State v. Bailey

714 S.W.2d 590, 1986 Mo. App. LEXIS 4129
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 13, 1986
Docket49619
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 714 S.W.2d 590 (State v. Bailey) 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. Bailey, 714 S.W.2d 590, 1986 Mo. App. LEXIS 4129 (Mo. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

SIMON, Judge.

Defendant, James Leroy Bailey, appeals his sentence pursuant to a jury verdict of the Circuit Court of St. Charles County *592 finding him guilty of burglary in the first degree (Count I), attempted rape (Count II) and armed criminal action (Count III). He was sentenced to serve consecutive terms of five years on Count I, fifteen years on Count II, and ten years on Count III.

On appeal, defendant contends the trial court erred: (1) in admitting his signed written statement in that it was made out of fear of the police and therefore a product of coercion and duress, in violation of his constitutional rights and further his waiver of his Miranda rights was not knowing and intelligent; (2) in overruling his motion for acquittal at the close of the state’s evidence, as the evidence without the written statement was insufficient to establish the requisite elements for the burglary count; and (3) by failing to set aside the verdict as the prosecutor’s closing statements were prejudicial to the defendant.

The following facts were established at trial. On July 19, 1984, the victim was awakened about 12:15 a.m. by a naked man lying on top of her. Her hands were pinned back. A struggle ensued and the victim received cuts to her throat and fingers from a pocketknife wielded by her assailant. She repeatedly asked her assailant to stop. During the struggle, the victim and assailant were talking and he said a friend had told him about women in the neighborhood who lived alone and how to pop windows and break into mobile homes. After again asking her assailant to stop, he did so and said “just don’t call the law.” He got up, put on his clothes and left.

At trial, the victim testified that she recognized the defendant as the assailant. A streetlight illuminated the bedroom through the window. Also she recognized the defendant due to his distinct articulation of words. She stated that she had seen and spoken with the defendant on previous occasions. He had dated her neighbor’s stepdaughter and she had spoken to him before. She testified that defendant had been in her home on previous occasions.

After she reported the attack to the O’Fallon police department, an investigation proceeded and a search warrant was obtained about 10 a.m. for a pocketknife and bloody underwear. Two police officers went to defendant’s home, searched the home and arrested the defendant and found a pocketknife on the defendant during their search, but did not find the bloody underwear. Defendant was not read his rights at this time. Defendant was taken down to the police station where he was booked and fingerprinted. Defendant was then read his Miranda rights and he initialed each right and signed the waiver form.

The police interrogated defendant until about 3:30 p.m. Defendant testified at trial that verbal threats insinuating physical harm were made to him by the police officers during the period of questioning. At about 3:30 p.m., defendant requested “some time to think alone” and the questioning was stopped. About 15-20 minutes later a police officer asked defendant if he had had enough time to think. Defendant then made an oral statement and wrote and signed a statement.

Defendant’s statements indicate he had smoked marijuana and was feeling high and he broke into the victim’s trailer through a window to get some alcohol. Once inside, he did not find any alcohol and decided to take off his clothes and go into the victim’s bedroom. He took his pocketknife and laid down on top of her and a struggle ensued and both were cut by the knife. He stopped and she agreed not to call the police. He got up and put on his clothes and left.

At trial, the state presented evidence of the defendant’s fingerprints on the window, the point of entry. The police officers involved in the questioning of the defendant testified that no threats had been made to the defendant and that no necessities or rights of defendant had been denied. "

Defendant had several witnesses testify in his defense. His parents testified that he was at home on the night in question. His girl friend testified that defendant had *593 been near the window on a previous occasion while she was baby-sitting the victim’s children. The defendant testified that he did not leave his home on the night of the attack.

Defendant first contends that the trial court erred in admitting his written confession. He claims the statement is a product of duress and coercion and that the waiver of his Miranda rights was not knowing and intelligent. Defendant maintains that his inability to perceive the seriousness of the crime and its consequences vitiates his ability to waive his rights knowingly and intelligently.

Initially, we must determine whether defendant’s point has been preserved for appeal. Defendant originally filed a motion to suppress the oral and written statements on the grounds that the statements were made under coercion and duress, that defendant was not advised of his constitutional rights, and that the arrest was unlawful. The motion was denied. At trial, defense counsel made an objection to admitting the written statement into evidence after its contents had been stated by the testifying police officer. The grounds given for the objection were that it was prejudicial, made without the benefit of counsel and made under duress. Defendant’s motion for new trial alleges duress and veiled threats, citing error with the court’s denial of the motion to suppress the statement.

On appeal, defendant contends that his waiver of his Miranda rights was not knowing and intelligent, in that he did not understand what a felony was or that he might receive thirty years in the penitentiary. To preserve an issue for appeal, the trial objection must be specific and cannot merely restate the conclusions of the motion to suppress. State v. Redd, 550 S.W.2d 604, 607-8 (Mo.App.1977). The issue must also be presented in the motion for new trial. State v. Rayford, 611 S.W.2d 377 (Mo.App.1981).

Defendant’s argument that he did not knowingly and intelligently waive his Miranda rights has not been preserved for review. This point is not one of the specific allegations in the motion to suppress, it was not stated in his objection at trial and it is not part of the motion for new trial. In any event, we find no error, plain or otherwise.

Defendant also alleges that admission of the statements violated his constitutional rights in that the police failed to give defendant Miranda warnings a second time prior to questioning him after he had requested and received “some time to think alone.” Defendant contends that he should have received a fresh set of Miranda warnings prior to the initiation of questioning after the break. We do not find defendant’s request for “time to think” alone to constitute a request to cut off questioning and to remain silent. State v. Woodward, 587 S.W.2d 287, 289 (Mo.App.1979).

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

Related

State v. Rumbaugh
550 S.W.3d 492 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2017)
Greer v. State
406 S.W.3d 100 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2013)
Forster v. State
236 P.3d 1157 (Court of Appeals of Alaska, 2010)
State v. Simmons
682 S.E.2d 19 (Court of Appeals of South Carolina, 2009)
State v. Carollo
172 S.W.3d 872 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2005)
Hopper v. Dretke
106 F. App'x 221 (Fifth Circuit, 2004)
State v. Clarkston
963 S.W.2d 705 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1998)
State v. Rodriguez
877 S.W.2d 106 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1994)
State v. Blackman
875 S.W.2d 122 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1994)
State v. Anderson
862 S.W.2d 425 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Hutton
825 S.W.2d 883 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1992)
State v. Urban
798 S.W.2d 507 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1990)
State v. Wynn
794 S.W.2d 312 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1990)
State v. Blackburn
789 S.W.2d 126 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1990)
Bailey v. State
754 S.W.2d 38 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1988)
State v. Hall
750 S.W.2d 637 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1988)
State v. Moore
744 S.W.2d 479 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1988)
State v. Moiser
738 S.W.2d 549 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
714 S.W.2d 590, 1986 Mo. App. LEXIS 4129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bailey-moctapp-1986.