Demetrius M. Clayton v. Commonwealth of Kentucky
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Opinion
RENDERED: JUNE 14, 2024; 10:00 A.M. NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
Commonwealth of Kentucky Court of Appeals NO. 2023-CA-0172-MR
DEMETRIUS M. CLAYTON APPELLANT
APPEAL FROM HARDIN CIRCUIT COURT v. HONORABLE KELLY MARK EASTON, JUDGE ACTION NOS. 18-CR-00109 AND 18-CR-00110
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY APPELLEE
OPINION AFFIRMING
** ** ** ** **
BEFORE: CALDWELL, ECKERLE, AND MCNEILL, JUDGES.
MCNEILL, JUDGE: Demetrius Clayton (“Clayton”) appeals from the Hardin
Circuit Court’s Order entered January 4, 2022, which denied his motion for relief
pursuant to CR1 60.02(d), (e), and (f). We affirm.
1 Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure. BACKGROUND
On November 19, 2017, Clayton unlawfully entered into a residence
and assaulted the owner of the residence. On February 8, 2018, Clayton was
indicted by the Hardin County Grand Jury for assault in the first degree, burglary
in the first degree, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, wanton
endangerment in the first degree, and being a persistent felony offender in the first
degree.2
On January 24, 2018, Clayton had been speeding in Hardin County,
Kentucky. When a police officer attempted to pull over Clayton’s vehicle, he fled
from the scene. Clayton was indicted on the same day for fleeing or evading
police in the first degree, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of
intoxicants (first offense), speeding, operating on a suspended operator’s license,
disregarding a traffic control device, reckless driving; fleeing or evading police in
the second degree, wanton endangerment in the first degree (police officer),
possession of synthetic drugs, illegal possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to
illuminate head lamps, and improper use of blue lights.3 Clayton pled guilty to
2 Indictment No. 18-CR-00109; Kentucky Revised Statutes (“KRS”) 508.010; KRS 511.020; KRS 527.040; KRS 532.080(3). 3 Indictment No. 18-CR-00110; KRS 520.095; KRS 189A.010(5)(A); KRS 189.390; KRS 186.620(2); KRS 189.231(2); KRS 189.290; KRS 520.100; KRS 508.060; KRS 218A.1430; KRS 218A.500(2); KRS 189.030; KRS 189.950.
-2- both indictments on August 7, 2018. In total, Clayton was to serve 25 years on
both convictions.
On February 26, 2021, Clayton submitted a motion pursuant to CR
60.02 and RCr4 11.42 to vacate his judgment.5 The CR 60.02/RCr 11.42 motion
was denied by the trial court by Order on April 26, 2021. Clayton filed a notice of
appeal for both cases with this Court; however, he filed motions to dismiss both
appeals which were granted by Order on January 12, 2022.6
On December 16, 2022, Clayton filed a motion pursuant to CR
60.02(d), (e), and (f) in each case. The trial court denied the motion, stating that
Clayton could have presented his claims in his previous CR 60.02 motion, and,
thus, the motion was procedurally barred. This appeal follows.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
A trial court’s decision on a CR 60.02 motion is reviewed under an
abuse of discretion standard. White v. Commonwealth, 32 S.W.3d 83, 86 (Ky.
App. 2000). “The test for abuse of discretion is whether the trial judge’s decision
was arbitrary, unreasonable, unfair, or unsupported by sound legal principles.”
4 Kentucky Rules of Criminal Procedure. 5 The trial court had to ask for clarity whether Clayton was submitting his motion pursuant to CR 60.02 or RCr 11.42, and if the motion was for both of his cases. Clayton clarified that he was submitting the motion under both CR 60.02 and RCr 11.42. 6 Appeals No. 2021-CA-0572-MR and No. 2021-CA-0574-MR.
-3- Commonwealth v. English, 993 S.W.2d 941, 945 (Ky. 1999). Therefore, we will
affirm the trial court’s decision unless there is a showing of some “flagrant
miscarriage of justice.” Gross v. Commonwealth, 648 S.W.2d 853, 858 (Ky.
1983).
ANALYSIS
Clayton argues that the trial court abused its discretion when it denied
his September 16, 2022, CR 60.02 motion because his convictions are void as the
rules governing grand jury proceedings were violated in his case when the trial
court did not provide him a DVD recording of the proceeding.
The trial court did not abuse its discretion when it denied Clayton’s
motion for relief. “A defendant who is in custody under sentence . . . is required to
avail himself of RCr 11.42 as to any ground of which he is aware, or should be
aware, during the period when the remedy is available to him.” McQueen v.
Commonwealth, 948 S.W.2d 415, 416 (Ky. 1997). Additionally, “our rules of civil
procedure do not permit successive motions.” Stocker v. Commonwealth, 289
S.W.3d 592, 597 (Ky. App. 2009). Clayton has already filed a motion pursuant to
RCr 11.42 and CR 60.02 to vacate his conviction, which was denied by the trial
court on April 26, 2021. Record (“R.”) Vol. I at 84-91, No. 18-CR-00109. The
current issue raised by Clayton is one that could have, and should have, been raised
in the prior RCr 11.42 and CR 60.02 motion. Because Clayton’s post-conviction
-4- motion is successive in nature and raises an issue that should have been brought in
his initial RCr 11.42/CR 60.02 motion, it is improper under Kentucky law.
Even assuming, arguendo, that Clayton’s latest CR 60.02 motion was
not barred procedurally, it would still fail. By entering a plea of guilty, Clayton
waived any defense to the validity of his indictments except that the indictments do
not charge an actual crime. Centers v. Commonwealth, 799 S.W.2d 51, 55 (Ky.
1990). Thus, the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it denied Clayton’s
CR 60.02 motion.
CONCLUSION
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