McNair v. State

653 So. 2d 343, 1993 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1010, 1993 WL 304478
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedAugust 13, 1993
DocketCR 90-1556
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 653 So. 2d 343 (McNair v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McNair v. State, 653 So. 2d 343, 1993 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1010, 1993 WL 304478 (Ala. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

ON RETURN TO REMAND

BOWEN, Presiding Judge.

On July 24,1992, this Court remanded this cause for new sentence proceedings before the jury and before the trial court because we determined that evidence of the appellant’s prior Florida conviction based upon a plea of nolo contendere had been improperly admitted and considered in the original sentence proceedings. 653 So.2d 320. On January 25-28, 1993, sentence proceedings were held before a jury, after the appellant’s motion for a change of venue had been granted and the case had been transferred to Montgomery County. The jury recommended of imprisonment for life without parole by a vote of eight to four. On February 26, 1993, after a sentence hearing, the trial judge rejected the recommendation of the jury and sentenced the appellant to death. On April 23,1993, the record on return to remand was filed in this Court. The appellant filed his brief on May 23,1993. The appellee filed its brief on July 1, 1993.

The appellant raises four issues challenging the new sentencing proceedings that were held on remand.

I.

The appellant claims that he was entitled to a mistrial because, at the new sentence hearing before the jury, the State played a tape-recorded statement made by the appellant that specifically referred to the same Florida conviction that this Court had ruled inadmissible on original submission. We disagree.

At the resentencing hearing before the jury, the jury was permitted to hear a tape-recorded statement by the appellant that made reference to “a little bit [of trouble] down in Florida.” R. 412. That statement did not mention any prior conviction. Although it appears that defense counsel had previously heard the tape recording, objection was not made until after the tape had been played.

In denying the request for a mistrial the trial judge stated: “I don’t think it’s any major damaging thing.... I just don’t think it’s damaging enough for a mistrial.” R. 411. The trial court also instructed the jury as follows:

“Ladies and gentlemen, the latter statement made on that tape made reference to this testimony, ‘Have you ever been in any trouble before, yes, sir, a little bit down in Florida,’ you are to disregard any testimony from that tape about being in trouble a little bit down in Florida. That has nothing to do with this case at all. You should totally disregard that, and that should not be any evidence that you would consider in this case. It’s irrelevant to this case, and has no bearing on your considerations in any fashion.” R. 412.

Both of the appellant’s defense counsel indicated that they was satisfied with those instructions.

“A mistrial is a drastic remedy, to be used only sparingly and only to prevent manifest injustice, and the decision of whether to [345]*345grant a motion for a mistrial rests within the sound discretion of the trial court- Under certain circumstances prejudicial testimony may be eradicated by curative instructions by the trial court.” Ex parte Thomas, 625 So.2d 1156 (Ala.1993) (mention of gang membership highly prejudicial requiring mistrial where objection to comment not sustained).

“There is a prima facie presumption against error when the trial court immediately charges the jury to disregard improper remarks or answers. Desimer v. State, 535 So.2d 238 (Ala.Crim.App.1988); Dixon v. State, 476 So.2d 1236 (Ala.Crim. App.1985); Elmore v. State, 414 So.2d 175 (Ala.Crim.App.1982). ‘A motion for mistrial implies a miscarriage of justice and should only be granted where it is apparent that justice cannot be afforded.’ Dixon at 1240; Young v. State, 416 So. 2d 1109 (Ala.Crim.App.1982). ‘A trial judge is allowed broad discretion in determining whether a mistrial should be declared, because he is in the best position to observe the scenario, to determine its effect upon the jury, and to determine whether the mistrial should be granted.’ Dixon at 1240; Elmore. A mistrial is an extreme measure and should be denied when the prejudicial quality of the comment can be eradicated by curative instructions. Dixon; Young; Elmore.”

Garrett v. State, 580 So.2d 58, 59-60 (Ala.Cr. App.1991). In Sides v. State, 487 So.2d 1008, 1012 (Ala.Cr.App.1986), this Court noted:

“According to the appellant, his conviction is due to be reversed because of Prospective Juror Lane’s comment that T just know he’s in and out of trouble all of the time.’ Contrary to the appellant’s position, however, the prospective juror’s response on voir dire was not ‘per se prejudicial’ to the appellant. For this reason, the trial court’s denial of the request for a mistrial was proper. Thomas v. State, 49 Ala.App. 537, 539, 274 So.2d 93, 95 (1973).”

it cannot be argued that the appellant was prejudiced or that the jury was improperly influenced by the comment that the appellant had been in “a little bit of trouble” in Florida because the recommendation of the jury was that the appellant be sentenced to imprisonment for life without parole. See Giles v. State, 632 So.2d 568 (Ala.Cr.App.1992); Parker v. State, 587 So.2d 1072, 1095-96 (Ala.CrApp.1991), (Ala.Cr.App.1991), on return to remand, 610 So.2d 1171 (Ala.Cr. App.), affirmed, 610 So.2d 1181 (Ala.1992), cert, cert. — U.S.-, 113 S.Ct. 3053, 125 L.Ed.2d 737 (1993).

We also reject the appellant’s argument that the trial judge was improperly influenced by this statement. Initially, we note that the trial judge was the same trial judge who presided over the appellant’s trial and the original sentence hearings. This comment did not provide the judge with any “new” information. Furthermore, we assume that the trial judge did not consider this matter in sentencing the appellant to death. “[I]t is presumed that a trial judge will follow his own instructions.” Ex parte Harrell, 470 So.2d 1309, 1318 (Ala.), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 935, 106 S.Ct. 269, 88 L.Ed.2d 276 (1985).

Although we do not approve of the prosecutor’s conduct in this regard, we specifically reject the appellant’s argument that “the playing of this portion of the tape was an effort to circumvent the earlier ruling of this Court.” Appellant’s brief at 11.

II.

The appellant complains that at the sentence hearing the prosecutor argued facts not presented to the jury. Specifically, the appellant alleges that the prosecutor argued 1) that the appellant referred to the victim as “it,” 2) that the jury could infer that an older person would suffer more pain than a younger person would, and 3) that the appellant “liked to fight.” See R. 618-19, 621; 619-20; 621-22. We find that, although argumentative, these are legitimate inferences from the evidence.

Defense counsel made no objection to any of these remarks. We find that no single remark constituted plain error; neither did the cumulative effect of all three comments constitute plain error. See Kuenzel v. State, 577 So.2d 474, 489 (Ala.Cr.App.1990), af-af577 So.2d 531 (Ala.), cert, cert. 502 [346]*346U.S. 886, 112 S.Ct. 242, 116 L.Ed.2d 197 (1991).

III.

Despite the jury’s recommendation of imprisonment for life without parole, the trial court sentenced the appellant to death.

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Bluebook (online)
653 So. 2d 343, 1993 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1010, 1993 WL 304478, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcnair-v-state-alacrimapp-1993.