State v. Alexander

729 P.2d 1126, 240 Kan. 273, 1986 Kan. LEXIS 448
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedDecember 5, 1986
Docket58,404
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 729 P.2d 1126 (State v. Alexander) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Alexander, 729 P.2d 1126, 240 Kan. 273, 1986 Kan. LEXIS 448 (kan 1986).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Schroeder, C.J.:

This is a direct appeal taken by the defendant, Donald Eugene Alexander, from his convictions by a Douglas County jury of first-degree murder (K.S.A. 21-3401), rape (K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 21-3502[b]), and aggravated burglary (K.S.A. 21-3716). Numerous trial errors are asserted on appeal.

On the morning of August 5,1984, the dead body of Mrs. V., an 80-year-old woman, was found in her bedroom lying in a pool of blood. An autopsy revealed the victim had suffered severe blows to her head by an instrument and had been sexually assaulted by a rigid instrument inserted into her anus. The victim’s death was estimated to have occurred sometime between 10:00 p.m. on August 4, 1984, and 9:00 a.m. on August 5, 1984.

After seventeen days, the investigation of Mrs. V.’s death had reached a stalemate and the police officers returned to the victim’s neighborhood to re-interview persons living there. The *274 defendant lived next door to the victim with his parents. The defendant accompanied two detectives to the police station at approximately 10:00 a.m. At 6:50 p.m., that same day, the defendant confessed to killing Mrs. V. The facts surrounding his confession will be discussed later in this opinion.

The defendant was charged and convicted of first-degree murder, rape, and aggravated burglary. His defense was not guilty by reason of insanity.

The defendant first asserts the trial court erred by allowing a jailer to testify that he had observed the defendant in jail and had observed nothing unusual in his behavior. The defendant does not object to a lay person’s testimony concerning the defendant’s sanity, but does object to the jailer mentioning that the defendant was incarcerated.

The last witness the State called in its case in chief .was Greydon Walker, a Douglas County jailer where the defendant was being held. He stated he had had the opportunity to observe the defendant as there were cameras which monitored the inmates inside their cells. The defendant objected to the reference to his incarceration and a hearing on the objection was held outside the jury’s presence. The State stated the sole purpose of calling Mr. Walker was to present lay testimony regarding the defendant’s demeanor. In a proffer to the court, Mr. Walker stated he had observed nothing unusual in the defendant’s behavior since he had been in jail. Rased upon that proffer, the trial court allowed Mr. Walker to testify. When the jury returned, Mr. Walker testified that from December 6, 1984, on, he had noticed nothing “unusual or irrational” in the defendant’s behavior.

The defendant argues the testimony of Mr. Walker was “nothing more than a direct attempt by the State to underline the fact that the defendant was incarcerated before the trial and during the trial.”

First, in an insanity case, lay testimony is permissible concerning the defendant’s sanity at the time of committing the crime provided the trial judge finds the opinion is rationally based on the witness’ perception and is helpful to a clearer understanding of his testimony. State v. Randol, 212 Kan. 461, 468, 513 P.2d 248 (1973), and cases therein cited. See State v. Shultz, 225 Kan. 135, 137, 587 P.2d 901 (1978). Here, the crime *275 was committed August 4, 1984, and Mr. Walker testified to the defendant’s behavior after December 6, 1984, over four months later. His testimony did not concern the defendant’s behavior during a time period that was sufficiently close to the time the crime was committed.

Second, the defendant cites Estelle v. Williams, 425 U.S. 501, 48 L. Ed. 2d 126, 96 S. Ct. 1691,, reh. denied 426 U.S. 954 (1976), to support his argument it was error to allow testimony that the defendant was in jail. The defendant in Estelle was also in custody before and during his trial. He had asked for, but was denied, civilian clothes to wear during the trial. The defendant did not object to this denial, however, until after his conviction, in a writ of habeas corpus. The Supreme Court ruled that consistent with the Fourteenth Amendment the State cannot compel an accused to stand trial by a jury wearing identifiable prison clothes; however, because the defendant did not make a timely objection, there was no compulsion and no error. 425 U.S. at 512-13.

Kansas has addressed the issue of a defendant wearing prison clothes during his jury trial and has ruled that a defendant’s appearance in prison clothes does not in and of itself constitute reversible error, that prejudice to the defendant must be shown. State v. Hall, 220 Kan. 712, 715, 556 P.2d 413 (1976). See State v. Morgan, 231 Kan. 472, 479, 646 P.2d 1064 (1982), State v. Gilder, 223 Kan. 220, 225, 574 P.2d 196 (1977).

Other jurisdictions have held where the defendant is seen in shackles, handcuffs, or prison clothes by the jury, such error was harmless error in light of the evidence presented of defendant’s guilt. Mitchell v. Engle, 634 F.2d 353 (6th Cir. 1980); Boswell v. State of Ala., 537 F.2d 100 (5th Cir. 1976); State v. Reid, 114 Ariz. 16, 559 P.2d 136 (1976), cert. denied 431 U.S. 921 (1977); People v. Jacla, 77 Cal. App. 3d 878, 144 Cal. Rptr. 23 (1978); Fernandez v. United States, 375 A.2d 484 (D.C. 1977); and State v. Leggett, 363 So. 2d 434 (La. 1978).

This case, where the jury is told the defendant was observed in jail, and the above cases, where the defendant was seen by the jury in prison clothes or handcuffed, are analogous. In both, the jury discovered the defendant was incarcerated during trial. Such information is contrary to the presumption of innocence and it was erroneous for the trial court to allow the jailer’s *276 testimony. However, was it harmless error? In applying the Kansas harmless error rule (K.S.A. 60-2105), a reviewing court must be able to declare the error had little, if any, likelihood of having changed the result of the trial and the court must be able to declare such a belief beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Abu-Isba, 235 Kan. 851, 859, 685 P.2d 856 (1984); State v. Johnson, 231 Kan. 151, 159, 643 P.2d 146 (1982).

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Bluebook (online)
729 P.2d 1126, 240 Kan. 273, 1986 Kan. LEXIS 448, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-alexander-kan-1986.