Hampton v. People

465 P.2d 112, 171 Colo. 101, 1970 Colo. LEXIS 644
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedFebruary 9, 1970
Docket22919
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 465 P.2d 112 (Hampton v. People) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hampton v. People, 465 P.2d 112, 171 Colo. 101, 1970 Colo. LEXIS 644 (Colo. 1970).

Opinions

Mr. Justice Kelley

delivered the opinion of the Court.

Charles Hampton was charged with and found guilty of aggravated robbery (C.R.S. 1963, 40-5-1) and conspiracy to commit robbery (C.R.S. 1963, 40-7-35). The court imposed sentences of imprisonment, within .the statutory limits on both counts, the sentences to ■ run concurrently. Hampton is here on writ of error, alleging error in eight separate instances.

The two alleged offenses arose out of the following factual situation. The supermarket involved had just been closed for the day. As one of the employees was crossing its parking lot to his car he was intercepted by two men wearing Halloween masks who, by threats and intimidation and the use of a revolver, demanded that he unlock the store (although he had no key) so they could [104]*104enter. The assistant manager, one Stan Sperlak, observing the plight of the employee, opened the door. The masked men entered and ordered Sperlak to open the safe. While the contents of the safe were being removed by the two masked men, a third man, also armed with a pistol, wearing a similar mask, entered the store through the unlocked door.

As the third man came through the door, his mask was in some manner pulled from his face, momentarily enabling Sperlak to recognize him as a person who worked at the filling station across the street from the market. Sperlak’s identification of the defendant at the trial was crucial to the conviction.

After emptying the safe, the three masked men ran from the store and left in a car belonging to one of the store’s employees. The defendant was arrested at his place of residence a few days later.

The eight alleged errors fall basically into five categories and will be so grouped for discussion of their merits.

I.

People’s Exhibits “A” and “B” were admitted into evidence over the objection of the defendant. Exhibit “A” is a sales ticket for a .38 caliber pistol clip. Exhibit “B” is a sales ticket relating to a .32 caliber pistol. Exhibits “A” and “B” were obtained by the arresting officer at the time of and incidental to defendant’s arrest under these material circumstances.

The arresting officer apparently awakened the defendant when he knocked on the door. The officer entered defendant’s room, informed him he was under arrest, and ordered him to dress. The officer observed that the defendant, while dressing, was dropping pieces of paper into the waste basket. The officer retrieved them, pieced them together, and they were received in evidence as the two challenged exhibits.

The evidence as to their identity, although questioned, was clearly established. The defendant’s contention that [105]*105the exhibits were not related to any gun shown to have been used by the defendant in the crime and were, therefore, irrelevant is not well taken. It is true that the guns used in the robbery were not recovered, so, consequently, none was offered in evidence by the prosecution, but the test of relevance and materiality is not so limited.

This court, in Washington v. People, 158 Colo. 115, 405 P.2d 735, reiterated the rule which has long been followed in this state:

“* * * In order to establish the relevance and materiality of real evidence, it must only be connected in some manner with either the perpetrator, the victim or the crime.

Exhibits “A” and “B” were unarguably connected with the perpetrator — the defendant — because he had them in his possession at the time of his arrest. His attempt to destroy the evidence of ownership of a gun and a gun clip were properly admissible to show consciousness of guilt as well as possession of a pistol and clip prior to the robbery. The exhibits were relevant and material under the tests set forth in Washington. Consequently, this assignment of error is without merit.

II.

In order to counter Sperlak’s identification testimony, counsel for the defendant requested an opportunity to demonstrate that the type of mask used would not come off the defendant’s face in the manner described by the witness. To conduct the demonstration counsel proposed to use a mask “similar” to that described by Sperlak. The district attorney objected to the use of a “similar” mask. The court, after an in camera hearing, sustained the objection. The court ruled that in the absence of one of the actual masks used in the robbery the demonstration could not be performed.

An examination of the record discloses that the court was concerned with the possible variance between the mask proposed to be used in the demonstration and the actual mask worn in the robbery. Among the variables [106]*106suggested by the court were contour, tightness (fit) and opaqueness. These variations, in the court’s appraisal, would render the proposed demonstration unreliable.

The question presented by the defendant’s assignment of error resolves itself into whether the court abused its discretion in denying to defendant the right to attempt to impeach Sperlak’s testimony on identification by the proposed demonstration. Starr v. People, 28 Colo. 184, 63 P. 299.

It is a fundamental rule of law that the admission into evidence of models or articles of similar design for purposes of demonstration is solely within the discretion of the trial court. In the absence of a gross abuse of discretion this court will not disturb the ruling of the trial court. Bebber v. People, 160 Colo. 60, 414 P.2d 131. Consonant with Bebber, we hold that the trial court’s ruling here did not exceed the bounds of its discretion.

III.

The third category of assigned errors relates to alleged material imperfections in four instructions given by the court. Each will be treated separately.

(a) Conspiracy.

In his brief the defendant argues:

“The verdict of the jury and the sentence of the Court on this Count [conspiracy] must be set aside because the jury was not advised what the offense of conspiracy consists of.”

An examination of the instruction discloses that it advised the jury that it must find beyond a reasonable doubt that there was a common design or purpose to commit an unlawful act by a concert of action. Although the instruction should not serve as a model of preciseness, it does set forth the essential elements of the offense charged in understandable language. The law does not require more. LaVielle v. People, 113 Colo. 277, 157 P.2d 621. The verdict and judgment on the conspiracy count are affirmed.

(b) Alibi.

[107]*107Defendant’s sole evidentiary defense was based on alibi. Two witnesses, other than defendant, testified that they were working on an automobile, belonging to one of them, in an automobile service station directly across the street from the market. This activity continued during the entire period of the robbery. Both witnesses testified that the defendant was with them during the entire period of time covered by the commission of the robbery.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
465 P.2d 112, 171 Colo. 101, 1970 Colo. LEXIS 644, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hampton-v-people-colo-1970.