State v. Adams

741 S.W.2d 781, 1987 Mo. App. LEXIS 4851, 1987 WL 1185
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 3, 1987
Docket51867
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 741 S.W.2d 781 (State v. Adams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Adams, 741 S.W.2d 781, 1987 Mo. App. LEXIS 4851, 1987 WL 1185 (Mo. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

DOWD, Judge.

William J. Adams appeals from the judgment of the trial court entered on a jury verdict convicting defendant of two counts of assault in the first degree, in violation of § 565.050, RSMo 1986; one count of burglary in the first degree, in violation of § 569.160, RSMo 1986; one count of unlawful use of a weapon, in violation of § 571.030.1(4), RSMo 1986; and three counts of armed criminal action, in violation of § 571.015, RSMo 1986. The trial court sentenced defendant to a total of forty-five years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. We affirm the judgment.

The evidence presented at trial disclosed the following facts. On the morning of June 16, 1985, in violation of a court order to stay away from his wife’s premises, defendant approached Leslie Adams’ trailer. After jumping onto the front porch of the trailer, defendant pulled out a gun and pointed the gun at Steve Saeuberlich’s head. Defendant shot Steve Saeuberlich in the shoulder. At that time, Leslie Adams ran into her bedroom in the trailer and defendant pursued her. Defendant pushed her onto the floor and pointed the gun to the back of her head. He threatened her by saying, “[y]ou are going to die, bitch, you are going to die.”

Steve Saeuberlich then entered the bedroom and attempted to remove the gun from defendant. Leslie Adams fled to her neighbor’s trailer for assistance. During this time, defendant shot Steve Saeuberlich behind his ear. When defendant ran out of bullets he used his gun to whip Steve Saeu-berlich, and defendant also bit his left ear and his nose.

A neighbor entered Leslie Adams’ trailer while his wife called the police. A struggle ensued between defendant and the neighbor. As the neighbor pinned defendant against the trailer, the police pulled up to the trailer and arrested defendant. Once again defendant threatened Leslie Adams I didn’t get by saying, “[y]ou are next, you. Somebody will.”

Defendant’s first point of error alleges the trial court committed plain error by failing to give a separate instruction on influence of sudden passion arising out of adequate cause. Defendant argues this failure to instruct denied him a fair trial.

The plain error Rule 29.12(b) provides for discretionary appellate review of plain errors affecting substantial rights, even though defectively preserved for review, in order to prevent a manifest injustice or a miscarriage of justice. An instructional error will be considered plain error if we find the trial court has so misdirected or failed to instruct the jury on the law of the case as to cause manifest injustice or a miscarriage of justice. State v. Davis, 675 S.W.2d 652, 656 (Mo.App.1984).

The plain error rule is applied sparingly and is limited to cases in which the defendant demonstrates a strong, clear showing of manifest injustice. State v. Valentine, 646 S.W.2d 729, 731 (Mo.1983); State v. Groves, 646 S.W.2d 82, 83 (Mo. banc 1983). Despite defendant’s assertion of plain error, there was no attempt to show that the alleged error caused manifest injustice by offering any testimony demonstrating adequate provocation to act under the influence of sudden passion. Defendant cites insubstantial evidence to support the giving of the instruction on influence of sudden passion arising out of adequate cause. His evidence consisted of his mother’s testimony concerning his depression. Defendant submitted no evidence to show he was compelled by the circumstances beyond his control to go to Leslie Adams’ trailer, in violation of a court order to stay away, and upon arrival, to immediately begin his assault. Defendant failed to demonstrate a strong, clear showing of manifest injustice because of the trial court's failure to give the separate instruction on influence of sudden passion arising out of adequate cause.

*784 Defendant's reliance on State v. Nunn, 646 S.W.2d 55 (Mo. banc 1983), is misplaced. Unlike the case at bar, the defendant in Nunn submitted ample evidence to support the giving of his requested instruction on extreme emotional disturbance. Id. at 58. As a result, the trial court in Nunn erred “in failing to give such an instruction directing a verdict of not guilty of assault in the first degree upon a finding for defendant on the issue of extreme emotional disturbance, as required by Note on Use No. 5.” Id. By only submitting this issue in the main verdict director, the trial court violated the mandate of Note on Use No. 5 by not submitting this issue “to the jury a second time in a separate and independent instruction directing the jury’s attention to that issue.” Id. The case at bar is distinguishable, however, because defendant failed to make a submissible ease to support the giving of his requested instruction. Point one is denied.

Defendant’s second and third points of error allege the trial court placed him in double jeopardy by trying him “for flourishing a dangerous and deadly weapon when [he] was convicted of several armed criminal action convictions” and by trying him for multiple counts of armed criminal action arising out of the same incident.

In support of the conviction of one count of flourishing a dangerous weapon under § 571.030.1(4), the evidence shows defendant arrived at Leslie Adams’ trailer waiving a gun in the presence of Leslie Adams and Steve Saeuberlich, as well as several children. Upon entering the trailer, defendant used the gun in the assault of Leslie Adams and Steve Saeuberlich. At the time of entry, he committed a burglary in the first degree, in violation of § 569.160.

The trial court properly submitted three separate counts of armed criminal action, two counts of assault and one count of burglary as the underlying felonies, because defendant used a dangerous weapon to execute three separate felonies, each punishable by a statutory section and each having an element not common to the other. “Each time a dangerous instrument is employed to effectuate certain felonies, the crime of armed criminal action is committed.” State v. Cooper, 712 S.W.2d 27, 31 (Mo.App.1986). Each of the above acts constituted a separate and distinct statutory offense with each act having an element not common to the other. State v. Charles, 612 S.W.2d 778, 781 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 972, 102 S.Ct. 522, 70 L.Ed.2d 392 (1981). When committing one act, a defendant may violate more than one statute or commit more than one offense. Id. The trial court properly convicted defendant on three counts of armed criminal action and one count of flourishing a dangerous weapon, all of these crimes committed by the use of the same weapon, within the same transaction, without subjecting defendant to double jeopardy.

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Bluebook (online)
741 S.W.2d 781, 1987 Mo. App. LEXIS 4851, 1987 WL 1185, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-adams-moctapp-1987.