Jeffrey Brasso v. State of Mississippi

195 So. 3d 856, 2016 WL 1423454, 2016 Miss. App. LEXIS 211
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedApril 12, 2016
Docket2014-CA-01061-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 195 So. 3d 856 (Jeffrey Brasso v. State of Mississippi) 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
Jeffrey Brasso v. State of Mississippi, 195 So. 3d 856, 2016 WL 1423454, 2016 Miss. App. LEXIS 211 (Mich. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinions

JAMES, J.,

for the Court:

¶ 1. Jeffrey Brasso appeals from the circuit court’s order summarily dismissing his motion for postconviction relief (PCR). Finding error, we reverse and remand with instructions consistent with this opinion. Although Brasso raises five issues on appeal, we address only the first issue regarding Brasso’s competency because we find that issue is dispositive.

¶ 2. The record contains sufficient proof that the circuit court had reasonable grounds tb believe that Brasso was potentially incompetent to stand trial. Because the circuit court failed to order a mental examination followed by a competency hearing under Uniform Rule of Circuit and County Court Practice 9.06 prior to Bras-so’s guilty plea, we reverse the decision' of the circuit court, and vacate Brasso’s conviction. Brasso should be either retried or institutionalized following a mental evaluation and competency hearing under Rule 9.06. See Smith v. State, 149 So.3d 1027, 1035 (¶ 19) (Miss.2014).

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶3. On October 13, 2009, Brasso was indicted for sexual battery in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-3-95(l)(d)' (Supp.2015). Specifically, Brasso was indicted for having sexual relations with a minor under the age of fourteen years old at the time, while he was more than two years older than the minor, between January 2004 and September 2008.

¶4. Brasso’s mother adopted a minor foster child, M.P.1 Brasso, his mother, and his adopted sister, M.P., lived together. Brasso, at thirty two years old, began sexually abusing M.P. when she was nine years old. Brasso began having sexual intercourse with M.P. when she was eleven years old. Brasso fathered a child with M.P. when she was thirteen years old. Sometime after M.P. gave birth to the child, Brasso and M.P. went to Louisiana to get married. M.P.’s biological mother signed a waiver for Brasso and M.P. to get married. Brasso and M.P. got married and lived together. Sometime later, M.P. moved out of the house, and the marriage ended. It is uncertain whether the marriage was annulled, or whether it was void in the first instance due to M.P.’s age. Regardless, M.P.’s biological mother lacked authority to sign an effective waiver after she was adopted.

115. Brasso filed a petition to enter a guilty plea for sexual battery of a child in violation of section 97 — 3—95(1) (d). On April 18, 2011, a plea hearing was held. ' The circuit court accepted Brasso’s guilty [859]*859plea as voluntary and intelligently entered. However, the circuit court deferred sentencing in order to obtain a presentence investigation report and to allow Brasso to undergo a mental evaluation. On May 9, 2011, Brasso underwent a psychological forensic evaluation by Stefan Massong, Ph.D. Dr. Massong prepared a report on May 23, 2011, Dr. Massong stated in his report that Brasso was referred by his public defender, Adrienne Crawford, to “be evaluated to determine [Brasso’s] general psychologic disposition, to identify any mental disorder(s) and to make recommendations for treatment, if applicable.”

¶ 6. The evaluation report was submitted to the circuit court, and on June 17, 2011, the sentencing hearing was held. The circuit court heard from the prosecutor, Am gel Myers, Brasso’s attorney, Brasso, and witnesses who testified on Brasso’s behalf. The- circuit court sentenced Brasso to twenty-five years in the. custody of the Mississippi Department of - Corrections, with twelve years to serve day-for-day, and five years of postreleasé supervision.

¶ 7. On April 17, 2014, Brasso filed a PCR motion. On June 30, 2014, the circuit court summarily dismissed Brasso’s PCR motion under Mississippi Code Annotated section 99-39-11(2) (Rev.2015). It is from this order that Brasso appeals to this Court.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 8. “The [circuit] court may summarily dismiss a motion for PCR if it plainly appears from the face of the motion, any annexed exhibits and the prior proceedings in the case that the movant is not entitled to any relief.” Smith, 149 So.3d at 1031 (¶ 7) (citing Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-11(2)). This Court determines whether the motion presents a claim procedurally alive substantially showing denial of a state or. federal right on appeal from the summary dismissal of a PCR motion. Id.

¶ 9. The constitutional right not to be tried or copvicted while incompetent is a component of a defendant’s due-process right to a fair trial. Smith, 149 So.3d at 1031 (¶ 8) (citing Pate v. Robinson, 383 U,S. 375, 385, 86 S.Ct. 836, 15 L.Ed.2d 815 (1966)). “Uniform Rule of Circuit and County Court 9.06 requires a [circuit] court to order a defendant to . undergo a mental examination if, upon its own motion or upon motion of an attorney, the [circuit] court has reasonable ground to believe that the defendant is incompetent to stand trial.” Bradley v. State, 116 So.3d 1093, 1095 (¶ 13) (Miss.Ct.App.2013).

¶ 10. ' The determination of whether a circuit court has a reasonable ground to suspect incompetency is within the discretion of the trial judge. Harden v. State, 59 So.3d 594, 601 (¶14) (Miss.2011). ' “The standard of review for an appellate court to determine if there was an abuse of discretion is whether the trial judge received information which, objectively considered, should reasonably have raised a doubt about the defendant’s' competence and alerted the judge to the possibility that the defendant could neither understand the proceedings, appreciate their significance, nor rationally aid his attorney in his defense.”' Bradley, 116 So.3d at 1095-96 (¶ 13) (citing Goff v. State, 14 So.3d 625, 644 (¶ 66) (Miss.2009)).

DISCUSSION

I. Whether Brasso was competent to enter a guilty plea.

'111. Brasso argues that he was not competent to enter a guilty plea. Brasso also argues that the circuit court erred by not ordering a mental examination and conducting a competency hearing prior to accepting his guilty plea.

[860]*860¶ 12. Under Uniform Rule of Circuit and County Court 8.04(A)(4)(a), “it is the duty of the [circuit] court to address the defendant personally and to inquire and determine ... [tjhat the accused is competent to understand the nature of the charge[.]” “When the evidence raises sufficient doubt as to the defendant’s competency to stand trial, the defendant is deprived of due process of law if the trial court fails to conduct a separate competency hearing.” Smith, 149 So.3d at 1033 (¶ 15) (citing Pate, 383 U.S. at 385, 86 S.Ct. 836). Rule 9.06 of the Uniform Rules of Circuit and County Court Practice provides the procedure for a circuit court’s determination of whether a criminal defendant is mentally competent to stand trial. “Rule 9.06 is meant to ensure that a defendant’s due process rights are not violated.” Coleman v. State, 127 So.3d 161, 166 (¶ 13) (Miss.2013). Rule 9.06 instructs the circuit court, in part:

If before or during trial the court, of its own motion or upon motion of an attorney, has reasonable ground to believe that the defendant is incompetent to stand trial, the court shall order the defendant to submit to a mental examination by some competent psychiatrist selected by the court in accordance with § 99-13-11 of the Mississippi Code Annotated of 1972.

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Bluebook (online)
195 So. 3d 856, 2016 WL 1423454, 2016 Miss. App. LEXIS 211, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jeffrey-brasso-v-state-of-mississippi-missctapp-2016.