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

De c id e d : S e p te m

b e r 1 4 , 2 0 1 5

S 1 5 A1 1 5 0 . S CHMIDT v . THE S T ATE.

HINES , P re sid in g Ju stic e

.

L a c y Aa ro n S c h m id t a

p p e a ls h is c o n v ic tio ns a n d se n te n c e s fo r m a lic e

m u rd e r, p o sse ssio n o f a fire a rm du rin g th e c o m m issio n o f a c rim e

, a n d th e ft b y

ta k in g in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e f at a l sh o o tin g o f Ala n a Ma y Ca la h a n

. He

m a in ta in s th a t it w a s e rro r to fa il to in stru c t th e ju ry o n th e la w o f in v o lu n ta ry

m a n sla u g h te r, th a t tria l c o u n s e l w a s i n e f f e c tiv e

, an d th a t h is se nte n c e c on stitu te d

c ru e l a n d u n u su a l p u n ish m e n t in v io la tio n o f th e E ig h th Am e n d m e n t to th e

Co n stitu tio n o f th e Un ite d S ta te s. F o r th e re a so n s wh ic h fo llo w, we a ffirm

. 1

1 The murder and related crimes o c c u r r e d on J anuary 31, 2011. On March 31, 2011, a

C olumbia County g rand jury r eturned an indictment ag ainst Schmidt charg ing him with mal i ce

murder, felony murder while in the commission o f a g g ravated assault, p o ssession of a firearm during

the commission of the crime of murder, and theft by taking a handg un. Schmidt was tried before a

jury F ebruary 6-9, 2012, a nd found g u ilty of all charg es. On March 2, 2012, he was sentenced to life

without the possibility of p arole for the malice murder, five y e ars in p rison f or the firearm possession

to be served c onsecutively to the life sentence, and ten y ears in prison for the theft by taking to be

served concurrently with the life sentence; the felony murder v e rdict stood vacated by operation of

law. A motion f

or n ew trial was filed on March 6, 2012, and an amended motion for new trial was

filed on F ebruary

20, 2014. The motion for new trial, as amended, was denied on April 23, 2014.

A notice o f appeal was filed o n April 30, 2014, the c ase w as docketed in this Court for the April

2015 term, and the appeal was submitted for decision on the briefs.Th e e v id e n c e c o n stru e d in fa v o r o f th e v e rd ic ts sh owe d th e fo llo win g

.

On Ja n u a ry 31

, 2 0 1 1

, fo u rte e n -y e a r-o l d A la n a Ca la h a n wa s fa ta lly sh o t wh ile

in h e r h o m e in Co lu m

b ia Co u n ty

. S c h m id t, wh o wa s th e n a lso fo urte e n y e a rs

o ld

, liv e d n e a rb y on th e sa m e stre e t a n d h e a n d Ala n a we re frie nd s. T h e t w o

we re “ b o y frie n d a

n d g irlfrie n d ” fo r a brie f tim e u n til Ala na ’s y o u th p a sto r

a d v ise d h e r th a t sh e w a s to o y o u n g fo r su c h a re la ti o n s h i p

. No n e th e le ss,

S c h m id t s p e n t a lo t o f tim e with Ala na a n d h e r fa m ily

. Ab o u t a we e k b e fo re

Ala n a ’s m

u rd e r, S c h m id t e n te re d th e Ca la h a n h ou se wh e n n o o n e in th e fa m ily

wa s h o m e ; Ala n a w a s th e first to a rriv e h o m e a n d n o t i c e d t h a t th e d o o r to th e

h o u se wa s u n lo c k e d

. Ala n a ’s m o th e r a sk e d S c h m id t h o w h e g o t in to th e h o u se

,

a n d S c hm id t re sp o n d e d th a t th e d o o r h a d b e e n le ft u nlo c k e d

. Th e m o th e r d id

n o t b e lie v e h im a n d a n grily to ld him th a t h e c o u ld n o t c o m e to th e h ou se u n le ss

sh e or h e r h u sb a nd wa s th e re

. S c h m id t wa s a lso fo rb id d e n to c o m e ov e r b e fo re

5 :0 0 p

. m

. o n we e k d a y s. Th e f a mi l y k e p t a sh o tg u n a n d a h an d g u n in th e

p a re n ts’ m a ste r b e d ro o m

, a n d th e c hild r e n we re n o t a llo we d to e n te r th e

b e d ro o m o r to u c h th e g u n s.

