State v. Lane

629 S.W.2d 343, 1982 Mo. LEXIS 441
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMarch 9, 1982
Docket62504
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 629 S.W.2d 343 (State v. Lane) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Lane, 629 S.W.2d 343, 1982 Mo. LEXIS 441 (Mo. 1982).

Opinion

BARDGETT, Judge.

Appellant Lane was convicted by a jury on a three-count amended information of: Count I — attempted robbery in the first degree by means of a dangerous and deadly weapon of Benjamin Johnson (§ 560.120, RSMo 1969, repealed effective 1/1/79, S.B. 60,1977 Laws of Mo. 658) and sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment; Count II — robbery first degree by means of a dangerous and deadly weapon of Claude Robinson (§ 560.120, supra) and sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment; and Count III — murr der in the first degree of Benjamin Johnson (§ 559.007, RSMo Supp.1975, effective 9/28/75, H.B. 150, 1975 Laws of Mo. 408, 411). The charge in amended count III under § 559.007 is commonly called first-degree felony murder and in this instance the underlying felony of attempting to rob the deceased, Benjamin Johnson, was the subject of the count I conviction. All sentences were to be served consecutively. All three counts arose out of the robbery, attempted robbery of Messrs. Johnson and Robinson on February 12, 1976, at the B & B Cleaners at 4004 Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri.

The defendant’s appeal to the court of appeals, eastern district, resulted in the af-firmance of count I — attempted robbery of Johnson, and count II — robbery of Robinson, and the reversal and remand of count III — first-degree (felony) murder of Johnson. The state’s application for transfer after opinion was sustained by this Court and the matter has been further briefed and argued.

This Court has concluded that the conviction and sentence under count I — attempted robbery of Johnson should be reversed, and the convictions and sentences under count II — robbery of Robinson, and count III— first-degree (felony) murder of Johnson should be affirmed.

Count I — attempted robbery of Benjamin Johnson (§ 560.120, RSMo 1969). This count was the felony used as the underlying felony on which the conviction of first-degree (felony) murder of Benjamin Johnson was obtained. One cannot legally be convicted of both the underlying felony, which is the necessary lesser included offense of first-degree felony murder, and for first-degree (felony) murder. See Whalen v. United States, 445 U.S. 684, 100 S.Ct. 1432, 63 L.Ed.2d 715 (1980); State v. Olds, 603 S.W.2d 501 (Mo. banc 1980); State v. Morgan, 592 S.W.2d 796 (Mo. banc), vacated mem., Missouri v. Morgan, 449 U.S. 809, 101 S.Ct. 56, 66 L.Ed.2d 12 (1980), prior opinion aff’d, State v. Morgan, 612 S.W.2d 1 (Mo. banc 1981); §§ 556.041-.046, RSMo 1978. The judgment under count I of attempted robbery of Benjamin Johnson is reversed.

Count II — robbery first degree of Claude Robinson (§ 560.120, supra).

Appellant contends the court erred in failing to dismiss counts I and II because the offenses described in counts I and II are the result of the same operative acts and *345 transactions and offenses, and are elements of the offense alleged in count III — first-degree felony murder, and are violative of appellant’s rights under the double jeopardy provisions of amendments five and fourteen of the United States Constitution, and art. I, § 19, of the Missouri Constitution.

The point as to count I is moot. The robbery of Claude Robinson, which is the subject of count II, is a different offense from count I — attempted robbery of Johnson and count III — the murder of Johnson. In State v. Moton, 476 S.W.2d 785 (Mo.1972), essentially the same issue was determined contrary to appellant’s position. The point is overruled.

Next appellant contends all three convictions should be reversed and a new trial ordered because the state failed to comply with Rule 24.17 (Rules 1976) in that the witnesses the prosecution intended to call were not endorsed on the amended information. The names of witnesses were listed on the original information and, when the matter was brought up at the hearing on appellant’s correlative motion to strike all counts and dismiss the amended information, the prosecutor filed a list of all the witnesses and they were the same as on the original information with one addition and the additionally named witness didn’t testify in the case after all. Although the rules should be adhered to, no prejudice appears. The point is overruled.

Appellant also contends count III of the amended information should have been stricken on appellant’s motion therefor because the allegation in count III of the original information that Benjamin Johnson was shot with a .38-caliber pistol was deleted from count III of the amended information and no allegation was made of the caliber of the murder weapon. The police report stated Johnson died of a .32-caliber weapon wound. Two weapons were found at the scene. One was a .38 caliber owned by one of the victims, Mr. Robinson, and the other was a .32 caliber identified as the murder weapon. Appellant contends the failure to allege the caliber in the amended information caused confusion and he should not have to go beyond the information to determine the caliber of the murder weapon.

The information sought was discoverable. Rule 24.03 (Rules 1976). The weapon caliber was not essential to an understanding of the charge nor was it an element of the offense. The point is overruled.

Appellant contends the court erred in overruling his motions to suppress the statement of defendant allegedly made to a police officer while defendant was in a hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and, over objection, admitting the incriminating statement into evidence. Appellant argues his rights under the fifth, sixth, and seventeenth amendments to the United States Constitution, and art. I, §§ 10, 15, and 19 of the Missouri Constitution were violated in that the evidence on the motion to suppress failed to prove he knowingly and intelligently waived his rights to remain silent and because his head wound rendered him unable to make such a decision.

An evidentiary hearing was held and the trial court found appellant had been advised of his rights as required by the Miranda decision; that he understood those rights and that he voluntarily and intelligently waived them when he made the statement to the officer.

The evidence has been reviewed and it supports the trial court’s findings. The point is overruled.

During voir dire examination in the presence of all veniremen, one juror expressed concern that he might be influenced by television trials and what he thought the law ought to be. He indicated he was not sure whether he could follow the instructions of the court if they were not in accordance with his own ideas and outside influences. The trial judge told the juror that verdicts must be based on only two factors — the evidence in the case and the court’s instructions. The venireman said he felt he would be influenced by other things. The judge, at the bench, told the attorneys *346 he would excuse the juror for cause if either side so moved.

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841 P.2d 1345 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1992)
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651 S.W.2d 497 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1982)
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541 F. Supp. 543 (E.D. Missouri, 1982)
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633 S.W.2d 218 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1982)

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629 S.W.2d 343, 1982 Mo. LEXIS 441, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lane-mo-1982.