People v. Austrie

50 V.I. 116, 2008 V.I. LEXIS 15
CourtSuperior Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedOctober 6, 2008
DocketCriminal Nos. ST-08-CR-370; ST-08-CR-371
StatusPublished

This text of 50 V.I. 116 (People v. Austrie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Austrie, 50 V.I. 116, 2008 V.I. LEXIS 15 (visuper 2008).

Opinion

CARROLL III, Judge

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

(October 6, 2008)

THIS MATTER came on for hearing on September 29, 2008 on the People’s Motion for Pretrial Detention. On September 22, 2008, the People moved for detention of the Defendants pursuant to the terms of section 3 of the Revised Organic Act of 1954 which provides for the pretrial detention of defendants who are charged with first degree murder when “the proof is evident or the presumption great.” The People of the Virgin Islands appeared through Courtney Reese, Esq., Assistant Attorney General. Defendant Isaac Austrie was present and represented by Julie Smith-Todman, Esq., Territorial Public Defender. Defendant Charmaine Clarke was present and represented by David Cattie, Esq. For the reasons set forth below, the People’s Motion for Pretrial Detention will be granted with respect to Defendant Isaac Austrie and denied with respect to Defendant Charmaine Clarke.

DETENTION HEARING

On or about September 8, 2008, the Defendants, Isaac Austrie (“Austrie”) and Charmaine Clarke (“Clarke”), were arrested and charged with premeditated first degree murder, felony murder, third degree assault and unauthorized use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. These charges stemmed from a May 18, 2008 incident in the [119]*119Smith Bay area during which the victim, Geffrard Fritz (“Fritz”), was shot and killed on the side of the road.

The Virgin Islands Police Department was called to the scene of the homicide to investigate. Sergeant Lionel Bess took a statement from a witness who was passing by at the time. According to the witness, gunshots were heard as (s)he drove on Smith Bay Road shortly after midnight. The witness turned the corner and saw a man known to him/her as “Sogee” a.k.a. “Bret” or “Brent” a.k.a. Issac Austrie running across the street trying to tuck a gun that he held in his right hand into his pants. The witness saw Austrie running from the direction where a body lay face down on the ground.

Austrie ran to the other side of the road and got into the passenger side of a white Ford Focus. The witness had known Austrie for approximately eight months as the boyfriend of Charmaine Clarke. The witness looked into the car as (s)he drove by and recognized the driver of the car as Charmaine Clarke, whom (s)he had known for approximately ten years. After passing the car, the witness looked back and noticed that the license plate of the car started with the letter “T” and ended with the numbers “566”.

On Monday, June 30, 2008, the witness viewed photo arrays consisting of six photos each and picked both Austrie and Clarke out as the individuals (s)he saw in the early morning hours of May 18 in Smith Bay. The police had forensic evidence that confirmed that a projectile or bullet was found under the body of the deceased. The police also verified that Clarke owns a white Ford Focus with the license plate number “TCH 566.” Finally police confirmed that neither Austrie nor Clarke is authorized to possess or carry a firearm in the Virgin Islands.

DISCUSSION

On September 22, 2008, under section 3 of the Revised Organic Act of 1954, 48 U.S.C. § 1561 (hereinafter “the ROA”), the People made a motion for pretrial detention of the Defendants based on the fact that they were charged with first degree murder, for which the “proof is evident or the presumption great.”1 The People also asserted that the Defendants pose a danger to the safety of the community.

[120]*120 The Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands recently expounded upon the application of this provision of the ROA in Jeffrey Browne v. People of the Virgin Islands, No. 2008-022, 2008 V.I. Supreme LEXIS 33, *26 (V.I. August, 29, 2008) (“[Section 3 of the ROA] remains a valid legal provision to be observed and implemented by local courts . . . [and] governs the issue of pretrial detention for first degree murder defendants in local Virgin Islands courts . . .”). As articulated in Browne, the burden of proof rests with the government to provide evidence that the standard has been met. Id. 2008 V.I. Supreme LEXIS 33 at *34. Thus, it is the People who “must prove that the proof is evident or presumption great that [the Defendants] committed first degree murder before [they] can be detained justifiably pending trial.” Id. Although the standard contained in the ROA has been interpreted in different ways in different jurisdictions, the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands adopted the majority position that “ ‘the proof is evident or the presumption is great’ evidentiary standard requires something more than probable cause but less than beyond a reasonable doubt... a judge must find clear and convincing evidence that the defendant committed the offense for which he is before the court.” Id. 2008 V.I. Supreme LEXIS 33 at *43. The Browne Court interpreted the standard to be applied in this case to require “clear and convincing evidence,” which indicates “that the thing to be proved is highly probable or reasonably certain.” Id. 2008 V.I. Supreme LEXIS 33 at *47 (emphasis added).

Ultimately, the Browne Court was not convinced that the findings of the trial court established “clear and convincing evidence or a substantial probability that Browne committed first degree murder, or even that the alleged crime scene referred to was a murder scene at which two people died or the cause of their death.” Id. 2008 V.I. Supreme LEXIS 33 at *49. While the findings of the lower court placed Browne at the crime scene, the evidence presented was insufficient to demonstrate “ ‘that the proof is evident or the presumption is great’ that Browne committed first degree murder____” Id. The Supreme Court, based upon this analysis, remanded the case to the trial court to make the determination as to whether the proof was evident or the presumption great that Browne committed first [121]*121degree murder. Id. Using Browne as a guide, this Court must now consider the evidence with respect to Defendants Austrie and Clarke to ascertain whether the standard under the ROA is met in this case.

I. Defendant Isaac Austrie

The evidence presented concerning the likelihood that Austrie committed first degree murder is compelling. A witness who was not more than three feet from Austrie was able to identify him holding a gun and running away from a body on the ground only seconds after hearing shots fired. This witness was able to pick Austrie out of a photo identification line-up and knew him to be the boyfriend of Clarke, who was seen driving the car. There was no evidence of provocation or self-defense at the scene and the shooting took place during the early morning hours of the day, which may suggest that Austrie was seeking the cover of night and/or premeditated the circumstances of the shooting. In addition, forensic and ballistics evidence showed that Fritz was shot four times with three gunshots wounds in his torso and one in his right arm. Police recovered four (4) spent casings from the scene and found one projectile under Fritz’s body. An individual who refused to give his last name to the police confirmed that four shots were fired.

Comparing this case in Browne, there is more evidence here that Austrie actually committed the murder and was not just on the scene.

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Related

Government of the Virgin Islands v. Davis
35 V.I. 72 (Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands, 1997)
Browne v. People
50 V.I. 241 (Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands, 2008)

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Bluebook (online)
50 V.I. 116, 2008 V.I. LEXIS 15, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-austrie-visuper-2008.