State v. Skinner

515 P.2d 880, 110 Ariz. 135, 1973 Ariz. LEXIS 456
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 7, 1973
Docket2365
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 515 P.2d 880 (State v. Skinner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Skinner, 515 P.2d 880, 110 Ariz. 135, 1973 Ariz. LEXIS 456 (Ark. 1973).

Opinions

CAMERON, Vice Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a jury verdict and judgment thereon of guilty to the crimes of armed robbery, §§ 13-641 and 13-643 (B) A.R.S., and first degree murder, §§ 13 — 151 and 13-452 A.R.S. The defendant was sentenced to concurrent terms of eight to ten years for the armed robbery and to life imprisonment for the murder. We are asked to answer the following questions on appeal:

A. As to evidentiary matters:

1. May a prior unsworn impeaching document of a State’s witness be admitted substantively against a criminal defendant without violating the hearsay rule and the criminal defendant’s right of confrontation?
2. Was it reversible error for the State to impeach its own witness with prior inconsistent statements?
3. Was the admission into evidence of four morbid autopsy pictures and a blood soaked shirt reversible error where a defendant did not dispute the fact that a murder was committed and the only issue for the jury to decide was whether the defendant had any connection with the commission of the homicide ?
4. Did the court erroneously deny the defendant the right to present evidence of a State witness’s motive, bias, and interest in testifying ?
5. Did the admission into evidence of an accomplice’s unsworn, out of court statement made at a time when the defendant was not present, violate the defendant’s right of confrontation ?

B. As to misconduct of counsel:

1. Was it reversible error for the prosecutor to call an accomplice to the stand, knowing that the accomplice would invoke the Fifth Amendment privilege not to testify in a case where the defendant’s position was predicated on the mutual innocence of himself and the accomplice ?
2. Was it prejudicial and reversible error for the prosecutor, in closing argument, to willfully misstate material evidence to the jury with a view of purposefully misleading the jury as to the effect of that evidence?
3. Was it prosecutorial misconduct and reversible error for the prosecutor to make repeated and warrant-less objections to defense counsel’s voir dire of the jury, opening statement, cross-examination of material witnesses, and direct examination of defense witnesses ?
4. Was it reversible error for the prosecutor to. willfully fail to disclose evidence inconsistent with the state’s case ?
5. Was it prosecutorial misconduct and reversible error for the prosecutor to continually and repeatedly violate the Code of Professional Responsibility and the American Bar Association’s Minimum Standards for Prosecutors ?

The facts necessary for a determination of this matter on appeal are as follows. Four men, Donnell Thomas, David O. Williams, Robert Lee Skinner (the defendant) and Paul Lawrence Wright were charged with the crimes of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and murder. After a lengthy preliminary hearing on all of these charges, the magistrate held Donnell Thomas and David Williams to answer on the robbery and conspiracy counts. The magistrate at that time found that [138]*138there was not probable cause to hold either the defendant or Wright on any of the charges in the complaint and dismissed the complaint as to those two defendants. Later, pursuant to an ex parte petition by the county attorney, the court ordered that the preliminary examination as to defendant and Wright be reopened. Following the hearing of testimony the magistrate held the defendant and Wright to answer on all three counts of the complaint. As a result defendant and Wright petitioned this court for a writ of special action. This court accepted jurisdiction but denied the relief requested on 9 October 1970. Skinner v. Superior Court of State of Arizona in and for County of Pima, 106 Ariz. 287, 475 P.2d 271 (1970). Thereafter defendant’s and Wright’s cases were severed. Also Count I of the information charging Skinner with conspiracy to commit armed robbery was severed. Skinner then went to trial in the instant matter on Counts II and III of the information, armed robbery and murder, on 22 February 1971.

The incident from which these charges stemmed was the robbery of Crown Liquor Store in Tucson on 4 October 1969. The clerk, Mason Branch, was found dead of gunshot wounds, a victim of the robbery. The defendant Skinner did not dispute that the robbery and murder had taken place— the only issue was whether he was involved. Willie Dixon, a convicted felon, testified that he saw Skinner and Donnell Thomas inside the liquor store a short time before the murder and robbery took place. He further stated that he saw Skinner and Paul Wright at a friend’s house a short time after the crime occurred. A fingerprint belonging to David Williams was found on a cigar box lying near the deceased inside the liquor store. The prosecutor, over defendant’s objection, read to the jury a statement of George McDonald, an inmate of the Arizona State Prison and convicted felon that he, Robert Skinner, Paul Wright and Donnell Thomas had discussed robbing Crown Liquor in September 1969. McDonald then made a trip to California. When he returned he stated that Skinner approached him on 3 October 1969 and again asked him to rob Crown Liquor with Donnell Thomas and Paul Wright. McDonald refused. The next day, 4 October 1969, the three showed McDonald some pistols and talked about the robbery again.

McDonald testified at the trial, however, that his statement was untrue, that he was in jail at the time the statement was made and that he made the statement after being told that if he did so seven armed robbery charges against him would either be dropped or not filed. Also his aunt and uncle would get a $1,000 reward if he were to give a statement to the police.

There was testimony from one Lucius Sorrell, an admitted user of LSD and heroin and an inmate of the Arizona State Hospital, that Williams, Thomas, Skinner and Wright came to his apartment on the evening of 4 October 1969. At that time Donnell Thomas asked if he could borrow a gun. Sorrell stated that a short time thereafter Donnell Thomas came back and told him that he did not need the gun. Sorrell then stated that as he left his apartment a short time later he saw four people running across the park in a direction away from the liquor store. He claimed that these four people were Donnell Thomas, David Williams, Paul Wright and defendant. Sorrell’s testimony was somewhat impeached on cross-examination by prior inconsistent statements and his credibility was damaged by the testimony of independent witnesses. Willie Dixon, for instance, testified that he saw Sorrell on the evening of 4 October in a stolen car apparently under the influence of narcotics. Dixon further testified that Sorrell did not live in that particular apartment and was not there on the day in question.

Skinner took the stand in his own behalf and testified that he spent the day with Thomas, Wright and Williams. He stated that the four of them were parked in front of the liquor store when Williams left the group stating that he was going to go in the liquor store to rob it. Skinner testified [139]*139that he and Paul Wright then left the car and proceeded toward his home on foot.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Puente
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2018
State v. Peterson
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2016
State v. Abbott
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2015
State v. Craft
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2014
State of Arizona v. Robert Hernandez
305 P.3d 378 (Arizona Supreme Court, 2013)
State v. Mills
995 P.2d 705 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1999)
State v. Cornell
878 P.2d 1352 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1994)
State v. Figueroa
737 P.2d 396 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1987)
State v. Whelan
513 A.2d 86 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1986)
Commonwealth v. Brady
507 A.2d 66 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1986)
State v. Flores
682 P.2d 1136 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1984)
State v. Corrales
676 P.2d 615 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Allred
655 P.2d 1326 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1982)
State v. Druke
644 P.2d 280 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1982)
State v. Cruz
627 P.2d 689 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1981)
State v. Baumann
610 P.2d 38 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1980)
People v. Chavez
605 P.2d 401 (California Supreme Court, 1980)
State v. Acree
588 P.2d 836 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Maestas
584 P.2d 182 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
515 P.2d 880, 110 Ariz. 135, 1973 Ariz. LEXIS 456, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-skinner-ariz-1973.