Malone v. People

53 V.I. 408, 2010 WL 449916, 2010 V.I. Supreme LEXIS 6
CourtSupreme Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedJanuary 26, 2010
DocketS. Ct. Crim. No. 2008-042
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 53 V.I. 408 (Malone v. People) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Malone v. People, 53 V.I. 408, 2010 WL 449916, 2010 V.I. Supreme LEXIS 6 (virginislands 2010).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

(January 26, 2010)

Swan, J.

On April 9, 2007, Arnold Malone (“Malone”) approached Akumba Daniel (“Akumba Daniel” or “Akumba”), in the Hospital Ground area of St. Thomas during daytime hours. Malone proceeded to shoot Akumba two times in the presence of Akumba’s cousin, Devon Davis, (“Devon Davis” or “Devon”), as Akumba and Devon were cutting tint material to install on Akumba’s vehicle. On the day of the shooting, Akumba and his brother, Akeem Daniel, (“Akeem Daniel” or “Akeem”) identified Malone as Akumba’s assailant in their written statements to the Virgin Islands Police. (Appellee’s App. 4, 7-8.)

From the record before us, there have been two subsequent recantations by Akumba of his initial identification of Malone as his assailant; however, there may also have been a third recantation by Akumba. First, on May 22, 2007, Akumba wrote a letter to Virgin Islands Attorney General Vincent Frazer (“Attorney General”), recanting his identification of Malone as his assailant. (Id. at 22.) In his letter Akumba asked that the charges against Malone be dismissed and stated that “an individual in the area mistakenly pointed and identified one Arnold Malone to the V.I. Police as the person who had fired and shot me.” (Id.) On August 16, 2007, Akumba wrote a follow-up letter to the Attorney General, stating that he would not participate in the proceedings against [412]*412Malone and requesting, in light of his earlier recantation, an explanation as to why the charges against Malone had not been dropped. (Icl. at 23.)

Second, on March 18, 2008, and prior to the start of the first day of Malone’s trial, Akumba recanted his earlier recantation of the written statement he had given to the police in which he had identified Malone as his assailant. Akumba explained that his first recantation on May 22, 2007, was the product of fear for his personal safety. Importantly, during the trial, Akumba testified that Malone was the person who shot him on April 9 th, 2007.

Third, on March 20, 2008, which is subsequent to the second day of Malone’s trial, but prior to the third and final day of trial, Akumba, Akeem and their mother, Jacqueline Payne (“Payne”), appeared at the law office of Malone’s counsel. Akumba, Akeem and Payne spoke to another attorney in the law office because Malone’s counsel was unavailable, which unavailability had also prompted a recess of several days during the trial. During this conference, Akumba and Akeem allegedly recanted their trial testimonies, claiming that they had testified untruthfully during the trial because of threats made to them by the People’s counsel.

The trial resumed on March 24, 2008, for closing arguments, final instructions to the jury and jury deliberations. At the end of the trial, the jury convicted Malone of all eight counts in the Second Amended Information.1

[413]*413Malone asserts that the trial court violated his Constitutional right to compulsory process afforded him by the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, when the trial court, upon defense counsel’s request, declined to issue subpoenas for Akeem and Akumba for them to return to court to explain their alleged “law office recantations.” For the reasons explicated below, we will affirm Malone’s convictions and will affirm the trial court’s decision, denying Malone’s Motion to Reopen the Defense Case.

1. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

During the afternoon of April 9th, 2007, Akumba was working on his vehicle with his cousin, Devon Davis, “cutting tint” to install on the windows of Akumba’s vehicle. Malone approached both men and unhesitatingly shot Akumba twice at the Hill Side Condominiums Complex in the Hospital Ground area of St. Thomas.

As Malone was hurriedly departing the crime scene, Akeem, the victim’s brother, gave chase after Malone. During the chase, Akeem shouted vituperating words at Malone. After a short distance in the chase, Malone fired four gunshots at Akeem, prompting Akeem to seek refuge from the gunshots.

Akeem knew Malone by the name “Ajah.” Both brothers knew Malone before the shooting because of Malone’s past romantic involvement with their mother. Akumba and Akeem (collectively “the brothers” or “the Daniel Brothers”) had also observed Malone on innumerable occasions when Malone frequented their neighborhood. Additionally, they both knew Malone from a harrowing incident which occurred during the time of their mother’s relationship with Malone. During the incident, Malone brandished a gun and aimed it at Payne in Akeem’s presence. Akeem immediately intervened in the incident on his mother’s behalf. Therefore, Malone pointed his gun at Akeem.

Also, prior to the shooting incident and according to Akumba’s statement to police, Malone had initiated a berating telephonic conversation with Akumba, concerning disparaging remarks Akumba allegedly uttered to third parties about Malone’s niece. Similarly, Payne informed Detective Margaret Price (“Detective Price”) of the Virgin Islands Police Department that in another telephonic conversation prior to the shooting, Malone had called her home to threaten Akumba because of unflattering remarks Akumba purportedly made about Malone’s niece.

[414]*414On the day of the shooting, Akumba gave a written statement to Detective Price identifying Malone as his assailant. After Malone’s arrest, Akumba sent two letters, one of them notarized, to the Attorney General, recanting his initial identification of Malone as his assailant. (Appellant’s App. 52; Appellee’s App. 22, 23.) However, in an unrelated incident, Akumba was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm in a public place and unauthorized use of a firearm in the attempted commission of a crime of violence. Pursuant to Akumba’s plea agreement with the People of the Virgin Islands (“the People”) in his firearm case, Akumba agreed to testify truthfully in Malone’s trial, as a witness for the People.

On the morning of the first day of Malone’s trial, Akumba signed a written statement, asserting that he had previously recanted his identification of Malone because he feared for his personal safety and the safety of his family members. (Trial Tr., Vol. I, 80, 84-85, Mar. 18, 2008.) During the trial, Akumba was examined and cross-examined about these recantations. Akeem also testified as a People’s witness at Malone’s trial. However, Akeem was not cross-examined by Malone’s counsel. After both parties rested their respective cases, and because of the sudden illness of Malone’s counsel, the trial was continued from March 20, 2008, and reconvened on March 24, 2008. During this hiatus in the trial, Akumba and Akeem informed Attorney John Benham (“Attorney Benham”), a partner in the law firm with which Malone’s trial counsel is associated, that they had testified falsely during the trial. When the trial resumed on March 24th, 2008, Malone’s counsel filed a Motion to Reopen the Defense Case in order that the defense could examine Akeem and Akumba about their “law office recantations.” The Motion to Reopen the Defense Case was supported by an affidavit of Attorney Benham. Of the fifteen paragraphs in Attorney Benham’s affidavit, only four are pertinent to the issues in this case, namely paragraphs eleven, twelve,, fourteen and fifteen; to wit:

11. Akumba Daniel and Akeem Darnel stated that the reason for the visit was to inform attorney Caffee that they had testified falsely during the course of the

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67 V.I. 827 (Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands, 2017)
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
53 V.I. 408, 2010 WL 449916, 2010 V.I. Supreme LEXIS 6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/malone-v-people-virginislands-2010.