Malone v. State

73 So. 3d 1197, 2011 Miss. App. LEXIS 616, 2011 WL 5027240
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedOctober 11, 2011
Docket2010-KA-00675-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 73 So. 3d 1197 (Malone 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
Malone v. State, 73 So. 3d 1197, 2011 Miss. App. LEXIS 616, 2011 WL 5027240 (Mich. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

LEE, C.J.,

for the Court:

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 1. A jury in the Humphreys County Circuit Court convicted Veshone Malone of Count I, conspiracy to commit robbery, and Count II, capital murder. On Count I, Malone was sentenced to serve five years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) and ordered to pay a $5,000 fíne. On Count II, Malone was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and ordered to pay a $10,000 fíne. The sentence imposed in Count I was ordered to run consecutively to the sentence imposed in Count II.

¶ 2. Malone filed post-trial motions, which were denied. Malone now appeals, asserting the following issues: (1) the trial court failed to establish the existence of a conspiracy; (2) the trial court erred in allowing the introduction of autopsy and crime-scene photographs into evidence; (3) the trial court erred in allowing the jury to hear testimony of Mark Winstead and Robert Geoghegan; (4) the trial court erred in striking language from two jury instructions; (5) the jury’s verdict is contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence; and (6) cumulative error requires reversal. Finding no error, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 3. In the early morning hours of May 14, 2007, Lee Andrew Smith shot and killed Clinton Chinn during a robbery at Chinn’s home in Silver City, Mississippi. Quincy Johnson was also present when Chinn was shot. Johnson was also armed with a gun, which he testified was given to him by Malone. Both Smith and Johnson testified that it was Malone’s plan to rob Chinn. Chinn owned a club located ap *1200 proximately one hundred yards from his home. Malone thought Chinn would have money after closing the club. However, no money was found on Chinn.

¶4. Malone provided transportation, by dropping Smith and Johnson off near Chinn’s house and picking the two up after the robbery. Malone also supplied Smith and Johnson with a gun, a bat, a change of clothes for Smith, and directions to Chinn’s house.

¶ 5. Johnson stole Chinn’s checkbook, and after using a check to pay a bill, Johnson became a suspect in Chinn’s murder. Johnson implicated Smith and Malone. Both Smith and Johnson pleaded guilty to murder and received life sentences. Other pertinent facts will be discussed as necessary.

DISCUSSION

I. CONSPIRACY

¶ 6. In his first issue on appeal, Malone argues that the trial court erred in failing to establish the existence of a conspiracy prior to the testimony of Smith and Johnson. A statement is not hearsay if it is made “by a co-conspirator of a party during the course and in furtherance of the conspiracy.” M.R.E. 801(d)(2)(E). “However, before the statement of an alleged co-conspirator can be admitted as evidence, the trial court must determine that there is preliminary evidence of a conspiracy.” Sullivan v. State, 749 So.2d 983, 988 (¶ 5) (Miss.1999). The record indicates that the trial court halted Smith’s testimony in order to determine whether there was evidence of a conspiracy before proceeding with any hearsay testimony regarding the conspiracy. Enunciating the facts which we have previously set forth in this opinion, the trial court found that there was evidence of a conspiracy.

¶ 7. Sitting as an appellate court, we review the record to determine whether a conspiracy has been established. Id. We find there was enough evidence from the testimonies of Smith and Johnson that a conspiracy existed. This issue is without merit.

II. AUTOPSY AND CRIME-SCENE PHOTOGRAPHS

¶8. In his next issue on appeal, Malone argues that the trial court erred in allowing the introduction of autopsy and crime-scene photographs. Malone contends that these photographs were irrelevant and highly prejudicial. The photographs introduced into evidence include photographs of Chinn’s body at the crime scene and three photographs of Chinn taken during the autopsy. The trial court admitted the photographs, finding that the probative value was not outweighed by any prejudicial effect.

¶ 9. We apply the familiar abuse-of-discretion standard when reviewing whether a trial court erred in admitting photographs. Dampier v. State, 973 So.2d 221, 230 (¶ 25) (Miss.2008). “A photograph, even if gruesome, grisly, unpleasant, or even inflammatory, may still be admissible if it has probative value and its introduction into evidence serves a meaningful evidentiary purpose.” Noe v. State, 616 So.2d 298, 303 (Miss.1993). Photographs have evidentiary value when they: “(1) aid in describing the circumstances of the killing; (2) describe the location of the body and cause of death; (3) supplement or [clarify] witness testimony.” McIntosh v. State, 917 So.2d 78, 84 (¶ 13) (Miss.2005) (quoting Spann v. State, 771 So.2d 883, 895 (¶ 31) (Miss.2000)).

¶ 10. We cannot find that the trial court abused its discretion in allowing the photographs to be admitted. The photographs clarified the witnesses’ testimonies; aided *1201 in describing the circumstances of Chinn’s death; and showed the location of the body, the cause of death, and the location of the bullet wound. This issue is without merit.

III. TESTIMONIES OF WINSTEAD AND GEOGHEGAN

¶ 11. Malone’s next issue concerns the testimonies of Winstead and Geoghegan. Winstead, a radio-frequency performance manager for Cellular South, testified about maps showing the location of cell phone towers in the area and the site coverage areas. Geoghegan worked for Cellular South’s parent company, Telapex, Inc., as subpoena-compliance director; he testified in his capacity as the custodian of the cell phone records. These records showed the dates and times calls were made and the numbers of the calls that were made. Geoghegan explained the cell phone records, including what each column on the record represented.

¶ 12. Malone objected to their testimonies, contending that both witnesses’ testimonies contained information that was only appropriate for an expert witness. Neither witness was designated as an expert by the State. The State responded that the witnesses were going to discuss information which was kept in the normal course of business, including tower locations and cell phone records. The trial court overruled the objection, finding that the testimony would not require an expert to explain. The standard of review regarding the admission or exclusion of evidence is abuse of discretion. Wade v. State, 583 So.2d 965, 967 (Miss.1991).

¶ 13. According to Rule 701 of the Mississippi Rules of Evidence, opinion testimony by a lay witness must be “(a) rationally based on the perception of the witness, (b) helpful to the clear understanding of the testimony or the determination of a fact in issue, and (c) not based on scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge within the scope of Rule 702 [testimony by experts].” Neither Winstead nor Geoghegan’s testimony was so complex or technical as to render it expert testimony. Both Winstead and Geoghegan testified as to records prepared in the course of regularly conducted business activity.

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Bluebook (online)
73 So. 3d 1197, 2011 Miss. App. LEXIS 616, 2011 WL 5027240, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/malone-v-state-missctapp-2011.