Kramm v. State

949 So. 2d 18, 2007 WL 416092
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 8, 2007
Docket2005-KA-01901-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 949 So. 2d 18 (Kramm v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kramm v. State, 949 So. 2d 18, 2007 WL 416092 (Mich. 2007).

Opinion

949 So.2d 18 (2007)

Michael Joseph KRAMM
v.
STATE of Mississippi.

No. 2005-KA-01901-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

February 8, 2007.

*19 Roger Wayne Woodall, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Deirdre McCrory, attorney for appellee.

Before SMITH, C.J., EASLEY and GRAVES, JJ.

EASLEY, Justice, for the Court.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 1. Michael Joseph Kramm was indicted by a Harrison County grand jury in a three-count felony indictment: (1) Count I: driving a motor vehicle while under the influence and causing death, Miss.Code Ann. § 63-11-30(1)(a) and (5) (Rev.2004); (2) Count II: driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08% or more and causing death, Miss.Code Ann. § 63-11-30(1)(c) and (5); (3) Count III: leaving the scene of an accident which resulted in the death of another person, Miss.Code Ann. § 63-3-401(1) and (4). Kramm did not file a motion to quash the indictment.

¶ 2. Kramm was convicted in the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial District of Harrison County, Mississippi, on all three counts. Thereafter, the Honorable Kosta Vlahos sentenced Kramm to twenty years on Count I and twenty years on Count II to be served concurrently. He was also sentenced to five years on Count III to be served consecutively, for a total of twenty-five years to serve in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

¶ 3. Kramm filed a post-trial motion for new trial, which was denied by the trial court. Kramm filed a motion for bail pending the outcome of his appeal and an addendum to the motion for appeal bond with a hand-written letter from Kramm *20 attached.[1] The trial court issued an opinion and order of the court denying Kramm's request for bond pending the outcome of the appeal.

¶ 4. Kramm now appeals his conviction and sentence to this Court.

FACTS

¶ 5. On the evening of December 4, 2002, several students from William Carey College, Joseph Nunnally, Nick Mulvaney, Treacy Staunton, and two young females, referred to as "Brin" and "Sinead," went to the Grand Casino in Biloxi to enjoy a night out before the Christmas holidays. Nunnally and Mulvaney were members of the men's soccer team at William Carey. Staunton, a native of Ireland, was a member of the women's soccer team. Nunnally served as the designated driver, refraining from drinking any alcohol that evening. The students decided to leave the Grand and meet some other soccer players at another bar.

¶ 6. Nunnally testified that he drove, and Staunton was seated in the back seat directly behind him. The students were traveling in a Honda. While heading west on Highway 90, Nunnally stopped at a red light at the intersection in front of Edgewater Mall. The vehicle behind them, an SUV, did not stop and slammed into the back of the Honda. The other vehicle then left the scene of the accident. The Honda was pushed through the median into a light pole. Nunnally got out of the car and then pulled Staunton out of the car. Nunnally testified that Staunton was bleeding from her mouth and her nose. Staunton did not speak. All five of the students were transported to the hospital.

¶ 7. Dr. Donald Robert Doran, Jr., testified that he treated Staunton when she arrived at the hospital. Dr. Doran testified that Staunton died from blunt force trauma to the head area and stoppage of the heart. Staunton was pronounced dead when her heart would not restart.

¶ 8. Danielle Rose Yarbrough testified that she and her friend Paul Duane Ladner witnessed the accident on Highway 90. Yarbrough was traveling in Ladner's car down Highway 90. Yarbrough had seen the SUV swerving in and out of the median before the accident. The SUV went up an embankment and came back onto Highway 90. Yarbrough testified that they did not have a cell phone so Ladner planned to pull into a gas station near the mall to call the police regarding the erratic driving. However, before they could pull into the gas station, Yarbrough saw the SUV slam into the back of a car. She testified that the accident occurred at approximately 1:20 a.m. Yarbrough testified that the SUV did not slow down before the accident, and the driver did not hit the brakes. After the SUV left the scene of the accident, Ladner and Yarbrough followed it until it pulled into the VA.[2] After they took the SUV's tag number, they went back to the scene of the accident and informed the police.

¶ 9. On December 4, 2002, Lee William Valencia was employed as a security guard assigned to work the gate in front of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, located on Highway 90. Valencia observed the driver of an SUV turn off the headlights while driving slowly. The SUV turned into the gate to the Home. Valencia approached the SUV to inform the driver that he was not authorized to be on the premises. The driver told Valencia that *21 he was looking for the admissions office at the VA. Valencia gave the driver directions, but the driver "could not figure out a way to get out" of the parking lot. Valencia decided he should call the main office for assistance. Valencia did not see the driver eat or drink anything.

¶ 10. Greg Connelly responded to Valencia's call for assistance. The driver exited the SUV, a Ford Explorer, when Connelly arrived. Connelly testified that the driver "appeared to be drunk, and didn't know how to leave out." Connelly stated that the driver could "hardly stand up" and was "disoriented." Connelly smelled an "intoxicating beverage on his breath," and he observed blood on the driver's face, trickling down from the lip area, and "bloodshot red eyes." The driver apologized for being so drunk and stated that he would leave his vehicle and walk home.

¶ 11. Connelly took the driver's driving license, which was issued by the state of Texas. Connelly removed the keys from the SUV's ignition and put the vehicle in park. The SUV had "heavy damage to the front end" which appeared to be fresh on the right passenger side and glass inside the vehicle, along with beer cans on the floorboard on the driver's side. The driver told Connelly that he had been involved in an accident "about a mile east of our location." The driver did not eat, drink, or smoke anything while in Connelly's presence. Connelly refused the driver's request to be allowed to smoke a cigarette. Connelly identified the driver of the vehicle as Michael Kramm. Connelly testified that no one else was in the vehicle with Kramm. The Gulfport Police Department was contacted for assistance.

¶ 12. Officer Nicholas Sonnier, Biloxi Police Department, responded to the accident scene on December 5, 2002, at approximately 1:23 a.m. Only one car was in the median when he arrived. He was provided a description of the other vehicle, a dark-colored SUV. He advised dispatch that he was looking for a hit and run. Dispatch informed Officer Sonnier that the Gulfport Police Department had a suspect vehicle at the retirement home. Officer Sonnier arrived at the retirement home at approximately 1:40 a.m. The driver was advised of his rights. Officer Sonnier identified Kramm for the record as the individual he questioned.

¶ 13. Officer Sonnier testified that he detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from Kramm's breath as he spoke. Kramm had blood coming from his lip.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
949 So. 2d 18, 2007 WL 416092, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kramm-v-state-miss-2007.