State v. Selvy

921 S.W.2d 114, 1996 Mo. App. LEXIS 656, 1996 WL 187052
Missouri Court of Appeals·Decided April 19, 1996·No. Nos. 19649, 20192·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

PARRISH, Judge.

John Wes Selvy1 (defendant) was convicted following a jury trial of murder in the second degree, § 565.021.1(1),2 a lesser included offense of murder in the first degree3 with which he was originally charged, and armed criminal action, § 571.015.1. After conviction and incarceration, defendant filed a motion for post-conviction relief pursuant to Rule 29.15 that was denied without an evidentiary hearing.

Defendant appeals the criminal convictions (No. 19649) and the order denying his Rule 29.15 motion (No. 20192). The appeals have been consolidated as required by Rule 29.15(Z) as it existed on the date the post-conviction motion was filed. See Rule 29.15(m).

Defendant contends in No. 19649 that the trial court erred in overruling his trial attorney’s objection to the state’s question, in cross-examining defendant, about whether defendant was “high on cocaine” when the shooting with which he was charged occurred. Likewise, he contends the trial court erred in allowing the state to present rebuttal evidence that urinalysis following defendant’s arrest revealed he had used cocaine. Defendant also claims the trial court erred in denying a motion to dismiss the criminal charges because they occurred before he was 17 years old, and he was denied due process of law and effective assistance of counsel in a certification proceeding in juvenile court.

Defendant contends in No. 20192 that the motion court erred in denying his Ride 29.15 motion without an evidentiary hearing because his pleadings alleged facts that, if proven, would have shown he received ineffective assistance of counsel in his criminal case. He argues that his trial attorney was ineffective because the attorney did not move during voir dire to strike a prospective juror for cause who could not be fair to him.

This court affirms the judgment in the criminal case and the order denying the Rule 29.15 motion.

No. 1964.9

On August 10, 1993, defendant was 16 years old. His girlfriend, Shekelia Johnson, was at his house. She, defendant and Jennifer DeBerry were in a bedroom in the basement of the house. Defendant was holding a handgun. Another handgun was lying on the bed.

Randy Brown, another friend, came in the room and said he was hungry. Jennifer asked if he would like for her to go to the [116] store for him. He told her he would and gave her five dollars to get food. Jennifer left. As she was leaving she met some other girls who went with her to get Randy’s food.

Shekelia and defendant left the basement to go for a walk. A short time later, Deborah Osborne saw them arguing in a nearby alley.

Later, Jennifer and the girls who had gone to the store with her found Shekelia lying in the alley. Shekelia had been shot. Lewis Curry, Nicole Gaskül and others came to where Shekelia was lying. Lewis and Nicole heard Shekelia say, “Wesley shot me.” She later died. .

Defendant testified at trial. Point I is directed to the state’s cross-examination of him and to rebuttal evidence that was directed to his testimony. Defendant testified that Shekelia shot herself; that she told him, ‘Wes, I love you. I kill myself over you. I seen you talking to Tonya.”

On cross-examination the prosecutor asked defendant if he was describing his version of what he saw and perceived while he was in the alley. Defendant answered, “Yes, I was the only one there.” The prosecutor then asked defendant if he was “high on cocaine” at the time. He answered, “No, sir.” He was asked if he had used cocaine within the four days immediately before the shooting. He denied using cocaine during that time. The state presented rebuttal evidence that included test results from a urinalysis showing defendant had used cocaine within the four days before the shooting.

In Point I, defendant contends the trial court erred in overruling his objection to questions asked on cross-examination concerning cocaine use and in allowing the rebuttal evidence “because this evidence was totally irrelevant to the issues before the jury and did not tend to show motive, intent, absence of mistake or accident, a common plan, or identity.” He contends the prejudicial effect of the evidence outweighed its probative value.

“Whether evidence is relevant and whether its probative value outweighs its inflammatory and prejudicial dangers are for the trial court to decide, and its decision will not be disturbed unless its discretion is abused.” State v. Ray, 637 S.W.2d 708, 709 (Mo. banc 1982).

A defendant who elects to testify in his own behalf is subject to contradiction and impeachment the same as any other witness. State v. Moss, 700 S.W.2d 501, 505 (Mo.App.1985). The scope of permissible cross-examination is dependent on the facts and background of the particular case. Id.

Defendant was asked if the testimony he gave was based on his perceptions at the time Shekelia was shot. He answered that it was, that he was the only one' there. The accuracy of defendant’s recount of events was dependent on his ability, at the time Shekelia was killed, to perceive what occurred.

A witness’ abnormality is a standard ground for impeachment and one form of abnormality is that which exists when one is under the influence of drugs or drink. If a witness is “under the influence” at the time of the occurrence or at the time he testifies, this condition is provable, on cross or by extrinsic evidence, to impeach. McCormick, Law of Evidence § 45 (2d Ed.1972).

State v. Myers, 538 S.W.2d 892, 897-98 (Mo.App.1976).

In this case, as disclosed by rebuttal evidence, the prosecuting attorney had a basis for believing defendant used cocaine within such time prior to when Shekelia was shot to affect his perception of what occurred. Under these circumstances, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in permitting the prosecuting attorney to ask defendant if he had used cocaine and, upon his denying its use, to present rebuttal evidence that he had. Point I is denied.

Point II is directed to juvenile proceedings that occurred prior to the filing of criminal charges against defendant. Because defendant was less than 17 years old at the time he was alleged to have violated criminal statutes, his ease was originally before the juvenile division of the Circuit Court of Cape Girardeau County. See § 211.031.1(3), RSMo Supp.1992. That court entered an [117] order August 16, 1993, dismissing the juvenile court petition, thereby permitting defendant to be prosecuted under the general law as permitted by § 211.071, RSMo Supp.1992.

After preliminary hearing and filing of charges, defendant moved to dismiss the information and remand the case for further proceedings in juvenile court. He contended the certification proceedings in juvenile court were invalid because he was denied a continuance by the juvenile court; that he was denied due process of law. The trial court denied the motion.

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State v. Selvy, 921 S.W.2d 114, 1996 Mo. App. LEXIS 656, 1996 WL 187052 (Mo. Ct. App. 1996).

921 S.W.2d 114 (State v. Selvy) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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