State v. Parker

274 S.W.3d 551, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 1740, 2008 WL 5396624
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 30, 2008
DocketWD 68259
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 274 S.W.3d 551 (State v. Parker) 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. Parker, 274 S.W.3d 551, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 1740, 2008 WL 5396624 (Mo. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

LISA WHITE HARDWICK, Judge.

Tyrone Parker appeals from a judgment denying his request for a new trial after he was convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Parker contends he was entitled to a new trial because the State failed to disclose exculpatory evidence in violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). For reasons explained herein, we find no error and affirm the judgment.

Factual and ProceduRal History

The State charged Parker with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the 1993 drive-by shooting of 11-month old Gregory Bolton. Parker was convicted following a jury trial in 1995. His direct appeal of the convictions was later consolidated with his appeal from the circuit court’s denial of his Rule 29.15 motion. On May 12, 1998, this court dismissed the direct appeal and affirmed the denial of post-conviction relief. State v. Parker, 972 S.W.2d 508 (Mo.App.1998) (“Parker I”).

In 2003, Parker filed a motion to recall the mandate in Parker I. The motion sought reinstatement of the direct appeal to allow Parker to pursue a Brady violation claim that his previous appellate counsel failed to present. This court granted the motion and subsequently remanded the case to the circuit court, with instructions to conduct a hearing on Parker’s Brady claim that the State failed to disclose police reports that would have provided exculpatory evidence. State v. Parker, 198 S.W.3d 178 (Mo.App.2006) (“Parker II”).

Following an evidentiary hearing on remand, the circuit court entered a judgment denying Parker’s request for a new trial based on a finding that no Brady violation *553 had occurred. The court determined that: (1) the State did not suppress the disclosure of the police reports; and (2) Parker was not prejudiced by any alleged nondisclosure because the police reports did not provide material, exculpatory evidence. Parker appeals the judgment.

Analysis

Parker brings two points on appeal. First, he contends the circuit court erred in denying his motion for new trial because he presented sufficient evidence to establish that the State committed a Brady violation by failing to disclose a police report containing the statement of Kenneth Wesley. Alternatively, in Point II, Parker contends the circuit court erred in denying a new trial based on evidence that his trial counsel was ineffective in failing to present the testimony of Kenneth Wesley at trial.

Our review of the circuit court’s denial of a new trial motion is for an abuse of discretion. State v. White, 81 S.W.3d 561, 567 (Mo.App.2002). Such abuse occurs when the court’s ruling is clearly against the logic of the circumstances and is so arbitrary and unreasonable as to shock the sense of justice and indicate a lack of careful consideration. Id. Rulings made within the trial court’s discretion are presumed correct and, thus, the appellant has the burden of showing an abuse of discretion. Id.

A Brady Rule

Parker asserts a violation of the Brady rule, which is based on the constitutional requirement of due process. Id. “[W]hen the State suppresses evidence [that] may be favorable to a defendant, it violates due process where the evidence is material, either to guilt or to punishment, irrespective of the good or bad faith of the State.” State v. Aaron, 985 S.W.2d 484, 436 (Mo.App.1999). To establish a Brady violation, Parker had to show that the State failed to disclose exculpatory or impeachment evidence favorable to him, and that he was prejudiced by the non-disclosure. White, 81 S.W.3d at 568. Proof of a constitutional violation requires reversal of the defendant’s conviction and the grant of a new trial. Id.

Parker’s allegation of non-disclosure stems from an investigation of the 1993 drive-by murder of Gregory Bolton. Parker was charged and, ultimately, convicted on charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action under an accomplice theory. At trial, the State presented evidence that Parker was a passenger in a light-colored Ford Granada involved in the drive-by shooting. Parker alleges his defense was hampered when the prosecutor failed to disclose a police report containing the statement of Kenneth Wesley, a witness to the shooting. In the report, Wesley told police that he had seen the car from which the fatal shots were fired. Wesley described the car as a dark-blue four-door, possibly a 1988 Cadillac. Because Wesley’s description differed from the vehicle described by the State’s witnesses at trial, Parker contends the police report was exculpatory and should have been produced prior to trial.

At the hearing on the Brady claim, Parker’s trial counsel, Frank Smith, testified that he did not recall seeing the subject police report until after the 1995 trial. Parker’s appellate counsel, Jim Speck, also testified that the police report was not among the documents in the case file that he received from trial counsel in preparation for the appeal. Speck acknowledged that the case file he received was disorganized and that he had difficulty obtaining the file from trial counsel. Speck also acknowledged that he lost part of the file, including some of the documents from trial counsel, and that he was testifying largely *554 from his recollection of a case he worked on more than twelve years ago. As a result of the lost documents, Parker was unable to present his complete case file at the Brady hearing.

The State presented evidence at the hearing to dispute Parker’s claim that the police report was not disclosed to defense counsel prior to the 1995 trial. The prosecutor, Dan Miller, testified about his standard procedure for producing documents to defendants. It was his practice to make a copy of everything in the police file and turn over all of the documents to defense counsel. Miller said he followed this procedure in Parker’s case and that a copy of the police report containing Wesley’s statement was sent to Parker’s counsel, Frank Smith, prior to trial.

The prosecutor also testified that he had “almost no doubt” that Smith received the subject police report prior to trial. Miller recalled a conversation with Smith wherein Smith referred to another witness, Wesley Walker, as “the other Wesley.” This comment indicated that defense counsel was aware of Kenneth Wesley and his involvement in the case as potential witness. At the Brady hearing, there was further evidence that the defense contacted Kenneth Wesley prior to the 1995 trial. Wesley testified that he received either a subpoena or letter requesting him to testify on Parker’s behalf.

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Related

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E.D. Missouri, 2021
Angela L. Brown v. State of Missouri
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State v. Moore
411 S.W.3d 848 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2013)
Woodworth v. State
408 S.W.3d 143 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
274 S.W.3d 551, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 1740, 2008 WL 5396624, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-parker-moctapp-2008.