Title: State v. Perry

State: minnesota

Issuer: Minnesota Supreme Court

Document:

142 N.W.2d 573 (1966) STATE of Minnesota, Respondent, v. William PERRY, Appellant. No. 39201. Supreme Court of Minnesota. April 22, 1966. Thomas E. Moore, St. Paul, for appellant. Robert W. Mattson, Atty. Gen., William B. Randall, County Atty., St. Paul, Henry Pickett Jr., Asst. Co. Atty., Minneapolis, for respondent. *574 THOMAS GALLAGHER, Justice. On April 9, 1963, defendant was convicted by a jury of murder in the third degree under Minn.St. 609.195 (L.1963, c. 753, § 609.195).[1] This appeal is from an order denying his motion for judgment of acquittal notwithstanding the verdict, or in the alternative, for a new trial. He contends that it was agreed between the county attorney and his counsel that if he would submit to a lie detector test the results would not be used in evidence against him and that in violation of this agreement, and over objection, evidence was received with reference to such test which permitted the jury to learn that it had been conducted. He also contends that statements made by the assistant county attorney in his final argument to the jury were extraneous to the evidence submitted and were intended to and did inflame the passion and prejudice of the jury against him at the cost of justice. The case arose out of a robbery and shooting in St. Paul which occurred about 11:30 p. m. November 21, 1962. On the afternoon of that day, one Gregory Goben had visited defendant at his home where he and defendant had consumed a substantial amount of intoxicants. During the visit a.22 caliber pistol owned by a half brother of defendant was examined and fired several times at targets in defendant's home. Later that evening the two left in an automobile belonging to defendant's stepfather and driven by Goben. Goben then took with him the .22 caliber pistol, but, according to defendant, without defendant's knowledge. They visited several bars in downtown St. Paul where they continued to drink intoxicants. At one of these bars they met Richard Vierkandt, a friend, and about 10:50 p. m. all three left to give Vierkandt a ride to his residence. As they proceeded on this trip, they stopped for gasoline at a Clark gasoline station on the northeast corner of Seventh Street and Sherman Street. After purchasing the gasoline they traveled north one block to Smith Street where Goben parked the car. Vierkandt testified that at this point Goben left the car saying, "I am going to rob the man," but that he, Vierkandt, was not sure that this statement had been heard by defendant. He testified further that he and Goben then walked back toward the Clark station while defendant remained in the car; that at that time he persuaded Goben not to rob the station; that they then returned to the car and that Goben then drove around the block and stopped again, this time between Seventh and Smith Streets where Goben again left the car saying, "Come on, Bill" (referring to defendant); that defendant had then left the car and started to walk back toward the station with Goben; that he was not sure whether defendant knew that Goben intended to rob the station at that time and did not know how far defendant had accompanied Goben toward the station; that when he next saw them they were some 35 to 40 feet away from the car. Vierkandt further testified that he had not left the vicinity of the car at any time and that he did not participate in the robbery in any respect; that following the robbery he had driven the car and that eventually they had stopped near Renaldo's Barbecue Cafe on Rondo Street between Dale and St. Albans Streets (where the car was located by police at about 2:05 a. m. the following morning and Goben and defendant had then been arrested); that at no time prior to the robbery had he seen Goben show the gun to defendant and that at no time had he seen *575 any "split" of money between Goben and defendant nor heard any conversations with reference thereto. Louis Sirian testified that at about 11:30 p. m. on that day he was traveling west on Seventh Street and that as he passed the Clark station referred to he saw two or three people scuffling there; that he then thought they might "have been playing a game; could have been fighting"; that he then drove around the block and that when he came back to the service station he saw someone on the ground; that he had then turned north on Sherman Street and had observed a car parked there on the east side with one person in it and two getting into it and that he had then procured the car's license number and called the police, giving them all this information. It is undisputed that the car observed by Sirian was the car owned by defendant's stepfather in which defendant, Goben, and Vierkandt had been traveling. Likewise, there is no dispute that at 11:30 p. m. Goben robbed the Clark station attendant and shot him with the .22 caliber pistol described and that the attendant died a short time later from the wounds inflicted at that time. Two customers at Renaldo's testified that they had there observed defendant and Goben handing a gun back and forth. The owner of Renaldo's testified that defendant and Goben were together as they came into the restaurant. An employee of the restaurant testified that Goben had given him a package to keep until Goben was ready to leave; that Goben had not asked for this package again and that it contained a .22 caliber pistol which was turned over to the police. Goben later pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to St. Cloud Reformatory. At defendant's trial he testified that defendant had not been with him at the time of the robbery and shooting but had remained outside. Defendant testified that he was unaware that Goben had taken the revolver with him when they left defendant's home and that he had not seen it again until the parties came into Renaldo's restaurant; that he had never given Goben permission to take the gun from his home; that after the gasoline had been purchased at the Clark station the car had been parked on Smith Street off Sherman Street and that Goben and Vierkandt had first left it while he remained in it; that at no time had he heard anyone say anything about a robbery and that they had returned to the car in about 5 minutes; that with Goben driving they had then driven around the block and parked on Sherman Street; that all three of them had been seated in the front seat of the car with defendant to the right of the others; that they had parked adjacent to the north wall of a building near the station and on the opposite side of the street; that after they had parked there Goben had said, "Come on, Bill," as he left the car; that he had left the car to find out what Goben wanted him for; that he had then walked around to the back of the car when Goben said, "I have some business to take care of at the station," and that he had replied, "You just came back from the station"; that Goben had then said, "I need some money. I am going to rob the kid"; and that defendant had then said, "Johnny, you are crazy"; "The whiskey is talking to me, not you. You are going to do something