Washington v. State

1992 OK CR 43, 836 P.2d 673, 63 O.B.A.J. 1949, 1992 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 58
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 29, 1992
DocketNo. F-84-727
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1992 OK CR 43 (Washington v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Washington v. State, 1992 OK CR 43, 836 P.2d 673, 63 O.B.A.J. 1949, 1992 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 58 (Okla. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinions

OPINION

BRETT, Judge:

John Paul Washington, appellant, was tried by a jury for the crimes of First [674]*674Degree Murder (Count I), in violation of 21 O.S.1981, § 701.7, and First Degree Rape (Count II), in violation of 21 O.S.1981, §§ 1111 and 1114, in Case No. CRF-84-795, in the District Court of Oklahoma County. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on both Counts and assessed punishment at death on Count I and five hundred (500) years imprisonment on Count II. The trial court sentenced the appellant accordingly. It is from this Judgment and Sentence that appellant has perfected his appeal to this Court.

On the afternoon of February 12, 1984, Arlie Virgil Newsome and his wife Bob-bette were in the parking lot of their apartment complex looking at some minor damage to their car. The appellant, who lived in the same complex, approached them and offered to repair the car if they had the necessary screws. They did not have the screws but said that they would get some and then notify the appellant. The New-somes then went into their apartment and the appellant left. A few minutes later, the appellant appeared at the Newsomes’s door with screws in hand. Mr. Newsome and the appellant went out to the car for a while and then came back in to drink some iced tea. After appellant asked Mr. New-some to take him to the store to buy cigarettes, the two left the apartment together.

Approximately twenty minutes later, appellant knocked on the apartment door. Mrs. Newsome answered the door and asked where her husband was. Appellant said that he was right behind him. He then entered the apartment and locked the door. Appellant raped Mrs. Newsome four times before he tied her up and left. Mr. Newsome’s body was later found near a trash dumpster at the apartment complex. The appellant was arrested that same night.

Because we find that this case must be reversed, we will address only the error which requires this result. After preliminary hearing but prior to trial, defense counsel made a motion before the trial court requesting, in pertinent part, that appellant be provided funds with which to secure a psychiatrist, forensic odontologist and chemist. The trial court originally granted this motion but rescinded its order four days later finding that the requested experts need not be appointed because there was no constitutionally mandated duty to do so. Thus, appellant proceeded to trial without the aid of the requested experts and was duly convicted of the crimes charged.

There was a significant change in federal constitutional law regarding the need to provide expert witnesses to indigent defendants in 1985, after appellant’s conviction. In Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 83, 105 S.Ct. 1087, 1096, 84 L.Ed.2d 53 (1985), the Supreme Court found, upon a federal constitutional basis, that “when a defendant demonstrates to the trial judge that his sanity at the time of the offense is likely to be a significant factor at trial, the State must, at a minimum, assure the defendant access to a competent psychiatrist who will conduct an appropriate examination and assist in evaluation, preparation, and presentation of the defense.” The Supreme Court instructed that this holding be applicable not only to the guilt/innocence stage of the proceeding, but also to the punishment stage of the proceeding when “the State has made the defendant’s mental condition relevant to his criminal culpability and to the punishment he might suffer....” Id., 470 U.S. at 80, 105 S.Ct. at 1095. Later, in Ake v. State, 778 P.2d 460, 464 n. 1 (Okl.Cr.1989), this Court noted that the ruling enunciated by the Supreme Court in Ake v. Oklahoma dealt specifically with psychiatric experts, but did not preclude the possibility that the principles of Ake should be extended to includé any expert which is “necessary for an adequate defense.”

To decide whether the State shall be required to provide an indigent defendant with expert assistance under Ake v. Oklahoma the Supreme Court employed a three part analysis. First, it was noted that “[t]he interest of the individual in the outcome of the State’s effort to overcome the presumption of innocence” weighs heavily in the analysis. Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. at 78, 105 S.Ct. at 1093. Second, the interest of the State was weighed. Id. Finally, the Court inquired “into the proba[675]*675ble value of the [expert] assistance sought, and the risk of error in the proceeding if such assistance is not offered.” Id., 470 U.S. at 79, 105 S.Ct. at 1094.

After Ake had been handed down, defense counsel in the present case requested that this Court grant appellant an eviden-tiary hearing to allow him the opportunity to present what he could have shown in support of his motion for experts had the parties had the benefit of the Ake ruling at the time that the original motion was argued. This request was granted, an evi-dentiary hearing was had, and findings of fact and conclusions of law were entered and forwarded to this Court.

In regard to appellant’s request for a psychiatric expert, the hearing judge first noted in his findings of fact that appellant was charged with malice aforethought murder, which put his specific mental state at issue. He also noted that a bill of particulars was filed wherein it was alleged that appellant constituted a continuing threat to society. Because of this, appellant’s mental condition was also relevant to the punishment imposed.

At the evidentiary hearing, evidence presented showed that the attorney who represented appellant at preliminary hearing had requested a psychiatric expert for several reasons. These reasons include the facts and circumstances surrounding the crime, his suspicion that appellant may have been on drugs, namely PCP, when the crime was committed, and because he had gathered information from appellant’s family indicating that appellant had a learning disability, was depressed before the crime, and had suffered head trauma as a child. Further, at the time of the original motion hearing, evidence of appellant’s history could have been presented from appellant’s sister. Evidence presented at the eviden-tiary hearing showed that his sister could have testified that appellant seemed “mentally off” and suffered from a learning disability. She also indicated that after a head injury as a child, appellant became even slower and began having behavioral problems at school. Appellant became easily agitated and would not be able to con-tool his temper. Appellant’s sister also revealed that a few weeks before the homicide appellant had stated that the police were going to “get him.” After his incarceration while he was awaiting trial, appellant told his sister that he had been framed by the police. His sister thought at this time that he was suffering from mental problems.

Evidence was also presented at the evi-dentiary hearing that appellant’s second defense attorney had questioned appellant’s mental condition at the time that the crimes were committed. Apparently, appellant was unable to communicate to his attorney in any manner any information to help him prepare appellant’s defense. Appellant did not seem to understand the reality of the situation and was obsessed with the belief that he had been framed by the police. On occasion, appellant would talk gibberish and his attorney would not be able to understand what appellant was saying.

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Related

Frederick v. State
2001 OK CR 34 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2001)
Rogers v. State
890 P.2d 959 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1995)
Hawkins v. State
891 P.2d 586 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1995)
Salazar v. State
1993 OK CR 21 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1993)
Washington v. State
836 P.2d 673 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1992 OK CR 43, 836 P.2d 673, 63 O.B.A.J. 1949, 1992 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/washington-v-state-oklacrimapp-1992.