On th e d a y of th e m

u rd e r, a s Ala n a ’s siste r wa s wa itin g in th e fa m ily

p i c k u p tru c k to tra n sp o rt Ala n a fro m th e sc h o o l bu s d ro p off lo c a tio n to th e i r

2h o u se

, S c h m id t a p p e a re d a nd to ld th e siste r t h a t h e wa s n o t a llo we d to c om e

o v e r fo r th e n e x t two we e ks. Afte r th e sc ho ol b u s d riv e r d ro p p e d o ff Ala n a

, th e

d riv e r sa w S c h m id t wa lk in g n e a rb y ; S c h m id t h a d h is h a n d s in h is po c k e ts a n d

th e h o o d fro m h is ja c k e t wa s p u lle d o v e r his h e a d

. Im m e d ia te ly a fte r th e d ro p

o ff, Ala n a wa s p ic k e d up b y he r siste r a n d ta k e n ho m e

. Ab o u t twe nty o r th irty

m in u te s la te r, th e siste r le ft th e h o u se to p ic k u p th e ir b ro th e r fro m th e b u s sto p

.

At th a t t i me

, A la n a wa s a t a c o m p u te r, wh ic h wa s lo c a te d b e sid e th e h o u se ’s

slid in g b a c k d o o r. Du rin g th e a p p r o x i ma te ly te n m in u te s th e siste r wa s g o n e

,

S c h m id t e n te re d th e h o u se

, sh o t Ala n a in th e b a c k o f th e n e c k

, a nd d ra g g e d h e r

to th e wo od s o u tsid e t h e h o u s e

. Ala na d ie d fro m th e gu n sh o t wo u n d to h e r

n e c k

.

Th e siste r re tu rn e d a n d sa w Sc hm id t’s sh oe s in sid e th e h o u se

, a lo n g with

Ala n a ’s sh o e s; it wa s c o m m on p ra c tic e fo r fa m ily a n d frie n d s to ta k e th e ir sh oe s

o ff u p on e n te rin g th e h o u se

. Th e siste r o bse rv e d th a t th e c h a ir th a t Ala n a h a d

b e e n sittin g in wa s k n o c k e d o v e r a n d t h e r e wa s blo o d

, la te r id e ntifie d a s

Ala n a ’s, a ll o v e r th e c a rp e t. S c h m id t c a m e in to th e h o u se th ro ug h th e fro n t d o o r

a n d to ld th e siste r th a t so m e o ne h a d ta k e n Ala n a a n d th a t h e did n o t k n o w wh a t

to d o

. S c h m id t th e n we n t o u tsid e with Ala n a ’s siste r a n d b ro th e r, o ste n sib ly to

3h e lp in th e se a rc h fo r Ala n a

. S c h m id t qu ic k ly sa id h e sp otte d Ala n a

, p o in te d in

a c e rta in d ire c tio n

, a n d le d th e s i b l i n g s t o A la n a ’s b od y

. T h e siste r d id n o t

b e lie v e th a t Sc h m id t c o u ld h a v e s e e n th e b o d y fro m h is in itia l v a nta g e p o in t.

S c h m id t a p p ro a c h e d Ala n a ’s b o d y

, a n d trie d to p u ll a stic k o u t o f h e r h a ir; h e

th e n “ sta rte d fre a k in g o u t sa y in g , o h , m y [G] o d , n o w m

y p rin ts a re o n h e r a n d

th e y ’re g o in g to th in k I k ille d h e r.” S c h m id t d id n o t c ry u p o n se e in g th e b o d y

.

Th e siste r u nsu c c e ssfu lly a tte m p te d to re v iv e Ala n a , an d c a lle d p o lic e

.

Th e p o lic e a rriv e d to fin d Ala n a ’s siste r a n d b ro th e r c ry in g a n d sc re a m in g

