In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: Ja n u a ry 2 0

, 2 0 1 5

S 1 4A1 3 6 9 . KITCHENS v . THE S TATE.

MELTON, Ju stic e

.

F o llo win g a ju ry tria l, S h a wn Kitc h e n s wa s fo u n d g u ilty o f fe lo n y m u rd e r,

a g g ra v a te d a ssa u lt, p o sse ssio n o f a fire arm d u rin g th e c o m m issio n o f a fe lo n y ,

a n d p a rtic ip a tio n in c r i mi n a l stre e t g a n g a c tiv ity

. 1 On a p p e a l, K itc h e n s

c o n te n d s, a m o n g o th e r th in g s, th a t th e e v id e n c e wa s in su ffic ie n t to su p p o rt th e

v e rd ic t a n d th a t th e tria l c ou rt e rre d by im p ro p e rly c h arg in g th e ju ry o n m o tiv e

.

1 O n Ap ril 5

, 2 0 1 1

, Kitc h e n s wa s in dic te d fo r m a li ce m u rd e r, fe lo n y

m u rd e r, two c o u n ts o f a g g ra v a te d a ssa u lt, po sse ssio n of a fire a rm du rin g th e

c o m m i ssio n o f a fe lo n y , a n d p a rtic ip a tio n in c rim in a l stre e t g a n g a c tiv ity

. F o llo win g a jo in t ju ry tria l, Kitc h e n s wa s fo u n d g u ilty o f a ll c ou nts e x c e p t

m a lic e m u rd e r o n S e p te m

be r 2

, 2 0 1 1

. On S e p te m

b e r 7

, 20 11

, th e tria l c o urt

s e n te n c e d Kitc he n s to life im p riso n m e n t fo r fe lo n y m urd e r a n d a gg ra v a t e d

a ssa u lt, twe n ty c o n se c u tiv e y e a rs fo r a g g ra v a te d a ssa u lt, fifte e n c o n s e c u tiv e

y e a rs fo r p a rtic ip a tio n in c rim in a l stre e t ga n g a c tiv ity

, a n d f iv e a d d itio n a l

c o n se c u tiv e y e a rs fo r p o sse ssio n o f a fire arm du rin g th e c om m issio n o f a fe lo n y

. Kitc h e n s' m o tio n fo r n e w tria l, file d on S e p te m b e r 2 1

, 2 0 1 1

, an d a m e n d e d o n S e p te m b e r 1 7

, 20 1 3

, wa s d e n ie d b y th e tria l c o u rt o n M a rc h 2 5

, 2 0 1 4

. Th e re a fte r, Kitc h e n s file d a tim e ly no tic e o f a p pe a l, a n d h is c a se , su bm itte d o n th e b rie fs, wa s d o c k e te d to th e S e p te m b e r 2 01 4 Te rm

o f th is Co u rt.Kitc h e n s fu rth e r c la im s th a t tria l c o u n s e l re n d e re d in e ffe c tiv e a ssista nc e

. F o r

th e re a so n s se t fo rth b e lo w, we a ffirm

.

1

. In th e lig h t m o st fa v o ra b le to th e ve rd ic t, th e re c o rd sh o w s th a t, o n th e

e v e n in g o f Ju ly2 7

, 2 01 0, Ta v ish F a u lk s a nd Em a n u e l S tro u d we n t to Ed wa rd

Co llie r' s “ c on v e n ie n c e sto re ” o p e ra te d o ut o f Co llie r' s re sid e n c e. Wh e n th e y

a rriv e d, K itc h e n s, wh o h a d b e e n p ic k e d u p e a rlie r b y Co llie r, wa s sittin g o u tsid e

o n th e p o rc h with h is c o-d e fe n d a n ts, T ra v is Ta y lo r, Sh e m a rq u e s Wa tk in s, a n d

Je ra ld Jo h n so n. 2 All fo u r m e n we re a sso c ia te d with th e “ W e stsid e ” o r

“ U n i o n v ille Crip s” g a n g , a n d th e re w a s so m e te stim o n y th a t, b e c a u se o f t h a t

a ffilia tio n , th e y w o u ld b e u n we lc o m e in Co l l i er ’ s n e ig h bo rh o o d

. Stro u d a n d

F a u lk s we re a sso c ia te d w i t h a n o th e r g ro u p k n o wn a s th e “ Blo o m fie ld Bo y s.”

