Title: State v. Beasley

State: tennessee

Issuer: Tennessee Supreme Court

Document:

536 S.W.2d 328 (1976) STATE of Tennessee, Petitioner, v. Marvin BEASLEY, Jr., Respondent. Supreme Court of Tennessee. April 19, 1976. R.A. Ashley, Jr., Atty. Gen., Robert E. Kendrick, Deputy Atty. Gen., Nashville, for petitioner. James S. Patrick, Jr., Hendersonville, for respondent. FONES, Chief Justice. The sole question presented for determination is whether it is error for the prosecuting attorney to state in his closing argument, over defense counsel's objection, that the defendant's alibi witness gave false testimony when the evidence supports such an inference. Respondent was convicted of robbery and sentenced to five to ten years in the State penitentiary. He appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeals which reversed his conviction on the ground that the District Attorney General exceeded the bounds of advocacy in arguing to the jury in his closing argument that the defendant's alibi witness had "lied." We reverse the Court of Criminal Appeals and reinstate the conviction. At the trial, Mrs. Puckett Cothran, the victim, positively identified respondent as one of two individuals who robbed her in her home in Williamson County at approximately 7:30 p.m. on February 22, 1974. She testified that she had known respondent all of her life, that she could see through the thin ladies' hose that he was wearing as a mask, and that she recognized his body structure and voice at the time of the robbery. Respondent relied solely on an alibi defense. He presented two witnesses who testified that he had been with them in Nashville during the time of the robbery on February 22, 1974. In rebuttal the State elicited the testimony of Sheriff Williams of Williamson County as follows: During final arguments the District Attorney General made the following statements which the Court of Criminal Appeals found to be reversible error: Although there has been no criminal case directly in point in Tennessee, this Court *330 has developed general rules which aid our analysis and resolution of the instant case. The District Attorney General is warranted in making an argument to the jury when his argument is supported by evidence introduced at trial. Smith v. State, 205 Tenn. 502, 543-544, 327 S.W.2d 308, 326-327 (1959). He may not, however, indicate that his argument is based upon evidence not appearing in the record. Wooten v. State, 203 Tenn. 473, 314 S.W.2d 1, 5 (1958). Our Code of Professional Responsibility, DR 7-106(C)(4), states that when appearing before a tribunal, a lawyer shall not "[a]ssert his personal opinion ... as to the credibility of a witness ... but he may argue, on his analysis of the evidence, for any position or conclusion with respect to the [credibility of a witness]." The record contains ample support to provide a basis for the District Attorney General's argument that the defense witnesses had committed perjury. The victim positively identified respondent by his facial features, his voice, and his body build and structure. She had been acquainted with respondent since his birth; a more positive identification is difficult to imagine. Additionally, the Sheriff testified that respondent had told him that he was not even in the State of Tennessee on the date in question. Respondent said that he had been in Alabama and could prove it. The testimony of these two witnesses certainly establishes an inference that the defense witnesses had perjured themselves about respondent's whereabouts on the night in question. The District Attorney General did not go outside of the evidence in his statement and was justified in relying on the inference established by the testimony of these two witnesses in making his argument. Nor did the District Attorney General violate DR 7-106(C)(4) of the Code of Professional Responsibility. Upon an analysis of the evidence, his argument was presented as an ultimate conclusion which would necessarily follow if the testimony of the prosecution witnesses were believed by the jury. His personal opinion, per se, was not interjected in the argument. While the only Tennessee case in point is a civil one, Stone v. O'Neal, 19 Tenn. App. 512, 90 S.W.2d 548 (1935) (accusation of perjury held no error), the majority of other jurisdictions considering the question have ruled that the remarks of counsel making reference to "lying" defendants or defense witnesses are allowed if based upon evidence in the record. People v. Reyes, 12 Cal. 3d 486, 116 Cal. Rptr. 217, 526 P.2d 225 (1974); People v. Weaver, 18 Ill. 2d 108, 163 N.E.2d 483 (1959); People v. Charles, 58 Mich. App. 371, 227 N.W.2d 348, 357 (1975); State v. Franklin, 526 S.W.2d 86 (Mo. App. 1975); State v. Nelson, 103 N.H. 478, 175 A.2d 814 (1961); State v. Plowden, 126 N.J. Super. 228, 313 A.2d 802 (1974); State v. Noell, 284 N.C. 670, 202 S.E.2d 750 (1974). We hold that the remarks made by the District Attorney General were amply supported by the record and did not constitute error. The judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals is reversed and that of the trial court affirmed. COOPER, HENRY, BROCK and HARBISON, JJ., concur.