,

b u t S c hm id t disp la y e d a

b so lu te ly n o e m o tio n ; in de e d, Sc h m id t a c te d a s if “ th e re

wa s [n o t] a c a re in th e wo rld .” Du r i n g p o lic e in te rv ie ws, S c hm id t e x h ib ite d

c o n d u c t wh ic h ra ise d su sp ic io n

, in c lu d in g a tte m p ts to c ry w h ic h a

p p e a re d to b e

d isin ge n u o u s. Afte r te llin g th e p o lic e a t le a st fiv e d iffe re n t sto rie s a b o u t wh a t

tra n sp ire d

, S c hm id t a d m itte d to h a v in g ta k e n Ala n a ’s fa th e r’s h a n d g u n fro m th e

m a ste r b e d ro o m

, a n d a lle ge d ly a c c id e n ta lly sh o o tin g A la n a w ith it a s he sto o d

b e h in d he r a tte m

p tin g to u n lo a d it. Ho we v e r, it wa s la te r d e te rm in e d th a t in th e

p o sitio n o f th e h a n d g u n m e c h a n ism a s d e sc rib e d by S c h m id t, 13 p o u n d s o f

p re ssu re wo u ld h a v e to be a p p lie d to th e trig g e r in o rd e r to fire th e h a n d g u n

.

In v e stig a to rs la te r se a rc h e d S c hm id t’ s r e s i d e n c e a n d fo u n d a g un b o x

,

4a m m

u n itio n

, a nd a n o wn e r’s m a n u a l fo r th e m ur d e r we a

p o n

. T h e p o lic e

d e te rm in e d th a t it wa s n o t p o ssib le fo r S c h m id t to h a v e b ro u g h t th e gu n b o x to

h is h o m e d u rin g th e b rie f in te rv a l in wh ic h Ala n a wa s sh o t, a n d th a t h e wo u ld

h a v e ha d to o b ta in it b e fo re h a n d

. In S c h m id t’s b o o k b a g

, sta sh e d in h is

b e d ro o m c lo s e t

, p o lic e fo u n d o th e r ite m s b e lo ng in g to th e Ca la h a n fa m ily

,

in c lu din g a n iP o d

, RCA M P 3 p la y e r, an d a dig ita l c a m e ra

. Ala n a ’s ho use k e y s

we re th o u g h t to b e lo st p rio r to he r d e at h

, b u t we re fo u n d se v e ra l we e k s la te r

u n d e r m a ts o n th e flo o r o f th e Ca la h a n fa m ily ’s pic k u p

, to wh ic h S c h m id t h a d

a c c e ss.

1

. S c hm id t h a s n o t e n u m e ra te d a s e rro r th a t th e e v id e n c e a t h is tria l wa s

in su ffic ie n t to su sta in h is c o n v ic tio n s; n e v e rth e le ss, th is Co u rt h a s re v ie we d th e

e v id e n c e a n d fin d s th a t it 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

S c h m id t g u ilty b e y o n d a re a so n a b le d o u b t o f th e c rim e s o f wh ic h h e wa s

c o n v ic te d

. J

ac k so n v

. Virg i n i a

, 4 4 3 U .S

. 3 07 (9 9 S C t 2 7 8 1

, 61 LE2 d 5 6 0 )

(1 9 7 9 ).

2

. S c h m id t c o n te n d s th a t th e tria l co u r t e rre d in de n y in g h is re q u e st to

in stru c t th e ju ry o n th e le sse r c h a r g e o f in v o lu nta ry m a nsla u g h te r in th e

5c o m m issio n o f a n u n la w f u l a c t, OCGA § 16 -5 -3 (a ). 2 B u t, th e c on te n tio n is

u n a v a ilin g

.

Th e tria l c o u rt d e n ie d th e re q u e st b e c a u se it wa s u n tim e ly 3 a n d b e c a u se th e

c o u rt d e te rm in e d th a t th e e v id e n c e d id n ot su p p ort su c h a c ha rg e

. Ye t, S c h m id t

u rg e s th a t th e re wa s e v id e nc e to su p p o rt it be c a u se in his c u sto d ia l sta te m e n t h e

re la te d th a t t h e g u n d isc h a rg e d a c c id e n ta lly a s he wa s sta n din g b e h in d Ala n a

with th e g u n po in tin g a t h e r, a n d th a t th is c o u p le d with th e fa c t th a t h e re m o v e d

h is sh o e s u p o n e n te rin g h e r h o u se wo u ld ha v e pe rm itte d th e ju ry to fin d th a t h e

d id n o t h a v e t h e in te n t to c o m m it h om ic id e b u t th a t h e a c c id e nta lly c a u se d

Ala n a ’s d e a th du rin g c o m m issio n o f th e o ffe n se o f re c k le ss c o n d u c t.