Kitc h e n s a n d Stro u d b e g a n a rg u in g o ve r a My S p a c e p o st, 3 a n d F a u lk s trie d to

in te rv e n e to e n d th e a lte rc a tio n

. Ac c o rd in g t o s e v e ra l witn e sse s, K itc h e n s

wa lk e d u p to F a

u lk s with h is g u n d ra wn

. Kitc h e ns in stru c te d o th e r m e n o n th e

2 Kitc h e n s wa s in d ic te d a lo n g with Tra v i s T a y lo r, Ed w a rd P a u l Co llie r. S h e m a rq u e s Tre v o n Wa tk in s, a n d Je ra ld Le on a rd Jo h n so n

. Co llie r a n d Wa tk in s

e n te re d g u ilty p le a s b e fo re th e ju ry wa s se le c te d an d swo rn

. Jo hn so n e n te re d a
g u ilty p le a sh o rtly a fte r th e tria l b e ga n

. As a re su lt, th e ju ry u ltm a te ly
d e te rm in e d th e g uilt o f o n ly Kitc h e n s a n d Ta y lo r.

3 No e v id e n c e wa s p re se n te d a t tria l re g a rd in g th e c o n te nt o f th is p o st.

2p o rc h, w h o ha d g u n s, to sh o ot if F a u lk s in te rv e n e d o r m o v e d

. Stro u d and F a u lk s

b e g a n to wa lk a

wa y wh e n S tro u d h e a rd wh isp e rs fo llo w e d b y sh ots fro m

m u ltip le g u n s. 4 F a

u lk s a n d Wa tk in s w e r e i n

ju re d

, a n d Ro d g e re n Ga ry , a n re g u la r

c u sto m e r o f Co llie r, wa s m o rta lly wo un de d

. F a u lk s id e n tifie d Kitc h e n s a s th e

sh o o te r, a n d h e a lso la te r id e n tifie d Kitc h e n s in a p h o to lin e up

.

With re g a rd to g a n g a c tiv ity

, De te c tiv e Se dric k P in s o n t e stifie d th a t g a n g s

in Ma c o n w er e k n o wn fo r a c ts o f v io le n c e su c h a s m u rd e r, sh o o tin g s, a n d c a r

ja c k in g s, a n d with e v e ry m a jo r g a n g -re la te d c a se th e po lic e h a d in v e stig a te d

re c e n tly

, a so c ia l m e d ia we b site h a d fu e le d th e v io le nc e b e twe e n g an g s. A s

sta te d, th e re wa s a lso e v id e n c e th a t Kitc h e n s wa s a sso c ia te d with o n e g a n g a n d

th a t S tro u d wa s a sso c ia te d with an o th e r. In a d d itio n , Co llie r te stifie d th a t

b rin g in g Kitc h e n s a nd Wa tk in s to h is h o m e h a d b e e n a b a d id e a , b e c a

u se th e y

we re no t we lc o m e o n th a t sid e o f to wn

. Co llie r fu rth e r te stifie d th a t b rin g in g th e

two m e n in to th a t ne ig h bo rh o o d l i k ely “ sta rte d th e w h o le th in g .” Wa tk in s

te stifie d in a

sim ila r m a n n e r.

Th is e v id e n c e wa s su ffic ie n t to e n a b le a ra tio n a l trie r o f fa c t to fin d

4 S o m e te stim o n y in d ic a te d th a t a n u m b e r of th e Blo o m fie ld Bo y s g a t h e r e d
in th e stre e t a n d a lso sta rte d sh o o tin g

.

3Kitc h e n s g u ilty o f a ll th e c rim e s fo r wh ic h h e w a s c o n v ic te d b e y o n d a

re a so na b le d o u b t. Ja c k so n v

. Virg in ia

, 4 43 U. S

. 3 0 7 (9 9 S C t 2 7 8 1

, 6 1 LE2 d

5 6 0 ) (1 97 9 ). S e e a lso Jo ne s v

. S t a t e , 3 1 8 Ga

. Ap p

. 2 6 (1 ) (b ) (7 3 3 S E 2 d 7 2 )

(2 0 1 2 ).

