Case Title: STATE v LAMERE

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1980-12-17T00:00:00Z

Document:
No. 80-69 I N T H E SUPREME COURT O F THE STATE O F M O N T A N A 1980 THE STATE O F M O N T A N A , P l a i n t i f f and Respondent, VS . CLIFFORD LaMERE , Defendant and Appellant. Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e Eighth J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t , I n and For t h e County of Cascade. Honorable John McCarvel, Judge p r e s i d i n g . Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Sandra K. Watts argued, Great F a l l s , Montana For Respondent: Honorable Mike Greely, Attorney General, Helena, Montana S h e r i K. Sprigg argued, A s s i s t a n t Attorney General, Helena, Montana J. Fred Bourdeau, County Attorney, G r e a t F a l l s , Montana C a r r o l l Blend argued, Deputy County Attorney, G r e a t F a l l s , Great F a l l s , Montana Submitted: November 10, 1980 ~ e c i d e d : DEG 1 7 1 9 m ~ i l e d : DEC I 7 1 9 8 0 Mr. Chief J u s t i c e Frank I . Haswell delivered t h e Opinion of t h e Court. Defendant Cl i f f o r d LaMere appeals from a jury v e r d i c t f i n d i n g him g u i l t y of aggravated a s s a u l t , in v i o l a t i o n of s e c t i o n 4 5 - 5 - 2 0 2 ( 1 ) ( ~ ) , MCA. On t h e afternoon of August 29, 1979, t h e manager of A l b e r t s o n ' s grocery s t o r e in Great F a l l s noticed defendant removing numerous p l a s t i c bags from a r o l l i n t h e s t o r e . The manager asked defendant t o leave. Defendant l e f t the s t o r e , h u t remained o u t s i d e t h e s t o r e , looking i n . S h o r t l y t h e r e a f t e r , the complaining witness, Chris Cal k i n s , a new bagboy a t the s t o r e , a c c i d e n t l y bumped i n t o defen- dant on h i s way back i n t o the s t o r e . Defendant turned t o him with a l a r g e knife and held i t close t o the bagboy's stomach, saying, " I ' m going t o k i l l t h a t l i t t l e s.0.b. and I ' l l k i l l you i f you d o n ' t get t h a t mother f---- r . " The victim brushed by t h e defendant and walked quickly i n t o the s t o r e t o get Kimble Wiley, " t h e l i t t l e s t person" he could see. Talking r a p i d l y , he t o l d Wiley what had happened outside. One of the checkers in t h e s t o r e overheard the conversation between the victim and Wiley, and c a l l e d t h e manager. The defendant was a r r e s t e d l a t e r t h a t day and charged with aggravated a s s a u l t . H e was convicted by a jury and t h e judge sentenced him t o ten years in Montana S t a t e pri son. Defendant presents t h r e e issues t o t h i s Court. (1) Did the S t a t e s u s t a i n i t s burden of proving aggravated a s s a u l t , d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t the victim d i d not t e s t i f y t o being i n immediate f e a r ? ( 2 ) Did the d i s t r i c t judge e r r by not allowing defense counsel t o ask prospective jurors whether re1 a t i v e s or f r i e n d s had ever been victims of an a s s a u l t ? ( 3 ) Did the d i s t r i c t judge's repeated i n t e r r u p t i o n s of defense counsel so prejudice the r i g h t s of the defendant t h a t he i s e n t i t l e d t o a new t r i a l ? The d e f e n d a n t was c h a r g e d u n d e r s e c t i o n 4 5 - 5 - 2 0 2 ( 1 ) ( c ) , MCA, w h i c h p r o v i d e s i n p a r t : " A p e r s o n c o m m i t s t h e