Underwood v. State

919 So. 2d 931, 2005 WL 3213364
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 1, 2005
Docket1999-DR-00302-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 919 So. 2d 931 (Underwood v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Underwood v. State, 919 So. 2d 931, 2005 WL 3213364 (Mich. 2005).

Opinion

919 So.2d 931 (2005)

Justin UNDERWOOD
v.
STATE of Mississippi.

No. 1999-DR-00302-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

December 1, 2005.
Rehearing Denied February 2, 2006.

*934 James Craig, Jackson, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Marvin L. White, Jr., attorney for appellee.

EN BANC.

SMITH, Chief Justice, for the Court.

¶ 1. Justin Underwood was indicted by a grand jury in Madison County, Mississippi, in 1994. He was charged with the February 15, 1994, capital murder of Virginia Ann Harris while engaged in the commission of the crime of kidnapping in violation of Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-19(2)(e) (Supp. 1993). Underwood's trial began on May 22, 1995. On May 24, 1995, a jury convicted him of capital murder. On May 25, 1995, he was sentenced to death. Underwood filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, in the alternative, a motion for new trial on June 2, 1995. Both motions were denied on July 24, 1995.

¶ 2. Underwood then made a direct appeal to this Court to consider the following ten issues on direct appeal:

I. Whether the Trial Court Erred in Quashing the Indictment on the Ground That Underwood Was at the Time and During Commission *935 of the Offense Suffering from Insanity;
II. Whether the Prosecution Strikes for Cause of Jurors Based Solely upon Their Views on Capital Punishment Systematically Excluded Blacks from the Jury and Violated Underwood's Right to a Fair Trial;
III. Whether the Trial Court Erred in Admitting the Involuntary Confession of Underwood into Evidence in Violation of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution;
IV. Whether the Trial Court Erred, in Violation of the Constitutional Rights of Appellant, in Allowing into Evidence a Statement Made by Appellant Underwood That the State upon Charging Him with Burglary Would Subsequently Charge Him with the Murder of the Victim;
V. Whether the Prejudicial Effect of the Introduction of the Videotape of the Crime Scene Depicting the Victim's Body Outweighed the Tape's Probative Value;
VI. Whether the Prejudicial Effect of the Introduction of Numerous Gruesome Photographs Outweighed Their Probative Value and Constitutes Reversible Error by the Lower Court;
VII. Whether the Jury's Finding That the Victim Was Kidnapped by Appellant Was Against the Overwhelming Weight of the Evidence and Was Not Established Beyond a Reasonable Doubt;
VIII. Whether the Court Erred in Not Granting Instruction D-4;
IX. Whether the Court Erred in Refusing to Grant Instruction D-3;
X. Whether the Application of the Death Penalty Is Discriminatorily Applied to African-Americans in Violation of the Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

¶ 3. On February 12, 1998, Underwood's conviction and death sentence were affirmed by this Court. See Underwood v. State, 708 So.2d 18 (Miss.1998). The statement of facts contained in that opinion is sufficient, and we adopt it here for reference purposes.

¶ 4. Underwood then sought relief by filing a petition of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court raising a single question:

Whether the "especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel" aggravating circumstance of the Mississippi capital sentencing statute, as re-defined on an ad hoc case-by-case basis by the Mississippi Supreme Court, violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

The United States Supreme Court returned the petition with instructions to file an affidavit of indigency and refile the petition within sixty days. The petition was never refiled.

¶ 5. On or about February 15, 1999, a "pro se" petition for post-conviction relief was filed with this Court. The State filed a motion to remand the case to circuit court for appointment of counsel. On February 18, 1999, this Court remanded the case to the Circuit Court of Madison County for appointment of counsel. On April 5, 1999, the State moved to dismiss the post-conviction motion. The Court denied that motion on April 12, 1999. On April 23, 1999, the Circuit Court of Madison County appointed Bentley Conner, and Walter Wood, as counsel. Five motions for time *936 were filed by counsel and on November 23, 1999, counsel for Underwood moved to withdraw based on lack of qualifications to handle a death penalty post-conviction and requested the briefing schedule be suspended pending disposition of the motions to withdraw. On December 7, 1999, this Court entered an order suspending the deadlines in this case, pending disposition of the motions to withdraw.

¶ 6. On December 21, 2000, this Court entered an order finding counsel should be allowed to withdraw. The Court also noted the passage of legislation creating the Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel and the amendment of M.R.A.P. 22 dealing with procedures in death penalty post-conviction matters. The Court ordered James Craig, as counsel for Underwood, to file a status report according to Rule 22. Craig filed the status report as ordered on January 5, 2001.

¶ 7. On March 7, 2001, this Court entered an order formally appointing Craig as counsel for Underwood and directing that the post-conviction application be filed within 180 days of the order. On July 29, 2003, Underwood filed with this Court, a motion for an extension time within which to file an amended and restated post-conviction petition. Presiding Justice Waller subsequently granted Underwood's motion and further ordered that the amended petition was to be filed on or before October 27, 2003. On October 27, 2003, Underwood filed a motion with this Court requesting an additional extension of time. Chief Justice Smith subsequently granted Underwood's motion and ordered the amended petition to be filed on or before October 22, 2004. The amended and restated application for leave to file motion to vacate conviction and sentence was eventually filed with this Court on October 26, 2004. Underwood's petition raises the following issues:

I. Failure to Raise Batson Claim.
II. Failure to Utilize Expert Assistance.
III. Failure to Object to Comment on Petitioner's Exercise of His Privilege Against Self-incrimination.
IV. Ineffective Representation with Respect to Suppression Hearing.
V. Failure to Submit Felony-manslaughter Instruction.
VI. Failure to Challenge "Especially Heinous, Atrocious or Cruel Aggravating Circumstance.
VII. Failure to Investigate Guilt Phase Issues.
VIII. Failure to Investigate Mitigation Evidence.
IX. The Mississippi Supreme Court's Proportionality Review Violated Petitioner's Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment Rights.

¶ 8. The State filed its response on February 18, 2005.

¶ 9. We find that Underwood failed to file his amended petition on or before October 22, 2004, as ordered by this Court. Thus, this matter is procedurally barred due to Underwood's noncompliance with this Court's order. Nevertheless, alternatively we will still address the merits of each issue raised in the present appeal.

¶ 10.

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Bluebook (online)
919 So. 2d 931, 2005 WL 3213364, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/underwood-v-state-miss-2005.