Lamar Wooden v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)

• Court: Indiana Court of Appeals
• Decided: June 12, 2017
• Docket: 49A02-1611-CR-2561
• Status: Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED regarded as precedent or cited before any Jun 12 2017, 9:21 am court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK the defense of res judicata, collateral Indiana Supreme Court Court of Appeals estoppel, or the law of the case. and Tax Court

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE Victoria L. Bailey Curtis T. Hill, Jr. Marion County Public Defender Agency Attorney General of Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Lyubov Gore Deputy Attorney General Indianapolis, Indiana

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

Lamar Wooden, June 12, 2017 Appellant-Defendant, 49A02-1611-CR-2561 Appeal from the Marion Superior v. Court The Honorable Grant W. State of Indiana, Hawkins, Judge Appellee-Plaintiff. Trial Court Cause No. 49G05-1510-MR-37109

Bailey, Judge.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 1 of 9 Case Summary [1] Lamar Wooden (“Wooden”) appeals his conviction for Murder, a felony. 1 He

presents the sole issue of whether there was prosecutorial misconduct

amounting to fundamental error because in rebuttal closing argument the

prosecutor suggested that Wooden had a burden of proof or that the State was

required to present exculpatory evidence. We affirm.

Facts and Procedural History [2] On October 16, 2015, relatives of Lorirell Wooden (“Lorirell”) gathered at

Lorirell’s Indianapolis residence to celebrate her birthday. Lorirell’s sister,

Latasha Eldridge (“Latasha”) was among the guests. Latasha’s husband,

Gerald Eldridge (“Gerald”) showed up unexpectedly and shortly thereafter,

Wooden, who is a cousin to Lorirell and Latasha, showed up. He was

accompanied by his friend, Adrian Riggs (“Riggs”). Latasha and Gerald

immediately decided to leave the party and Gerald stepped outside.

[3] Wooden hugged his cousin Lakisha Wooden (“Lakisha”) and she observed the

handle of a gun protruding from the front pocket of Wooden’s hoodie. Lakisha

warned Wooden not to start trouble, as children were present. Wooden asked

for Lorirell and, when she appeared, gave her a hug. Lorirell also observed that

1 Ind. Code § 35-42-1-1.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 2 of 9 Wooden “had a gun hanging out.” (Tr. Vol. II pg. 119.) Wooden then quickly

went outside. Within one minute, the women inside the house heard gunshots.

[4] Gerald’s and Latasha’s daughter, Lydia Dukes (“Dukes”) ran outside at the

sound of the gunshots. She observed Wooden shooting at Gerald’s van as he

drove away. She then saw Riggs toss keys to Wooden and he ran off in the

direction where Riggs’ girlfriend’s vehicle had been parked. Dukes began

beating Riggs on his head. Lorirell ran outside to find that Wooden was gone

and Riggs was being beaten. Latasha saw her husband’s van drive away and

she followed in another vehicle.

[5] At a gas station near 30th Street and College Avenue, Ronald Smith (“Smith”)

stood waiting for a ride. He saw a man driving a gray Camaro with a black top

approach a van and fire multiple shots through the passenger side window. He

then observed the driver of the van clutch his chest. Smith called 9-1-1 and ran

toward the shooting victim. Gerald died at the scene. When Lorirell arrived

and identified herself to police officers as the victim’s wife, Smith told her the

shooter was “a guy in a gray Camaro with a black top” and Lorirell responded

that it was her cousin. (Tr. Vol. II pg. 245.) Smith later examined a

photographic array and identified Wooden as the shooter.

[6] Wooden was arrested and charged with Murder. On October 3, 2016, his jury

trial commenced. During the presentation of evidence, Leroy Sargent

(“Sargent”), who is Lorirell’s boyfriend, provided somewhat equivocal

testimony as to what he observed as he returned home from work on October

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 3 of 9 16, 2015. His equivocation as to who was in the vehicle he passed, which was

not a Camaro, became a focus during the defense closing argument and rebuttal

closing argument. However, no contemporaneous objection was lodged by

Wooden.

