State v. Parham

220 N.W.2d 623, 1974 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 1011
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJuly 31, 1974
Docket55175
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 220 N.W.2d 623 (State v. Parham) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Parham, 220 N.W.2d 623, 1974 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 1011 (iowa 1974).

Opinion

MASON, Justice.

The attendant of a Vickers Service Station located in Waterloo was robbed at gun point by a young woman at approximately 3 a.m. October 13, 1970. Although defendant, Albert Parham, did not actually participate in the holdup he was charged and tried under the aiding and abetting provisions of section 688.1, The Code. He appeals from judgment following his conviction by a jury of robbery with aggravation.

The young woman who perpetrated the robbery used a revolver in accomplishing the offense. She was later identified as LuAnn Kingland. Miss Kingland asked the lone attendant for change and then pointed a revolver at him and demanded all the money in the cash register. After taking the money and ordering the attendant into a back room of the station she fled. The attendant heard a car start and drive away and shortly thereafter he notified the police. A short time later Waterloo police stopped a car carrying Miss Kingland and four others, defendant Parham, Terry McDonald, Judy Nootenboom and Ben Crawford.

Miss Kingland, who was earlier convicted of robbery growing out of this incident and was serving her sentence at the Women’s Reformatory in Rockwell City, testified for the State concerning the circumstances leading up to and following the robbery. She stated defendant gave her the revolver used in the robbery, suggested robbing the Vickers station and instigated the counting of the money. Miss Nooten-boom, age IS, also testified about the activities of the principals leading up to the robbery. She stated defendant suggested robbing a station with only one attendant and that a girl should actually perform the robbery. She further stated defendant, along with McDonald, told Kingland to start counting the money.

Both Kingland and Nootenboom had taken various drugs in the past; Kingland had often used heroin. The two girls traveled to Waterloo from Des Moines on October 10 at which time Kingland was taking morphine. Some time after arriving in Waterloo she apparently obtained a quantity of heroin. In the late afteiinoon of Monday, October 12, she took this heroin while in the company of Terry McDonald.

The evening of the robbery the two girls visited several bars before meeting defendant and McDonald in Rory’s. At Rory’s *625 McDonald purchased at least one drink for each of the girls. Later this group, along with Ben Crawford, went to the Music Box where service was refused the girls because they were not 21 years of age, the legal age for drinking at that time; however, defendant and McDonald gave them part of their drinks. Thereafter, all of them went to the Blue Note and stayed there until it closed at 2 a.m. The next hour the group rode around in Crawford’s car; the robbery took place about 3 a.m.

Kingland also stated there was marijuana in the car at this, time and everyone was smoking some. Miss Nootenboom testified McDonald had some marijuana and they all smoked some prior to the robbery. Officer Barker testified he found a small plastic bag of marijuana at the scene of the arrest.

At the close of the State’s evidence and before presentation of defense testimony defense counsel informed the court Terry McDonald would be called as a witness. McDonald had pleaded guilty to robbery in connection with this same incident but had not yet been sentenced at the time of trial. Counsel for McDonald informed the court McDonald would claim his privilege not to testify upon the grounds that to do so would tend to incriminate him or expose him to public ignominy. Defense counsel argued McDonald could no longer incriminate himself because he had already been convicted of robbery and therefore he should be made to testify concerning the events leading up to the robbery. The trial court ruled it had no authority to require the witness to testify. The foregoing proceedings were had in chambers.

When the trial returned to open court McDonald who had been subpoenaed to testify on behalf of defendant was sworn as a witness. He gave his name and stated he was in the Black Hawk County jail but refused to respond to any other questions propounded by the defense because of the incriminating nature of his proposed testimony. The trial court gave counsel further opportunity to be heard on the matter which they rejected. The court then sustained McDonald’s refusal to answer on the ground the witness had raised his privilege against self-incrimination guaranteed under amendment 5 of the United States Constitution and section 622.14, The Code, and the witness was excused.

Defendant contends in a single assignment the trial court erred in sustaining McDonald’s refusal to testify by assertion of the privilege against self-incrimination.

I. It is defendant’s position that he was denied his right to a fair trial under due process of law when the trial court sustained McDonald’s claim of privilege against self-incrimination. His basic argument is a witness cannot assert his privilege against self-incrimination when he no longer is subject to prosecution for the crime or crimes his testimony might involve.

The record discloses that during the proceedings had in chambers defense counsel maintained McDonald could not incriminate himself any more than he already had by his plea of guilty to the charge of robbery. Counsel informed the court he would attempt to limit the scope of his questioning to the events which occurred that evening and specifically to the question of defendant’s participation in the crime.

At this stage McDonald’s counsel advised the court McDonald’s concern was not only the present robbery charge to which he had pled guilty but also the fact his testimony might lead to additional charges being filed against him which had not been included in the robbery charge. Counsel also pointed out McDonald was concerned about the possibility of a parole.

In reply defense counsel advised the court he did not desire to question McDonald on other crimes which occurred that evening but merely with regard to the activities which led to the crime charged and defendant’s participation therein.

*626 Testimony elicited from other witnesses showed other crimes may have been committed during the evening hours preceding the holdup. Two witnesses stated all members of the group, including McDonald, were smoking marijuana; Nootenboom stated the marijuana was McDonald’s. As noted above, a small packet of marijuana was found at the scene by Officer Barker. Kingland also testified McDonald was present when she took heroin. The record also shows testimony by the two girls that McDonald both purchased and made available for them alcoholic beverages. King-land was 20 at the time and as pointed out Nootenboom was 15. This occurred in 1970 when, as stated, the legal drinking age in Iowa was 21. Possession of marijuana is a crime in Iowa.

Amendment 5 of the federal constitution provides in part that “No person * * * shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” Protections of this self-incrimination clause are absorbed in amendment 14. Malloy v. Hogan, 378 U.S. 1, 84 S.Ct. 1489. 12 L.Ed.2d 653; Spevac v. Klein, 385 U.S. 511, 87 S.Ct. 625, 17 L.Ed.2d 574. In other words, these decisions make amendment 5 applicable to the states.

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Bluebook (online)
220 N.W.2d 623, 1974 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 1011, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-parham-iowa-1974.