o f f e n s e o f a g g r a v a t e d a s s a u l t i f he p u r p o s e l y o r k n o w i n g l y c a u s e s : " ( c ) r e a s o n a b l e a p p r e h e n s i o n o f s e r i o u s b o d i l y i n j u r y i n a n o t h e r b y use o f a weapon . . ." D e f e n d a n t c o n t e n d s t h a t t h e S t a t e d i d n o t show t h a t t h e v i c t i m was p l a c e d i n " r e a s o n a b l e a p p r e h e n s i o n ," and t h e r e f o r e t h e S t a t e d i d n o t p r o v e t h a t e l e m e n t o f t h e c r i m e . The t e s t i m o n y o f t h e v i c t i m shows t h a t he was " s h o c k e d " a t t h e t i m e o f t h e i n c i d e n t , b u t t h a t he was n o t a c t u a l l y c o n s c i o u s o f any f e a r u n t i l a f t e r he w a l k e d away f r o m t h e d e f e n d a n t and r e a l i z e d w h a t h a d happened. D e f e n d a n t asks t h i s C o u r t t o f i n d t h a t u n l e s s t h e v i c t i m t e s t i f i e s t o an i m m e d i a t e f e a r o f b o d i l y i n j u r y t h a t t h e d e f e n d a n t c a n n o t be c o n v i c t e d u n d e r Montana law. A t t h e o u t s e t , we n o t e t h a t s e c t i o n 4 5 - 5 - 2 0 2 ( 1 ) ( c ) , MCA, makes no m e n t i o n o f t h e need t o show t h a t an i m m e d i a t e f e a r was a r o u s e d i n t h e v i c t i m . B u t d e f e n d a n t c a l l s t h i s C o u r t ' s a t t e n - t i o n t o t h e e a r l y Montana c a s e o f S t a t e v. B a r r y ( 1 9 1 2 ) , 4 5 Mont. 598, 1 2 4 P. 775, i n w h i c h t h i s C o u r t a p p r o v e d t h e c h a r g e t o t h e j u r y : " [ A l n a s s a u l t i s any u n l a w f u l p h y s i c a l f o r c e p a r t l y o r f u l l y p u t i n m o t i o n w h i c h c r e a t e s a r e a s o n a b l e a p p r e h e n s i o n o f i m m e d i a t e p h y s i c a l i n j u r y . . ." S t a t e v. B a r r y , s u p r a , 4 5 Mont. a t 603, 1 2 4 P. a t 776-777. " I m m e d i a t e f e a r i ' was n o t a t i s s u e i n t h a t case. What was i n q u e s t i o n was w h e t h e r d e f e n d a n t c o u l d be f o u n d g u i l t y o f a s s a u l t when t h e v i c t i m d i d n o t even know t h a t t h e d e f e n d a n t was p o i n t i n g a gun a t him. The c o u r t ' s f i n d i n g t h a t t h e v i c t i m was n e v e r i n f e a r , and t h e r e f o r e t h a t t h e r e c o u l d n o t be an a s s a u l t , g a v e t h e c o u r t an o p p o r t u n i t y t o d i s c u s s t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e a s s a u l t s t a t u t e s . The c o u r t n o t e d t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t i v e a i m i s t o p r e v e n t b r e a c h e s o f t h e peace, f o r when a v i c t i m i s p u t i n a p o s i t i o n o f k n o w i n g t h a t he may r e c e i v e a b l o w u n l e s s he s t r i k e s i n s e l f - d e f e n s e , t h e n t h e v i c t i m may be p r o v o k e d i n t o b r e a c h i n g t h e peace. S t a t e v. B a r r y , 4 5 M o n t . a t 602-3, 1 2 4 P. a t 776. See a l s o C. E. T o r c i a , W h a r t o n ' s C r i m i n a l Law, $180 ( 1 4 t h ed. 1 9 7 9 ) . The B a r r y c o u r t f o u n d t h a t an u n l o a d e d gun, as we1 1 as a l o a d e d gun, c o u l d be u s e d t o commit an a s s a u l t b e c a u s e t h e o f f e n s e i s c o m m i t t e d a t t h e t i m e t h a t t h e " p a r t y a s s a u l t e d b e l i e v c e s ] i n t h e r e a l i t