P re te rm ittin g a n y issu e a s to th e tim e lin e ss o f th e re q u e st, th e tria l c o urt

p ro p e rly d e c lin e d to g iv e th e in stru c tio n a s th e re wa s n o e v id e n c e o f in v o lu n ta ry

m a n sla u g h te r b y th e c o m m issio n o f a n u n la w fu l a c t; it is n o t e rro r to re fu se to

2 OCGA § 16-5-3 (a) provides:

A person commits the offense of involuntary manslaug hter in the commission of an unlawful

act when he causes the death of another human being without any intention to d o so by the

commission of an unlawful act other t h an a fe l ony

. A person w ho commits the offense of

involuntary manslaug hter in the commission of an unlawful a ct, u pon c onviction thereof,

shall be punished by

imprisonment for not less than one y ear nor more than ten y ears.

3 The request was made following the charg e conference and after the trial court e

- m a i l ed

counsel its intended instructions to the jury

.

6g iv e a re q u e ste d in stru c tio n to th e ju ry wh e n th e re is n o e v id e nc e to su p p o rt it.

He y wa rd v

. S ta te

, 2 7 8 Ga

. 3 4 2

, 3 4 3 (2 ) (6 0 2 S E2 d 8 31 ) (2 0 0 4 ). As n o te d

,

S c h m id t c o n te nd s th a t th e h a n d g u n d isc h a rg e d a c c id e n ta lly a s h e wa s

a tte m p tin g to u n lo a d it wh ile sta n d in g b e h in d th e vic tim with it p o in tin g a t h e r;

th e re is n o c o n te n tio n th a t h e in te n d e d to fire t h e we a p o n o r th a t it wa s

in te ntio n a lly a im e d a t th e v ic tim

. L a sh le y v

. S ta te

, 2 8 3 Ga

. 46 5

, 4 6 6 -4 6 7 (2 )

(6 6 0 S E2 d 3 7 0 ) (2 0 0 8 ). Th u s, a s th e tria l c ou rt rig h tly d e te rm in e d

, th e

e v id e n c e e sta blish e d e ith e r th a t S c h m id t in te ntio n a lly sh o t a n d k ille d th e v ic tim

,

o r th a t th e h a n dg u n d isc h a rg e d a c c id e n ta lly

, a n d th u s, th e re wa s n o c rim in a l

o ffe n se in re g a

rd to th e sh oo tin g

. Id

. a t 4 6 7 (2 ). In th e c irc u m sta n c e s in wh ic h

th e e v id e n c e sh o ws e ith e r th e c o m m issio n o f th e c o m p le te d o ffe n se

, in th is c a se

m a lic e m u rd e r, o r th e c o m m issio n o f n o o ffe nse

, th e re is no re q u ire m e n t th a t th e

tria l c o u rt c ha rg e th e ju ry o n a le sse r in c lu d e d o ffe n se

. Id

. Th e t r i a l c o urt

c h a rg e d th e ju ry o n a c c id e n t, a n d d id no t e rr b y re fu sin g to a l s o i n s t r u c t it o n

in v o lu n ta ry m a n sla u g h te r d u r i ng th e c o m m issio n o f th e m isd e m e a n o r o f

re c k le ss c o n du c t. Id

.

3

. S c h m id t ne xt c o n t e n d s th a t h is tria l c o u n se l wa s in e ffe c tiv e in h e r

re p re se n ta tio n be c a

u se sh e pu rsu e d a d e fe n se th e ory o f v o lu n ta ry m a nsla u g h te r

7e v e n th o u g h th e re wa s no e v id e n c e to su p p o rt th e c o n te n tio n th a t h e k ille d Ala n a

o u t o f a “ su dd e n a

n d irre sistib le p a ssio n ,” a n e sse n tia l e le m e n t o f v o lu n ta ry

m a n sla u g h te r. S e e OCGA § 1 6 -5 -2 (a ). 4 He a rg u e s th a t in p u rsu in g v o lu n ta ry

m a n sla u g h te r, tria l c o u n se l a b a n d o n e d th e via

ble d e fe n se o f in v o lu n ta ry

m a n sla u g h te r “ in fa v o r of a c o n c o c te d de fe nse u nsu p p orte d b y t h e e v id e n c e .”

He a lso c o n te n d s th a t if tria l c o u n se l’s re q u e st to c h a rg e th e ju ry o n in v o lu n ta ry

m a n sla u g h te r is d e te rm in e d to b e u n tim e ly

, th a t w o u l d a l s o c o n s t i t u te in e ffe c tiv e

re p re se n ta tio n

.

