Case Title: Ex parte State of Alabama. PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS: CRIMINAL (In re: State of Alabama v. Jason Murphy)

Citation: 

Docket Number: 1071528

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 2009-11-20T00:00:00Z

Document:
R e l : 
11/20/2009 
Notice: T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e 
r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 
((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r 
o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may 
be 
made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 
1071528 
Ex p a r t e S t a t e o f 
Alabama 
PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS 
(In r e : S t a t e o f Alabama v. Jason Murphy) 
(Elmore C i r c u i t Court, CC-03-444; 
Court o f C r i m i n a l Appeals, 
CR-07-1265) 
On A p p l i c a t i o n f o r R e h e a r i n g 
PARKER, 
J u s t i c e . 
T h i s C o u r t ' s 
o p i n i o n o f S e p t e m b e r 4, 2009, i s w i t h d r a w n , 
a n d t h e f o l l o w i n g i s 
s u b s t i t u t e d t h e r e f o r . 
1071528 
The S t a t e o f A l a b a m a p e t i t i o n s 
t h i s C o u r t f o r 
a w r i t o f 
mandamus d i r e c t i n g t h e E l m o r e C i r c u i t 
C o u r t t o v a c a t e a 
p r e -
t r i a l 
o r d e r 
s u p p r e s s i n g 
c e r t a i n p r o s e c u t o r i a l e v i d e n c e . 
We 
d e n y t h e p e t i t i o n . 
On 
J u l y 29, 2003, 
R o n n i e Holman 
was 
s h o t 
and 
k i l l e d 
o u t s i d e h i s 
h o u s e i n T i t u s , a l l e g e d l y d u r i n g a r o b b e r y . He was 
l u r e d o u t s i d e t h e h o u s e a n d was t h e n s h o t . The n e x t d a y , J a s o n 
M u r p h y was a r r e s t e d f o r s n a t c h i n g 
p u r s e s , 
and on A u g u s t 11, 
2 0 0 3 , 
M u r p h y 
and h i s b r o t h e r 
were 
a r r e s t e d 
f o r Holman's 
m u r d e r . M u r p h y was 
t r i e d 
t w i c e , and e a c h 
t r i a l 
e n d e d i n a 
m i s t r i a l .
1 
T h i s 
p r e t r i a l 
a p p e a l 
b y t h e S t a t e 
c o n c e r n s 
an 
e v i d e n t i a r y i s s u e i n M u r p h y ' s 
t h i r d 
t r i a l . 
I n t h e two e a r l i e r 
t r i a l s , 
t h e S t a t e was p e r m i t t e d t o 
i n t r o d u c e 
e v i d e n c e o f M u r p h y ' s 
c o n v i c t i o n f o r a s s a u l t 
t h a t 
stemmed 
f r o m 
M u r p h y ' s 
s h o o t i n g 
o f 
C a r l o s 
K i n g . 
I n 
t h a t 
i n c i d e n t , M u r p h y and some f r i e n d s t h r e w r o c k s and d e b r i s a t 
K i n g ' s home, b r e a k i n g a window, i n 
an e f f o r t t o e n c o u r a g e K i n g 
t o come o u t s i d e . K i n g emerged f r o m t h e h o u s e w i t h a f i r e a r m , 
w h i c h he a l l e g e d l y f i r e d , and he was t h e n s h o t b y M u r p h y , who 
1 T h e 
f i r s t 
t r i a l 
e n d e d i n a m i s t r i a l 
on S e p t e m b e r 15, 
2 0 0 6 ; t h e s e c o n d 
t r i a l 
e n d e d i n a m i s t r i a l on S e p t e m b e r 28, 
2007. 
2 
1071528 
u s e d a . 2 2 - c a l i b e r r e v o l v e r . K i n g 
s u r v i v e d t h e g u n s h o t wound. 