2

. Kitc h e n s c o n te n d s th a t th e tria l c o u rt e rre d b y d e n y in g h is re q u e st to

g iv e h is o wn p a r t i c u l a riz e d in stru c tio n re g a rd in g th e p ossib le m o tiv e s o f

te stify in g witn e sse s. Ra th e r th a n g iv in g K i tc h e n s’s in stru c tio n , th e tria l c o urt

g a v e th e p a tte rn ju ry c h a rg e o n witn e ss te stim o n y

. A s su c h

, th e j u r y wa s

p ro p e rly in stru c te d th a t th e y “ a lo n e sh a ll d e c id e th e b e lie v a b ility o f th e

witn e sse s,” a n d c o u ld c o n sid e r “ a n y p ossib le m o tiv e

. . . n e g o tia te d p le a s, g ra n ts

o f i mmu n ity o r le n ie n c y , o r sim ila r m a tte rs.” Ga

. S u g g e ste d P a tte rn C rim in a l

Ju ry In stru c tio n 1 .3 1 .8 0

. Co n tra ry to K itc he n s’s c o n te n tio n s, th is in stru c tio n

fu lly a p p rise d th e ju ry h o w to c o n sid e r th e te stim o n y of witn e sse s, in c lu d in g th e

te stim o n y o f Kitc h e n s’s c o -d e fe n d a n ts wh o te stifie d a fte r e n te rin g p le a d e a ls.

Th e re wa s n o e rro r.

3

. Kitc h e n s a rg u e s th a t th e tria l c o u rt e rre d b y fa ilin g to g ra n t h is m o tio n

to se v e r h is tria l fro m h is c o -d e fe n d a n t, c o n te n d in g th a t h is c a se wa s ha rm e d b y

a n ta g o n istic d e fe n se s. We d isa g re e

.

4It is we ll-se ttle d th a t

a tria l c o u rt ha s b ro a d d isc re tio n to g ra n t o r d e n y a m o tio n fo r

se v e ra n c e

. S e e OCGA § 1 7

– 8

– 4 [Cit.] In ru lin g o n a se v e ra n c e

m o tio n , th e tria l c o u rt sh o u ld c o nsi d e r : (1 ) th e lik e lih oo d o f

c o n fu sio n of th e e vid e n c e a n d la w; (2 ) th e p o ssib ility th a t e v id e n c e

a g a in st o n e d e fe n d a n t m a y b e c on sid e re d a g a in st t h e o t h e r d e fe n da n t; a n d (3 ) th e pre se n c e o r a b se n c e o f a n ta g o n istic d e fe n se s [Cit.]

.

Krau se v

. S ta te

, 2 8 6 Ga

. 7 4 5

, 7 4 9 (5 ) (6 9 1 S E2 d 2 1 1 ) (2 0 1 0). “ T h e b u rd e n is o n

th e d e fe n d a n t re q u e stin g th e se v e ra n c e to d o m ore th a n ra ise th e p ossib ility th a t

a se p a ra te tria l wo u ld g iv e h im a b e t t e r c h a n c e o f a c q u itta l. He m ust m a k e a

c le a r sh o win g [th a t a jo in t tria l wo u ld le a d to ] p re ju d ic e a n d a c on se q u e n t d e n ia l

o f d u e p ro c e ss.” (F o o tn o te a n d p u n c tu a tio n o m itte d .) Ch a ra c te r v

. S ta te

, 2 8 5 Ga

.

1 1 2

, 1 1 8 (5 ) (6 7 4 S E2 d 2 8 0 ) (2 0 0 9 ) (p u n c tu a tio n a n d fo o tn o te o m itte d ).

