Webb v. State

2017 WY 108, 401 P.3d 914, 2017 WL 4081456, 2017 Wyo. LEXIS 114
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 15, 2017
DocketS-16-0081
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 2017 WY 108 (Webb v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Webb v. State, 2017 WY 108, 401 P.3d 914, 2017 WL 4081456, 2017 Wyo. LEXIS 114 (Wyo. 2017).

Opinions

KAUTZ, Justice.

[¶1] A jury convicted Appellant, Clint Raymond Webb, of two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon, one count of felony property destruction, and one count of attempted second degree murder. On appeal, Mr. Webb argues his convictions should be reversed because the State did not bring his case to trial in a speedy manner, two of his convictions violated the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and there were various errors that occurred during his trial. We affirm.

ISSUES

[¶2] Mr. Webb raises six issues in this appeal:

I. Was [Wyoming Rule of Criminal Procedure] 48 violated when [Mr. Webb] was prosecuted for the same charges after dismissal, when [he] had filed a demand for speedy trial?
II. Was [Mr. Webb] denied his constitutional right to a speedy trial?
III. Did the prosecutor commit misconduct in closing argument when he mischar-acterized the role of the defense expert witness, Dr. Loftus?
IV. Was trial counsel ineffective for failing to offer an accident instruction?
V. Did plain error occur[ ] when the trial court gave an inference of malice instruction?
VI. Should this Court reconsider its holding in Jones v. State, 2016 WY 110, [384 P.3d 260] (Wyo. 2016) as this Court did not analyze the legislative history of Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 6-2-502(a)(ii) and 6-2-104 and determine that the legislature expressly intended the result reached in Jowes?

FACTS

[¶3] On June 30, 2014, Julie Webb was driving her Nissan Murano in Casper, Wyoming. As she was stopped at the intersection of Walsh and Second Street, she saw her estranged husband, Mr. Webb, in his Honda Ridgeline. Ms. Webb testified that as the two passed each other in the intersection, Mr. Webb yelled a profanity at her, but Ms. Webb ignored him and continued driving. A couple of blocks later, when Ms. Webb approached the intersection of 12th Street and Payne, she saw Mr. Webb approach a nearby stop sign and then begin to drive directly towards her car. Ms. Webb swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision but was unsuccessful. Mr. Webb hit the Murano with enough force that the airbags deployed and a number of car parts scattered across the road. Mr. Webb fled the area, and Ms. Webb exited her car and attempted to call 911.

[¶4] Before Ms. Webb could connect with the 911 operator, she heard “ear engines revving up.” When she looked up, she saw the Honda Ridgeline turn the comer. She ran into a nearby yard and Mr. Webb drove his vehicle quickly from the roadway, onto a sidewalk, and toward Ms. Webb. Ms. Webb was able to jump out of the Ridgeline’s path and, with the help of a Good Samaritan, sought refuge in the basement of the Samaritan’s home. Again, Mr. Webb fled the scene, striking a parked vehicle in the process. After abandoning the Ridgeline and taking his mother’s car, Mr. Webb drove to Las Vegas, Nevada, and turned himself into the authorities three days later.

[¶5] On July 1, 2014, the State charged Mr. Webb with one count of aggravated assault and battery -with a deadly weapon in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-2-502(a)(ii) and (a)(iii) (LexisNexis 2013).1 On July 31, 2014, the State dismissed the Information. The State filed a new Information the same day and added an additional count of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon and one count of felony property destruction. The case was bound over to the district court, but on October 23, 2014, the State filed a new Information that added a count of attempted second degree murder, in violation of Wyo. Stat, Ann, §§ 6-l-301(a)(i) and 6-2-104 (Lex-isNexis 2013),2

[¶6] Before the charges alleged in the new Information were bound over to the district court, Mr. Webb’s counsel requested that he receive a competency evaluation. The circuit court granted the motion, and after an evaluation was conducted at the Wyoming State Hospital, the circuit court deemed Mr. Webb competent to proceed. The case was bound over to the district court and proceeded to trial.

[¶7] The week-long trial began on July 27, 2015, and the jury found Mr. Webb guilty of all counts. The district court sentenced him to serve concurrent terms of five to seven years for each count of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon, a concurrent term of one to three years for the felony property destruction, and a consecutive term of thirty to forty-five years for the attempted second degree murder.

DISCUSSION

Wyoming Buie of Criminal Procedure 48

[¶8] Mr. Webb contends the State violated his right to a speedy trial under W.R.Cr.P. 48. We review speedy trial claims de novo. Rhodes v. State, 2016 WY 60, ¶ 9, 348 P.3d 404, 407 (Wyo. 2016). The State originally charged Mr. Webb with one count of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon on July 1, 2014. On July 31, 2014, the State dismissed the charge but filed a new Information charging Mr. Webb with two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon and one count of felony property destruction. On August 15, 2014, Mr. Webb filed a written demand for a speedy trial. On October 23, 2014, the State filed a new Information in an entirely new docket number that contained the. previous three -charges and, added one count of attempted second degree murder. The State then moved to dismiss the July 31 Information. Mr. Webb argues that because he had filed a demand for a speedy trial before the State dismissed the July 31 Information and filed the October 23 Information, the State violated his speedy tidal right under Rule 48(b)(7).

[¶9] The relevant portions of Rule 48 state:

Rule 48. Dismissal; speedy trial.
(a) By attorney for the state. — The attorney for the state may, by leave of court, file a dismissal of an indictment, information or citation, and the prosecution shall thereupon terminate, Such a dismissal may not be filed during the trial without the consent of the defendant.
(b) Speedy trial—
(1) It is the responsibility of the court, counsel and the defendant to insure that the defendant is timely tried.
(2) A criminal charge shall be brought to trial within 180 days following arraignment unless continued as provided in this rule.
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(6) Any criminal .case not tried or continued, as provided in this rule shall be dismissed 180 days after arraignment.
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(7) A dismissal for lack of speedy trial under this rule shall not bar the state from again prosecuting the defendant for the same offense unless the defendant made a written demand for a speedy trial or can demonstrate prejudice from the delay..

[¶10] A plain reading of Rule 48(b)(7) makes it clear that Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2017 WY 108, 401 P.3d 914, 2017 WL 4081456, 2017 Wyo. LEXIS 114, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/webb-v-state-wyo-2017.