M u r p h y e n t e r e d 
a p l e a o f g u i l t y t o an a s s a u l t c h a r g e and was 
c o n v i c t e d . I n t h e p r o c e e d i n g s l e a d i n g up t o t h e t h i r d 
t r i a l , 
t h e d e f e n s e , as i t 
h a d i n t h e e a r l i e r m u r d e r t r i a l s , 
f i l e d a 
m o t i o n i n l i m i n e s e e k i n g t o h a v e t h e e v i d e n c e o f t h e 
a s s a u l t 
c o n v i c t i o n r u l e d i n a d m i s s i b l e as e v i d e n c e o f a p r i o r b a d a c t . 
A t 
a 
h e a r i n g 
on M u r p h y ' s 
m o t i o n 
i n l i m i n e 
and a l l o t h e r 
p r e t r i a l m o t i o n s on A p r i l 9, 2008, t h e S t a t e h a d a v a i l a b l e t o 
t e s t i f y an i n m a t e who h a d p r e v i o u s l y t e s t i f i e d t h a t M u r p h y h a d 
t o l d h i m t h a t M u r p h y a n d o t h e r s h a d t h r o w n r o c k s and d e b r i s a t 
H o l m a n ' s h o u s e t o l u r e h i m o u t s i d e , 
j u s t as t h e y h a d done i n 
t h e 
e a r l i e r 
i n c i d e n t when M u r p h y s h o t K i n g ; t h e S t a t e 
a r g u e d 
t h a t t e s t i m o n y c o n c e r n i n g t h a t e a r l i e r i n c i d e n t i s a d m i s s i b l e 
u n d e r 
an 
e x c e p t i o n 
i n R u l e 
4 0 4 ( b ) , A l a . R. 
E v i d . , 
t o t h e 
g e n e r a l 
r u l e t h a t e v i d e n c e o f o t h e r c r i m e s i s n o t 
a d m i s s i b l e , 
i . e . , 
e v i d e n c e 
o f o t h e r 
c r i m e s 
i s a d m i s s i b l e 
as p r o o f o f , 
among o t h e r 
t h i n g s , 
p r e p a r a t i o n , 
p l a n , and 
i d e n t i t y . 
M u r p h y 
c h a l l e n g e s 
t h e v e r a c i t y o f t h e i n m a t e ' s t e s t i m o n y and a r g u e s 
t h a t t h e i n m a t e was b i a s e d . M o r e o v e r , M u r p h y a r g u e s t h a t 
t h e r e 
i s 
no 
e v i d e n c e 
i n d i c a t i n g 
t h a t 
a n y 
r o c k s 
were 
t h r o w n 
a t 
H o l m a n ' s h o u s e . K a t h y H o l m a n , t h e v i c t i m ' s s p o u s e , 
t e s t i f i e d 
3 
1071528 
t h a t she and Holman were w a t c h i n g t e l e v i s i o n when t h e y 
h e a r d 
t h e i r dogs b a r k i n g . She s a i d t h a t she and Holman went 
o u t s i d e 
t o s e e what t h e dogs were b a r k i n g a t . She t e s t i f i e d t h a t when 
t h e y went o u t s i d e Holman was 
s h o t . 
On 
A p r i l 
10, 2008, t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
i s s u e d i t s o r d e r ; 
t h a t o r d e r 
s t a t e s , i n p a r t : 
"Upon a r g u m e n t b e i n g 
r e c e i v e d , 
t h i s C o u r t 
m o d i f i e s 
t h e p r e v i o u s l y made r u l i n g c o n c e r n i n g 
t h e r e f e r e n c e 
t o 
t h e C a r l o s 
K i n g 
i n c i d e n t as 
r e f e r e n c e d 
i n t h e 
M o t i o n [ i n l i m i n e ] . T h i s C o u r t h e r e b y r u l e s t h a t t h e 
r e f e r e n c e 
t o [ M u r p h y ' s ] p r e v i o u s 
i n c i d e n t 
w h e r e i n 
C a r l o s K i n g was summon[ed] o u t o f h i s r e s i d e n c e and 
t h e r e a f t e r 
s h o t i s n o t s u b s t a n t i a l l y 
s i m i l a r so as 
t o 
a l l o w 
t e s t i m o n y 
o f 
t h a t 
i n c i d e n t 
i n 
t h e 
p r o s e c u t i o n i n t h i s C a p i t a l M u r d e r c a s e . 
