People of Michigan v. Kurtis Wayne Dell

CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 13, 2024
Docket365132
StatusUnpublished

This text of People of Michigan v. Kurtis Wayne Dell (People of Michigan v. Kurtis Wayne Dell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People of Michigan v. Kurtis Wayne Dell, (Mich. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.

STATE OF MICHIGAN

COURT OF APPEALS

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, UNPUBLISHED June 13, 2024 Plaintiff-Appellee,

v No. 365132 Gladwin Circuit Court KURTIS WAYNE DELL, LC No. 2022-011308-FC

Defendant-Appellant.

Before: MALDONADO, P.J., and K. F. KELLY and REDFORD, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Defendant appeals by right his jury-trial conviction of first-degree criminal sexual conduct (“CSC- I”) and second-degree criminal sexual conduct (“CSC-II”). The trial court sentenced defendant as a third- offense habitual offender to serve concurrent sentences of 25 to 35 years’ imprisonment for the CSC-I conviction and 15 to 30 years’ imprisonment for the CSC-II conviction. Finding no errors warranting reversal, we affirm.

I. BASIC FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The victim testified that defendant inappropriately touched her with his hand one night while he was living with the victim and her mother. At the time, the victim was between five and six years old. According to the victim, she was in their living room when defendant came up from behind her and began to touch her. This event occurred when defendant was left alone to watch the victim while her mother and her mother’s boyfriend—defendant’s brother—went out to the store.

Defendant presented evidence, including through his own testimony, that he was not the individual who assaulted the victim. Defendant denied that he ever was left to watch the victim, stating that when he lived with the victim’s mother, the victim was not living at the house. Defendant’s brother also testified that the victim was not living at the house at the time, stating that the victim only visited “occasionally.” He did not know whether the victim was at the house while defendant was there, and testified that she was “probably not” because “she was not there that often.”

The jury convicted defendant of one count of CSC-I, MCL 750.520b(1)(a) (sexual penetration of victim under age 13 by defendant 17 years of age or older); and one count of CSC-II, MCL 750.520c(1)(a)

-1- (sexual contact with victim under 13 by defendant age 17 years of age or older). The trial court sentenced defendant as previously stated, and this appeal followed.

II. INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE

Defendant first argues that his trial counsel was ineffective because he voluntarily presented evidence of defendant’s prior convictions at trial during defendant’s direct examination. According to defendant, this evidence permitted the jury to render a verdict on the basis of defendant’s bad character rather than the evidence of his guilt. Defendant also asserts that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge five jurors for cause. We disagree.

A. STANDARDS OF REVIEW

Whether a defendant received ineffective assistance of counsel is a mixed question of constitutional law and fact. People v Abcumby-Blair, 335 Mich App 210, 227; 966 NW2d 437 (2020). Factual findings are reviewed for clear error, and constitutional determinations are reviewed de novo. Id. Clear error exists if the reviewing court “is left with a definite and firm conviction that the trial court made a mistake.” Id. at 227-228 (quotation marks and citation omitted). Defendant preserved this issue for appeal by filing a motion for remand to the trial court, which was denied. People v Dell, unpublished order of the Court of Appeals, entered November 6, 2023 (Docket No. 365132). Therefore, this Court’s review is limited to errors apparent on the record. Abcumby-Blair, 335 Mich App at 227.

B. ANALYSIS

Criminal defendants are entitled to the effective assistance of counsel under the United States and Michigan Constitutions. US Const, Am VI; Const 1963, art 1, § 20; Strickland v Washington, 466 US 668, 685-686; 104 S Ct 2052; 80 L Ed 2d 674 (1984). To establish ineffective assistance of counsel, “defendant must show (1) that counsel’s performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness under prevailing professional norms and (2) that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s error, the result of the proceedings would have been different.” Abcumby-Blair, 335 Mich App at 228. “A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.” Id. (quotation marks and citations omitted). “The defendant has the burden of establishing the factual predicate of his ineffective assistance claim.” People v Douglas, 496 Mich 557, 592; 852 NW2d 587 (2014). “Decisions regarding what evidence to present, whether to call witnesses, and how to question witnesses are presumed to be matters of trial strategy,” and this Court does not “second-guess counsel on matters of trial strategy” or “assess counsel’s competence with the benefit of hindsight.” People v Horn, 279 Mich App 31, 39; 755 NW2d 212 (2008).

1. PRIOR CONVICTIONS

Defendant asserts that his trial counsel’s performance during defendant’s direct examination fell below an objective standard of reasonableness because it “opened the door” to the prosecutor to further inquire into defendant’s four prior felony convictions of larceny, possession of sexually abusive material, and failure to pay child support. During direct examination, defendant and trial counsel had the following exchange:

Q. Now you have had some difficulties concerning your criminal activities?

-2- A. Yes.

Q. And what are those? What is it that you have had as criminal convictions?

A. I have two larceny in a buildings and child support felony, and then I also have an attempted possession of child sexually abusive material.

Q. Okay. And what was the circumstances of that particular case?
A. The child sexually abusive material?
Q. Yes.

A. My now wife had sent me pictures, and I had them on my phone, and she was underage at the time.

Q. Okay. And so what were you convicted of?
A. Attempted possession of child sexually abusive material.

On cross-examination, the prosecutor inquired into this history further:

Q. You indicated you were convicted of two different charges for larceny in a building?

A. Yes.
Q. Those are theft offenses, aren’t they?
Q. And . . . so you were stealing things from people?

* * *

Q. And when did they occur?
A. 2010 and 2012.

Q. And when was the charge for attempted possession of child sexually abusive material?

A. 2014.

-3- Q. Okay. And . . . what that charge involved is you had . . . nude or semi-nude pictures of somebody under the age of 18?

A. Yes, sir.
Q. Okay. And what was the . . . other charge? You said child support?
Q. Felony child support, a misdemeanor?
A. It was a felony.
Q. And when was that?
A. 2018.

Defendant first challenges trial counsel’s elicitation of evidence of his conviction of possession of child sexually abusive material, MCL 750.145c(4)(a). As an initial matter, defendant testified at trial that he was convicted of attempted possession of child sexually abusive material, MCL 750.145c(4)(a). This testimony was never corrected at trial. Regardless, under MCL 768.27a(1), defendant’s conviction for actual possession was admissible at trial.

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Bluebook (online)
People of Michigan v. Kurtis Wayne Dell, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-of-michigan-v-kurtis-wayne-dell-michctapp-2024.