Davis v. State

706 P.2d 1198, 1985 Alas. App. LEXIS 378
CourtCourt of Appeals of Alaska
DecidedOctober 11, 1985
DocketA-523/528
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 706 P.2d 1198 (Davis v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. State, 706 P.2d 1198, 1985 Alas. App. LEXIS 378 (Ala. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION

BRYNER, Chief Judge.

Following a jury trial, Dwight Davis was convicted of two counts of robbery in the first degree. AS 11.41.500(a)(1). Davis was sentenced to consecutive twenty-year terms. He appeals his conviction and sentence.

Davis first argues that the trial court erred in refusing to suppress identification evidence. Two witnesses identified Davis on the basis of three photo lineups. Davis claims that the identifications of his photograph were improperly suggestive because he was the only person to appear in each of the three arrays. Judge Jay Hodges denied Davis’ pretrial motion to prohibit the state from using the identification evidence, finding that “even though Mr. Davis’ photograph is the only one that is in fact common to all three photographs [line *1200 ups], [it is not] so suggestive as to taint the identification.”

Having reviewed the record, including the photographic arrays upon which the identifications were based, we conclude that Judge Hodges did not err in finding that the identifications were not so unnecessarily suggestive and conducive to irreparable mistaken identification that Davis was denied due process of law. See Stovall v. Denno, 388 U.S. 293, 302, 87 S.Ct. 1967, 1972, 18 L.Ed.2d 1199, 1206 (1967). Given the fact that a different photograph of Davis was used in each array and that the quality of all three photographs of Davis was extremely poor, Judge Hodges had a substantial basis to conclude that the three arrays were not unduly suggestive.

Davis also argues that the trial court erred in precluding him from impeaching the testimony of a crucial prosecution witness with her 1980 conviction for receiving and concealing stolen property. The conviction had been set aside under AS 12.55.085(e). Judge Hodges ruled that the certificate of discharge and order setting aside the conviction were “sufficiently close” to a “certificate of rehabilitation” to render the conviction inadmissible under Alaska Rule of Evidence 609(d).

The state agrees that the trial court’s ruling was in error and that the discharged conviction was admissible absent a showing that the certificate of rehabilitation was issued under a procedure which “required a substantial showing of rehabilitation.” Evidence Rule 609(d)(2). The state maintains, however, that such error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. We agree. The conviction was relevant only to the collateral question of the witness’ general credibility. See Jackson v. State, 695 P.2d 227, 230-31 (Alaska App.1985); Evans v. State, 550 P.2d 830, 837 (Alaska 1976) (distinguishing greater latitude given cross-examination to show bias). Given the record at trial, we hold that Judge Hodges’ error in precluding impeachment with the discharged 1980 conviction was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.

Davis’ third contention of error is that he was entitled to pre-trial disclosure of the identity of a person suspected by the police of committing a robbery similar to the two robberies for which Davis was ultimately convicted. After a hearing on Davis’ motion to compel discovery of any information relating to robberies “at or near Fairbanks, Alaska after August 1, 1983 in which the person perpetrating the robbery was a black male adult.” Judge Hodges ordered the prosecution to provide the defense with a list of all such crimes and to make available statements of victims and witnesses. At the later omnibus hearing, Judge Hodges ordered the state to instruct the police officer who had interviewed the then missing victim of a robbery similar to the robberies charged to Davis to talk to the defense counsel about what the victim had told him. Davis was also permitted to see the officer’s notes. Davis was to be informed of the victim’s whereabouts if the state located her. Because the investigation in that case was not yet complete, the court did not require the state to divulge the name of the suspect.

Presumably Davis was able to get a description of the suspect in the other robbery from the investigating officer, his report, or from the victim herself if she was ever located. Davis made no further representations to the trial court that the scope of discovery was inadequate. Under the circumstances of this case, we find that Judge Hodges did not abuse his discretion in failing to require the state to reveal the name of the suspect in the separate robbery.

Finally, Davis appeals his sentence as excessive. Judge Hodges found four aggravating factors and concluded that Davis was a worst offender. He sentenced Davis to two consecutive twenty-year terms. On revocation of probation for a 1979 felony conviction, the court simultaneously sentenced Davis to serve the suspended portion of his 1979 sentence consecutively to the sentences for the current convictions.

Davis argues that his aggregate sentence — approximately fifty years — is clear *1201 ly mistaken. Both the oral pronouncement of sentence and the written judgment reflect a mistaken belief on the part of the sentencing court that Davis was subject to a ten-year presumptive term on each robbery conviction. As a third felony offender, Davis was actually subject to presumptive sentences of fifteen years. AS 12.55.-125(c)(4). Since the length of Davis’ presumptive sentences affects his parole eligibility, we agree with the state that this case should be remanded for resentencing.

Even though resentencing will be necessary in order to allow application of the correct presumptive terms, we believe it desirable to resolve the remaining sentencing issues raised by Davis, because they will almost certainly recur on remand.

Davis argues, initially, that Judge Hodges erred in rejecting his proposed mitigating factor: that his conduct was among the least serious within the definition of the offense. AS 12.55.155(d)(9). We find no merit to this argument. The two robberies for which Davis was convicted were similar in nature. In each case, Davis, under the guise of having drugs to sell in his apartment, lured a prospective purchaser into the elevator/stairwell of a multi-unit apartment building in Fairbanks. Once in the elevator/stairwell, Davis placed his hand in his coat pocket, as if he had a gun, and demanded money from his victim. When the victim of the second robbery did not respond immediately to the demand for money, Davis hit him in the face, inflicting a cut lip.

Both of these robberies appear to have been well planned. They were executed in a manner calculated to render the victims relatively helpless and under circumstances that tended to minimize the possibility of a report by the victims to the police. Although Davis did not actually display a firearm, he clearly created the impression that he had one and was prepared to use it. In one of the two cases, Davis resorted to actual violence and inflicted physical injury upon his victim. In both cases, a substantial amount of cash was taken. Considering the totality of these circumstances, we hold that the superior court’s rejection of Davis’ proposed mitigating factor was not clearly erroneous.

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Related

Degler v. State
741 P.2d 659 (Court of Appeals of Alaska, 1987)
State v. Richards
720 P.2d 47 (Court of Appeals of Alaska, 1986)

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Bluebook (online)
706 P.2d 1198, 1985 Alas. App. LEXIS 378, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-state-alaskactapp-1985.