McGregory v. State

979 So. 2d 12, 2008 WL 942265
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedApril 8, 2008
Docket2006-KA-01698-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 979 So. 2d 12 (McGregory 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
McGregory v. State, 979 So. 2d 12, 2008 WL 942265 (Mich. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

979 So.2d 12 (2008)

Willie McGREGORY a/k/a Willie McGregory, Jr., Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2006-KA-01698-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

April 8, 2008.

*15 Michael E. Robinson, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Laura H. Tedder, attorney for appellee.

Before KING, C.J., ROBERTS and CARLTON, JJ.

KING, C.J., for the Court.

¶ 1. On June 23, 2006, Willie McGregory, Jr. was found guilty by a jury of three counts of simple assault and one count of aggravated assault, all on police officers. He was later sentenced to five years' imprisonment on each of the simple assault counts and thirty years' imprisonment on the aggravated assault count, all of the convictions were to run consecutively. Aggrieved, he appeals and alleges five errors. We find no error and affirm.

*16 FACTS

¶ 2. According to McGregory, on May 18, 2005, he had recently returned from a gun show in the Jackson area when he was pulled over at the intersection of Forest Hill Road and Cooper Road for speeding by Officer Billy Sanders of the Jackson Police Department. After making the traffic stop, Officer Sanders requested McGregory's driver's license. Officer Sanders returned to his patrol car and began to write citations for an expired tag, speeding, and no insurance. Consistent with procedure, Officer Sanders requested information from dispatch as to any outstanding warrants on McGregory's license. The search revealed that McGregory had two outstanding warrants. After writing the citations, Officer Sanders returned to McGregory's car. Officer Sanders informed McGregory of the outstanding warrants and placed him under arrest. Officer Sanders testified that he extended to McGregory the courtesy of calling someone to retrieve his car. Initially, McGregory was cooperative with Officer Sanders. McGregory appeared to be talking on his cell phone, but shortly thereafter, he attempted to drive away. As Officer Sanders returned to his vehicle, McGregory drove his car west on Forest Hill Road toward Officer Sanders's vehicle, almost hitting Officer Sanders. As McGregory was accelerating past, Officer Sanders drew his weapon and fired a single shot at McGregory's vehicle. Officer Sanders notified dispatch of the events and advised them of the direction in which McGregory was traveling. He attempted to pursue, but he was not able to apprehend McGregory.

¶ 3. Later, Officer Willie Allen observed a car that fit the description of McGregory's vehicle parked in the driveway of 303 Culbertson Avenue. Officer Allen notified dispatch of the car and began an observation of the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Officer Allen observed a man, later identified as McGregory, get into the car and proceed north on Culbertson toward Jayne Avenue. McGregory testified that he went home to the mace from his face and to get his semiautomatic assault rifle and duffle bag, which included drum magazines and five clips.

¶ 4. After informing dispatch, Officer Allen was instructed to pull McGregory over for attempting to run over a police officer. Officer Allen followed McGregory, who stopped in the middle of the street, exited the vehicle, and pointed an assault rifle in Officer Allen's direction. Lying down on the front seat, Officer Allen put his vehicle in reverse and sped backward to avoid the possibility of being shot.

¶ 5. Shortly thereafter, an additional police unit appeared, and McGregory drove his vehicle to the corner of Culbertson Avenue and O'Ferrell Avenue while Officer Allen and the additional police unit followed in pursuit. By then McGregory, who had made it to a used tire shop at the corner of O'Ferrell Avenue and West Capitol Street, had gone into the building carrying the assault rifle and a brown canvas bag. After Officer Allen advised dispatch as to what was happening, he requested assistance from additional units, his supervisor, and the SWAT team. Officer Allen also requested that a perimeter be established to section off that portion of the city. There was an exchange of fire between McGregory and officers of the Jackson Police Department, including Officers Lee Robinson, Walton McJordan, and Charles Banks. The gun battle ceased when McGregory was struck by a bullet and injured.

¶ 6. McGregory was indicted by a Hinds County grand jury on five counts of attempted aggravated assault with a weapon. On June 22, 2006, McGregory was found guilty of simple assault on Counts II, III, and IV and guilty of aggravated assault on *17 Count V. McGregory was sentenced to serve five years on Counts II, III, and IV and thirty years on Count V, all to run consecutively. A mistrial was declared in Count I, and it was later nolle prossed.

ANALYSIS

I. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN EXCLUDING TESTIMONY OF IESHA JOHNSON AND LUCY MCGREGORY.

¶ 7. Review of discovery violations are evaluated using the abuse of discretion standard. Lindsey v. State, 965 So.2d 712, 718(¶ 19) (Miss.Ct.App.2007). Upon weighing all relevant factors in the case, unless there is clear error in judgment as to the sanctions imposed for violation of the discovery rule, this Court will affirm the imposed sanction. Id. (quoting Porter v. State, 869 So.2d 414, 419(¶ 18) (Miss.Ct.App.2004)).

¶ 8. Pursuant to Uniform Rule of Circuit and County Court Practice 9.04(E) both the State and the defense have a duty to timely supplement discovery. If a party discovers additional material or information that is subject to disclosure, then that party must promptly notify the other party or the other party's counsel as to the existence of the additional material or information. However, according to Uniform Rule of Circuit and County Court Practice 9.04(I), if either party attempts to introduce evidence at trial that has not been timely disclosed and the defense objects to the introduction for that reason, the court shall (1) grant the offended party a reasonable opportunity to interview the newly discovered witness or examine the newly produced material or (2) if after having done so, the party claims unfair surprise or undue prejudice and seeks a continuance, then the court shall exclude the evidence or grant a continuance. However, when faced with the decision of whether to exclude witness testimony, the trial court is not allowed to disregard the "fundamental character of the defendant's right to offer the testimony of witnesses in his favor." Coleman v. State, 749 So.2d 1003, 1009-1010 (¶¶ 16-17) (Miss.1999). Nevertheless, the trial court is allowed to exclude defense evidence where discovery violations are "willful or motivated by the desire to gain a tactical advantage." Id. at 1007(¶ 9).

¶ 9. Prior to the convening of trial proceedings, the court heard motions in limine brought by the State to exclude the testimony of Iesha Johnson (Johnson) and Lucy McGregory (Lucy) as a discovery violation. McGregory argues that the trial court should have granted a continuance pursuant to the guidelines set forth in Box v. State, 437 So.2d 19, 23-24 (Miss.1983) (Robertson, J., specially concurring). McGregory asserts that the trial court erred by not asking or requesting that the witnesses be made available to the State to be interviewed before granting the State's motion in limine, even though the witnesses were at the courthouse the day of trial prepared to testify. McGregory contends that the trial court's decision to exclude the testimony of these potential defense witnesses "effectively shut down" his self-defense claim.

¶ 10.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bobby Davis v. State of Mississippi
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2022
Kelvin Bell v. State of Mississippi
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2019
Jerry Page v. State of Mississippi
269 So. 3d 440 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2018)
Glen Joseph Davis v. State of Mississippi
243 So. 3d 222 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2017)
Amy Denise Towles v. State of Mississippi
193 So. 3d 688 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2016)
Eric Pelletier v. State of Mississippi
207 So. 3d 1263 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2016)
Barnes v. State
99 So. 3d 785 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2012)
Craig v. State
45 So. 3d 699 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2010)
Westbrook v. State
29 So. 3d 828 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2009)
Neal v. State
15 So. 3d 388 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2009)
Jermaine Neal v. State of Mississippi
Mississippi Supreme Court, 2007

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
979 So. 2d 12, 2008 WL 942265, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgregory-v-state-missctapp-2008.