y o f t h e a t t a c k . . . The t r u e r u l e i s t h a t t h e r e m u s t be some a d a p t a t i o n o f t h e means t o t h e end, and i t i s enough i f t h i s a d a p t a t i o n be a p p a r e n t , so as t o i m p r e s s o r a l a r m a p e r s o n o f o r d i n a r y r e a s o n . " S t a t e v. B a r r y , 45 M o n t a t 603, 1 2 4 P. a t 776. T h i s C o u r t does r e q u i r e t h e S t a t e t o p r e s e n t e v i d e n c e t o show t h e v i c t i m ' s s t a t e o f m i n d a t t h e t i m e o f t h e a l l e g e d a s s a u l t . W i t h o u t s u c h e v i d e n c e , i t i s i m p o s s i b l e f o r t h e j u r y t o d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r d e f e n d a n t ' s c o n d u c t p l a c e d t h e v i c t i m i n r e a s o - n a b l e f e a r o r a p p r e h e n s i o n o f s e r i o u s b o d i l y i n j u r y . See S t a t e v. M e r s e a l ( 1 9 7 5 ) , 1 6 7 M o n t . 4 1 2 , 416, 538 P.2d 1366, 1 3 6 8 ; S t a t e v. S a n d e r s ( 1 9 7 1 ) , 1 5 8 M o n t . 1 1 3 , 1 1 7 , 4 8 9 P.2d 371, 373. B u t t h i s C o u r t has n e v e r h e l d t h a t a s h o w i n g o f i m m e d i a t e f e a r i s t h e o n l y way t o p r o v e " r e a s o n a b l e a p p r e h e n s i o n . " W e r e c o g n i z e t h a t , as i n c i v i l a s s a u l t , " a p p r e h e n s i o n i s n o t t h e same t h i n g as f e a r , " W. P r o s s e r , Law o f T o r t s $ 1 0 ( 4 t h ed 1 9 7 1 ) , a n d we a l s o r e c o g n i z e t h a t a v i c t i m may be p u t i n a p o s i t i o n , s u c h as t h e v i c t i m t e s t i f i e d t o h e r e , o f b e i n g so s t a r t l e d , o r s h o c k e d , o r a f r a i d , t h a t h i s r e a c t i o n i s a d e l a y e d one. The " r e a s o n a b l e a p p r e h e n s i o n " may be a r e s p o n s e t h a t t h e v i c t i m i s n o t i n s t a n t l y aware o f , b u t h i s a c t i o n s may c l e a r l y show t h a t he a p p r e h e n d s t h e r e a l i t y o f t h e a t t a c k . H e r e t h e v i c t i m t e s t i f i e d t h a t he b r u s h e d o f f t h e d e f e n d a n t and h u r r i e d b a c k i n t o t h e s t o r e , d o i n g j u s t as t h e d e f e n d a n t t o l d him. K i m b l e W i l e y t e s t i f i e d t h a t t h e v i c t i m came r u n n i n g up t o h i m and t h a t " h e was t a l k i n g a l i t t l e r a p i d l y . You know, t r y i n g t o g e t i t a l l o u t a t once, y o u know." The v i c t i m h i m s e l f t e s t i f i e d t o t h e t y p e o f r e a c t i o n t h a t he had: "Q. T h a t i s what you t o l d M i s s W a t t s , i s t h a t r i g h t ? A. T h a t I w a s n ' t s c a r e d a t t h e t i m e . " Q . Yes. A. Yes. "Q. What were y o u f e e l i n g a t t h e t i m e ? A. I was j u s t r e a c t i n g , I w a s n ' t f e e l i n g r e a l l y n o t h i n g . J u s t t h a t I r e a c t e d . " Q . A f t e r y o u d i d have a r e a c t i o n , what r e a c - t i o n was t h a t ? A. T h a t I c o u l d have g o t h u r t o r k i l l e d . "Q. O r k i l l e d ? A. Yes. "Q. When d i d y o u have t h a t r e a c t i o n ? A. R i g h t a f t e r I l e f t t h e p e r s o n w i t h t h e k n i f e . "Q. And y o u went t o warn K i m b l e ? A. Yes." On t h e b a s i s o f t h i s e v i d e n c e , we f i n d t h a t t h e j u d g e c o r r e c t l y d e n i e d d e f e n d a n t ' s m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s , and p r o p e r l y sub- m i t t e d t h e case t o t h e j u r y . From t h e t e s t i m o n y c o n c e r n i n g t h e v i c t i m ' s n o n v e r b a l r e s p o n s e s and t h e v i c t i m ' s own t e s t i m o n y con- c e r n i n g h i s r e a c t i o n s , t h e j u r y was a b l e t o make a d e t e r m i n a t i o n t h a t t h e v i c t i m was r e a s o n a b l y a p p r e h e n s i v e o f s e r i o u s b o d i l y i n j u r y . W e w i l l n o t o v e r t u r n t h a t f i n d i n g because we f i n d t h a t i t i s s u p p o r t e d b y s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e . S t a t e v. M e r s e a l , s u p r a , 167 Mont. a t 415, 538 P.2d a t 1368. The a p p e l l a n t n e x t c o n t e n d s t h a t d e f e n d a n t ' s r i g h t t o a f a i r t r i a l may have been p r e j u d i c e d b y t h e e x c l u s i o n o f a p a r - t i c u l a r l i n e o f q u e s t i o n s d u r i n g v o i r d i r e . D e f e n s e c o u n s e l asked t h e j u r o r s , "Have any o f you e v e r been a v i c t i m o f a c r i m e ? " A l l j u r o r s were p e r m i t t e d t o answer t h e q u e s t i o n and d i s c u s s i t w i t h c o u n s e l . N e x t , c o u n s e l asked, "Any o f y o u e v e r had f r i e n d s o r r e l a t i v e s who have been t h e v i c t i m of an a s s a u l t ? " A f t e r two p e r s o n s answered t h e q u e s t i o n , t h e t r i a l j u d g e i n t e r r u p t e d : "I w i l l ask y o u now t o -- some o f t h e s e q u e s t i o n s a r e g e n e r a l q u e s t i o n s and ace g e t t i n g s o b r o a d t h a t we c o u l d be h e r e a l l day f i n d i n g r e 1 a t i v e s o r a c q u a i n t a n c e s o f somebody who has been i n v o l v e d i n c r i m i n a l law. I w i l l ask y o u now t o c o n f i n e y o u r q u e s t i o n s t o t h e t h i n g s t h a t have t o do w i t h t h e s e p a r t i c u l a r j u r o r s . " C o u n s e l o b j e c t e d t o t h i s l i m i t a t i o n , and abandoned t h e l i n e o f q u e s t i o n i n g . She now a r g u e s t h a t t h i s case m i g h t have gone t o t h e j u r y w i t h a s i t t i n g j u r o r who had a c l o s e f r i e n d o r r e l a t i v e who was t h e v i c t i m o f an a s s a u l t , p e r h a p s m a k i n g i t i m p o s s i b l e f o r t h a t j u r o r t o be o b j e c t i v e . W e f i n d t h a t t h e t r i a l j u d g e u n n e c e s s a r i l y l i m i t e d v o i r d i r e , b u t u n d e r t h e f a c t s o f t h i s c a s e , we do n o t f i n d r e v e r s i b l e e r r o r . T h e r e a r e s e v e r a l o v e r r i d i n g p r i n c i p l e s t h a t m u s t be t a k e n i n t o a c c o u n t i n a s s e s s i n g t h e e f f e c t o f t h e j u d g e ' s r e f u s a l o f q u e s t i o n s d u r i n g v o i r d i r e . The d e f e n d a n t i s e n t i t l e d t o an i m p a r t i a l j u r y and t h e p u r p o s e o f v o i r d i r e i s t o e x p o s e any p o s s i b l e b i a s e s . Haynes v. M i s s o u l a C o u n t y ( 1 9 7 3 ) , 1 6 3 M o n t . 