People v. Blevins

886 N.W.2d 456, 314 Mich. App. 339, 2016 Mich. App. LEXIS 280
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 11, 2016
DocketDocket 315774
StatusPublished
Cited by224 cases

This text of 886 N.W.2d 456 (People v. Blevins) 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 v. Blevins, 886 N.W.2d 456, 314 Mich. App. 339, 2016 Mich. App. LEXIS 280 (Mich. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinions

RONAYNE KRAUSE, P. J.

Defendant was convicted by a jury of five counts of assault with intent to do great [345]*345bodily harm less than murder, MCL 750.84, one count of second-degree murder, MCL 750.317, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (felony-firearm), MCL 750.227b. The trial court sentenced him to 5 to 10 years’ imprisonment for each of his assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder convictions and to 30 to 60 years’ imprisonment for the second-degree murder conviction, all to be served concurrently. The court also imposed a mandatory two-year felony-firearm sentence, to be served consecutively as provided by the felony-firearm statute. Defendant appeals his convictions and sentences. We affirm defendant’s convictions but vacate his sentences and remand for resentencing.

The victims in this case were part of a group of friends who went to downtown Detroit to celebrate the graduation of Carlos Spearman. The group consisted of Spearman, Courtney “Cortez” or “Tez” Smith, DeMario Drummond, Philip Knott, Raleigh Ross, Zachery Easterly, Raymond Malone, and Ron Banks. Some of the friends were football players at Wayne State University at the time. Spearman and a few of the others were drinking, but Smith was not drinking and served as the group’s designated driver that evening. After being denied access to Club Envy because the bouncer deemed Spearman too intoxicated, the group headed to a Coney Island for him to sober up. On the way, the group encountered some men handing out fliers; one of the friends recalled that ámong the people handing out fliers was defendant’s eventual codefendant, Quintin King.1

[346]*346Also on the way, Easterly decided to relieve himself in an alley in which Courtney’s car was parked. Also parked there was another car, and while he was urinating, several people approached Easterly, one of whom expressed concern that Easterly was urinating on the person’s car. The friends’ recollections of how many people were in the approaching group varied, but several of them identified King, who proceeded to punch Easterly. Several of the friends also identified defendant as a member of the group.2 The two groups had a brief physical struggle before separating approximately 12 feet from each other.

The two groups exchanged some words, and King said to Ross, “ ‘[W]e got a big fellow here. Here, got something for you.’ ” Then defendant flashed a gun he had in his pants at the group of friends. Defendant also commanded the group of friends to back up, and they obliged. Malone then heard King say to defendant, “ ‘Give me the Mag. Give me the Mag.’ ” Defendant then apparently passed the gun to King. Smith tried to neutralize the fight once the gun was shown. King then fired a shot into the pavement, and the group of friends fled, or attempted to flee, for safety. Spearman was shot in the leg, and Smith was fatally shot through his airway. Ten .45-caliber bullet casings were found at the scene.

During the ensuing homicide investigation, several of the friends were shown multiple photographic lineups, first including King, and later including defendant. In one of the latter arrays, Malone identified defendant as the “guy that handed [King] the gun.” Malone told the officer that defendant had said, “ T advise y’all to step back.’ ” Malone told the officer that [347]*347defendant then lifted up his shirt and flashed the gun. Malone did not see the gun being passed, but he assumed it happened because defendant showed the gun and King shot a gun that looked identical. Ross was shown a photographic array that included defendant and identified him in the photograph, but Ross did not see defendant do anything other than be a part of the group. Knott claimed to have spoken with police and looked at photographs, but the officer in charge of the case, Derryck Thomas, did not have a record of Knott being interviewed because Knott avoided being a part of the police investigation. There are no facts in evidence that the police acted improperly or suggestively with the photographic arrays, although defendant contends that it was improper to place him in the first spot on the photographic arrays that included him.

Allante Mosley,3 who was in jail for charges unrelated to the instant case, approached officers because he claimed to have information about a homicide. Officer Thomas and an ATF agent spoke with Mosley and concluded that he just wanted help with his current charges. They remarked that Mosley looked like King, to the point of being possible brothers or mistaken for each other. There was never a deal reached between Mosley and the prosecution. Officer Thomas saw no value in adding Mosley to a lineup with King. However, Dequan Todd, who was also in jail awaiting unrelated charges of which he was eventually acquitted, shared a cell with Mosley for a month, during which time Mosley allegedly openly claimed in the jail ward that he was responsible for “ ‘the Wayne State murder.’ ” Todd later shared a cell with King and informed King of Mosley’s comments. King’s lawyer [348]*348mentioned Todd’s potential testimony to defendant’s lawyer; however, defendant’s lawyer decided that this information did not seem credible and never contacted Todd. However, after defendant was convicted, defendant moved for a new trial, asserting, inter alia, that Todd provided newly discovered evidence. The trial court denied the motion.

Defendant first argues that his identification by four witnesses was the product of impermissibly suggestive pretrial procedures that led to an irreparable misiden-tification. In particular, he argues that the photographic arrays were improper and that an expert witness should have been presented on the topic of eyewitness identification. Defendant argues that eyewitness identification is the least reliable kind of evidence in a criminal conviction, stating that there have been 250 exonerations based on DNA, 76% of which involved misidentification as a factor. Defendant relies on a recent New Jersey Supreme Court holding that discussed problems with identification testimony and a standard for how to judge the reliability of identification testimony. State v Henderson, 208 NJ 208; 27 A3d 872 (2011). He also argues that his in-court identification was highly unreliable and likely the product of false memories; for example, he argues, Knott identified him because he was one of the ‘only brothers sitting at the table,’ ” and this occurred almost two years after the incident. He argues that there was no independent basis for his identification other than unduly suggestive procedures before trial. See People v McElhaney, 215 Mich App 269, 286-288; 545 NW2d 18 (1996).

A trial court’s decision to admit identification evidence will not be reversed unless it is clearly erroneous. Clear error exists when the reviewing court is left [349]*349with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake was made. People v McDade, 301 Mich App 343, 356; 836 NW2d 266 (2013). Erroneously admitted identification testimony warrants reversal only when the error is not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. People v Hampton, 138 Mich App 235, 239; 361 NW2d 3 (1984). A photographic identification procedure can be so suggestive as to deprive the defendant of due process. People v Gray, 457 Mich 107, 111; 577 NW2d 92 (1998). The fairness of an identification procedure is evaluated in light of the totality of the circumstances.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
886 N.W.2d 456, 314 Mich. App. 339, 2016 Mich. App. LEXIS 280, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-blevins-michctapp-2016.