Reneer v. Commonwealth

784 S.W.2d 182, 1990 WL 9633
CourtKentucky Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 8, 1990
DocketNos. 88-SC-164-MR, 88-SC-733-MR, 89-SC-384-TG and 89-SC-385-TG
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 784 S.W.2d 182 (Reneer v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Kentucky Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reneer v. Commonwealth, 784 S.W.2d 182, 1990 WL 9633 (Ky. 1990).

Opinions

WINTERSHEIMER, Justice.

These appeals were consolidated for oral argument and disposition.

The first appeal is from a judgment based on a jury verdict which convicted Reneer of sodomy in the first degree and as a persistent felony offender in the first degree. He was sentenced to life in prison. He also appeals his conviction of possession of morphine, possession of marijuana and [183]*183as a persistent felony offender in the first degree which resulted in a sentence of twenty years. He also filed motions for a new trial from both convictions and now appeals the order overruling those motions.

In September 1987, the alleged sodomy occurred and in October 1987, the drug situation arose.

I

In regard to the sodomy conviction, the following questions are presented: whether the trial judge committed reversible error by prohibiting the introduction of evidence of Reneer’s supposed sexual activities with the victim and from cross-examining the victim about such activities; whether it was reversible error to permit the introduction of a pillbox seized at Re-neer’s home; and, whether the defendant was unduly restricted in his right to represent himself at trial.

Reneer argues that the trial judge committed reversible error by refusing proffered evidence about prior sexual activities between Reneer and the victim. He contends that the sodomy was voluntary and with consent. A showing of consent by the victim was not reasonably possible, and prohibiting the proffered evidence was not reversible error on the part of the trial judge.

Prior to trial, Reneer moved for a hearing to determine the admissibility of evidence pursuant to K.R.S. 510.145 of prior sexual conduct of the complaining witness with the defendant. At the hearing the victim testified that she never had any type of sexual activity with the defendant prior to the morning of September 5, 1987. Re-neer said that he had known the victim from early August of 1987 and they had sex on two occasions and that she had initiated both encounters. The trial judge deferred ruling on the motion at the time of the hearing but later when Reneer sought to cross-examine the victim about prior sexual acts, did refuse such questions.

K.R.S. 510.145(3) establishes a three-part test for determining the admissibility of this kind of evidence.

Evidence of the complaining witness pri- or sexual conduct or habits with the defendant ... may be admitted at trial if ... (b) ... the court determines that the offered proof is 1) relevant and that it is 2) material to a fact in issue, and that 3) its probative value outweighs its inflammatory or prejudicial nature.

Bixler v. Commonwealth, Ky.App. 712 S.W.2d 366 (1986) held that the issue of admissibility of the evidence relates both to the question of consent by the victim, and to the question of the credibility of the victim and defendant as witnesses. Bixler, supra, also noted that the question of prior sexual conduct between the victim and her attackers was “crucial given the absence of any physical evidence and the damaging testimony of the victim.” Bixler at 368. In Bixler, there were no other direct witnesses, no physical evidence and the damaging evidence of the victim stood alone. The key elements of Bixler and K.R.S. 510.145 are not present in this case.

In contrast to the facts of Bixler, in this case, there were two other witnesses who testified that the victim did not consent. The evidence proffered by Reneer was neither material nor relevant to consent. A detailed examination of the facts in question supports the decision of the trial judge that the probative value did not outweigh its possible inflammatory or prejudicial nature.

Reneer maintains the pillbox should have been suppressed because it was the product of an improper search. He contends that the search warrant and affidavit in support failed to describe the items to be seized, that the issuing official did not exhibit the neutrality and detachment required by law and that the supporting affidavit contained a material misstatement of fact.

The pillbox was properly seized and introduced at trial because it was the result of a search incident to a lawful arrest. Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752, 89 S.Ct. 2034, 23 L.Ed.2d 685 (1969).

The testimony indicates that the police went to Reneer’s apartment pursuant to a [184]*184warrant of arrest for sodomy and placed him under arrest for that crime. The police knew of his previous criminal record which included murder and armed robbery. He was arrested in his small bedroom and a .38 caliber handgun was found at the head of his bed. He was taken from the bedroom to the living room. Reneer testified that while in the living room and handcuffed, he asked to go to the bathroom in order to urinate. His hands were handcuffed behind him and police released his hands long enough for him to use the bathroom. It was reasonable for the police to secure the area before taking the handcuffs off. While in the bathroom they found the pillbox containing morphine above the commode.

The defects in the search warrant were of no consequence. Here the search was contemporaneous to a valid arrest. Chimel, supra.

Reneer was not unduly restricted in his right to represent himself at trial. The trial judge did not abuse his discretion in refusing to allow consultation with his attorney and properly limited recall. The only time Reneer was not able to consult with his attorney came after he discharged counsel and before he rehired him. The trial judge did not abuse his discretion in taking measures to prevent disruption during trial. The trial judge was patient in giving sufficient latitude to Reneer to act for himself and to ask whatever had not already been covered by his counsel’s questioning. Reneer personally asked no questions. Cf. Wake v. Barker, Ky., 514 S.W.2d 692 (1974).

The judgment of conviction of sodomy is affirmed.

II

The next appeal is from a judgment based on a jury verdict which convicted Reneer of possession of morphine, possession of marijuana, and as a persistent felony offender in the first degree. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison.

The issues are whether the trial judge committed reversible error by refusing to permit exculpatory evidence; whether the introduction of the pillbox and the morphine it contained should have been excluded from evidence; whether the chain of custody of the evidence was sufficiently established and whether penalty enhancement was correct.

On October 8, 1987 the Owensboro police and Kentucky State police pursuant to a search warrant for morphine and an arrest warrant for a sodomy complaint searched Reneer’s residence and confiscated a pillbox containing traces of morphine and a bag of marijuana. The search warrant was obtained after police took a statement from a witness who said she purchased morphine from Reneer.

The trial judge did not commit reversible error by refusing certain evidence of allegedly contradictory pretrial statements made by a witness to police.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Commonwealth v. Dunn
899 S.W.2d 492 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
784 S.W.2d 182, 1990 WL 9633, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reneer-v-commonwealth-ky-1990.