STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KELLI D. HENNESSEY (07-10-1023 AND 12-10-1034, GLOUCESTER COUNTY AND STATEWIDE)

New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division·Decided September 26, 2018·No. A-2396-15T3·Unpublished

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION

DOCKET NO. A-2396-15T3

STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Plaintiff-Respondent,

v. KELLI D. HENNESSEY,

Defendant-Appellant.

Argued September 12, 2018 – Decided September 26, 2018 Before Judges Messano and Rose.

On appeal from Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Gloucester County, Indictment Nos. 07-10-

1023 and 12-10-1034.

John Douard, Assistant Deputy Public Defender, argued the cause for appellant (Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney; John Douard, of counsel and on the brief).

Douglas B. Pagenkopf, Assistant Prosecutor, argued the cause for respondent (Charles A. Fiore, Gloucester County Prosecutor, attorney; Douglas B. Pagenkopf, of counsel and on the brief).

PER CURIAM A jury convicted defendant Kelli D. Hennessey of second-degree assault by auto, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(c)(3)(a) (recklessly causing serious bodily injury while operating a vehicle in violation of N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 within 1000 feet of school property) (count one), and two counts of third-degree assault by auto, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(c)(3)(a) (recklessly causing bodily injury under the same circumstances) (counts two and three). On the same evidence, the judge found defendant guilty of driving while intoxicated (DWI) within 1000 feet of school property, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(g)(1). The judge imposed a seven-year term of imprisonment on count one, concurrent four-year terms of imprisonment on counts two and three, and a consecutive sentence of 180 days in the county jail, plus additional mandatory penalties, on the motor vehicle violation.

Defendant raises the following points on appeal:

POINT I

AN EMPTY ALCOHOL CONTAINER FOUND IN MS. HENNESSEY'S CAR CONSTITUTED INADMISSIBLE PROPENSITY EVIDENCE, IN VIOLATION OF N.J.R.E. 404B. MOREOVER, NO LIMITING INSTRUCTION WAS PROVIDED WITH RESPECT TO THE EMPTY CONTAINER.

A-2396-15T3

POINT II

OVER VEHEMENT OBJECTION, THE PROSECUTOR CROSS-EXAMINED DEFENDANT ON HER FAILURE TO TELL OFFICER JONES MR. LAWRENCE'S LAST NAME AFTER SHE WAS ARRESTED, AND HER REFUSAL TO TALK AFTER BEING ARRESTED, PREJUDICING DEFENDANT'S RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL. U.S. CONST. AMENDS V, XIV.

POINT III

THE JUDGE'S INSTRUCTION FOR THE JURORS TO CONTINUE DELIBERATIONS, AFTER THEIR REPRESENTATION THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REACH A UNANIMOUS VERDICT BUT WITHOUT FURTHER INQUIRY ABOUT THE DEADLOCK, DEPRIVED DEFENDANT OF THE RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS OF LAW AND A FAIR TRIAL. U.S. CONST. AMEND XIV; N.J. CONST. (1947) ART. 1, PARS. 1, 9, 10.

POINT IV

THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY NOT ISSUING A CLAWANS INSTRUCTION, AS REQUESTED BY DEFENSE COUNSEL, AFTER THE STATE FAILED TO CALL A CRUCIAL WITNESS, POLICE DETECTIVE MOAN, TO TESTIFY AT TRIAL.

POINT V

THE TRIAL WAS SO INFECTED WITH ERROR THAT EVEN IF EACH INDIVIDUAL ERROR DOES NOT REQUIRE REVERSAL, THE AGGREGATE OF THE ERRORS DENIED DEFENDANT A FAIR TRIAL. (Not Raised Below).

A-2396-15T3

POINT VI

THE SEVEN-YEAR SENTENCE FOR THREE COUNTS OF ASSAULT BY AUTO, AND A CONSECUTIVE 180-DAY SENTENCE FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE IN A SCHOOL ZONE WAS MANIFESTLY EXCESSIVE.

Having considered these arguments in light of the record and applicable legal standards, we affirm.

I

We summarize some of the trial evidence to place defendant's arguments in some context.

In the early morning hours of November 6, 2011, Glassboro Police Officer Mindy Knight responded to the scene of a car accident near a local WaWa convenience store. She saw a woman, J.H.,1 covered in blood and lying on the ground in the middle of the road. Two other women, R.S. and J.R., were sitting on a nearby curb. Knight saw a white Taurus near the scene with damage to its hood, a large hole in the passenger-side windshield and a side-view mirror stripped off.

1 We use initials to maintain the confidentiality of the victims.

A-2396-15T3

All three women were sorority sisters at nearby Rowan University and had walked from the school to buy some food at a restaurant near the WaWa. As they walked along the side of the road, a car struck them from the rear. J.H. was the most seriously injured, suffering a broken collarbone, tibia, fibula, facial lacerations and a permanent injury to her hip.