In th is c a se , th e re wa s little lik e lih o o d o f j u ry c o n fu sio n , a s th e re we re

u ltim a te ly o nly two d e fe n d a nts a nd th e re wa s n o d iffe re n c e in th e la w a p p lie d

to e ith e r o f th e m

. S e e Mo on v

. S t a t e, 2 8 8 Ga

. 50 8

, 5 10 (2 ) (7 05 S E2 d 6 4 9 )

(2 0 1 1 ) (h o ld in g th a t “ th e re wa s n o lik e lih o o d o f c o n fu sio n by th e ju ry a s to th e

e v id e n c e a n d th e la w b e c a u se th e re we re on ly two d e fe n d a nts ‘wh o we re jo in tly

in d ic te d fo r th e sa m e o ffe n s e s , w h i c h in v o lv e d th e sa m e witn e sse s, a n d th e

e v id e n c e in d ic a te d th a t th e y a c te d in c o n c e rt’” ) (c ita tio n o m itte d). In a d d itio n ,

5th e ju ry re tu rn e d a se p a ra te v e rd ic t fo r e a c h d e f e n d a n t a n d c o nsid e re d e a c h

in d ic tm e n t se p a ra te ly

. S e e T h o rp e v

. S t a t e , 2 8 5 G a

. 6 04

, 6 09 (6 7 8 S E2 d 9 1 3 )

(2 0 0 9 ) (“ Th e re is lik e wise n o in d ic a tio n th a t th e ju ry c o n fu se d th e e vid e n c e o r

la w; a ll th re e d ef

e n d a n ts we re c ha rg e d with id e n tic a l c rim e s, a nd th e ju ry , in

re a c h in g d iffe re n t v e rd ic ts a s to e a c h c o -d e fe n da n t, p ro ve d itse lf a m p ly c a p a b le

o f d istin g u ish in g th e e vid e n c e re le v a n t to e a c h ” ). La stly

, Kitc h e n s h a s fa ile d to

sh o w ho w h is d e fe n se s we re a n ta g o n istic to wa rd s h is c o -d e fe n d a n t. Ev e n if h e

h a d

, h o we v e r, th e p re se n c e o f a n ta g o n istic d e fe n se s “ a lo n e

. . . is in su ffic ie n t to

re q u ire se v e ra nc e , b e c a

u se ‘u n le ss th e re is a sh o w i n g o f re su ltin g p re ju d ic e ,

a n ta g o n istic d e fe n se s d o n o t a u to m a tic a lly re q u ire a se v e ra n c e .’ ” ( C ita tio n

o m itte d .) He rb e rt v. S ta te

, 28 8 Ga

. 8 4 3

, 8 4 5 (7 08 SE2 d 2 6 0 ) (2 01 1 ). No su c h

sh o win g h a s b e e n m a d e

. Ac c o rd in g ly

, th e tria l c o u rt d id n o t a b u se its disc re tio n

in d e n y in g th e m o tio n fo r se v e ra n c e

.

4

. K itc h e ns c o n te n d s th a t tria l c o u n se l pro v id e d in e ffe c tiv e a ssista n c e b y

fa ilin g to in v e stig a te a n d c a ll Ad ria n S t o k e s a nd Lo u is F ra z ie r a s witn e sse s

d u rin g tria l. S e e Stric kla n d v

. Wa sh in g to n , 4 6 6 U. S. 6 6 8 (II) (1 0 4 S Ct 2 0 5 2

, 8 0

LE2 d 6 7 4 ) (1 9 8 4 ). Ho we v e r , c o n tra ry to Kitc h e n s’s c la im s, it c a n n o t b e sa id

th a t tria l c o u n se l fa ile d to in ve stig a te th e se witn e sse s. Te stim on y a t th e m o tio n

6fo r n e w tria l h e a rin g in d ic a te s th a t th e witn e sse s we re b ro u gh t to tria l c o u n se l’s

o ffic e a n d th a t th e y we re q u e stio n e d b y h e r. Mo re o v e r, Kitc h e n s p re se n te d n o

te stim o n y f

r o m e i th e r w itn e ss a t th e m otio n fo r n e w tria l h e a rin g. A s a re su lt,

Kitc h e n s m e re ly sp e c u la te s th a t th e se witn e sse s m a y h a v e p ro v id e d in fo rm a tio n

b e n e fic ia l to his c a se , w h ic h is n o t su ffic ie n t to su p p o rt a c la i m o f in e ffe c tiv e

a ssista n c e

. Se e M c Da n ie l v. S ta te

, 27 9 Ga

. 8 0 1 (2 ) (d ) (6 2 1 S E2 d 4 2 4 ) (2 0 0 5 ).

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

7