People v. Lámar

395 N.W.2d 262, 153 Mich. App. 127
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 27, 1986
DocketDocket 86074
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 395 N.W.2d 262 (People v. Lámar) 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. Lámar, 395 N.W.2d 262, 153 Mich. App. 127 (Mich. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinions

Per Curiam.

Defendant was convicted by jury on July 30, 1984, of larceny in a building, MCL 750.360; MSA 28.592, and assault and battery, MCL 750.81; MSA 28.276. Sentenced to six months imprisonment in the county jail on the larceny charge and a concurrent thirty-day term in the county jail on the assault and battery charge, defendant appeals as of right raising four issues.

On August 25, 1983, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Kevin Smith, loss prevention manager at the Meijer Thrifty Acres store in Saginaw, observed defendant pushing a grocery cart with a young child in the child seat. Defendant was wearing an ankle-length, loose fitting, black and white wraparound [131]*131dress. Smith saw defendant select a display model of a large iron, for sale for $34.97, and place it in the cart next to the child. Defendant then pushed the cart toward the east end of the store and Smith was joined by Patricia Beam, another store detective, and John Vowell, a third store detective. At this point defendant was observed lifting up her dress and placing the iron inside.

Smith, Beam and Vowell followed defendant throughout the store as she continued to shop. According to Smith, defendant appeared to be walking with a visible limp. Beam and Vowell described her gait as bow-legged. Approximately thirty-five minutes to one hour later, defendant approached the checkout lanes. At this point she met up with her sister, who was also shopping in the store. Defendant went through lane 14, paid for the items in her cart and waited for her sister who was behind her. When the two were through the checkout lane they consolidated their purchases into one cart. Defendant and her sister proceeded to push the cart through the first set of double doors going to the outside when Smith and Vowell stopped defendant and identified themselves.

The two detectives escorted defendant to the loss prevention office where Beam was waiting. Defendant told the men that she would go with them but that they were in trouble because she did not have anything. When defendant entered the office she sat down in a chair and the detectives heard a loud clunk. Smith asked defendant to return the merchandise or that they would have to get a female police officer to search her; At that point defendant reached inside her dress and pulled the iron out. Smith then asked defendant to turn over her purse, which defendant refused to do. Smith took the purse at which point defendant got out of [132]*132the chair and told them she was leaving. Smith told defendant that she could not leave. Defendant then began screaming "rape” and hitting, scratching, and kicking Smith.

The detectives then placed handcuffs on defendant and sat her down in a chair. Defendant’s sister, Pamela Lamar, knocked on the door and the detectives let her in to help calm defendant. Defendant told Pamela that the detectives were beating, hitting and raping her. Pamela began screaming, shouting obscenities, and beating on Vowell. She yelled that she had a receipt for the iron, but left without giving it to Smith.

The Saginaw County Sheriff’s Department was called by Beam. Deputies arrived some fifteen to twenty minutes later, finding defendant handcuffed in a chair in the loss prevention office. Defendant was arrested and taken to the Saginaw County jail. Smith, who had sustained bites on his left bicep, right elbow and arm, proceeded to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries and given a tetanus shot.

At trial, defendant testified that she had two large wastebaskets in her grocery cart when she picked up the display iron. She put the iron in the cart underneath the baby seat. She met up with her sister by women’s clothing, continued to shop around and met her sister again at the checkout counter. She put the items she was going to purchase, which included a mattress cover, a bathroom rug and a toilet seat cover, on the counter. She left the two large wastebaskets in the grocery cart. Defendant testified that she forgot that the iron was in the grocery cart. She paid for all the other items, and stopped and waited for her sister. Her sister wanted to buy a lottery ticket, so they stopped in the middle of the aisle. At that point, [133]*133two men grabbed her and forced her into the security office.

Defendant testified that Smith grabbed and touched her offensively and that Vowell called her a "black bitch” and told her, "You are all alike, you think you can come in the store and get away with anything.” Defendant also testified that she did not know what was going on and attempted to leave and that, at that point, Smith pushed her into a chair, banged her head on the table and told her she could not leave. She explained that it was at that point that she struck back at Smith and kicked Smith in the groin. She denied having an iron under her skirt and stated that no iron was placed on the table in the security room.

Defendant offered as an exhibit a black, white and red patterned skirt which she and her sister testified she was wearing on the day in question. However, Smith, Beam and Vowell contended that the skirt offered as an exhibit was not the same one worn by defendant on the day in question. Defendant’s exhibit was not a wraparound skirt and was shorter than ankle length.

Prior to trial, the prosecutor endorsed as witnesses Kevin L. Smith, John Vowell, Patricia L. Beam and Deputy Sheriff Michael Picklo. Just prior to trial, defendant moved to dismiss the case on the ground that the prosecutor failed to endorse all res gestae witnesses. The trial court denied the motion as late. During voir dire, defense counsel asked the panel of prosepective jurors if they believed that because a person was arrested a crime had been committed. When eleven out of the twelve jurors responded in the affirmative, defense counsel moved to dismiss the eleven for cause. The trial judge denied the motion on grounds that the jurors indicated that they would follow the instruction to the effect that they [134]*134would only convict defendant if the prosecution introduced evidence of defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. After deliberating for approximately one and one-half hours, the jury found defendant guilty of larceny in a building and assault and battery.

Of the four grounds of error asserted on appeal, three have little merit and may quickly be rejected. It is first claimed that the trial court erred reversibly when it rejected defendant’s challenge for cause of eleven jurors. At voir dire defense counsel asked a panel of twelve prospective jurors if they believed that because a person was arrested a crime had been committed. Eleven out of the twelve responded in the affirmative, specifying that they believed a crime had been committed, but not necessarily that the person who was arrested committed it. Each juror indicated, however, that they could follow CJI 3:1:03, that the prosecutor must prove every element of the crime charged beyond a reasonable doubt before they could find defendant guilty.

A trial judge is given broad discretion in the voir dire examination of jurors. McNabb v Green Real Estate Co, 62 Mich App 500, 505; 233 NW2d 811 (1975). The trial court’s decision regarding juror impartiality may be reversed only if it is a clear abuse of discretion. Haisenleder v Reeder, 114 Mich App 258, 266; 318 NW2d 634 (1982). GCR 1963, 511.4 lists thirteen grounds for challenges for cause.

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People v. Lámar
395 N.W.2d 262 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1986)

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Bluebook (online)
395 N.W.2d 262, 153 Mich. App. 127, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lamar-michctapp-1986.