State v. Mosley

2011 OK CR 20, 257 P.3d 409, 2011 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 21, 2011 WL 2986826
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJuly 19, 2011
DocketS-2010-755
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2011 OK CR 20 (State v. Mosley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mosley, 2011 OK CR 20, 257 P.3d 409, 2011 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 21, 2011 WL 2986826 (Okla. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

OPINION

SMITH, Judge.

{1 Daniel Gene Mosley was charged by Information in the District Court of Cleveland County, Case No. CF-2008-888, with one count of Trafficking in Illegal Drugs (Methamphetamine), under 638 O.S.Supp. 2007, § 2-415 (Count I); and Failure to Display Tax Stamp on CDS, under 68 0.9$.2001, § 450.8 (Count II). 1 On October 20, 2008, a preliminary hearing was held before the Honorable Reginald D. Gaston, Special Judge. At the conclusion of the hearing, Mosley was bound over as charged. 2

12 Jury trial commenced in the case on December 7, 2009, before the Honorable Candace Blalock, District Judge. 3 Officer Darin Morgan, of the Norman Police Depart *410 ment, testified about the execution of a nar-eotics search warrant on August 4, 2008, at a residence in Norman, Oklahoma. 4 Morgan testified that just before he arrived, Mosley had come out of the residence, gotten in his car, and was about to back up and drive away. Morgan pulled up, blocked Mosley's car from behind, ordered Mosley out of the car, and "did a pat-down search for weapons." Morgan testified that he noticed a "bulge" in Mosley's left front jeans pocket, which he immediately recognized, by its "feel" and based upon his narcotics experience, as illegal drug contraband. Morgan immediately removed the two baggies of powder that were in Mosley's pocket. Morgan testified that the baggies together contained approximately four ounces of methamphetamine, which typically sells for around $1000 per ounce. 5

13 Morgan then testified about arresting Mosley and transporting him to the Norman Police Department, where he was interviewed. At this point in the trial, the following exchange occurred:

Q. While you were interviewing the defendant, what does he tell you?
A. I talked to him about the methamphetamine that was found. And he admitted to me that he-that he sells methamphetamine. And he told me that he had come over to 1824 Atlanta Circle to pick up the methamphetamine. He said he had purchased the methamphetamine for $4,000 for the 4 ounces. And then we talked, and he told me he'd been arrested many times for methamphetamine and was still doing-or was still on paper time for his previous arrests.

Defense counsel immediately asked to approach, noted that Mosley had filed a motion in limine regarding any reference to his prior convictions, and moved for a mistrial. When the court asked the State for a response, the prosecutor responded, "I have no response, Your Honor." The trial court then granted the defense motion for mistrial, asked Officer Morgan to step down, and announced to the jurors that they were going to be excused. 6

€ 4 The court then invited the prosecutor to explain to the jury what had happened. 7 After the jury left, the court allowed the State to make a record, during which the prosecutor asserted that it was a "manifest necessity" to declare a mistrial and to proceed with a new jury. 8 The court responded, "And the Court agrees." 9 And the proceedings were adjourned. 10

*411 T5 On January 22, 2010, Mosley filed a motion to dismiss, asserting that it would violate "Double Jeopardy and Due Process principles under both the United States and Oklahoma Constitution{s]" to allow the State to again proceed to trial in the case. Both parties subsequently filed extensive briefs. 11 The Honorable Candace Blalock held a hearing on the issue on July 29, 2010. During the hearing Mosley's attorneys argued that they were totally surprised by Officer Morgan's testimony (about Mosley referring to prior arrests and probation) and that "it's just gross reckless negligence or indifferen[cee] that they allowed this officer to testify in the way he did." Mosley's counsel argued that the court shouldn't separate the behavior of the State from that of the officer and that the officer made the harpoon statement "to just gut our defense." 12

T6 The State then presented the testimony of Officer Morgan, who asserted that although he was told that he could not talk about the methamphetamine that was later found in Mosley's home, he "never received instruction on not to talk about his previous convictions." 13 After Morgan testified, the First Assistant District Attorney asserted that the two parties are "in agreement as to what the law is" and that the State agreed that it was "necessary to discharge the jury because of what happened." He then argued, however, that Morgan's testimony was not "goading," that the State "didn't need an evidentiary harpoon," and that the State "wanted a jury trial." He concluded by arguing that because Mosley requested the mistrial, the State should be allowed to re-try his case. 14

T7 At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court ruled that the State was negligent in failing to advise Morgan regarding what he could not say and that the fact that Mosley requested the mistrial should not matter. 15 The court noted its concern about the fact that Mosley had spent a lot of time in jail and had a right to a speedy trial. The court then granted Mosley's motion to dismiss. In a handwritten "court minute," the court wrote:

The Court finds after argument that the State was negligent in not instructing the witness re: motion in limine. The Court had no choice but to discharge the jury regardless of Defendant's consent or not to the discharge. The defendant had right to speedy trial issues. The Court finds Double Jeopardy attached. Defendant's motion to dismiss is granted.

18 The State now appeals this district court ruling, under 22 0.8.8upp.2009, § 1053, and the matter is properly before this Court. The State asserts in its brief that "[the trial court correctly found that manifest necessity existed," but that the court's dismissal of the case against Mosley "was not supported by the evidence or the law." 16 Mosley discusses *412 various "manifest necessity" cases in his brief, but then argues (for the first time) that these cases are irrelevant, because the real issue-since Mosley requested the mistrial-is whether the prosecutor's conduct "goaded" him into seeking a mistrial. Mosley asserts 1) that the trial court found that the State "goaded" Mosley into requesting a mistrial, and 2) that the record suggests Morgan very deliberately "harpooned" him, thereby "destroying any chance Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2011 OK CR 20, 257 P.3d 409, 2011 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 21, 2011 WL 2986826, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mosley-oklacrimapp-2011.