People v. Owens

345 N.W.2d 904, 131 Mich. App. 76
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 1, 1983
DocketDocket 65896, 65897
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 345 N.W.2d 904 (People v. Owens) 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. Owens, 345 N.W.2d 904, 131 Mich. App. 76 (Mich. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinions

Per Curiam.

Defendant appeals as of right from his convictions after a jury trial of two counts of incitement of first-degree murder, MCL 750.157b; [81]*81MSA 28.354(2), and two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, MCL 750.157a; MSA 28.354(1), and his plea-based revocation of probation for violation of conditions, MCL 771.4; MSA 28.1134. Defendant was sentenced on May 14, 1982, to the mandatory term of life imprisonment without parole as to each count of incitement to murder and conspiracy to murder.

On September 22, 1981, Detective John Fiedler, posing as a "hit man”, met with the defendant in the parking lot of a restaurant located in Barry County. The defendant indicated to Fiedler that he wanted Douglas O’Laughlin and Paul DeLassus, his former business partners, killed. The two men met on several other occasions. They agreed that Fiedler would receive $1,000 for each killing, one-half to be paid before the killings and one-half afterwards. However, no money ever changed hands. On October 21, 1981, the two men met for the last time. Defendant introduced Fiedler to Ricky Leon Jones, another of defendant’s business partners. At that meeting, Jones told Fiedler that he too wanted O’Laughlin and DeLassus killed. Later that day, defendant and Jones were arrested.

On appeal, defendant raises eleven claims of error, six of which require discussion.

First, the defendant contends that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of his prior convictions for impeachment purposes. Prior to trial, the prosecutor moved for admission of evidence of defendant’s earlier convictions for impeachment purposes. The trial court agreed to admit evidence of four convictions.

Evidence of a defendant’s prior convictions may be admitted for impeachment purposes in accordance with MRE 609. The trial judge has discre[82]*82tion regarding their admission, and is required to recognize and exercise that discretion on the record. People v Jackson, 391 Mich 323; 217 NW2d 22 (1974).

The factors the court must consider in deciding whether to admit evidence of prior convictions are:

"(1) the nature of the prior offense (did it involve an offense which directly bears on credibility, such as perjury?), (2) whether it is for substantially the same conduct for which the defendant is on trial (are the offenses so closely related that [there is] danger that the jury will consider the defendant a 'bad man’ or infer that because he was previously convicted he likely committed this crime, and therefore create prejudice which outweighs the probative value on the issue of credibility?), and (3) the effect on the decisional process if the accused does not testify out of fear of impeachment by prior convictions (are there alternative means of presenting a defense which would not require the defendant’s testimony, i.e., can his side of the story be presented, or are there alternative, less prejudicial means of impeaching the defendant?).” People v Crawford, 83 Mich App 35, 39; 268 NW2d 275 (1978).

Under MRE 609, as amended, the reasons for the trial judge’s decision must be articulated on the record.

In the instant case, the trial judge did not discuss the third Crawford factor. The trial judge, however, could not consider the effect on the decisional process if defendant chose not to testify. The defendant did not inform the judge that he would not be taking the stand until well after the ruling was already made and never informed the judge what the nature of his testimony would be should he take the stand. In order to preserve the issue of the trial court’s failure to properly consider this factor, defendant was required to establish that he [83]*83would take the stand if evidence of the convictions were not admitted and to outline the nature of his proposed testimony. People v Casey, 120 Mich App 690, 695-697; 327 NW2d 337 (1982).

Defendant also argues that the prosecution failed to carry its burden of proving the need for the admission of this evidence. There is a split of authority in this Court as to whether the prosecution has the burden of proving that evidence of prior convictions is admissible. Compare People v Gary Johnson, 105 Mich App 332, 338; 306 NW2d 501 (1981), and People v Crawford, supra (burden on the prosecution to justify admission) with People v Steele, 115 Mich App 758; 321 NW2d 804 (1982), and People v Huff, 101 Mich App 232, 250-251; 300 NW2d 525 (1980), rev’d 411 Mich 974; 308 NW2d 110 (1981) (burden on the defendant to justify exclusion). We believe that the burden is on the prosecution to justify the admission of evidence of prior convictions. In the instant case, the prosecutor made no effort to justify admission of evidence of defendant’s prior convictions. She simply listed the convictions and left to the trial judge the decision of whether to admit evidence of those convictions. Therefore, we reverse defendant’s convictions and order a new trial.

Second, defendant argues that the trial judge erred in refusing to instruct the jury regarding the lesser included offenses of incitement to commit and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and manslaughter.

In every murder prosecution the jury must be instructed with regard to second-degree murder as well as first degree. People v Jenkins, 395 Mich 440; 236 NW2d 503 (1975). Instructions upon the elements of both first- and second-degree murder are required in prosecutions for incitement to [84]*84murder as well. People v Richendollar, 85 Mich App 74, 78-81; 270 NW2d 530 (1978), lv den 405 Mich 820 (1979). Therefore, the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury on incitement to commit second-degree murder. The Richendollar analysis does not, however, require that instructions regarding manslaughter also be given, as defendant argues.

Defendant also argues that the same rule should be applied in cases of conspiracy to murder. This Court appears to be divided upon this question. Compare People v Hence, 110 Mich App 154, 170-171; 312 NW2d 191 (1981), with People v Perry, 115 Mich App 533, 536; 321 NW2d 719 (1982), and People v Jackson, 114 Mich App 649, 664-668; 319 NW2d 613 (1982). We believe that the reasoning of Richendollar regarding incitement to murder is equally applicable in cases of conspiracy to murder. Thus, the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury on conspiracy to commit second-degree murder.

Because of the above errors, the defendant’s convictions for incitement to commit and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder must be reversed.1

Third, defendant argues that the jury should have been instructed that incitement to commit first-degree murder is a specific intent crime.

A person may be convicted of incitement to commit first-degree murder, MCL 750.157b; MSA 28.354(2), when he has engaged in conduct calculated to cause another person to commit first-degree murder. See People v Chapman, 80 Mich App 583, 586; 264 NW2d 69 (1978). The defendant must have intended that the crime which he urged [85]*85would in fact be committed. People v Shafou, 416 Mich 113, 122; 330 NW2d 647 (1982) (opinion of Fitzgerald, C.J.). The trial judge has the duty to instruct the jury regarding all the elements of the crime and any material defenses or theories. People v Reed,

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People v. Owens
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Bluebook (online)
345 N.W.2d 904, 131 Mich. App. 76, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-owens-michctapp-1983.