Shorter v. State

946 So. 2d 815, 2007 WL 4046
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJanuary 2, 2007
Docket2005-CA-01458-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 946 So. 2d 815 (Shorter v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shorter v. State, 946 So. 2d 815, 2007 WL 4046 (Mich. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

946 So.2d 815 (2007)

Alonzo SHORTER, Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2005-CA-01458-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

January 2, 2007.

*817 William L. Bambach, Columbus, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Scott Stuart, attorney for appellee.

EN BANC.

GRIFFIS, J., for the Court.

¶ 1. Alonzo Shorter appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. On appeal, he alleges six errors: (1) defective indictment, (2) ineffective assistance of counsel, (3) insufficiency of evidence, (4) improper comments during closing by the prosecutor, (5) involuntary guilty plea due to ineffective assistance of counsel, and (6) cumulative error. We find no error and affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2. Shorter was indicted on two separate counts for the sale of cocaine, in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated Section 41-29-139 (Supp.2002). The indictment in cause number 2002-96 alleged that Shorter sold cocaine on or about July 30, 2002. The indictment in cause number 2002-97 alleged that Shorter sold cocaine on or about July 29, 2002.

¶ 3. Shorter was tried and convicted in cause number 2002-96. On the same day of his sentencing, February 10, 2003, Shorter pled guilty to the charge in cause number 2002-97. Also, on February 10, the court sentenced Shorter to serve twelve years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections in cause number 2002-96 and twelve years in cause number 2002-97, with the sentences to run concurrently. The court also ordered that Shorter complete the Mississippi Department of Correction's Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program while incarcerated.

¶ 4. Shorter did not appeal his jury conviction. On June 3, 2005, Shorter filed one petition for post-conviction collateral relief for both convictions. The court denied the petition without an evidentiary hearing.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 5. In reviewing a trial court's decision to deny a motion for post-conviction relief, the standard of review is clear. The trial court's denial will not be reversed absent a finding that the trial court's decision was clearly erroneous. Smith v. State, 806 So.2d 1148, 1150(¶ 3) (Miss.Ct.App.2002). However, when reviewing issues of law, this Court's proper standard of review is de novo. Brown v. State, 731 So.2d 595, 598(¶ 6) (Miss.1999).

ANALYSIS

¶ 6. Mississippi Code Annotated Section 99-39-9(2) (Supp.2005) provides that a motion *818 for post-conviction relief shall be limited to a request for relief against one judgment. Additionally, it provides that "if a prisoner desires to attack the validity of other judgments under which he is in custody, he shall do so by separate motions." Id.

¶ 7. Shorter was sentenced under two separate judgments. Each judgment sentenced him to a twelve year term, and each judgment provides that the terms are to be served concurrently. Shorter's petition here attacks both judgments. Because Mississippi Code Annotated Section 99-39-9(2) limits our consideration to one judgment, we will consider the issues that relate to the denial of the petition for post-conviction collateral relief as to the jury trial in cause number 2002-96. Should Shorter seek to attack the merits of the guilty plea, he must file a separate petition for post-conviction collateral relief regarding that judgment.

I. Defective Indictment

¶ 8. For the first time on appeal, Shorter alleges that the indictment was defective. While this Court does not typically consider issues raised initially on appeal, we will address the possible defects in the indictment that may rise to a jurisdictional level. Jurisdictional errors may not be waived by the accused. Carroll v. State, 755 So.2d 483, 487(¶ 9) (Miss.Ct.App. 1999).

¶ 9. Rule 7.06(2) of the Uniform Rules of Circuit and County Court requires that the indictment include "[t]he date on which the indictment was filed in court." Rule 7.06 also requires that the indictment contain "a plain, concise, and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged and shall fully notify the defendant of the nature and cause of the accusation" against him.

¶ 10. Shorter complains that the indictment was defective due to the dates contained on the indictment. Shorter argues that the indictment begins with the following language, "In the Circuit Court of Said County, May Term, 2002." Thus, Shorter claims that he was indicted during the grand jury term in May, which was prior to the date of the offense charged. The State supplemented the record and included the back page of the indictment, where the indictment was stamped filed. Based upon this supplementation, it is clear to this Court that the indictment was filed on December 6, 2002. The indictment was filed over four months after the occurrence of the event. Furthermore, the indictment clearly satisfied Rule 7.06 of the Uniform Circuit and County Court Rules when it included "the date . . . the offense was alleged to have been committed."

¶ 11. Next, Shorter argues that the indictment omitted the amount of cocaine allegedly sold and the amount of money which was received. The penalty for the sale of cocaine is the same no matter the quantity sold nor the amount of money received. Miss.Code Ann. § 41-29-139(a)(1), (b)(1). Therefore, neither the amount of cocaine sold nor the amount of money received are essential elements of the crime and are not required to be specified in the indictment. Campbell v. State, 878 So.2d 227, 229(¶ 5) (Miss.Ct.App.2004); Williams v. State, 821 So.2d 883, 887(¶ 16) (Miss.Ct.App.2002).

¶ 12. Accordingly, we find that there is no merit to this assignment of error.

II. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

¶ 13. To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, Shorter must demonstrate that his counsel's performance was deficient and that this deficiency prejudiced his defense. Strickland v. Washington, *819 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). The burden of proof rests with Shorter, and we will measure the alleged deficiency within the totality of circumstances. Hiter v. State, 660 So.2d 961, 965 (Miss.1995); Carney v. State, 525 So.2d 776, 780 (Miss.1988). However, a presumption exists that the attorney's conduct was adequate. Burns v. State, 813 So.2d 668, 673(¶ 14) (Miss.2001); Stringer v. State, 454 So.2d 468, 477 (Miss.1984).

¶ 14. Shorter alleges a total of six different examples of ineffective assistance of counsel. Four of these are alleged for the first time upon appeal. Normally, these new allegations would be "procedurally barred as never having been presented to the trial court." Wilder v. State, 793 So.2d 698, 700(¶ 8) (Miss.Ct.App.2001) (citing Gazzier v. State, 744 So.2d 776, 778(¶ 5) (Miss.1999)). However, this Court has long held that fundamental rights may be excepted from procedural bars. We have also held that ineffective assistance can rise to the level of a violation of the defendant's fundamental constitutional rights. Bevill v. State, 669 So.2d 14, 17 (Miss. 1996). Therefore, we will address all six allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel.

A. Failure to call a vital witness

¶ 15.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
946 So. 2d 815, 2007 WL 4046, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shorter-v-state-missctapp-2007.