2 7 0 , 2 8 7 - 8 8 , 517 P.2d 370, 380. I n c h o o s i n g an i m p a r t i a l j u r y , c o u n s e l m u s t h a v e w i d e l a t i t u d e i n q u e s t i o n i n g d u r i n g v o i r d i r e . Y e t t h e t r i a l j u d g e m u s t a l s o be a b l e t o s e t r e a s o n a b l e l i m i t s on v o i r d i r e . See B o r k o s k i v. Y o s t ( 1 9 7 9 ) , M o n t . , 5 9 4 P.2d 6 8 8 , 690, 36 St.Rep. 8 0 9 , 812. S e v e r a l j u r i s d i c t i o n s h a v e c o n s i d e r e d t h e i s s u e r a i s e d b y a p p e l l a n t . D e s p i t e d i f f e r i n g c o n c l u s i o n s r e a c h e d as t o t h e e x t e n t o f t h e q u e s t i o n s t h a t m u s t be a l l o w e d , t h e c o u r t s con- s i d e r i n g t h e m a t t e r u n i f o r m l y a g r e e t h a t t h e t r i a l j u d g e s h o u l d m i n i m a l l y a l l o w a q u e s t i o n as t o w h e t h e r any p r o s p e c t i v e j u r o r h a s been a v i c t i m o f t h e c r i m e c h a r g e d . U n i t e d S t a t e s v. B r a d l e y ( 2 d C i r . 1 9 7 1 ) , 447 F.2d 224, 226; Commonwealth v. D a v i s ( 1 9 7 8 ) , Pa. , 4 0 0 A.2d 1 3 2 0 , 1321. Many c o u r t s have f o u n d t h a t i t i s a l s o r e l e v a n t t o i n q u i r e i n t o e x p e r i e n c e s o f t h e j u r o r s ' i m m e d i a t e f a m i l y members w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e c r i m e c h a r g e d . Beyond t h a t l i m i t , i t i s d i s c r e - t i o n a r y w i t h t h e t r i a l j u d g e as t o w h e t h e r t o a l l o w q u e s t i o n s a b o u t f r i e n d s , r e l a t i v e s o r c r i m e s o t h e r t h a n t h e one c h a r g e d . U n i t e d S t a t e s v. P o o l e ( 3 r d C i r . 1 9 7 1 ) , 4 5 0 F.2d 1082, 1083-1084. W e f i n d t h i s v i e w t o be p e r s u a s i v e . A p e r s o n who h a s h i m - s e l f been a v i c t i m o f t h e c r i m e c h a r g e d o r who has e x p e r i e n c e d t h e c r i m e t h r o u g h a f a m i l y member's e x p e r i e n c e i s l i k e l y t o h a v e v e r y s t r o n g f e e l i n g s t o w a r d a d e f e n d a n t a c c u s e d o f t h a t c r i m e , and any p o s s i b l e b i a s s h o u l d be e x p l o r e d d u r i n g v o i r d i r e . However, i t i s n o t n e c e s s a r y f o r t h e t r i a l j u d g e t o a1 l o w q u e s t i o n s as t o f r i e n d s and a c q u a i n t a n c e s . The t r i a l j u d g e d i d n o t abuse h i s d i s c r e t i o n i n r e s t r i c t i n g q u e s t i o n s d i r e c t e d t o w a r d j u r o r s ' f r i e n d s , b u t c o u n s e l s h o u l d have b e e n a b l e t o q u e s t i o n a b o u t i m m e d i a t e f a m i l y members as v i c t i m s o f an a s s a u l t . W e n o t e t h a t c o u n s e l n e v e r posed a q u e s t i o n d i r e c t e d o n l y a t t h e j u r o r s t h e m s e l v e s and t h e i r f a m i l i e s , n o r does c o u n s e l b r i n g any e v i d e n c e t o t h i s C o u r t s h o w i n g t h a t d e f e n d a n t was p r e - j u d i c e d b y t h e j u d g e ' s r e s t r i c t i o n s . T h i s C o u r t w i l l n o t presume p r e j u d i c e . I f i t d i d e x i s t , i t i s i n c u m b e n t on d e f e n d a n t t o b r i n g t h e e v i d e n c e o f p r e j u d i c e b e f o r e us. Kuchan v. H a r v e y ( 1 9 7 8 1 , Mont. , 585 P.2d 1298, 1 3 0 1 , 3 5 St.Rep. 1 5 4 7 , 1550. W e f i n d no r e v e r s i b l e e r r o r i n t h e j u d g e ' s l i m i t a t i o n . A p p e l l a n t n e x t p r e d i c a t e s e r r o r on t h e t r i a l j u d g e ' s i n t e r r u p t i o n s d u r i n g v o i r d i r e and h i s i n t e r r u p t i o n s o f h e r o p e n i n g s t a t e m e n t and c l o s i n g a r g u m e n t . C o u