Hansen v. State

375 So. 2d 564, 1979 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1497
Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama·Decided October 2, 1979·No. 8 Div. 166·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinions

DeCARLO, Judge.

Murder, second degree; fifteen years.

The indictment charged the appellant, Janice Lee Hansen with “unlawfully and with malice aforethought” killing Max Ray Copeland “by shooting him with a pistol.”

The appellant was represented at trial by court-appointed counsel and is represented on this appeal by appointed counsel.

The facts presented by the State in support of this indictment, are as follows:

On March 27, 1978, Susan Marie Jordan was working as a bartender in the “Cheyenne 76 Club” in Madison County, Alabama. She stated that, on the night in question, the appellant and Billy Mayes arrived at the bar before Ricky Watson, Larry Harper and the victim. She said that the others were all drinking, but none was intoxicated.

According to Ms. Jordan, Harper and the victim came in together and had been in the bar approximately five minutes when the shooting occurred. She testified that, at the time, she was behind the cash register and was looking down at the counter when she heard the gunshot. She said that, at that point, she turned around and saw “Bil[565]*565ly and Janice trying to get the gun. You know, they were harassing over the gun and Janice ended up with it.”

Further, she stated that, just prior to the shooting, she saw the victim sitting at the end of the bar. She stated that she did not hear any conversation or argument between the appellant and the victim or hear anyone say, “I’m going to cut you.” She also acknowledged that she did not see “any confrontation at all” between Mayes, the appellant, and the victim.

The witness said that, after the shooting, she saw the appellant lying on the floor two or three feet from the bar and said that he did not have a knife in his hand, nor was there one anywhere around. However, she went on to say that, after the shooting, the police found a knife in the victim’s pocket.

During cross-examination, Ms. Jordan testified that she did not believe the juke box was playing at the time of the incident. Further, she stated that, immediately after the shooting, the appellant and Mayes left the bar, and, within two or three minutes after they left, she called the police.

Ricky Allen Watson testified that, on the day of the shooting, he had gone to the Cheyenne Club about “eight or eight-thirty.” According to Watson, when he arrived, the appellant and Mayes were already there, and Harper and the victim arrived about thirty minutes or an hour later.

Watson stated that, within five to ten minutes after they arrived, the shots were fired. He recalled that, just prior to the shots, the victim had walked by him and appeared to be walking to the door. Watson testified that he did not see any confrontation between Mayes, the appellant and the victim, and did not see Copeland draw a knife. Further, Watson said he did not hear any conversation, nor did he hear the victim say he was going to cut anyone. Watson went on to say that the only “scuffle” he saw was “when [the appellant] was bringing the gun down and Mr. Mayes was probably reaching after it. . ”

Watson acknowledged that, immediately after he heard the shot and turned around, he saw the appellant with the gun in her hand. He said that Mayes and the appellant left “pretty shortly after that.”

Watson also stated that, after the victim had been shot, he did not see a knife in his hand, nor did he see a knife in the victim’s hand when Copeland had walked past him previously.

Larry Samuel Harper, who was also known as “Rabbit,” testified that he and the victim arrived at the Cheyenne Club between 8:30 and 9:00 P.M. He said that, when they went into the bar, the appellant, Mayes, Watson, and the bartender were there. According to Harper, after they arrived, he and Copeland sat at the bar and talked with the bartender for a few minutes and ordered a drink. After a minute, the victim asked him for a light. According to Harper, Copeland told him he had left his lighter in the van. Copeland then took a sip from his drink, got up and started around the bar.

Harper stated that Copeland did not say anything to him about Mayes and did not say anything when he got up. He recalled that the other man did not say anything about cutting anybody or getting in a fight with anyone. Harper also said that he did not hear Copeland talking with anyone pri- or to the shooting.

Harper testified “[W]hen I looked up, Mr. Copeland grabbed the side of his head and hollered oh, and fell to the floor on his back.”

Harper said, at that point, he got up and walked about half the length of the bar when he saw Mayes and the appellant with the gun “between them.” He said that the appellant had her back to him at that time, but she “broke away from Mr. Mayes and came around and pointed the gun at me.” Harper said he then “hit the floor and turned around the corner of the bar and got in the bathroom.”

The witness said he “didn’t see which one pulled the trigger” but did see Mayes and the appellant “scuffling over the gun.” [566]*566Further, he stated that, when the appellant pointed the gun at him, Mayes “run up behind her and grabbed her and by that time I was around the corner of the bar.” Harper said he remained in the bathroom until they left and then went outside and saw the two drive away in a “yellow Dodge van.”

James Parker, a “Crime Scene Technician” with the Huntsville Police Department, testified that, on the day in question, he had gone to the Cheyenne Club with another technician, Officer Larry Brewer. He stated that, when they arrived, Sgt. Collie and other officers were already present.

Parker said that he and Brewer had photographed the scene and he identified State’s Exhibits 1 through 9 as photographs taken at that time.

The witness recalled that, after Mr. Ber-ryhill of the coroner’s office arrived, the personal effects were removed from the body of the deceased. He said that among those effects were a handkerchief, a keyring, forty-five cents in change, a brown leather wallet, and a package of Marlboro cigarettes. From the right front pocket they removed “one pocket knife with [the] blade shut.” Parker recalled that this was the only knife he found on or about the victim’s body.

Parker testified that, about 11:00 or 11:30 P.M., he drove to Arab, Alabama, where Chief Bannister of the Arab Police Department turned over to him a .38 Smith and Wesson pistol and a “Buck pocket knife.” He said that he also saw the appellant and Mr. Mayes there.

Parker recalled that, at the time the pistol was turned over to him, it contained “one spent round” and four live rounds of ammunition. He testified that the weapon, as well as the other items he had taken at the scene, were kept in his possession until they were turned over to the State Toxicologist.

Jack Bannister, the chief of police of the City of Arab, identified the pistol and knife which he had turned over to Detective Parker and stated that he had received them from Arab Police Officer Sowder. He stated that these items had remained in his possession for about an hour when he turned them over to Detective Parker of the Huntsville Police Department.

During cross-examination, Chief Bannister said that he had known the victim all of his life time and was not aware that he had a reputation for violence. On further questioning, he said that the victim did not have a reputation for violence in Arab.

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Hansen v. State, 375 So. 2d 564, 1979 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1497 (Ala. Ct. App. 1979).

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