the fingerprint evidence and the results of the Crime Lab ballistics tests. Michael presented the testimony of Carlos Fox. Fox testified that he *374 witnessed Collins's robbery at Kemp's. Fox also testified that the gunman was not Michael, but was Terrell Archer. Fox testified that he had known Archer for several years. Fox also testified that, prior to the Collins robbery, Fox saw Archer with Robert's pistol.

¶ 7. Michael also presented the testimony of Anthony Atkins. Atkins, a friend of Archer's, testified that Archer had Robert's pistol on June 20, 2002, five days after both robberies. Atkins testified that he took the pistol from Archer's house and took it back to Robert.

¶ 8. Michael attempted to introduce evidence that Archer, an unavailable witness, made a statement against his interest when Archer admitted to robbing a truck driver. The trial court did not permit this statement into evidence.

¶ 9. Michael also called his father, Robert Cochran, Sr., who testified that from the night of June 16, 2002 until June 17, 2002, his son, Michael Cochran, slept in the same bedroom with his parents and was still in bed at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of June 17. Robert also testified that the pistol did belong to him and that he did not know it was missing until Atkins returned the pistol to him some time between June 19 and 20.

Analysis

I. DID THE COURT ERR IN FAILING TO GRANT THE DEFENDANT'S ALIBI INSTRUCTION.

¶ 10. Michael attempted to instruct the jury according to the following instruction:

"Alibi" means elsewhere or in another place. In this case, the Defendant is asserting the defense of alibi by saying that he was at home with his family. "Alibi" is a legal and proper defense in law. The Defendant is not required to establish the truth of the alibi to your satisfaction, but if the evidence or lack of evidence in this case raises in the minds of the jury a reasonable doubt as to whether the Defendant was present and committed the crime, then you must give the Defendant the benefit of any reasonable doubt, and find the Defendant not guilty.

¶ 11. The State inquired whether any evidence was on the record that supported that instruction. Michael's counsel responded that Robert testified that Michael was at home at the time of the robberies. The trial court felt that Robert's testimony was inconsistent and pointed out that on cross-examination, Robert indicated that Michael did not spend the night at home. The trial court also pointed out that there was no other alibi evidence and that the defense did not rehabilitate Robert's alibi testimony on redirect. Michael's counsel agreed that Robert's testimony was inconsistent. The trial court concluded that the jury should not be instructed according to the portions of Michael's requested instruction because during cross-examination and redirect, Robert testified that Michael spent the night with a friend.

¶ 12. Michael argues that the trial court erred by refusing his requested jury instruction. Michael admits Robert's inconsistent testimony but maintains that it was unclear from the questioning whether Robert meant that Michael spent the night of Sunday, June 16th with a friend or whether he meant that Michael spent the night of Monday, June 17th with a friend. Michael claims that it was clear that Robert testified that Michael was at home in his bed on the night of the 16th.

¶ 13. At trial, the following exchange took place:

Q. Let me direct your attention back to that Sunday night, Monday morning, on June 17 — June 16, June 17 *375 of 2002. Was Michael Cochran at home?
A Yes, he was.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
913 So. 2d 371, 2005 WL 895179, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cochran-v-state-missctapp-2005.