you are going to hurt yourself. You will always regret it"; "Forget it. Forget about the whole thing. Count me out on anything if you want to pull something like that"; that as they had this conversation they were walking toward the station and that he had then turned around and walked back to the car; that at no time did he know that Goben had the gun with him; and that at no time had he been close enough to see the filling station office; that when he returned to the car he observed Vierkandt bending over from the front seat; that he next noticed Goben walking or running back toward the car and heard him say, "Come on, Bill. I had to shoot the guy"; that he had then followed Goben into the front seat of the *576 car, where he had asked, "Do you think you killed the kid?" and that Goben had replied, "No." "I shot him twice in the side, and he asked me, `what did you hit me with?'" He testified further that from the time the car first left the station he had not seen the attendant; that at no time had he heard the report of the .22 pistol; that he had never seen anyone shoot another person but would "expect an emotional upheaval, remorse, or something"; that there was nothing like this from Goben; and that from all the circumstances he thought that perhaps there had been no robbery. He denied receiving anything from Goben and testified that Vierkandt had then driven the car until they had come to Renaldo's about 12:30 a. m.; that when he was arrested there by police officers he was not advised as to why he was being arrested; and that he had assumed it was because he had just been in a fight with a customer there. Prior to trial defendant's counsel agreed with counsel for the state that defendant would submit to a lie detector test by police officers at the University of Minnesota with the understanding that its results would not be submitted in evidence. During the trial the state called Arthur G. Kirby who testified that he was a lieutenant in the Department of Police at the University of Minnesota; that he had taken part in the investigation of the death of the station attendant; and that he had spoken with the defendant at his office at the university on February 5, 1963. His testimony included the following: Defendant's counsel objected to this procedure and the following then took place: Subsequently the court and counsel retired to chambers and as a result of the conference there the court ruled as follows: Upon return to the courtroom, the court instructed the jury as follows: In addition to the foregoing as a basis for a new trial, defendant urges that counsel for the state was guilty of misconduct in various statements made by him in his final argument to the jury. These include the following: At the close of the argument counsel for defendant stated: Following this objection the court did instruct the jury to disregard all statements in the final argument except those based upon evidence submitted as the jury recalled the same. 1. We have reached the conclusion that a new trial is required. It is well settled that the results of a lie detector test are inadmissible in evidence against an accused because, up to the present at least, such tests have not been proved completely reliable; and, in extension of this rule, that evidence that such a test was taken or refused by a defendant cannot be brought to the jury's attention either directly or indirectly. State v. DeZeler, 230 Minn. 39, 41 N.W.2d 313, 15 A.L.R.2d 1137; State v. Kolander, 236 Minn. 209, 52 N.W.2d 458; LeFevre v. State, 242 Wis. 416, 8 N.W.2d 288; People v. Wochnick, 98 Cal. App. 2d 124, 219 P.2d 70; People v. Aragon, 154 Cal. App. 2d 646, 316 P.2d 370; 35 Minn. L.Rev. 310. As stated in the Kolander case (236 Minn. 221, 52 N.W.2d 465): Here counsel for the state, although aware that the results of the test taken by defendant were inadmissible and that no reference should have been made to it, sought to bring to the minds of the jurors, for whatever effect it might have on them, facts which would indicate that the defendant had submitted to the test. Unquestionably the jury would conclude that since the test had been given and its results withheld from evidence it had been unfavorable to defendant. In other words, defendant's conviction may have been based on inferences drawn from evidence completely inadmissible. Defendant's testimony was to the effect that he had not participated in the robbery, and this was supported by testimony of other witnesses and other evidence. Accordingly, the references to the lie detector test may have tipped the scales against him. 2. The statements made by counsel for the state in his closing argument were far removed from the evidence. Obviously, they were so prejudicial to defendant that they would also require granting him a new trial. At times we have stated the principles which should govern the argument of the prosecuting attorney in criminal proceedings. Thus we have said that he must refrain from condemning the accused on the authority of the government he represents, State v. Silvers, *581 230 Minn. 12, 40 N.W.2d 630, citing Berger v. United States, 295 U.S. 78, 88, 55 S. Ct. 629, 633, 79 L. Ed. 1314, 1321; that he should not offer an opinion as to substantive evidence, State v. Gulbrandsen, 238 Minn. 508, 57 N.W.2d 419; that he should understand that it is part of his duty to conduct trials with fairness to the rights of a defendant, State v. Stockton, 181 Minn. 566, 233 N.W. 307; and that an argument which has the effect of inflaming the passion and prejudice of a jury against a defendant at the cost of justice cannot be upheld. State v. Morgan, 235 Minn. 388, 51 N.W.2d 61. See, also, State v. Schwartz, 266 Minn. 104, 122 N.W.2d 769; State v. Turnbull, 267 Minn. 428, 127 N.W.2d 157. In other words, the prosecutor's final argument must be based upon references to the evidence rather than to matters which cannot be regarded as evidence and which serve to divert the minds of the jurors from facts to which their consideration should be given in determining whether the accused is guilty or not. While it is true that here the court sought to lessen the effect of the prejudicial argument described by instructing the jury that its decision should be based upon its consideration of the evidence submitted, we doubt if this erased the image of defendant which must have resulted from the prejudicial statements of counsel for the state set forth above. With respect to a similar situation, in State v. Turnbull, 267 Minn. 428, 435, 127 N.W.2d 157, 162, we said: The order appealed from is reversed and a new trial granted. [1] Minn.St. 609.195 provides: "Whoever, without intent to effect the death of any person, causes the death of another by either of the following means, is guilty of murder in the third degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 25 years: "(1) Perpetrates an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, regardless of human life; or "(2) Commits or attempts to commit a felony upon or affecting the person whose death was caused or another, except rape or sodomy with force or violence within the meaning of section 609.185."