State v. Ware

872 S.W.2d 601, 1994 Mo. App. LEXIS 425
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 15, 1994
DocketNos. 60996, 63629
StatusPublished

This text of 872 S.W.2d 601 (State v. Ware) 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. Ware, 872 S.W.2d 601, 1994 Mo. App. LEXIS 425 (Mo. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

KAROHL, Judge.

The state charged and proved defendant committed first degree murder, § 565.020 RSMo.1986. He was sentenced to life in prison without probation or parole. Defendant asserts: (1) use of MAI-CR3d 310.50, which submits intoxication or addiction for jury consideration on the issue of intent, was in error because it relieved the state of the requirement of proving every element of the crime; (2) the warrantless search of defendant’s apartment and subsequent seizure of evidence was a Fourth Amendment violation requiring suppression of objects seized; (3) the grand and petit jury selection procedures denied defendant the right to a jury reflecting a fair cross section of citizens; (4) the “reasonable doubt” jury instruction suggested a higher degree of doubt than is constitutionally required; and, (5) the denial of defendant’s Rule 29.15 motion was error because defendant’s counsel was ineffective for failing to call a witness. This witness could have testified defendant consumed large amounts of alcohol and POP the day of the crime to support the theory of impaired condition. Affirmed.

The sufficiency of the evidence is not in dispute. The evidence viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict proved that after 5:00 p.m. on April 19, 1987, the 22-year-old defendant went to the 14-year-old victim’s home. They talked for about one-half hour. They went for a walk. The victim and defendant eventually started arguing, and the argument turned into a physical struggle. When the two were in an alley, defendant choked and hit the victim. She became unconscious. Defendant removed the victim’s clothing and raped her. She regained consciousness and began fighting. Defendant hit her head against the concrete until she was again unconscious. Fully aware she was still alive and breathing, de[603]*603fendant used some steel cable he found by the alley, and he hanged her from the side-view mirror on a nearby dump truck.

After 9:30 p.m. that evening, the owners of the truck saw the victim and called for assistance. Paramedics determined that the victim was already dead. A coroner later discovered she had died from the hanging. Additionally, her skull was fractured and she had cuts and scratches on her body.

Defendant was originally indicted and tried for rape and murder. A jury convicted defendant on both counts. On appeal, this court affirmed the rape conviction. We reversed and remanded the first degree murder conviction. State v. Ware, 793 S.W.2d 412 (Mo.App.1990). Defendant was retried for first degree murder August 5, 1991. A jury returned a guilty verdict. The court sentenced defendant to life in prison without the possibility of probation or parole. During defendant’s testimony at the Rule 29.15 hearing after the first trial, he accepted responsibility for the victim’s death. Defendant’s points on appeal include four direct appeal issues and one for denial of his Rule 29.15 motion.

DIRECT APPEAL

In his first point, defendant argues the trial court erred when it submitted Instruction No. 10 (MAI-CR3d 310.50), because this instruction lowered the state’s burden of proof by allowing the specific intent element of the crime to be met by evidence of defendant’s intoxication. The Missouri Supreme Court sustained this position when it recently held that instruction violates due process by potentially relieving the state of the requirement of proving every element of a crime. State v. Erwin, 848 S.W.2d 476, 483 (Mo. banc 1993), cert. denied, — U.S.-, 114 S.Ct. 88, 126 L.Ed.2d 56 (1993). However, the Erwin court unambiguously decided the holding was not to be applied retroactively unless a defendant properly preserved the issue. Id. at 484. Defendant did not object to the jury instruction at trial, nor did he cite it as error in his motion for new trial. Therefore, Erwin is inapplicable and provides defendant no assistance.

Additionally, we cannot find plain error in the submission of Instruction No. 10. The decision in Erwin to apply the holding retroactively only as a matter of preserved error forecloses that possibility. Our enforcement of the limitation is neither a manifest injustice nor a miscarriage of justice as is required for plain error. Rule 30.20. State v. Ottwell, 852 S.W.2d 370, 372 (Mo. App.E.D.1993); State v. Dillon, 869 S.W.2d 67 (Mo.App.W.D.1993). Point denied.

Defendant’s second point states the trial court erred when it overruled defendant’s motion to suppress evidence and objections to admission of objects seized and rejected these grounds asserted in his motion for new trial. Defendant argues the police did not have a valid search warrant when they searched defendant’s apartment. Therefore, evidence seized without defendant’s consent made the evidence inadmissible as a Fourth Amendment violation.

We find the evidence supported a finding defendant voluntarily consented to the search of his basement apartment, and the police’s search of the apartment was within the scope of the consent given. State v. Hyland, 840 S.W.2d 219, 221 (Mo. banc 1992). Defendant even unlocked the door to his apartment for the police. The facts demonstrate the absence of error in finding defendant consented to the search. Point denied.

As his third point of error, defendant argues that the selection procedures by which both petit and grand juries were chosen in the City of St. Louis denied defendant a jury composed of a fair cross section of citizens. Concerning the petit jury selection system, we have recently held the procedure did not result in the underrepresentation of certain groups of people. State v. Allen, 845 S.W.2d 671, 673 (Mo.App.E.D.1993), State v. Wheeler, 845 S.W.2d 678, 681-82 (Mo.App.E.D. 1993).

Defendant’s argued deficiencies in the grand jury process are likewise without merit. Age is not a cognizable group with respect to challenges to grand jury selection procedure. State v. Allen, 845 S.W.2d at 673. Defendant was indicted June 7,1987. Defendant argues his grand jury’s selection process failed to comply with §§ 494.400 [604]*604through 494.505, RSMo Supp.1989, all of which were enacted in 1989 and are, therefore, inapplicable. Furthermore, when defendant was indicted, the City of St. Louis used the “Blue Ribbon” method of grand jury selection. We have held this method was proper and in accord with now-repealed § 498.310 RSMo.1986. State v. Allen, 845 S.W.2d at 673. Point denied.

Defendant’s fourth point contends the reasonable doubt definition, “proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant’s guilt”, suggests a higher degree of doubt than is constitutionally required for an acquittal, and thus lessens the state’s burden of proof. This matter has been consistently rejected on the authority of State v. Griffin, 848 S.W.2d 464, 469 (Mo. banc 1993). Point denied.

DENIAL OF RULE 29.15 RELIEF

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Related

State v. Ottwell
852 S.W.2d 370 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Griffin
848 S.W.2d 464 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1993)
State v. Erwin
848 S.W.2d 476 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1993)
State v. Hyland
840 S.W.2d 219 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1992)
Sanders v. State
738 S.W.2d 856 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1987)
Brummell v. State
770 S.W.2d 379 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1989)
State v. Wheeler
845 S.W.2d 678 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Twenter
818 S.W.2d 628 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1991)
Moton v. State
716 S.W.2d 345 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1986)
State v. Ware
793 S.W.2d 412 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1990)
Overshon v. State
809 S.W.2d 880 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1991)
State v. Allen
845 S.W.2d 671 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Dillon
869 S.W.2d 67 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1993)

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Bluebook (online)
872 S.W.2d 601, 1994 Mo. App. LEXIS 425, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ware-moctapp-1994.