[7] When the trial concluded, the jury found Wooden guilty as charged. He was

sentenced to a term of sixty years of imprisonment. He now appeals.

Discussion and Decision [8] Wooden alleges that the prosecutor engaged in misconduct during the

presentation of rebuttal closing argument. The Indiana Supreme Court has set

forth the legal standards under which we review a claim of prosecutorial

misconduct:

In reviewing a claim of prosecutorial misconduct properly raised in the trial court, we determine (1) whether misconduct occurred, and if so, (2) “whether the misconduct, under all of the circumstances, placed the defendant in a position of grave peril to which he or she would not have been subjected” otherwise. Cooper v. State, 854 N.E.2d 831, 835 (Ind. 2006), quoted in Castillo v. State, 974 N.E.2d 458, 468 (Ind. 2012). A prosecutor has the duty to present a persuasive final argument and thus placing a defendant in grave peril, by itself, is not misconduct. Mahla v. State, 496 N.E.2d 568, 572 (Ind. 1986). “Whether a prosecutor’s argument constitutes misconduct is measured by reference to case law and the Rules of Professional Conduct. The gravity of peril is measured by the probable persuasive effect of the misconduct on the jury’s decision, rather than the degree of impropriety of the conduct.” Cooper, 854 N.E.2d at 835 (emphasis added) (citations omitted). To preserve a claim of prosecutorial misconduct, the

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 4 of 9 defendant must – at the time the alleged misconduct occurs – request an admonishment to the jury, and if further relief is desired, move for a mistrial. Id.; see also Maldonado v. State, 265 Ind. 492, 498, 355 N.E.2d 843, 848 (1976).

Ryan v. State, 9 N.E.3d 663, 667 (Ind. 2014).

[9] Wooden did not object, request an admonishment to the jury, or move for a

mistrial. Thus, appellate review of a claim of prosecutorial misconduct is

waived for failure to preserve the claim of error. Id. When a defendant has

waived review of a claim of prosecutorial misconduct for appellate review, he

“must establish not only the grounds for prosecutorial misconduct but must also

establish that the prosecutorial misconduct constituted fundamental error.” Id.

at 667-68. Fundamental error is an extremely narrow exception to the waiver

rule, and exists only when the trial court’s errors are so prejudicial that a fair

trial was made impossible. Id. at 667-68.

[10] During closing argument, the State urged the jury to convict Wooden based

upon eyewitness testimony from Smith, circumstantial evidence from the party-

goers, and physical evidence including ballistics test results. In response,

defense counsel argued in closing that the evidence pointed “just as directly to

Adrian Riggs as it does to Mr. Wooden.” (Tr. Vol. IV. pg 36.) Defense counsel

described an excerpt from Sargent’s deposition arguably suggesting that Riggs

drove a Camaro and Wooden drove another vehicle on the day of the shooting.

Counsel claimed:

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 5 of 9 Again, [the] State still doesn’t want you to hear this evidence. … We have no burden. They should have done all these things. … Anyway, the State spent so much time arguing and trying [to] prevent you from seeing evidence that they knew or should have known was going to come into evidence.

(Tr. Vol. IV pg. 37, 44.)

[11] After pointing to alleged evidentiary gaps – potential witness Derek Caruthers,

the 9-1-1 call, a photograph of Riggs, DNA test results from Riggs – defense

counsel continued:

Again, there is no question that a black male in that Camaro shot and killed Gerald Eldridge. The question is who it was. And I say again that the evidence points just as directly to Mr. Riggs as it does to Mr. Wooden. And the fact that you don’t have all the evidence is their fault. All the other things that could of and should have [been] done, all the things you would have wanted done, if one of your loved ones was on trial, if your son or daughter or a husband was on trial and you learned that the State didn’t do all these things you’d be outraged.

(Tr. Vol. IV. pgs 51-52.)