T h i s 
C o u r t 
f i n d s 
t h a t 
t h e 
o n l y 
s i m i l a r 
f a c t s 
a r e t h e 
dog 
b a r k i n g 
and 
someone 
b e i n g 
s h o t 
o u t s i d e 
t h e i r 
r e s i d e n c e . " 
On A p r i l 23, 2008, t h e S t a t e 
f i l e d a p e t i t i o n f o r a w r i t o f 
mandamus w i t h t h e C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s , 
w h i c h 
d e n i e d t h e 
p e t i t i o n on J u l y 24, 2008, w i t h o u t an o p i n i o n . S t a t e v . M u r p h y 
(No. CR-07-1265, J u l y 24, 2 0 0 8 ) , 
So. 3d 
( A l a . C r i m . 
App. 2 0 0 8 ) ( t a b l e ) . 
T h i s 
p e t i t i o n 
f o l l o w e d . I n i t s p e t i t i o n , 
t h e 
S t a t e 
e x p l a i n s 
t h a t i t p r o c e e d e d w i t h a p e t i t i o n f o r a 
w r i t o f mandamus b e c a u s e i t c o u l d n o t a p p e a l u n d e r R u l e 15.7, 
A l a . 
R. C r i m P., w h i c h r e q u i r e s t h a t t h e S t a t e 
c e r t i f y 
t h a t 
t h e c h a l l e n g e d o r d e r , i f 
i t 
r e m a i n s i n f o r c e , w i l l be f a t a l t o 
4 
1071528 
i t s c a s e , a n d t h e S t a t e c o u l d n o t 
make s u c h a c e r t i f i c a t i o n i n 
t h i s c a s e .
2 "The S t a t e c a n a n d w i l l p r o c e e d t o t r i a l , e v e n 
i f 
i t 
i s u n a b l e 
t o 
i n t r o d u c e [ t h e d e s i r e d ] e v i d e n c e 
" 
P e t i t i o n , a t 15. 
A f t e r t h e S t a t e f i l e d i t s p e t i t i o n , 
t h i s C o u r t i s s u e d i t s 
d e c i s i o n i n 
Ex p a r t e K i n g , [Ms. 1071540, J a n u a r y 9, 2009] 
So. 3d ___ ( A l a . 
2 0 0 9 ) . I n s u p p l e m e n t a l 
b r i e f s , b o t h 
p a r t i e s 
a d d r e s s e d t h e a p p l i c a b i l i t y o f Ex p a r t e K i n g , a c a s e 
t h a t 
p r e s e n t s i s s u e s 
s i m i l a r t o t h o s e p r e s e n t e d i n t h i s c a s e . The 
p r o c e d u r a l h i s t o r y o f Ex p a r t e K i n g i s as f o l l o w s : The C o u r t 
o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s h a d i s s u e d a w r i t o f mandamus o r d e r i n g 
t h e 
t r i a l c o u r t t o v a c a t e i t s 
o r d e r d e n y i n g t h e S t a t e ' s m o t i o n i n 
l i m i n e 
s e e k i n g t o s u p p r e s s 
c e r t a i n e v i d e n c e . S t a t e v . K i n g , 
[Ms. CR-07-0693, 
J u l y 25, 2008] ___ So. 3d ___ ( A l a . C r i m . 
App. 
2 0 0 8 ) . 
