Lockridge v. State

768 So. 2d 331, 2000 WL 1460764
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedOctober 3, 2000
Docket1999-KA-00564-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 768 So. 2d 331 (Lockridge v. State) 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
Lockridge v. State, 768 So. 2d 331, 2000 WL 1460764 (Mich. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

768 So.2d 331 (2000)

Jerry LOCKRIDGE a/k/a Jerry W. Lockridge a/k/a Jerry Wayne Lockridge, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 1999-KA-00564-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

October 3, 2000.

*334 John David Weddle, Tupelo, Angela Newsom Snyder, Attorneys for Appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Jean Smith Vaughan, Attorney for Appellee.

BEFORE McMILLIN, C.J., IRVING, AND MOORE, JJ.

MOORE, J., for the Court:

¶ 1. On February 22, 1999, in the Circuit Court of Lee County, Mississippi, Jerry Lockridge was tried upon a multiple count indictment and convicted of burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and three separate counts of kidnaping. For the kidnaping counts, Lockridge was sentenced to three thirty year terms to run concurrently with each other. For the aggravated assault count he was sentenced to a term of twenty years with ten years suspended to run consecutively with the three terms for kidnaping. For the burglary count he was sentenced to a term of seven years to run concurrently to the aggravated assault count but consecutively to the kidnaping counts. He appeals asserting

I. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING THE DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE A SPEEDY TRIAL;
II. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING THE DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO APPOINT ADDITIONAL COUNSEL;
III. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING THE DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISQUALIFY THE JURY VENIRE BECAUSE OF THE STATEMENT MADE BY ONE OF THE JURORS THAT THE DEFENDANT HAD BEEN LOCKED UP;
IV. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING THE DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO CONTINUE AND/OR OBJECTING TO THE JURY VENIRE CONTAINING ONLY THIRTY-NINE PROSPECTIVE JURORS;
V. WHETHER THE VERDICT OF THE JURY WAS AGAINST THE OVERWHELMING WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE;
VI. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO GRANT A MISTRIAL AFTER A WITNESS IDENTIFIED THE DEFENDANT IN VIDEOTAPE AND STILL PHOTOGRAPHS;
VII. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN NOT ADMONISHING *335 PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT DURING CLOSING ARGUMENT; AND
VIII. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN REFUSING THE DEFENDANT'S PROPOSED JURY INSTRUCTION D-7?

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

¶ 2. This case is before this Court for the second time. Originally, Lockridge was tried by the Circuit Court of Lee County on August 24, 1995. While the trial court had appointed counsel, Lockridge elected to represent himself and was convicted. This Court reversed and remanded finding that the trial court failed to advise Lockridge of the consequences of representing himself at trial. Lockridge v. State, 704 So.2d 466 (Miss.Ct.App.1997) (unpublished opinion). Upon remand the trial court appointed another attorney as counsel, John Weddle, who represented Lockridge at trial. This case is now again before us on the above mentioned assertions of error.

FACTS

¶ 3. On July 20, 1992, a man entered a shopping mall during the early morning hours before it opened to the public. The man concealed his face with a nylon stocking. He encountered Herman Dunaway who worked on the mall's cleaning crew. Dunaway recognized the man as a former co-worker on the cleaning crew and identified the man as Lockridge. Dunaway testified that Lockridge tied his hands and legs with wire, locked him in a closet, verbally threatened him with death and struck him in the head with a pistol barrel. The intruder whom Dunaway identified as Lockridge next encountered Victor Stalnaker, who worked as a security guard, and Harry Thomason, who worked on the cleaning crew. The intruder threatened and tied-up both men. Thomason identified Lockridge as the intruder, but he passed away prior to testifying at the second trial. His testimony, however, was preserved and read to the jury. The intruder then stole various items from the mall. Security cameras video taped the intruder as the burglary took place.

DISCUSSION

I. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING THE DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE A SPEEDY TRIAL?

¶ 4. Mississippi's speedy trial statute, Miss.Code Ann. § 99-17-1 (Rev.1994), does not apply in retrials. Mitchell v. State, 572 So.2d 865, 870 (Miss.1990); Kinzey v. State, 498 So.2d 814 (Miss.1986); Carlisle v. State, 393 So.2d 1312, 1314 (Miss.1981). Upon retrial the question "becomes a matter of discretion with the trial court to be measured by the constitutional standards of reasonableness and fairness under the constitutional right to a speedy trial as enunciated in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972)." Carlisle, 393 So.2d at 1314.[1] The Barker Court identified four factors which are to be considered in making such a determination: (1) the length of the delay; (2) the reason for the delay; (3) whether the defendant has asserted his right to a speedy trial; and (4) whether the defendant has been prejudiced by the delay. Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. at 533, 92 S.Ct. 2182. No one factor is dispositive; rather, they must be considered together on a case by case basis. Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. at 533, 92 S.Ct. 2182.

¶ 5. Concerning the length of the delay, the Barker Court stated, "[t]he length of delay is to some extent a triggering mechanism. Until there is some delay which is presumptively prejudicial, there is no necessity *336 for inquiry into the other factors that go into the balance." Barker, 407 U.S. at 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182. Our supreme court has held that an eight month delay is presumptively prejudicial. Smith v. State, 550 So.2d 406, 408 (Miss.1989). In this case, there is no question that the length of time between the mandate remanding for a new trial and the new trial being convened was long enough to require an analysis of the other factors identified by the Barker Court.

¶ 6. Concerning the reason for the delay, the trial court conducted a hearing on Lockridge's motion to dismiss which was based on the speedy trial issue. During the hearing the trial court noted that the case had been set for trial in every court sitting since the remand on October 23, 1997. At that time Lockridge was free on an appeal bond, and while he remained in the Tupelo, Mississippi area his exact residence was uncertain. In fact, his present attorney was appointed sometime in January or early February of 1998, and he filed a motion for a continuance on February 8, 1998 based upon not being ready for trial. Trial was again set to commence on July 14, 1998 at which time Lockridge failed to appear, and an alias capias was issued. Finally, on November 6, 1998 Lockridge and his attorney met for the first time at the courthouse in Tupelo, Mississippi at which time Lockridge was taken into custody, and he remained in custody until trial. Lockridge asserts that despite these facts the reason for the delay should not be attributed to him because he did not know who his attorney was or that the case had been set for trial. Lockridge may very well have been ill informed of the status of his case as he made little or no effort to ascertain the status for himself.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
768 So. 2d 331, 2000 WL 1460764, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lockridge-v-state-missctapp-2000.