Fugate v. State

951 So. 2d 604, 2007 Miss. App. LEXIS 145, 2007 WL 738745
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedMarch 13, 2007
DocketNo. 2005-KA-02175-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 951 So. 2d 604 (Fugate 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
Fugate v. State, 951 So. 2d 604, 2007 Miss. App. LEXIS 145, 2007 WL 738745 (Mich. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

ROBERTS, J.,

for the Court.

SUMMARY OF THE CASE

¶ 1. On October 10, 2005, a jury sitting before the Second Judicial District of the Jones County Circuit Court found James Fugate guilty of aggravated domestic violence. Following unsuccessful post-trial motions for JNOV or, alternatively, for new trial, Fugate appeals and raises six issues, listed verbatim:

I. THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR BY FAILING TO GRANT THE DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO SUPPRESS EVIDENCE OF PRIOR ABUSES ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN COMMITTED AGAINST MS. HOWARD BY MR. FUGATE. THEREBY RESULTING IN JUROR PREJUDICE BECAUSE OF THE DEFENDANT’S ALLEGED PRIOR BAD ACTS.
II. THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR BY FAILING TO GRANT THE DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISALLOW THE STATE FROM INTRODUCING VIDEO TAPED STATEMENTS MADE BY THE DEFENDANT WHICH WERE SPECULATIVE IN NATURE AND COUCHED IN TERMS OF [607]*607WHAT MAY OR MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED.
III. [THE CIRCUIT] COURT ERRED BY NOT ALLOWING TESTIMONY OF KAY SMITH WHO WAS CALLED BY THE DEFENSE TO IMPEACH STATEMENTS MADE BY THE STATE’S VICTIM WITNESS.
IV. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN HIS CLOSING ARGUMENTS DIRECTLY CALLED A WITNESS FOR THE DEFENDANT A LIAR. THIS WAS PLAIN ERROR THAT THE COURT SHOULD HAVE STEPPED IN AND PROTECTED THE RIGHTS OF THE DEFENDANT BY IMMEDIATELY DECLARING A MISTRIAL.
V. THE COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR BY FAILING TOP [SIC] GRANT THE DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR DIRECTED VERDICT AT THE CLOSE OF THE STATE’S CASE-IN-CHIEF, AND BY FURTHER OVERRULING THE DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR J.N.O.V. AS THE OVERWHELMING WEIGHT AND SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE COULD NOT POSSIBLY SUPPORT A JURY VERDICT OF GUILTY IN THIS CASE.
VI. WHETHER THE ABOVE DESCRIBED ERRORS WHEN VIEWED CUMULATIVELY RISE TO THE LEVEL OF PREVENTING MR. FUGATE FROM RECEIVING A CONSTITUTIONALLY FAIR TRIAL.

Finding no error, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2. As of September of 2004, James Fugate had been living with his girlfriend, Stacy Howard, for approximately a year and a half. On September 8, 2004, Fugate and Howard drank, by Howard’s description, “a lot” of alcohol. Howard and Fu-gate argued. According to the prosecution, Fugate got violent with Howard. Fugate disputed that contention. What happened the next morning, however, is entirely undisputed.

¶ 3. The next morning, Howard looked at herself in the mirror and found extremely severe injuries to her face. Alarmed by her appearance, Howard asked a friend to take her to the emergency room at South Central Regional Medical Center (SCRMC) in Laurel, Mississippi.

¶ 4. At SCRMC, Howard underwent x-rays. In laymen’s terms, those x-rays revealed multiple fractures to her face. Howard’s treating physician at SCRMC described those fractures as “a fractured zygoma,” “a blow out fracture of her orbit,” “multiple fractures of her maxillary bone,” and “a fractured mandible.” Howard also had severe swelling and “lacerations about her mouth.” Both of Howard’s eyes were black. Her right eye was so black and swollen that she could not open it. Based on the severity of her injuries, Howard was transferred to the University Medical Center (UMC) in Jackson, Mississippi.

¶ 5. Due to severe swelling, UMC physicians could not treat any of Howard’s injuries. On September 10, 2004, Howard took a Greyhound bus back to Laurel. Howard went to the Jones County Sheriffs Department and gave a sworn statement to Brad Grunig, a criminal investigator. Howard told Investigator Grunig that Fugate beat her with his fists.

¶ 6. On September 11, 2004, Howard went back to UMC. Howard underwent [608]*608plastic surgery and facial reconstruction. A plate was put in the right side of her face and her jaw was wired shut. Her jaw remained wired shut for six weeks.

¶ 7. On September 13, 2004, Fugate executed a waiver of rights document and gave a statement to Investigator Grunig. That interview was recorded on videotape. Fugate stated that he and Howard drank the night of the 9th and that they argued. Fugate said that Howard caused their arguments to escalate because she “bitched” and “nagged” and “started in on him.” Fugate did not specifically deny that he beat Howard. Instead, Fugate said that he did not remember beating Howard because he “blacked out” due to the volume of alcohol he consumed.

¶ 8. Further, Fugate said that, on past occasions, he and Howard argued when they drank and, occasionally, he had hit Howard. Fugate elaborated that he had never hit Howard with anything other than his fists because he preferred to “fight fair.” Fugate also explained that Howard had been similarly injured after past altercations and that she had never sought medical attention. Fugate opined that Howard would not have sought medical attention had she not been prompted by a friend. When asked whether he thought Howard got what she deserved, Fugate answered, “basically.”

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 9. On November 17, 2004, the Jones County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Fugate and charged him with aggravated domestic violence in violation of Section 97-3-7(4) of the Mississippi Code. Fugate pled not guilty.

¶ 10. Fugate filed three motions designed to prohibit the prosecution’s presentation of various forms of evidence, particularly his videotaped interview with Investigator Grunig. On August 11, 2005, Fugate filed a motion in limine and sought to exclude any reference to his having beaten Howard prior to September 8, 2004. That motion also applied to portions of Fugate’s videotaped interview. On October 5, 2005, Fugate filed a motion to suppress the video tape entirely or, alternatively, a motion in limine to exclude portions of the video tape in which Fu-gate speculated as to what “might have happened or probably happened” on September 8, 2004. Finally, on October 10, 2005, the date of trial, Fugate filed yet another motion in limine. By that particular motion, Fugate sought to prohibit mention of his prior criminal convictions.

¶ 11. On the day of trial, after voir dire but prior to opening statements, Fugate put the circuit court on notice of his three unresolved motions. Because the prosecution agreed to refrain from mentioning Fugate’s prior convictions, the circuit court did not have to rule on that motion. However, the prosecution contested Fugate’s other two motions.

¶ 12. The circuit court first addressed Fugate’s motion to exclude any mention of Fugate’s having committed violence against Howard prior to September 8— particularly those statements Fugate made during his September 13 videotaped interview. After the circuit court heard arguments on the matter, the circuit court overruled Fugate’s motion.

¶ 13. Immediately afterwards, the circuit court addressed Fugate’s motion to exclude any comments Fugate made during his taped interview that could be viewed as his speculating as to what happened on September 8. Again, after each side argued its respective position, the circuit court overruled Fugate’s motion. The prosecution proceeded with its presentation of evidence.

[609]*609¶ 14. The prosecution presented three witnesses. Howard testified first. Howard testified as to her recollection of events on September 8. She testified that she and Fugate drank “a lot” that evening and that they argued. According to Howard, their argument turned violent.

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951 So. 2d 604, 2007 Miss. App. LEXIS 145, 2007 WL 738745, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fugate-v-state-missctapp-2007.