State v. Crossman

687 So. 2d 817
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedDecember 16, 1996
DocketCR-96-318
StatusPublished

This text of 687 So. 2d 817 (State v. Crossman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Crossman, 687 So. 2d 817 (Ala. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

TAYLOR, Presiding Judge.

The State of Alabama filed this petition for a writ of prohibition against the Honorable Alfred Bahakel, circuit judge for the Tenth Judicial Circuit, after Judge Bahakel prohibited the state from introducing deposition testimony from Margaret Crossman and her two codefendants taken during proceedings in a civil workers’ compensation action and videotaped surveillance evidence of Cross-man that related to the same action. Cross-man was charged with theft of property in the first degree, attempted theft of property in the first degree, and conspiracy. The criminal charges arose out of the theft of workers’ compensation checks from Traveler’s Insurance Company, fraudulent representations to Traveler’s Insurance Company regarding her assisted living expenses, and reimbursement by Traveler’s for massages she claimed to have received as a result of her on-the-job injury. Crossman filed pretrial motions to exclude the deposition testimony and the surveillance evidence. Judge Bahakel granted Crossman’s motions and ruled that the deposition evidence was admissible for limited purposes of impeaching Crossman if she testified at trial. Judge Bahakel ruled that the surveillance evidence was irrelevant and would unduly burden the court and the jury. The State then filed a motion to reconsider, which the trial court denied. This petition for the writ of prohibition followed.

A writ of prohibition is the complement to a writ of mandamus. The purpose of the writ, as defined in Black’s Law Dictionary, is “[t]o confine inferior courts to their proper jurisdiction and to prevent them from acting without or in excess of their jurisdiction; it is preventive in nature rather than corrective.”

Initially, we must determine whether a petition for a writ of prohibition is the correct method by which to seek review of this claim. The writ of prohibition has been characterized as follows:

“ ‘A writ of prohibition is an extraordinary writ which is to be employed with extreme caution and used only in eases of extreme necessity. Ex parte State Dep’t of Mental Health & Mental Retardation, 536 So.2d 78 (Ala.Civ.App.1988); see also Ex parte Perry County Board of Education, 278 Ala. 646, 180 So.2d 246 (1965). Prohibition is not a favored writ and will not issue unless there is no other adequate remedy. Ex parte Strickland, 401 So.2d 33 (Ala.1981); Barber Pure Milk Co. of Montgomery, Inc. v. Alabama State Milk Control Board, 274 Ala. 563, 150 So.2d 693 (1963); Ex parte Burch, 236 Ala. 662, 184 So. 694 (1938). The petition for the writ “properly tests jurisdiction, and lies when a court acts in excess of its jurisdiction.” Ex parte City of Tuskegee, 447 So.2d 713, 716 (Ala.1984). The writ is preventive rather than corrective and is utilized to prevent the usurpation of excessive jurisdiction by a judicial tribunal. Ball v. Jones, 272 Ala. 305, 132 So.2d 120 (1961); see also Mental Health, supra. Issuance of a writ of prohibition lies within the discretion of the court, and the writ is granted or withheld according to the nature and circumstances of the case, not as a matter of right. Barber, supra; Dear v. Peek, 261 Ala. 137, 73 So.2d 358 (1954). “Prohibition is the proper remedy to intercept and put an end to usurpation of jurisdiction.” Ex parte State ex rel. Bragg, 240 Ala. 80, 85, 197 So. 32, 36 (1940).’ ”

Ex parte Moody, 681 So.2d 276, 276-77 (Ala.Cr.App.1996), quoting, Ex parte Shoemaker, 644 So.2d 958, 959 (Ala.Civ.App.1993), rev’d, 644 So.2d 961 (Ala.), on remand, 644 So.2d 966 (Ala.Civ.App.1994).

