People v. Lyles

298 N.W.2d 713, 100 Mich. App. 232, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2940
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 16, 1980
DocketDocket 77-1046, 77-1072
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 298 N.W.2d 713 (People v. Lyles) 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. Lyles, 298 N.W.2d 713, 100 Mich. App. 232, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2940 (Mich. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

On August 5, 1975, the defendants were charged with four counts of murder for the shooting deaths of two men. The information charged the defendants with two counts each of felony murder and first-degree premeditated murder, MCL 750.316; MSA 28.548. Since the defendants were incarcerated in Ohio at the time, a warrant was filed with the Ohio prison as a detainer. The defendants were returned to Michigan on January 8, 1976, where they were arraigned. On January 22, 1976, the magistrate dismissed the two felony-murder counts and bound the defendants over for trial on the charge of first-degree premeditated murder. The defendants were convicted by a Recorder’s Court jury of the second-degree murder of two men. The defendants were *237 sentenced to a term of life imprisonment for one murder and an additional term of 50 to 75 years for the second murder. Both defendants appeal from their convictions as a matter of right. Their cases have been consolidated on appeal.

In order to properly resolve this appeal, we must delve at some length into its somewhat complex factual background.

Sidney Kinnard testified at the trial that he was employed at Pete and Doll’s Party Store on October 19, 1973. At approximately 8:20 p.m., two men entered the store and stood in the back whispering to each other. One man went to the beer cooler and brought a can of beer to the counter. The other man got a bottle of red pop and also brought it to the counter. Andrew Harris, the manager, rang up the purchases and remarked, "Ninety-eight cents to you and everybody else I charge more”. The man with the beer said, "yeah, sure”, and pulled out a gun. The manager and Kinnard ducked down to the floor as a shot was fired. There were two or three more shots. The manager attempted to reach for the gun he wore at his side. At that time, the man with the beer leaned over the counter and shot Mr. Harris. Kinnard heard three or four more shots. When he got up from the floor, he saw that Mr. Harris and Mr. Ellis, a customer, were lying on the floor. The two men who had come in together were gone. No money or other object was taken from the store during the incident. Harris was found lying on his gun. A third gun which had been kept underneath the counter was recovered at the scene.

Mr. Kinnard had attended a lineup on January 8, 1976, in which both defendants were present, but failed to identify anyone. In court, Kinnard identified Lamar Potts as the man with the beer *238 who pulled out the gun and identified Willie Lyles as the man with the pop.

The autopsy report revealed that Harris died as the result of a gunshot wound to the top of his head from a .38-caliber pistol. Mr. Ellis died from a gunshot wound which entered at the left side of his head, just behind his left ear. The gun, also a .38-caliber, was fired at close range, approximately one inch from Ellis’ skull.

Iris Clay was in the party store a few minutes before the shooting. While inside, she saw two men talking to each other near the beer cooler. As she left the store, she heard shots fired and ran across the street. She observed two men running out of the store and identified Potts as the shorter man. She said that the taller man was firing a gun as he stood at the door. She also testified that she had identified Potts at a lineup. Alonzo Richards was another customer who was inside the store when the shooting started. Earlier he had observed two men standing by the beer cooler. When the shooting began, Richards ran outside and across the street. Later he saw two men running out of the store and going around the corner into a small, dark-colored car. Richards saw a gun lying on the sidewalk on the escape route taken by the two men and also saw a pair of shoes. He pointed out these objects to the police. Richards was not asked to identify the defendants.

Oscar Johnson had accompanied Iris Clay to the party store that night. He observed two men whispering in the rear area of the store. He left the store when the shooting started and saw three men run out of the store. The first was a customer. The second man ran toward the alley to a waiting car. The third man came out, stumbled, and dropped a gun. He also lost his shoes and then *239 proceeded into the green Pinto that the second man had entered. Someone had been sitting in the car which then sped away. Mr. Johnson returned to the store and saw the first man, who had run out, whom he identified as Alonzo Richards. Johnson gave the police a description of the men, but was not asked to identify the defendants at a lineup.

Three guns were found at the scene of the shootings. Three shots were fired by the pistol in Mr. Harris’ hand. No shots were fired from the pistol kept under the counter. Both of these were nine millimeter pistols. The .38-caliber slugs which were removed from the bodies of Harris and Ellis did not come from the .38-caliber revolver which had been dropped by one of the perpetrators outside the store. It was determined that both shots were fired from the same weapon which was never recovered. The can of beer and bottle of pop which had been left on the counter were tested for fingerprints. The print taken from the beer can was positively identified as belonging to Potts. The print taken from the pop bottle was positively identified as belonging to Lyles. The prints on the .38-caliber pistol dropped in front of the store were smudged and not usable for purposes of comparison.

The parties all stipulated for the admission into evidence of a police report taken by a Cleveland, Ohio police officer at 11:55 p.m. on October 19, 1973. This report involved a complaint filed by the defendant Potts, wherein he stated that he had been the victim of an armed robbery in Cleveland at 9:20 p.m. During the alleged robbery, Potts had received a gunshot wound to the upper right arm, lodging in his chest. He alleged further that the unknown robbers had stolen his shoes. The parties *240 stipulated to the fact that the distance between Cleveland and Detroit is 170 miles. The defendants rested without testifying or presenting any witnesses in defense.

On appeal, both defendants contend that the magistrate abused his discretion in binding them over for trial on the charge of first-degree murder where there was no testimony to establish premeditation or deliberation. Lyles contends that there was no evidence to link him to the murders, since no one saw him with a gun, nor was there any other evidence of his participation or assistance in the killings.

In deciding whether a defendant should be bound over for trial, a magistrate need not establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It is sufficient if the magistrate determines that the charged offense was committed and that there was probable cause to believe that defendant was guilty. People v Doss, 406 Mich 90, 100-101; 276 NW2d 9 (1979). A reviewing court will overturn the magistrate’s decision to bind over only upon a finding of an abuse of discretion. Doss, supra, Wayne County Prosecutor v Recorder’s Court Judge, 92 Mich App 119; 284 NW2d 507 (1979).

Premeditation and deliberation were defined in People v Morrin, 31 Mich App 301, 329-330; 187 NW2d 434 (1971), as follows:

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Related

People v. Sykes
582 N.W.2d 197 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1998)
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333 N.W.2d 567 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1983)
People v. Leverette
315 N.W.2d 876 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1982)

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Bluebook (online)
298 N.W.2d 713, 100 Mich. App. 232, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2940, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lyles-michctapp-1980.