State v. Vaughn

708 P.2d 453, 147 Ariz. 28, 1985 Ariz. LEXIS 241
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 2, 1985
Docket6409
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 708 P.2d 453 (State v. Vaughn) 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. Vaughn, 708 P.2d 453, 147 Ariz. 28, 1985 Ariz. LEXIS 241 (Ark. 1985).

Opinion

CAMERON, Justice.

Defendant, James Arthur Vaughn, was convicted of first degree murder, A.R.S. § 13-1105, first degree burglary, A.R.S. § 13-1508, and armed robbery, A.R.S. § 13-1904. Pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-604, defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment on the first degree murder conviction, to twenty-one years for the armed robbery conviction, and to fifteen years for the first degree burglary conviction. The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively. (§ 13-708 and Rule 26.13 Rules of Criminal Procedure, 17 A.R.S.). We have jurisdiction pursuant to Ariz. Const, art. 6, § 5(3) and A.R.S. §§ 13-4031, -4035.

Defendant raises two issues on appeal.

I. Did the trial court improperly deny defendant’s motion for mistrial based on the claim that the prosecutor commented on defendant’s post-arrest silence?
II. Do the consecutive sentences for robbery and murder constitute double punishment in violation of A.R.S. § 13-116?

The facts necessary for a determination of this matter on appeal follow. During the evening of 29 December 1982, defendant and three other individuals, known as ET, Pee Wee, and Poncho, decided to commit a crime. They drove around Phoenix until they came upon a Union 76 gas sta *29 tion. They proceeded to burglarize the gas station, during which time the attendant was robbed and murdered. Soon thereafter, these four men were arrested. Early in the investigation and at trial, ET and Pee Wee stated that Poncho and defendant had committed the actual burglary and robbery while ET and Pee Wee remained in the car. ET and Pee Wee also claimed that defendant had told them upon returning from the gas station to the car that he had taken the attendant into a back room, forced him to kneel and beg for his life, and then shot him twice in the head. The reason given by defendant for doing this was to leave no witnesses.

Before being questioned, defendant received the Miranda warnings, and said he understood them. During questioning, he told officers various versions of what had occurred. First, defendant stated he had been at a bar all during the night in question. Then, he claimed he had gone with the three other men, but he, Pee Wee, and Poncho had remained in the car while ET committed the crimes. Finally, he said Pee Wee and Poncho may have gotten out of the car, but he remained in the car.

At the crime scene, a palm print was discovered on the safe, and it was matched to Poncho. A shoe print was also found on top of a car behind the station. The shoe print was matched to a pair of Trax tennis shoes owned by defendant. During questioning by officers, defendant was asked whether he was wearing the Trax shoes the night of the crime, and he said that he probably was wearing them. From jury verdicts, judgments and sentences, defendant appeals.

I

PROSECUTORIAL COMMENT ON POST-ARREST SILENCE

At trial, defendant took the stand and testified in his own behalf. Defendant testified that Pee Wee and Poncho had committed the burglary and robbery and that Pee Wee had killed the attendant. Defendant testified that he and ET had remained near the car. This testimony was inconsistent with his prior statements made to police.

On cross examination, the prosecutor asked defendant the following questions:

Q. But when you were asked about it when you were first taken into custody it was your recollection that those were the shoes that you were wearing when you were out there at the Union 76 station, is that right?
A. I can’t remember me telling him that ... I think that’s a lie right there ... I don’t remember me telling him I had them tennis shoes on. I think the answer I gave’s I probably had them tennis shoes on, I probably didn’t. Raymond [Poncho] wore my tennis shoes, too.
Q. And when did you tell Detective House that Raymond wore your tennis shoes?
A. I don’t think I told him that Raymond wore my tennis shoes.
Q. And when did that—when did that flash into your mind?... Is that after you found out that that had been matched to the hood of that Toyota behind the station, Mr. Vaughn?
A. Raymond stayed with me. He wore my tennis shoes. I let him wear them. He wore my clothes, my tennis shoes, my dress shoes, you know ... Raymond wore my shoes all the time. Ever since he’s been down here he been staying with me he’s going to wear my tennis shoes.
Q. When you found out that your shoe had been matched up at the scene you got a hold of Detective House and told him about Raymond, is that right?

Before defendant answered, defense counsel objected to the question. Defense counsel moved for mistrial, which the trial judge denied; however, the trial judge did sustain the objection to the question, so the prosecutor’s question was never answered.

Prosecutorial use of a defendant’s post-arrest silence for the purpose of impeachment has been held to be fundamen *30 tal error. Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610, 96 S.Ct. 2240, 49 L.Ed.2d 91 (1976); State v. Anderson, 110 Ariz. 238, 517 P.2d 508 (1973). However, where defendant has not remained silent and has made statements which are inconsistent with defendant’s trial testimony, the defendant may be questioned about his prior inconsistent statements. “When a defendant makes a statement at trial which is inconsistent with an earlier statement his credibility is clearly in question.” State v. Anderson, 110 Ariz at 241, 517 P.2d at 511. Here, defendant told three different versions of the events to the police, and while testifying, he told a fourth version. Since defendant did not invoke his right to silence, he was not impeached by it. We find no error.

II

DOUBLE PUNISHMENT

The defendant was found guilty of first degree felony-murder, first degree burglary and armed robbery and sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment.

A.R.S. § 13-708 and Rule 26.13 Rules of Criminal Procedure, 17 A.R.S., provide that sentences shall run concurrently unless the court expressly directs otherwise. The decision to impose consecutive sentences rests with the discretion of the trial judge. A.R.S.

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

Related

State v. Roseberry
111 P.3d 402 (Arizona Supreme Court, 2005)
State v. Runningeagle
859 P.2d 169 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1993)
State v. Allgood
831 P.2d 1290 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1992)
State v. Viramontes
788 P.2d 67 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1990)
State v. Gordon
778 P.2d 1204 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1989)
State v. Stuck
739 P.2d 1333 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
708 P.2d 453, 147 Ariz. 28, 1985 Ariz. LEXIS 241, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-vaughn-ariz-1985.