Crossman contends that this petition should be dismissed because, she says, the state could have appealed from the trial court’s ruling on the motion but did not. Rule 4, Ala.R.App.P. However, the state contends, and Crossman does not refute, that they did not receive notice that the motions [819]*819had been granted unt£ approximately six months after the last motion was filed and ruled upon. As the Alabama Supreme Court stated in Guaranty Funding Corp. v. Bolling, 288 Ala. 319, 260 So.2d 589, 596 (Ala.1972):

“[T]he answer does not contain a denial of any of the faets stated in the petition for mandamus, not does it contain averments of other faets sufficient in law to defeat the petitioner’s application. It follows that the averments of fact in the petition for mandamus ... will be taken as true. — State ex rel. St. Peter’s M. Baptist Church v. Smith, [215 Ala. 449, 111 So. 28] Ex parte Cullinan, [224 Ala. 263, 139 So. 255]”

In order to prevail on a petition for a writ of prohibition, the petitioner must show: (1) that there has been an usurpation or abuse of power, (2) that there is no other adequate remedy at law, (3) that the petitioner has suffered injury and (4) that the question has been presented to the inferior court. Barber Pure Milk Co. v. Alabama State Milk Control Bd., 274 Ala. 563, 150 So.2d 693 (Ala.1963).

The state has satisfied these requirements. The videotaped surveillance evidence of Crossman’s daily activities showed her performing normal daily activities with no difficulties and showed that she was not receiving the assisted living services that she was claiming. The evidence is admissible. The tapes refuted Crossman’s contention that she was seriously injured when she was receiving her workers’ compensation benefits. This evidence is relevant to establish that Crossman committed the thefts of benefits and services by deception.

The Alabama Supreme Court and this court have held that videotapes may be received into evidence where the proponent of the evidence has established both the necessary foundation and the accuracy and authenticity of the recording. Ex parte Rieber, 663 So.2d 999 (Ala.), cert. denied, — U.S. — , 116 S.Ct. 531, 133 L.Ed.2d 437 (1995); Robinson v. State, 621 So.2d 389 (Ala.Cr.App.1993).

In Ivie v. Winfield Carraway Hospital, 678 So.2d 1190 (Ala.Civ.App.1996), the Court of Civil Appeals, in determining the admissibility of surveillance evidence in a workers’ compensation action, stated:

“A videotape ‘is admissible if it is relevant and if it is properly authenticated and identified.’ C. Gamble, McElroy’s Alabama Evidence, § 123.06 (4th ed. 1991); ... Holder, the security employee for Carraway who filmed the videotapes, testified regarding his observations of Ivie and the authenticity of the videotaped excerpts offered into evidence. Ivie has simply failed to show error in this regard.”

Ivie, 678 So.2d at 1193-94.

The previous deposition testimony of Crossman is likewise admissible. The deposition was taken approximately three months before the case was brought to the attention of the district attorney’s office. When the depositions were taken, no criminal action had been commenced.

As this court stated in Deutcsh v. State, 610 So.2d 1212 (Ala.Cr.App.1992):

“Deutcsh contends that the admission into evidence of testimony he gave in a deposition in a civil case constituted inadmissible hearsay and resulted in reversible error.
“At trial, the prosecution was allowed to introduce into evidence, over objection, a portion of the sworn testimony Deutcsh had given in his deposition in a civil case in federal court on November 13, 1990.

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Related

Ex Parte Perry County Board of Education
180 So. 2d 246 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1965)
Kuenzel v. State
577 So. 2d 474 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1990)
Ex Parte Kuenzel
577 So. 2d 531 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1991)
Ex Parte Anderson
644 So. 2d 961 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1994)
Ex Parte Shoemaker
644 So. 2d 958 (Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama, 1993)
Robinson v. State
621 So. 2d 389 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1993)
Ex Parte Strickland
401 So. 2d 33 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1981)
Ex Parte City of Tuskegee
447 So. 2d 713 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1984)
Ex Parte Rieber
663 So. 2d 999 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1995)
Atchley v. State
393 So. 2d 1034 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1981)
Ball v. Jones
132 So. 2d 120 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1961)
Ex Parte Moody
681 So. 2d 276 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1996)
Preferred Risk Mut. Ins. Co. v. Ryan
589 So. 2d 165 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1991)
Barber Pure Milk Co. v. Alabama State Milk Control Board
150 So. 2d 693 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1963)
Deutcsh v. State
610 So. 2d 1212 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1992)
Ivie v. Winfield Carraway Hosp.
678 So. 2d 1190 (Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama, 1996)
Shadle v. State
194 So. 2d 538 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1967)
Guaranty Funding Corporation v. Bolling
260 So. 2d 589 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1972)
Ex Parte State Dept. of Mental Health and Mental Retardation
536 So. 2d 78 (Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama, 1988)
Dear v. Peek
73 So. 2d 358 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1954)

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Bluebook (online)
687 So. 2d 817, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-crossman-alacrimapp-1996.