Fulks v. State

944 So. 2d 79, 2006 WL 1148116
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedMay 2, 2006
Docket2004-KA-01673-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 944 So. 2d 79 (Fulks 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
Fulks v. State, 944 So. 2d 79, 2006 WL 1148116 (Mich. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

944 So.2d 79 (2006)

Timothy L. FULKS, Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2004-KA-01673-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

May 2, 2006.
Rehearing Denied September 12, 2006.
Certiorari Denied December 7, 2006.

*81 Mark Andrew Cliett, West Point, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Jeffrey A. Klingfuss, attorney for appellee.

Before MYERS, P.J., SOUTHWICK and BARNES, JJ.

MYERS, P.J., for the Court.

¶ 1. Timothy L. Fulks was found guilty of transfer of a controlled substance in the Circuit Court of Clay County. Fulks was sentenced as a habitual offender which imposed a sentence of sixty years not to be reduced, suspended or eligible for probation or parole, in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, in accordance with Miss.Code Ann. § 41-29-147(Rev. 2004). Fulks was also fined two million dollars. Aggrieved by the ruling of the trial court, Fulks appeals raising the following five issues:

I. WHETHER OR NOT THE VERDICT WAS CONTRARY TO THE LAW AND AGAINST THE OVERWHELMING WEIGHT OF THE SUBSTANTIVE EVIDENCE PRODUCED AT TRIAL.
II. WHETHER OR NOT THE COURT ERRED IN ALLOWING THE SUBSTANCE ALLEGED TO BE CRACK COCAINE TO BE ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE WITHOUT THE PROPER CHAIN OF CUSTODY HAVING BEEN ESTABLISHED.
III. WHETHER OR NOT THE REPRESENTATION OF FULKS BY HIS ATTORNEY OF RECORD AT THE TRIAL OF THIS MATTER WAS INEFFECTIVE.
IV. WHETHER OR NOT THE SENTENCE IMPOSED BY THE TRIAL COURT OF SIXTY YEARS WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE IS UNCONSTITUTIONALLY DISPROPORTIONATE AND EXCESSIVE IN VIEW OF FULKS' CONVICTION FOR SALE OF A SINGLE ROCK OF COCAINE.
V. WHETHER OR NOT THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF THE ERRORS AT TRIAL DENIED THIS DEFENDANT A FUNDAMENTALLY FAIR TRIAL AS GUARANTEED BY THE UNITED STATES AND MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTIONS.

FACTS

¶ 2. Roosevelt Purnell, a confidential informant working with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, was wired with a video camera when he purchased crack cocaine from Fulks on July 10, 2002. Fulks was *82 indicted for the sale of a controlled substance. During the first trial, Purnell testified against Fulks. Fulks's attorney was allowed to cross-examine Purnell thoroughly. Fulks's first trial resulted in a mistrial as a result of a hung jury. Before the second trial began, Purnell died; therefore, he was unavailable to testify. Purnell's testimony from the first trial's transcript was read into evidence during the second trial. The second trial in July of 2004 resulted in Fulks being found guilty of the sale of a controlled substance and being sentenced as a habitual offender to serve sixty years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections and to pay two million dollars in fines.

I. WHETHER OR NOT THE VERDICT WAS CONTRARY TO THE LAW AND AGAINST THE OVERWHELMING WEIGHT OF THE SUBSTANTIVE EVIDENCE PRODUCED AT TRIAL.

¶ 3. Fulks argues that his guilty verdict was contrary to the evidence produced at trial. Fulks asserts that his entire case turned upon the credibility of the confidential informant, Roosevelt Purnell. Fulks argues that Purnell's testimony from the previous trial should not have been allowed into evidence, because Fulks was not able to cross-examine Purnell and the jury was unable to observe Purnell's demeanor.

¶ 4. When evaluating a motion for new trial we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict and will only grant a new trial in exceptional cases where the evidence preponderates heavily against the verdict. Bush v. State, 895 So.2d 836, 844 (¶ 18) (Miss.2005). The verdict will stand unless by allowing this would sanction an unconstitutional injustice. Id. Fulks's assertion is essentially regarding the admittance of Purnell's testimony into evidence. Therefore, the trial judge possesses a great deal of discretion as to the relevancy and admissibility of evidence. Farmer v. State, 770 So.2d 953, 958 (¶ 14) (Miss.2000). This Court will not reverse the judge's ruling unless he abuses his discretion so as to be prejudicial to the accused. Id.

¶ 5. Rule 804(a)(4) of the Mississippi Rules of Evidence permits hearsay into evidence when the declarant is unavailable because of death. Rule 804(b)(1) goes further to state that former testimony of the unavailable witness may be read into evidence when that witness had been previously cross-examined. The prosecution has the burden of demonstrating that the witness is unavailable. Ohio v. Roberts, 448 U.S. 56, 74-74, 100 S.Ct. 2531, 65 L.Ed.2d 597 (1980). The State presented Shane Lamkin from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics to testify regarding the death of Purnell. The United States Supreme Court articulated a two-prong test in determining the admissibility of an unavailable witness; first, the prosecution must establish the declarant as unavailable, and second, once the first is established the statement must be accompanied by "idicia of reliablility." Id. at 65, 100 S.Ct. 2531. (quoting Mancusi v. Stubbs, 408 U.S. 204, 213, 92 S.Ct. 2308, 33 L.Ed.2d 293 (1972)). Purnell testified during the first trial where he was thoroughly cross-examined by Fulks's attorney. When the transcript of prior testimony of an unavailable witness reflects extensive cross-examination, the former testimony is admitted. De La Beckwith v. State, 707 So.2d 547, 604 (¶ 233) (Miss.1997). The judge did not abuse his discretion in allowing this evidence under this hearsay exception.

II. WHETHER OR NOT THE COURT ERRED IN ALLOWING THE SUBSTANCE ALLEGED TO BE CRACK COCAINE TO BE ENTERED *83 INTO EVIDENCE WITHOUT THE PROPER CHAIN OF CUSTODY HAVING BEEN ESTABLISHED.

¶ 6. Fulks argues that the trial court erred in allowing the crack cocaine to be admitted into evidence, because Purnell was not there to testify to the chain of custody. However, Purnell's testimony from the previous trial was read into evidence, and Fulks was allowed to fully cross-examine him.

¶ 7. The standard of review of admission of evidence is abuse of discretion. Robinson v. State, 758 So.2d 480, 488 (¶ 31) (Miss.Ct.App.2000). The judge is empowered to determine which evidence is admissible and unless his discretion is abused and has a prejudicial effect on the accused, then the ruling of the lower court is affirmed. Francis v. State, 791 So.2d 904, 907 (¶ 7) (Miss.Ct.App.2001).

¶ 8. The proper test to determine whether or not there has been a showing of the proper chain of custody of the evidence is whether there is a reasonable inference of likely tampering with the evidence. Williams v. State, 794 So.2d 181, 184 (¶ 10) (Miss.2001). The State must satisfy the trial court that there is no reasonable inference of tampering with evidence, but this state's law has never required the proponent of the evidence to produce every handler in order to prove chain of custody. Butler v. State, 592 So.2d 983, 985 (Miss.1991). However, Fulks has the burden of producing evidence that the chain of custody has been broken. Hemphill v. State, 566 So.2d 207, 208 (Miss.1990).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
944 So. 2d 79, 2006 WL 1148116, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fulks-v-state-missctapp-2006.