[12] Wooden claims that the prosecutor committed misconduct by arguing, in

rebuttal, as follows:

Now the defense wants to say that we’re preventing you from seeing evidence, preventing you from hearing from [sic] to use the example, the other 9-1-1 caller. Let me make it clear, the State has the burden of proof in this case. It’s also true that the defense has the same subpoena powers as the State has. And they can use those just as much as we do. We’re not preventing

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 6 of 9 you from hearing testimony. Why would I ever have called Leroy Sargent, I wasn’t hiding him. Honestly we have to tell you what he told us. And that was that he was changing his story.

(Tr. Vol. IV. pgs. 55-56.)

[13] Wooden challenges two sections of the foregoing argument. First, he contends

that referring to defense subpoena powers is an improper comment upon

Wooden’s decision not to call witnesses and suggests to the jury that Wooden

bore a burden of proof. It is improper for a prosecutor to suggest that a

defendant shoulders the burden of proof in a criminal case. Dobbins v. State, 721

N.E.2d 867, 874 (Ind. 1999). Here, however, the challenged language did not

directly or indirectly suggest that Wooden bore a burden of proof. Indeed, the

prosecutor informed the jury that the State alone had the burden of proof.

[14] Moreover, “[p]rosecutors are entitled to respond to allegations and inferences

raised by the defense even if the prosecutor’s response would otherwise be

objectionable.” Cooper, 854 N.E.2d at 836. Although the reference to subpoena

powers may have highlighted Wooden’s lack of witnesses, the prosecutor was

responding to Wooden’s accusation that the State had engaged in outrageous

behavior by failing to present evidence implicating Riggs. In these

circumstances, it did not constitute misconduct.

[15] Second, Wooden argues that the prosecutor misled the jury by claiming “we

have to tell you what he told us.” (Tr. Vol. IV, pg. 56.) Wooden observes that,

pursuant to Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), the State has a duty to notify

the defense of exculpatory evidence. He further observes, and we agree, that Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 7 of 9 this duty does not extend to the actual presentation of exculpatory evidence to

the jury. See Craig v. State, 370 N.E.2d 880, 884 (Ind. 1977) (recognizing that

“[the] assertion that the prosecution has a duty to present to the jury evidence

favorable to the accused is incorrect and misleading.”) Too, we agree with

Wooden that the prosecutor’s claim of an obligation “to tell you what he told us

… changing his story,” (Tr. Vol. IV. pg. 56), suggests that the State must

present exculpatory evidence to the jury.

[16] The inquiry then is whether the comment amounts to fundamental error. In

evaluating the issue of fundamental error, the task of the reviewing court is to

look at the alleged misconduct in the context of all that happened and all

relevant information given to the jury. Ryan, 9 N.E.3d at 668. This includes

the evidence admitted at trial, closing argument, and jury instructions. Id. We

then determine whether the misconduct had such an undeniable and substantial

effect on the jury’s decision that a fair trial was impossible. Id.

[17] The evidence of Wooden’s guilt was overwhelming. Lakisha and Lorirell

testified that Wooden had a gun in his pocket at the party. Several witnesses

testified that they heard gunshots almost immediately after Wooden followed

Gerald outside. Dukes testified that she saw Wooden shooting at her father’s

van; she then saw Riggs toss keys to Wooden and he drove away. Other

witnesses saw that Riggs remained outside Lorirell’s house for some time after

Wooden began pursuit of Gerald; during this time Riggs was beaten and then

appeared to search for something. Smith, a bystander and eyewitness to

Gerald’s shooting, identified Wooden from a photographic array. He again

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 8 of 9 identified Wooden in open court. The Camaro described by witnesses was

found near Wooden’s residence. Inside the vehicle was a pistol and a spent

bullet; ballistics testing matched that pistol with a bullet recovered from

Gerald’s body. We conclude that the prosecutor’s isolated reference to the

State’s obligation under the law did not affect the jury’s decision such that a fair

trial was impossible.

Conclusion [18] The prosecutor did not make comments in closing rebuttal argument

amounting to fundamental error.

[19] Affirmed.

Vaidik, C.J., and Robb, J., concur.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 49A02-1611-CR-2561 | June 12, 2017 Page 9 of 9