Vernon E. Brown v. State of Mississippi

CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedJune 5, 2001
Docket2001-KA-01067-SCT
StatusPublished

This text of Vernon E. Brown v. State of Mississippi (Vernon E. Brown v. State of Mississippi) 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
Vernon E. Brown v. State of Mississippi, (Mich. 2001).

Opinion

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF MISSISSIPPI

NO. 2001-KA-01067-SCT

VERNON E. BROWN a/k/a HASH v. STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

DATE OF JUDGMENT: 6/5/2001 TRIAL JUDGE: HON. RICHARD D. BOWEN COURT FROM WHICH APPEALED: ITAWAMBA COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: CAROLYN R. BENSON ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE: OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL

BY: SCOTT STUART DISTRICT ATTORNEY: JOHN RICHARD YOUNG NATURE OF THE CASE: CRIMINAL - FELONY DISPOSITION: AFFIRMED - 10/24/2002 MOTION FOR REHEARING FILED: MANDATE ISSUED:

BEFORE McRAE, P.J., EASLEY AND CARLSON, JJ.

EASLEY, JUSTICE, FOR THE COURT:

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶1. Vernon E. Brown a/k/a "Hash" Brown (Brown) was indicted by the Itawamba County grand jury on or about November 21, 2000. The indictment charged that on May 22, 2000, Brown uttered a false check to John Blumer (Blumer) d/b/a Piggly Wiggly to the injury of Blumer and The People's Bank and Trust Company and others. The indictment was amended January 22, 2001, at the State's request to charge Brown as a habitual offender pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-81 (2000).

¶2. Brown was tried before a jury on June 5, 2001. At the close of the prosecution's case, Brown's motion for a directed verdict was denied. Brown put on no proof, and he was found guilty of the crime charged on the same day. The trial court determined that Brown was qualified to be sentenced under § 99-19-81 as a habitual offender based on prior felony convictions. Brown was sentenced as a habitual offender to the maximum term of fifteen years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections without reduction, suspension, parole, or probation.

¶3. The trial court denied Brown's motion of acquittal, J.N.O.V., or in the alternative, a new trial on June 18, 2001. Brown filed his notice of appeal to this Court on June 26, 2001.

FACTS

¶4. On or about May 23, 2000, Brown went into the Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store (Piggly Wiggly) in Fulton, Itawamba County, Mississippi. Brown walked to the cashier in the Piggly Wiggly with approximately $90.00 worth of groceries. Brown gave Kantress Evans (Evans), the cashier, a check. The check was drawn on a Tupelo Foam Sales, Incorporated account, was payable to V. Edwin Brown, and was for the sum of $252.45. Evans cashed the check and gave Brown the difference between the face amount of the check and the cost of the groceries. The check was returned to the store by BancorpSouth in Fulton. The check was returned as unauthorized because it was believed to have been stolen.

¶5. Brown appeals to this Court raising the following issues:

I. Whether the trial court judge erred in failing to recuse himself after it was learned that he had signed an indictment against the defendant as an assistant district attorney in a prior criminal case.

II. Whether Brown was denied due process of the law because the procedures of identification were tainted.

III. Whether the trial court erred in failing to grant Brown's motion for a directed verdict and his motion for a J.N.O.V.

DISCUSSION

I. Recusal

¶6. Brown alleges that the trial court judge, Judge Richard D. Bowen (Judge Bowen), should have recused himself from presiding over Brown's case. During his service as an assistant district attorney, Judge Bowen signed the indictment in 1979 against Brown on one of the two prior felony convictions used to support Brown's mandatory sentence as a habitual offender. The State's motion to amend indictment to charge habitual offender status asserted that Brown had six prior felony convictions. However, the State only put on proof as to two of the convictions.

¶7. Brown never objected to the admission of the two prior convictions. Brown never offered any evidence to refute the fact that he had been twice convicted of the prior felonies. Brown never requested that Judge Bowen recuse himself as the trial judge. The record reflects that Judge Thomas J. Gardner, III was the circuit judge who entered the order amending the indictment to charge habitual offender status on January 22, 2001. The record reveals the following sentencing proceedings before Judge Bowen:

The Court: All right. The [c]ourt having accepted the verdict of the jury as the judgment of the [c]ourt and ordered that judgment entered and made part of the record in this case, I now note that [Brown] was charged by an amendment to the indictment filed and entered in this cause on January 22, 2001, as an habitual offender and the [c]ourt will now proceed to hear proof as to whether -- the order amending the indictment is actually also entered on the 22nd day of January 2001, and the motion is contained in the file. It alleges that Mr. Brown is an habitual offender as that term is defined under section 99-19-81 of the Mississippi Code...

The order [amending the indictment] was signed by Judge Gardner on 22 of January 2001, and filed in the cause on the same day...

In that the order amends the indictment to charge that the Defendant is charged under that section, 99-19-81 of the Mississippi Code to be sentenced to the maximum term of imprisonment as prescribed for such felony as he has been convicted of here. And such sentence not to be reduced or suspended, nor shall the person be eligible for parole or probation in that, and the charge goes -- the charged in the order alleges that this [d]efendant, [Brown], was convicted in the Circuit Court of Lee County on two counts of burglary and larceny on March 24, 1978, and sentenced to serve a term of six years and secondly, that he was convicted on the 12th day of February 1980, for the offense of uttering forged prescription and sentenced to serve a term of four years. It alleges four other offenses which is claimed that [Brown] was convicted of stretching from November of 1988 until June 1995. If the [c]ourt is correct in its understanding of the law, proof of any two of those alleged convictions and sentences carry at least one year or more in a facility or penal institution, provided these offenses arose out of separate instance -- incidences at separate times, would suffice to place [Brown] in the habitual offender status for which this [c]ourt would have no discretion but to sentence him to the maximum term of imprisonment for the offense of uttering forgery. And furthermore, ordering that such sentence not be reduced or suspended, nor should the [d]efendant be eligible for parole or probation. But that proof of that is required. Is the State ready to proceed with that proof?

State: Yes, Your Honor.

The Court: Is the [d]efendant ready to proceed?

Defense: As ordered, I need to file or make a motion that the judgment be overturned for lack of proper evidence, or notwithstanding the verdict. Is this the proper time to make that motion?

The Court: Ms. Benson, you may make that, as I understand it, within ten days --

Defense: All right.

The Court: I believe is the time period now. You may make it now if you want to or you may present me a motion and an order at a later time. In any event I will allow you ten days from today's date to make that motion.

Defense: All right. Thank you. Thank you, Your Honor.

The Court: With that are you ready to proceed?

Defense: Yes, sir.

The Court: Very well. The State may call its first witness, or offer its first item of evidence.

State: Your Honor, at this time I have two indictments. One is Lee County Cause 18 -- or 18,216. If you'll notice the raised seal of Lee County Circuit Clerk is attached and because that is a sealed document, the state would offer that, if you notice at the back it has been stamped that is has been sealed.

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Vernon E. Brown v. State of Mississippi, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vernon-e-brown-v-state-of-mississippi-miss-2001.