K i n g t h e n 
p e t i t i o n e d 
t h i s 
C o u r t f o r a w r i t o f 
mandamus s e e k i n g t o h a v e t h e o r d e r o f t h e C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
v a c a t e d . She a r g u e d 
t h a t b y i s s u i n g t h e w r i t , t h e 
2 R u l e 
1 5 . 7 ( a ) , A l a . R. C r i m . P., p r o v i d e s : " I n a n y c a s e 
i n v o l v i n g a f e l o n y , a m i s d e m e a n o r , o r a v i o l a t i o n , an a p p e a l 
may be t a k e n b y t h e s t a t e t o t h e C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
f r o m a p r e - t r i a l o r d e r o f t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t (1) s u p p r e s s i n g a 
c o n f e s s i o n o r a d m i s s i o n o r o t h e r e v i d e n c e 
S u c h an a p p e a l 
may be t a k e n o n l y i f 
t h e p r o s e c u t o r c e r t i f i e s t o t h e C o u r t o f 
C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
t h a t 
... t h e o r d e r , i f n o t r e v e r s e d on 
a p p e a l , 
w i l l be f a t a l t o t h e p r o s e c u t i o n o f t h e c h a r g e . " 
5 
1071528 
C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s h a d e n a b l e d 
t h e S t a t e t o f i l e an 
i n t e r l o c u t o r y 
a p p e a l 
u n d e r t h e g u i s e o f a p e t i t i o n 
s e e k i n g 
mandamus r e l i e f . The S t a t e a r g u e d t h a t t h e C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s h a d e x e r c i s e d 
i t s s u p e r v i s o r y 
a u t h o r i t y t o a v o i d a 
" g r o s s 
d i s r u p t i o n i n t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f t h e c r i m i n a l 
j u s t i c e s y s t e m , " w h i c h , i t 
a r g u e s , w o u l d r e s u l t i f 
i t s m o t i o n 
i n 
l i m i n e was d e n i e d . 
R e l y i n g on Ex p a r t e N i c e , 407 So. 2d 874 
( A l a . 
1 9 8 1 ) ,
3 t h i s C o u r t a g r e e d w i t h K i n g a n d i s s u e d t h e w r i t 
3 " ' T h e C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s h a s a u t h o r i t y t o 
i s s u e 
s u c h 
r e m e d i a l 
a n d 
o r i g i n a l 
w r i t s 
as a r e 
n e c e s s a r y 
t o g i v e i t 
a g e n e r a l 
s u p e r i n t e n d e n c e 
a n d 
c o n t r o l o f t h e c i r c u i t 
c o u r t s i n c r i m i n a l 
m a t t e r s , 
o v e r w h i c h i t h a s e x c l u s i v e a p p e l l a t e 
j u r i s d i c t i o n . ' 
Ex 
p a r t e 
N i c e , 
407 So. 2d 874 
, 876 
( A l a . 
1 9 8 1 ) . 
H o w e v e r , '[m]andamus c a n n o t be u s e d as a s u b s t i t u t e 
f o r 
a p p e a l , when no a p p e a l i s a u t h o r i z e d by l a w o r 
c o u r t 
r u l e 
N i c e , 407 So. 2d a t 879 ( e m p h a s i s 
o m i t t e d ) . 
I n s t e a d , 
mandamus 
' i s a p p r o p r i a t e 
i n 
e x c e p t i o n a l 
c i r c u m s t a n c e s 
w h i c h amount t o j u d i c i a l 
u s u r p a t i o n 
o f p o w e r . ' 
N i c e , 
407 So. 2d a t 878 
( e m p h a s i s o m i t t e d ) . M o r e o v e r , 'mandamus c a n be u s e d 
t o 
p r e v e n t a g r o s s 
d i s r u p t i o n i n t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n 
o f 
c r i m i n a l 
j u s t i c e . ' 
N i c e , 
407 So. 2d a t 879 
( e m p h a s i s o m i t t e d ) . Thus, when t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t h a s 
a c t e d 
w i t h o u t 
l a w f u l a u t h o r i t y , t h e S t a t e h a s b e e n 
a f f o r d e d mandamus r e l i e f . S e e , e . g . , S t a t e v . B l a n e , 
985 So. 2d 384 ( A l a . 2007) 
( d i r e c t i n g 
c i r c u i t 
c o u r t 
t o 
v a c a t e 
o r d e r 
e x p u n g i n g c r i m i n a l r e c o r d ) ; D.B.Y.  
v. 
