Garrett v. State

956 So. 2d 229, 2006 WL 1073405
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedApril 25, 2006
Docket2004-KA-01855-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 956 So. 2d 229 (Garrett 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
Garrett v. State, 956 So. 2d 229, 2006 WL 1073405 (Mich. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

956 So.2d 229 (2006)

Louis GARRETT a/k/a Louie Christopher Garrett a/k/a Jr., Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2004-KA-01855-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

April 25, 2006.
Rehearing Denied January 30, 2007.

*230 Thomas M. Fortner, Virginia L. Watkins, attorneys for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Scott Stuart, attorney for appellee.

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

MYERS, P.J., for the Court.

¶ 1. Louie Christopher Garrett was convicted in the Circuit Court of Hinds County of aggravated assault. Garrett was found to be an habitual offender and sentenced *231 to a term of life without parole in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Following this conviction, Garrett appeals to this Court raising numerous issues.

¶ 2. Finding no error, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 3. Louie Christopher Garrett and Carol Roxanne Winham met one another in a Jackson bar where Winham worked as a waitress in early 2003. Shortly after this meeting the two began to live together in Winham's home where Garrett paid part of the mortgage and household expenses. After a period of time the relationship began to falter and Winham asked her son to "put him out" on July 21, 2003. Upon being removed from Winham's home, Garrett approached Robert Terry Smith, who was a friend and co-worker of Garrett, to talk to Winham for him.

¶ 4. On July 23, 2003, Smith went to Winham's house to talk to her about the relationship between her and Garrett. When Smith arrived at the house Winham suggested that they go to a local bar and play pool, which they did. After a period of time they returned to Winham's house and went to the backyard where they drank beer and talked about the relationship between Winham and Garrett.

¶ 5. Garrett arrived at the house during this time and proceeded to the rear of the house where he found Smith and Winham. Garrett testified that he found Winham straddling Smith. At this point Garrett entered the backyard and an attack occurred. During the attack Smith was knocked unconscious and came to after the attack was over. During the attack Winham was struck by a two by four and chased down the street. Winham received a broken arm, cuts and bruises from the attack.

¶ 6. Garrett was indicted on two counts for causing bodily injury to Smith and Winham by striking them with a two by four, an instrument likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. At trial, Garrett was found guilty of aggravated assault against Winham and not guilty of aggravated assault against Smith. The trial court found Garrett had at least two prior felony convictions, one of which was a crime of violence, and therefore sentenced Garrett to life without parole. From this conviction Garrett appeals raising the following:

I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT DENIED GARRETT'S MOTION FOR A MISTRIAL AFTER ADMITTING TESTIMONY FROM ROBERT SMITH WHICH WAS HEARSAY SUBJECT TO NO EXCEPTION AND WAS INADMISSIBLE UNDER MISSISSIPPI RULE OF EVIDENCE 404.
II. BLATANT AND REPEATED INSTANCES OF PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT REQUIRE REVERSAL.
III. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT REFUSED GARRETT'S INSTRUCTION D-3 ON SELF-DEFENSE, AS AN EVIDENTIARY BASIS CLEARLY EXISTED AND THE COURT THEREBY DENIED GARRETT HIS RIGHT TO PRESENT HIS THEORY OF THE CASE.
IV. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT GRANTED INSTRUCTION S-2A AS THE INSTRUCTION OMITTED AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT REGARDING THE BURDEN OF THE PROOF TO WHICH THE STATE IS HELD.
V. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT REJECTED INSTRUCTION D-2 PERMITTING THE JURY TO CONSIDER THE LESSER OFFENSE *232 OF SIMPLE ASSAULT WHEN THE RECORD CLEARLY SUPPORTED CONSIDERATION OF A LESSER OFFENSE.
VI. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN SENTENCING GARRETT TO LIFE WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE UNDER MISSISSIPPI CODE ANNOTATED § 99-19-83 (REV.2000) AS THE PROSECUTION FAILED TO PROVE GARRETT SERVED THE REQUISITE ONE YEAR FOR EACH OF TWO PREVIOUS FELONY CONVICTIONS.
VII. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN SENTENCING GARRETT AS A HABITUAL OFFENDER AS NO PROOF WAS ADDUCED TO DEMONSTRATE GARRETT WAS THE SAME INDIVIDUAL CHARGED IN THE PREVIOUS TWO FELONIES.
VIII. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT PERMITTED DETECTIVE SHARESA SPARKMAN TO TESTIFY AS TO HER OPINION.

DISCUSSION

I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT DENIED GARRETT'S MOTION FOR A MISTRIAL AFTER ADMITTING TESTIMONY FROM ROBERT SMITH WHICH WAS HEARSAY SUBJECT TO NO EXCEPTION AND WAS INADMISSIBLE UNDER MISSISSIPPI RULE OF EVIDENCE 404.

¶ 7. "Whether to declare a mistrial is committed to the sound discretion of the trial court." Brent v. State, 632 So.2d 936, 941 (Miss.1994). We will not overturn a trial judge's decision to overrule a motion for mistrial unless the trial judge committed an abuse of discretion. Bass v. State, 597 So.2d 182, 191 (Miss.1992).

¶ 8. Garrett argues that the trial court should have granted his motion for a mistrial because of hearsay testimony by Smith that Winham told him she awakened one night and Garrett was beating her. Garrett contends that this testimony prejudiced the jury against him as evidenced by the acquittal on the charge of assault upon Smith.

¶ 9. The testimony of Smith, with regard to Garrett beating Winham, was given by Smith when describing his conversation with Winham about her reasons for breaking up with Garrett. Garrett had requested that Smith talk to Winham about the breakup and see if there was the possibility of them getting back together. The testimony of Smith was the reason Winham had broken up with Garrett and was not given as character evidence against Garrett.

¶ 10. The supreme court has stated that:

This state has long adhered to the rule that the issue on a criminal trial should be single and that the evidence should be limited to what is relevant to the single issue. Evidence of a prior criminal activity on the part of one criminally accused is inadmissible where the prior offense has not resulted in a conviction. We have held, however, that the State has a "legitimate interest" in telling a rational and coherent story of what happened. Where substantially necessary to present to the jury "the complete story of the crime," evidence or testimony may be given though it may reveal or suggest other crimes.

Brown v. State, 483 So.2d 328, 330 (Miss. 1986). In the case sub judice the testimony of Smith is offered to tell the "rational and coherent story" of the attack. Smith's testimony was not offered to prove that Garret was beating Winham, but rather to explain the series of events that lead to *233 Smith being at the home of Winham when Garrett attacked them. This is not evidence given as character evidence in violation of the Mississippi Rule of Evidence 404(b).

¶ 11. The testimony of the beatings was part of the complete story. This issue is without merit.

II. BLATANT AND REPEATED INSTANCES OF PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT REQUIRE REVERSAL.

¶ 12. Garrett cites five instances of what he characterizes as prosecutorial misconduct. He argues that the assistant district attorney testified during her cross-examination of Garrett. He argues the court erred by denying his request for a mistrial during closing argument claiming the prosecutor argued defense counsel did not believe in his client.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
956 So. 2d 229, 2006 WL 1073405, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garrett-v-state-missctapp-2006.