Washington v. State

921 P.2d 1253
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 16, 1996
Docket24034
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 921 P.2d 1253 (Washington v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Washington v. State, 921 P.2d 1253 (Neb. 1996).

Opinion

921 P.2d 1253 (1996)

Eric Lee WASHINGTON, Appellant,
v.
The STATE of Nevada, Respondent.

No. 24034.

Supreme Court of Nevada.

August 16, 1996.

*1254 Eric Lee Washington, in pro. per., Carson City, for Appellant.

Frankie Sue Del Papa, Attorney General, Carson City; Stewart L. Bell, District Attorney, Clark County, for Respondent.

OPINION

PER CURIAM:

Appellant Eric Lee Washington challenges the district court's denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. Washington contends that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the prosecutor's comments on his post-arrest silence and his failure to call witnesses at trial. Because the prosecutor's comments shifted the burden of proof to Washington, we reverse Washington's conviction.

FACTS

On November 14, 1989, the state filed an information charging appellant Eric Lee Washington and his co-defendant Willie T. Smith each with one count of burglary and two counts of robbery.[1] The state accused Washington and Smith of entering a home with four other men and beating and robbing the occupants. The state prosecuted the other assailants separately.

The district court conducted a jury trial on January 4 and 5, 1990. The state presented only three witnesses in support of its case: the two victims and the arresting police officer. The victims testified that at about 4:00 a.m. on October 10, 1989, they heard a knock on the door of their house. As victim Mario Johnson reached for the door, six men stormed the house and began beating Mario and harassing Mario's girlfriend Rose Gruba. Mario testified at trial that he saw Willie Smith and Washington rush into the house. Mario was positive that he saw Smith and Washington because he had known them for several years. Mario testified that Washington did not hit him during the melee.

Mario testified that Rose retreated to the kitchen when the group stormed the house. Although he could not see well because of the beating, Mario stated that he heard Washington and Willie Smith go into the kitchen toward Rose. Rose eventually escaped through a back door and called the police.

After beating Mario, the group carried him into the bathroom and tossed him into the bath tub. Mario discovered after the group left that at least $25 was missing. Mario did not see anyone take the money.

Rose testified that she ran into the kitchen when she saw the group crash through the front door. According to Rose, Willie Smith approached her in the kitchen and hit her on the head. Willie then put Rose in a choke hold. Rose bit Willie's arm and attempted to swing a coffee pot at him. Willie ordered Rose to leave the apartment through the back door.

Rose discovered after the incident that $80 was missing from her purse. She did not see anyone steal the money. Rose testified that she did not see Washington come into her home. In addition, Rose did not know Washington *1255 and she could not identify him in court.

Police Officer Dave McArthur testified that he investigated the crime scene. Mario informed McArthur that Willie Smith and Washington were members of the group that had attacked him. Contrary to Rose's testimony, McArthur testified that Rose told him that Washington, not Willie Smith, was the person who had hit her while she was in the kitchen.

McArthur testified further that he arrested Washington in front of Washington's home two or three hours after the incident. McArthur read Washington the Miranda warnings. According to McArthur, Washington then admitted to being at the crime scene earlier in the evening but that he "didn't remember what had happened, because he'd been drunk or under a controlled influence...."

McArthur indicated that the contents of the police report contradicted portions of Mario's and Rose's trial testimony. The police report stated that Mario and Rose were watching television when the group attacked them. Mario and Rose testified at trial that they did not own a television. The police report also indicated that Rose, rather than Mario, answered the door. In addition, Rose informed McArthur that Washington and not Willie Smith attacked her.

Washington testified that he was outside Mario's and Rose's house at approximately 2:15 a.m. with a group of people. He saw others, including Willie Smith, engaging in a discussion with Mario. The group was harassing Rose and Mario. Washington indicated that two men named "Big Moe" and "Richard Lee" were with the group. Although Washington admitted that he entered the house briefly, he denied participating in the discussion.

The group left Mario's and Rose's house and went two doors down the street to Washington's residence.[2] The group listened to music and danced for a short time. The men then left while Washington stayed at home.

Washington testified that at 4:15 a.m. he heard noises coming from Mario's and Rose's house. Washington walked to the house and saw members of the group that had congregated earlier beating up Mario. Someone mentioned during the fracas that the police had been called. Washington testified that he calmly broke up the fight and told the assailants to flee before the police arrived. Washington then returned to his house.

The police arrested Washington without incident at his home. Washington asserted that Officer McArthur did not arrest him, but that McArthur's partner did. Washington contended that McArthur detained Washington's cousin, Clint Smith, while the other police officer read Washington the Miranda warnings.

On cross-examination, the prosecutor challenged Washington's version of his arrest. Washington discounted Officer McArthur's testimony that he had informed the police that he could not remember the events of the evening because he was intoxicated. According to Washington, the only statement he made to the police was his request to take him to Mario's and Rose's house to give them an opportunity to identify him.

The prosecutor challenged Washington's story:

Q You had your Miranda rights read to you?
A Yes, I did.
Q And you understood them?
A Yes, I did.
Q Did you talk to the officer?
A Not before—not after he read me my rights.
Q Did you ask for an attorney at that point?
A No. I didn't.
Q From the time that you had your Miranda rights read to you till today, have you ever told the police officer or someone in authority your story?
*1256 A I told my lawyer. I never told the police officer.
. . . . .
Q And you didn't make a statement that night that these guys were beating up [Mario and Rose]?
A No, I didn't. No, I didn't.
Q When you were booked into the jail when you were arrested on this charge, you didn't tell the booking officer your story; did you?
A No, I didn't. I—who's the booking officer?
Q Did you tell anybody in the jail your story?
A I—the first officer I talked to was a Jay Smith, the one that came into the house and put the handcuffs on me, and the only thing I told him was—I asked him to take me back down there so they can identify me, `cause I was sure he was mistaken.

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Bluebook (online)
921 P.2d 1253, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/washington-v-state-nev-1996.