S t a t e , 
910 So. 2d 820 
( A l a . C r i m . App. 2005) 
( d i r e c t i n g 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
t o 
r e i n s t a t e 
j u v e n i l e ' s 
p r o b a t i o n 
a n d 
d i r e c t 
t h a t 
j u v e n i l e 
u n d e r g o 
s e x u a l - o f f e n d e r 
r i s k 
a s s e s s m e n t 
b e f o r e 
b e i n g 
r e l e a s e d f r o m p r o b a t i o n ) . " 
6 
1071528 
d i r e c t i n g t h e C o u r t 
o f C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s t o v a c a t e 
i t s o r d e r 
i s s u i n g 
t h e 
w r i t 
t o t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t . 
I n 
r e g a r d 
t o t h e 
a l l e g a t i o n 
o f 
an 
i m p e n d i n g 
" g r o s s 
d i s r u p t i o n 
i n 
t h e 
a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f t h e c r i m i n a l 
j u s t i c e s y s t e m , " we s t a t e d : 
" I f t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t a l l o w s t h e j u r y t o c o n s i d e r t h e 
e v i d e n c e 
t h e S t a t e 
s e e k s t o keep o u t , i t w i l l 
be 
a c t i n g 
w i t h i n i t s l a w f u l a u t h o r i t y , and t h e S t a t e 
w i l l 
have no 
r i g h t 
o f a p p e l l a t e 
r e v i e w . 
Such 
an 
outcome 
w o u l d 
r e f l e c t 
t h e 
o r d i n a r y 
and 
p r o p e r 
a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f c r i m i n a l j u s t i c e , n o t a d i s r u p t i o n 
t h e r e o f . " 
Ex p a r t e K i n g , 
So. 3d a t 
. 
U n l e s s t h e t r i a l c o u r t a c t s w i t h o u t l a w f u l a u t h o r i t y a n d , 
i n so d o i n g , 
j u s t i f i e s t h e i s s u a n c e o f a w r i t o f mandamus ( s e e 
s u p r a 
n o t e 3 ) , t h e s o l e a v e n u e f o r t h e a p p e a l 
o f a 
p r e t r i a l 
o r d e r b y t h e S t a t e 
l i e s i n R u l e 15.7, A l a . 
R. C r i m . P. B e c a u s e 
t h e S t a t e c o u l d n o t p r o v i d e t h e r e q u i r e d c e r t i f i c a t i o n 
u n d e r 
R u l e 15.7, i t d i d n o t q u a l i f y f o r an a p p e a l 
u n d e r t h a t 
r u l e 
and, 
t h u s , h a d no r i g h t o f a p p e a l . B e c a u s e "'[m]andamus c a n n o t 
be 
u s e d 
as 
a 
s u b s t i t u t e f o r a p p e a l 
when 
no 
a p p e a l 
i s 
a u t h o r i z e d b y l a w o r c o u r t r u l e 
Ex p a r t e K i n g , 
So. 
3d a t 
( q u o t i n g N i c e , 
407 So. 2d a t 8 7 9 ) , t h e C o u r t 
o f 
C r i m i n a l A p p e a l s c o r r e c t l y d e n i e d t h e S t a t e ' s p e t i t i o n f o r a 
Ex p a r t e K i n g , 
So. 3d a t 
7 
1071528 
w r i t o f mandamus s e e k i n g t o v a c a t e t h e d e c i s i o n o f t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t 
g r a n t i n g 
M u r p h y ' s 
m o t i o n 
i n l i m i n e 
and s u p p r e s s i n g 
e v i d e n c e o f M u r p h y ' s a s s a u l t 
c o n v i c t i o n . 
The p e t i t i o n f o r 
a w r i t o f mandamus i s d e n i e d . 
A P P L I C A T I O N 
GRANTED; 
OPINION 
OF 
SEPTEMBER 
4, 
2009, 
WITHDRAWN; OPINION SUBSTITUTED; 
P E T I T I O N DENIED. 
Cobb, C . J . , 
a n d W o o d a l l a n d S m i t h , J J . , c o n c u r . 
Shaw, J . , 
c o n c u r s i n t h e r e s u l t . 
8