State v. Kelly

728 S.W.2d 642, 1987 Mo. App. LEXIS 3806
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 20, 1987
DocketNo. 14792
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 728 S.W.2d 642 (State v. Kelly) 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. Kelly, 728 S.W.2d 642, 1987 Mo. App. LEXIS 3806 (Mo. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

FLANIGAN, Judge.

A jury found defendant guilty of the Class A felony of sodomy, (§ 566.060),1 and the Class B felony of kidnapping, (§ 565.-110). On the sodomy conviction he was sentenced, as a persistent sexual offender, (§ 558.018), to a term of 50 years without parole, and on the kidnapping conviction he was sentenced, as a persistent offender, (§ 558.019.4(2)), to a term of 30 years, the sentences to run consecutively. Defendant appeals.

Defendant does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict and it is unnecessary to make a full statement of the sordid'facts. On September 3, 1985, the prosecutrix, while walking to a business establishment in Joplin for a job interview, accepted a ride from defendant who was driving a truck. Instead of taking her to the establishment, defendant drove to a secluded place where, at knife point, he committed the acts constituting sodomy.

The prosecutrix, apparently in her twenties, did not report the matter to the authorities immediately. She told the jury that she was raped when she was 9 and molested when she was 16. She testified she delayed reporting the incident at bar because “when I was 15 they gave me a lie detector test and made me look guilty and just put me through a terrible ordeal trying to make me look like a prostitute.” Later an attorney persuaded the prosecutrix to report the incident.

Defendant's first point is that the trial court erred in overruling defendant’s objections to two questions asked by assistant prosecuting attorney Dan Scott during voir dire examination, “because the state imper-missibly attempted to commit the jury to a future course of conduct in that the state’s questions presented the jury with such detailed facts of the case that the prosecuting attorney was in effect asking the jury to return a verdict of guilty should the state’s evidence develop as set forth by the prosecutor on voir dire examination, and defendant was thereby prejudiced.”

During voir dire examination the following occurred:

“MR. SCOTT ... In this particular case I think the evidence will be that there was also alleged delay in reporting the facts that the victim never reported this, someone else did, she will tell you why that is. My question to you, is there anyone here who would completely disregard her testimony without even having heard it yet? Anyone here who would completely disregard her testimony solely because she did not immediately report this to the authorities?
(No response.)
MR. SCOTT: Is there anyone here who thinks that it is impossible for a woman to be sodomized or raped, simply try to keep that to herself that something happened?
(No response.)
MR. SCOTT: I mentioned forcible compulsion, again that is something the State has to prove. At the end of the case, the Court will give you instructions as to what the State must prove. Essentially, without the victim’s consent by force or threat of force, the victim will tell you what occurred that time, a knife was pulled and she was taken to a far away location and told to undress.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: May we approach the bench, Your Honor?
THE COURT: Yes.
[645]*645(The following proceedings were had at the bench between Court and counsel out of the hearing of the jury:)
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I object, Your Honor, I would like to make an objection to the statements of any more facts, basically Dan is giving an opening argument or giving the facts during voir dire and I think the jury is aware of the facts sufficiently and that he can question them without going into any more of the facts. He is going into the entire testimony expected of the victim in order to try to commit the jury that if they believe he (sic) testifies the way Mr. Scott is saying then they should find him guilty. I think that’s improper at this stage.
MR. SCOTT: Judge, I really don’t want to do that.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: They should wait until the evidence comes in.
THE COURT: [Defense counsel], I don’t think he has done that yet, but if he proceeds to do so, why it will be subject to objection at that point.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Thank you. (The following proceedings continued in the hearing of the jury:)
MR. SCOTT: Ladies and Gentlemen, as I told you, she will tell you what happened and the evidence supporting forcible compulsion. I think you will also hear she said some things out there in order to try to save her life. I don’t want you to prejudge the evidence, I want you to wait until you hear it for yourself and decide it. I don’t want you to speculate as to what it would be. My question to you, solely, is this: is there anyone here who thinks that an assent to a crime which is obtained at knife point or by threat or force is the same as consent?
(No response.)
MR. SCOTT: She will tell you that she got in the defendant’s truck voluntarily, she was looking for a job and he offered her a ride and she got in.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Same objection, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Be overruled.”

In State v. Lumsden, 589 S.W.2d 226, 229[6, 7] (Mo. banc 1979), the court said:

“The purpose of voir dire examination is to enable each party to participate in selection of a fair and impartial jury. To that end, a liberal latitude is allowed in the examination of the panel_ Nevertheless, the examination of jurors as to their qualifications is conducted under the supervision of the trial court and the nature and extent of what questions counsel may ask are discretionary with the trial court and the exercise of that discretion will be disturbed on appeal only when the record shows a manifest abuse of that discretion.”

The state, like the defendant, has challenges to exercise, and the prosecutor may make “such inquiries as would allow it to exercise the same intelligently. The only legitimate limitation would be at that point where such inquiry tended to create a prejudice against defendant.” State v. Granberry, 484 S.W.2d 295, 299[5] (Mo. banc 1972).

It is reversible error for counsel, on voir dire, to obtain from prospective jurors a commitment to act in a certain way should a particular set of facts be elicited at the trial. State v. Neal, 591 S.W.2d 178, 181[3] (Mo.App.1979). “[Questions seeking to reveal a present state of mind create no difficulty. However, ‘when the inquiry includes questions phrased or framed in such manner that they require the one answering to speculate on his own reaction to such an extent that he tends to feel obligated to react in that manner, prejudice can be created. The limitation is not as to the information sought but in the manner of asking.’ ” State v. Garrett, 627 S.W.2d 635, 642[11, 12] (Mo. banc 1982).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
728 S.W.2d 642, 1987 Mo. App. LEXIS 3806, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kelly-moctapp-1987.