Scott v. Foltz

612 F. Supp. 50
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedMay 28, 1985
DocketCiv. A. 84-CV-0418-DT
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 612 F. Supp. 50 (Scott v. Foltz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scott v. Foltz, 612 F. Supp. 50 (E.D. Mich. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION *

COHN, District Judge.

I

On November 1, 1979, Petitioner was convicted of two counts of armed robbery, Mich.Comp.Laws § 750.529, by a jury in the Monroe County Circuit Court. He is currently serving two concurrent terms of twenty to sixty years at the State Prison of Southern Michigan at Jackson.

On September 23, 1981, with one dissent, the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction in an unpublished opinion. (Docket No. 49375). Subsequently, on March 29, 1983, the Michigan Supreme Court issued an order as follows:

The prosecutor is ordered to show cause in writing within 30 days of the date of this order, why the defendant’s conviction should not be reversed because of the failure of the prosecutor to disclose the plea bargain with witness Margaret Murry and his failure to correct the false inference from her testimony that no promise had been made to her in return for her plea of guilty,

and thereafter, rather than deciding the question, inexplicably denied leave to appeal, with one dissent, on September 21, 1983. (Docket No. 68785). Now before the Court is Petitioner’s pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. 1 For the reason which follows a writ of habeas corpus will issue conditionally-

II

A

The only real issue at Petitioner’s trial was Petitioner’s alleged accomplices’ credibility. As stated in the prosecution’s opening statement: “They ... will be the essential witnesses in this case.” (Trial Transcript, p. 64).

Two sisters, Gloria Gentry and Hazel Hodge, testified that they were robbed at knifepoint by two women at a rest stop on southbound Highway 23 in Monroe County ^ After the robbery, they saw the two women go to a car at which a man was standing. 2 The three entered the car and drove away with a fourth person already in the car. The sisters identified the driver as a man but were unable to identify a passenger in the car as either being male or female. 3 The sisters did not see either robber give anything to anyone in the car. Neither sister was able to identify Petitioner.

The only evidence that linked Petitioner to the crime was the testimony of the two robbers themselves, Margaret Murry and Beverly Jordan. They each testified that Petitioner had taken them to the rest stop for purposes of prostitution. When they arrived there, however, Petitioner gave them a knife and told them to rob Gentry and Hodge. After the robbery, Murry and Jordan gave the money they took ($122.00) to Petitioner. The car belonged to Petitioner.

While Petitioner admitted being at the rest stop with Murry, Jordan and Turner, he denied knowing anything about the robbery beforehand. He did admit that Jordan gave him $20.00 after she returned to the car and that his knife had been used. He specifically denied having taken Murry *52 and Jordan to the rest stop for purposes of prostitution. 4

B

Murry testified for the prosecution at the preliminary examination held May 21,1979. At the preliminary hearing, the following exchange occurred during the direct examination of Murry under questioning by an assistant prosecuting attorney:

Q: Also has the Prosecutor’s Office or I as a member of that office — has anyone promised you anything in order to have you testify here today?
A: No.

(Preliminary Examination Transcript, p. 6). An assistant prosecuting attorney was also present at Petitioner’s arraignment on June 8, 1979. Thereafter, on July 2, 1979, Jack Vitale was appointed as a special prosecutor on the petition of the Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney to handle the trial. The petition for appointment is attached as Appendix A.

At the trial, at which Petitioner was represented by an attorney appointed on June 8, 1979, the following exchange occurred during Murry’s direct examination:

Q: You’ve been charged with the crime of armed robbery have you not?
A: Yes.
Q: And how has that case been disposed of?
A: It haven’t [sic]. I go back the 11th of October.
Q: For what?
A: For my sentence.
Q: Did you have a trial?
A: No.
Q: Did you plead guilty?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you know if you were promised— were you promised anything in return for the plea of guilty.
A: No.
Q: Were you promised anything in return for your testimony here today?
A: No.
Q: Are you telling the truth?
A: Yes.

(Trial Transcript, pp. 97-98).

During closing arguments, the special prosecutor vigorously argued in rebuttal that Murry was to be believed because she had not made a bargain for her testimony: “They [Murry and Jordan] were not promised anything, no one said we’re going to give you this for your testimony, or anything else. They’re here to tell the truth and that’s all.” (Trial Transcript, p. 245).

However, Murry did in fact plea bargain and was promised something. Her plea agreement was summed up by the trial court as follows:

The plea bargain, as set forth in the transcript, is that [Murry] would enter a plea of guilty to the third count; that is assault with intent to rob and steal while armed. The People would make no recommendation regarding Youthful Trainee status and that if the Court decided not to grant Youthful Trainee status the prosecutor would recommend a minimum jail time of two years if the court is going to sentence to jail and reject the Youthful Trainee. That was corrected to a maximum of two years. And further, that she would testify in any further court proceedings against two male subjects believed to have been involved in this who have not yet been charged.

(Motion for New Trial Transcript, p. 38). Murry pleaded guilty on November 11, 1978, a few months before Petitioner was charged. The Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney’s letter dated November 9, 1978, memorializing the plea agreement to Murry’s attorney, L.E. Merman, is attached as Appendix B.

C

Eventually, Petitioner’s trial counsel filed a motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence. He told the trial court that he did not know about the *53

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
612 F. Supp. 50, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scott-v-foltz-mied-1985.