n s e l f o r a p p e l l a n t a r g u e s t h a t t h e c u m u l a t i v e e f f e c t o f t h i s c o n d u c t may have b e e n t o make t h e j u r y l o o k u n f a v o r a b l y upon t h e d e f e n d a n t , a l t h o u g h she a d m i t s t h a t t h e j u d g e was n o t o p e n l y h o s t i l e o r i n t e n t i o n a l l y a t t e m p t i n g t o p r e j u d i c e t h e d e f e n d a n t . J u d i c i a l c o n d u c t o f a t r i a l c a n a f f e c t t h e s u b s t a n t i v e r i g h t s o f a d e f e n d a n t . A n n o t . , 62 ALR2d 166. B u t t h e c o u r t a l s o h a s a d u t y t o c o n d u c t t h e t r i a l i n a s p e e d y and f a i r manner and h a s w i d e l a t i t u d e i n so d o i n g . S t a t e v. P i p p i ( 1 9 2 1 ) , 5 9 M o n t . 1 1 6 , 1 2 3 , 1 9 5 P. 556, 558-59. Among t h e i n t e r r u p t i o n s o f w h i c h d e f e n d a n t c o m p l a i n s a r e s e v e r a l i n s t a n c e s d u r i n g v o i r d i r e . The r e c o r d r e v e a l s t h a t t h e t r i a l j u d g e i n t e r r u p t e d b o t h c o u n s e l s e v e r a l t i m e s , a d m o n i s h i n g t h e i r use o f " l a w s c h o o l q u e s t i o n s " w i t h t h e j u r y . The o t h e r i n s t a n c e was d i s c u s s e d above and i n v o l v e d t h e j u d g e ' s l i m i t a t i o n o f what he f e l t t o be an o v e r l y - b r o a d q u e s t i o n . A b s e n t an abuse o f d i s c r e t i o n , w h i c h i s n o t a l l e g e d h e r e , t h e t r i a l j u d g e has g r e a t l a t i t u d e i n c o n t r o l l i n g v o i r d i r e . B o r k o s k i , s u p r a , Mont. , 594 P.2d a t 690, 36 St.Rep. a t 812. The j u d g e a l s o i n t e r r u p t e d d e f e n s e c o u n s e l d u r i n g h e r o p e n i n g s t a t e m e n t , w a r n i n g h e r n o t t o a r g u e t h e case. A l t h o u g h a j u d g e s h o u l d n o t i n t e r r u p t t h e o p e n i n g , so as t o p r e v e n t d e f e n d a n t f r o m o u t l i n i n g h i s d e f e n s e , t h e t r i a l j u d g e c a n s t o p c o u n s e l f r o m g i v i n g i n s t r u c t i o n s o r a r g u i n g t h e case. S t a t e v. M a r t i n e z ( 1 9 8 0 ) , Mont. , 613 P.2d 974, 982, 37 St.Rep. 982, 991. H e r e t h e j u d g e p r o p e r l y i n t e r r u p t e d c o u n s e l . The l a s t i n t e r r u p t i o n o c c u r r e d a b o u t 2 : 3 0 p.m. d u r i n g c l o s i n g a r g u m e n t s . The j u d g e asked c o u n s e l i f she w o u l d l i k e t o t a k e t h e a f t e r n o o n r e c e s s o r c o n t i n u e t o a r g u e . T h i s i n t e r r u p - t i o n may have b r o k e n t h e c o n t i n u i t y o f h e r argument, b u t i t a p p e a r s t h a t t h e j u d g e was o n l y a t t e m p t i n g t o f a c i l i t a t e t h e t r i a1 . A l t h o u g h t h e r e c o r d r e f l e c t s numerous i n t e r r u p t i o n s o f d e f e n d a n t ' s case, t h e r e i s e v i d e n c e t o show t h a t most o f t h e i n t e r r u p t i o n s were w a r r a n t e d . Counsel does n o t a1 l e g e , and t h e r e c o r d does n o t show, t h a t t h e j u d g e ' s c o n d u c t o f t h e t r i a l was meant t o do a n y t h i n g b u t e x p e d i t e and f a c i l i t a t e t h e t r i a l . The d e f e n d a n t i s n o t e n t i t l e d t o a new t r i a l . The c o n v i c t i o n i s a f f i r m e d . C h i e f J u s t i c e /" We concur":