People of Michigan v. Melvin Williams

CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 16, 2024
Docket362704
StatusUnpublished

This text of People of Michigan v. Melvin Williams (People of Michigan v. Melvin Williams) 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. Melvin Williams, (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PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, UNPUBLISHED October 16, 2024 Plaintiff-Appellee, 12:00 PM

v No. 362704 Washtenaw Circuit Court MELVIN WILLIAMS, LC No. 21-000566-FC

Defendant-Appellant.

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v No. 368171 Washtenaw Circuit Court MELVIN WILLIAMS, LC No. 21-000566-FC

Defendant-Appellee.

Before: BOONSTRA, P.J., and JANSEN and N. P. HOOD, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

In Docket No. 362704, defendant appeals as of right his jury trial convictions for assault with intent to murder, MCL 750.83; carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony (felony- firearm), MCL 750.227b; felon in possession of a firearm (felon-in-possession), MCL 750.224f; carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, MCL 750.226; and discharging a firearm at a building, MCL 750.234b(1). Defendant was sentenced to 25 to 40 years’ imprisonment for assault with intent to murder, two years’ imprisonment for felony-firearm, two to five years’ imprisonment for felon-in-possession and carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, and 4 to 10 years’ imprisonment for discharging a firearm at a building. On appeal, defendant argues he was deprived of his right to counsel when the trial court denied his motion for substitute counsel; that irrelevant and unfairly prejudicial evidence was admitted by the trial court; and that he was deprived of his right to an impartial jury because there were no African-Americans in his jury pool. We affirm.

-1- In Docket No. 368171, the prosecution appeals by leave granted1 the trial court’s order granting defendant’s motion to vacate his convictions and sentences, and to reinstate his plea offer. The prosecution argues that the trial court erred by finding defendant’s trial counsel was ineffective because he repeatedly informed defendant that his plea offer was favorable and urged him to accept it. We agree and reverse.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

This case arises out of a shooting that occurred on October 28, 2021. Angela Gardner was previously in a relationship with defendant. After they broke up, Angela began dating Willie Gardner. Angela began receiving threatening text messages from defendant, who also threatened Willie. On the day of the shooting, Angela and Willie were at home in Ypsilanti, when a masked man appeared and fired seven gunshots through the door, hitting Willie in the shoulder. The perpetrator fled, and both Angela and Willie, who recognized the assailant’s stature and voice, respectively, identified defendant as the shooter. Defendant’s friend, Jay Barnes, testified that he drove to the scene of the crime with defendant and witnessed defendant disposing of his clothes and gun at a nearby park after the shooting.

Defendant was tried by a jury, and convicted and sentenced as noted above. After trial, defendant moved to vacate his convictions and sentences and to reinstate his plea offer. He argued that his trial attorney did not review a recorded interview of Barnes before trial or the plea negotiation stage. Therefore, defendant had an inaccurate and incomplete understanding of the evidence against him when he rejected the plea offer. He would have accepted the plea offer had he known that Barnes was going to implicate him, and his plea offer should be reinstated because of his counsel’s ineffective assistance under Lafler v Cooper, 566 US 156; 132 S Ct 1376; 182 L Ed 2d 398 (2012). Defendant filed an affidavit noting that he was offered a plea with a sentencing agreement of five years’ imprisonment consecutive to the mandatory two years’ imprisonment for felony-firearm. He stated his attorney did urge him to accept the plea offer and even spoke with defendant’s daughter in an attempt to convince him to accept. He maintained his innocence when he rejected the plea offer, but contended he did not understand the evidence against him. He knew both Angela and Willie had identified him as the shooter, and knew Barnes spoke to police, but did not know Barnes implicated him in a recorded interview.

An evidentiary hearing was held on defendant’s motion. Defendant’s trial attorney, Robert Killewald, testified that defendant maintained his innocence throughout the time Killewald represented him, and defendant did not believe Barnes would testify against him. Killewald requested that the prosecution make a plea offer, and he defendant had a lot of disagreements, including whether defendant should accept. Defendant’s family members called Killewald to encourage defendant to accept the plea offer, and Killewald even called defendant’s daughter in his presence to urge him to accept the plea offer, but defendant “would have none of it” and wanted

1 People v Williams, unpublished order of the Court of Appeals, entered March 19, 2024 (Docket Nos. 362704; 368171). The same order consolidated these cases on appeal. Id.

-2- to proceed to trial. Killewald still advised defendant to accept the deal, recognizing that it was a favorable deal considering someone had been shot.

He attempted numerous times to contact Barnes, going to his workplace on several occasions, but Barnes would not talk with Killewald. Killewald knew Barnes was on the prosecution’s witness list. Killewald explained to defendant that Barnes was going to testify against him, but defendant did not believe Killewald. Barnes told Killewald that he was on the prosecution’s witness list, was going to testify, and told Killewald to leave him alone. Killewald knew the evidence was not in defendant’s favor, especially with Barnes testifying. The last time Killewald spoke to Barnes before trial, Barnes said he was going to testify for the prosecution and then hung up the phone. Barnes refused to answer any more calls after that. Killewald knew Barnes was going to testify that he drove with defendant to the crime scene. He explained this to defendant before trial. Killewald’s trial strategy was to discredit Barnes because his story to police changed several times. Both Killewald and defendant were aware that Barnes would implicate defendant if he testified. Killewald was not aware that Barnes had provided an on-the-record, taped interview with police incriminating defendant before trial. However, Killewald still knew Barnes was going to testify against defendant at trial and informed defendant of this fact. Killewald believed that even if defendant had knowledge of the recorded interview, he still would have gone to trial.

There was a police report filed by Detective Tom Boivin that summarized the contents of his interview with Barnes. Killewald said he took that police report to defendant before trial and went over it with him. The prosecution filed its witness list in a timely manner and Killewald informed defendant that Barnes was on that list every time he visited him in jail. Killewald told defendant that Barnes was not on the witness list just to say he did not see anything, but defendant continued to believe Barnes would not show up to trial.

Defendant testified at the hearing that Killewald encouraged him to accept the plea offer, but he rejected it. Defendant confirmed Killewald called his daughter to have her convince him to accept. Killewald informed defendant that the offer of seven years’ imprisonment was a good deal and he would face a longer sentence if he was convicted. Defendant was aware that he had been identified as the shooter by Angela and Willie. He was also aware that Barnes had spoken with police. Defendant had not heard the taped interview before trial. Defendant recalled reading the summary of the taped interview in a police report written by Detective Boivin.

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Related

Duren v. Missouri
439 U.S. 357 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Lafler v. Cooper
132 S. Ct. 1376 (Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Bryant
822 N.W.2d 124 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Armstrong
806 N.W.2d 676 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2011)
People v. Mardlin
790 N.W.2d 607 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2010)
People v. McKinney
670 N.W.2d 254 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2003)
People v. Traylor
628 N.W.2d 120 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2001)
People v. Payne
774 N.W.2d 714 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2009)
People v. Lukity
596 N.W.2d 607 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1999)
People v. Cooper
867 N.W.2d 452 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2015)
People v. Ackley
870 N.W.2d 858 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2015)
People v. Strickland
810 N.W.2d 660 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
People of Michigan v. Melvin Williams, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-of-michigan-v-melvin-williams-michctapp-2024.