Emergency medical technicians and other police officers arrived at the scene, including Police Officer James Jones. Jones canvassed the area for witnesses, and saw defendant and one of the victims standing by the side of the road "hugging" and "crying." Both women said they did not see who was driving the car. Jones then located a New Jersey temporary registration tag in defendant's name in the Taurus. He also found a purse in the car with two driver's licenses in defendant's name.

As Jones spoke to other officers near the damaged car, defendant approached and admitted that she had been driving the vehicle. Defendant's eyes were bloodshot, her speech was slurred and Jones detected the odor of alcohol. Defendant confusedly claimed another car struck her car from behind and a third car might have been involved. Jones saw no evidence of damage to the rear of defendant's car, and no other vehicle at the scene. After defendant failed a series of field sobriety tests, Jones arrested her and transported her to

A-2396-15T3

the police station. Defendant's blood alcohol content registered 0.13 on an Alcotest machine, well above the legal limit.

Defendant testified on her behalf and denied she was driving the car at the time of the accident, claiming a friend of her ex-husband, Robert "Robbie" Lawrence, was driving. Defendant admitted Lawrence was driving because she had been drinking. At some point in the evening, defendant called her ex - boyfriend and father of one of her children, Frankie Reim, and arranged to meet Reim at the WaWa to borrow some money. However, when Reim arrived, he and Lawrence began to argue and fight. Reim grabbed the keys to defendant's car, went inside the WaWa and gave the keys to a police officer in the store. According to defendant, the officer gave her a ride to the police station and another officer gave her a ride back to her ex-husband's home.

Her ex-husband and Lawrence drove to the police station to retrieve her keys and returned. She let Lawrence drive her home in her car. Defendant fell asleep, only to be awoken by a loud bang. Lawrence pulled the car over into a parking lot and ran off, leaving defendant, the injured women and the damaged car behind. Defendant admitted telling police her name and that she owned the car, but not that she was driving.

A-2396-15T3

Reim testified that he saw defendant earlier in the evening when she borrowed money from him. Defendant was intoxicated and with another man who was driving defendant's car. Defendant left after a short visit and called Reim a bit later, around 8:30 or 9 p.m., and asked if Reim could pick her up at the WaWa. Reim said he drove there with a friend and observed defendant and this other man drive into the parking lot and almost strike a pole. According to Reim, both defendant and the driver were "trashed." Reim saw a police officer inside the WaWa, and, after getting into an argument with defendant and the driver, took the keys to defendant's car and gave them to the officer, telling him neither defendant nor her male friend should be driving.

Sergeant Gordon Muller of the Franklin Township Police Department also testified on defendant's behalf. He acknowledged giving defendant rides in the past but could not recall if he gave her one on the evening of November 5-6, 2011.

II

We first deal with the alleged trial errors defendant raises in Points I, II, and IV.

Glassboro Police Detective Jack Manning, who was trained in accident investigation and reconstruction, testified that he visited the scene later in the

A-2396-15T3

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

STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KELLI D. HENNESSEY (07-10-1023 AND 12-10-1034, GLOUCESTER COUNTY AND STATEWIDE), (N.J. Ct. App. 2018).

STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KELLI D. HENNESSEY (07-10-1023 AND 12-10-1034, GLOUCESTER COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KELLI D. HENNESSEY (07-10-1023 AND 12-10-1034, GLOUCESTER COUNTY AND STATEWIDE)) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Doyle v. Ohio
426 U.S. 610 (Supreme Court, 1976)
United States v. Green
617 F.3d 233 (Third Circuit, 2010)
State v. Irelan
866 A.2d 1023 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2005)
State v. Rambo
951 A.2d 1075 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2008)
State v. Velasquez
918 A.2d 45 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2007)
State v. Hill
974 A.2d 403 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2009)
State v. Tucker
919 A.2d 130 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2007)
State v. Orecchio
106 A.2d 541 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1954)
State v. Czachor
413 A.2d 593 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1980)
State v. Kromphold
744 A.2d 640 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2000)
State v. Roth
471 A.2d 370 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1984)
State v. Hickman
499 A.2d 231 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1985)
State v. Clawans
183 A.2d 77 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1962)
State v. Muhammad
868 A.2d 302 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2005)
State v. Rose
19 A.3d 985 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2011)
State v. Reinaldo Fuentes (070729)
85 A.3d 923 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2014)
State v. Michael Ross, II (072042)
93 A.3d 739 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2014)
State v. William A. Case, Jr. (072688)
103 A.3d 237 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2014)
State v. James P. Kucinski(076798)
153 A.3d 227 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2017)