In o rd e r fo r S c h m id t to p re v a il o n h is c la im o f in e ffe c tiv e a ssista n c e

, h e

m u st c a rry th e b u rd e n a s se t fo rth in S tric k la n d v

. W a s h i n g t o n

, 4 6 6 U.S

. 6 6 8

(1 0 4 S Ct 2 0 5 2, 8 0 L E2 d 67 4) (1 9 8 4 ), th a t is, th a t tria l c o un se l ' s p er f o rm a n c e

wa s d e fic ie nt a n d th a t, b u t fo r th e d e fic ie n c y

, th e re is a re a so n a b le p ro b a b ility

o f a m o re fa v o ra

b le o u tc o m e a t tri a l

. T

orre s v

. S ta te

,

_

_ _ Ga

.

__ _ (7 7 1 S E2 d

4 OCGA § 16-5-2 (a) provides:

A person commits the o f

fense of voluntary manslaug hter w hen he causes the death of another

human being u nder circumstances which would otherwise be murder and if he acts solely as

the result of a sudden, violent, and irresistible p assion resul ting from serious provocation

sufficient to ex c ite such passion in a reasonable person; however, if there should have been

an interval between the provocation and the k illing sufficient f or t h e voice o f r eason and

humanity to b e heard, o f which the jury in all cases shall be the judg e, t h e k i l l i ng shall be

attributed to deliberate reveng e and be punished as murder.

88 9 4 ) (2 01 5 ). F or S c h m id t to sa tisfy th e first re q u ire m e n t o f S tric k la n d

, h e ha s

t o o v e r c o m e th e stro n g p re su m p tio n th a t h is tria l c o u n se l' s p e rfo rm anc e wa s

with in th e wid e ra n g e o f re a so n a b le p ro fe ssi o n a l co n d u c t, a nd th a t c o u n se l' s

d e c isio n s we re th e re su lt o f re a so n a b le p ro fe ssio n a l ju dg m e n t. T o rre s v

. S ta te

a t

_ _ _ . Th e re a so na

b le n e ss o f su c h ju dg m e nt m u st b e a sse sse d fro m c o u n se l' s

p e rsp e c tiv e a t t h e t i m e o f tria l a n d u n d e r th e p a rtic u la r c irc u m sta nc e s th e n

e x istin g in th e c a se

. Id

. As fo r th e se c on d S tric k la nd re q u ire m e n t, S c h m id t m u st

d e m o n stra te th e re a so n a

ble p ro b a b ility th a t, a

b se n t a n y u n p ro fe ssio n a l e rro rs o n

c o u n se l' s p a rt, th e re su lt o f h is tria l wo u ld h a v e b e e n diffe re nt. Id . Th is Co urt

is to a c c e p t th e tria l c o u rt' s fa c tu a l fin d in g s a nd d e te rm in a tio n s a s to c re d ib ility

u n le ss th e y a re c le a rly e rro n e ou s, b u t is to in de p e n d e n tly a p ply th e le g a l

p rin c ip le s to th e fa c ts. Id

.

I t i s tru e th a t th e tria l c o u rt d e c lin e d to in stru c t th e ju ry o n v o lu n t a r y

m a n sla u g h te r b e c a

u se o f a la c k o f e v id e n c e to su p p o rt su c h a n in stru c tio n ;

h o we v e r, S c h m id t’s c la im o f th e in e ffe c tiv e a ssista nc e of h is tria l c o u n se l m u st

fa il b e c a u se h e c a n n o t sa tisfy th e n e c e ssa ry e le m e n t o f pre ju dic e u n d e r

9S tric k

la n d

. As n o te d

, h e u rg e s th a t h e wa s p re ju d ic e d b e c a

use t ria l c o u n se l

p u r s u e d a b og us th e o ry o f v o lu n ta ry m an sla u gh te r ra th e r th a n a v a lid o n e o f

in v o lu n ta ry m a n sla u g h te r; in d e e d , h e su g g e sts n o d e fe n se o th e r th a n c la im in g

th e le sse r c u lp a

b ility of in v o lu n ta ry m a nsla u g h te r. Bu t, it h a s a lre a d y b e e n

d e te rm in e d th a t th e re wa s n o e v id e n c e o f in vo lu n ta ry m an sla u g h te r, so th e

fa ilu re to p u rsu e in v o lu n ta ry m a n sla u g h te r a s a d e fe n se c o u ld h a v e h a d n o e ffe c t

o n t h e o u t c om e a t tria l, a n d c o nse q u e ntly

, S c h m id t wa s n ot p re ju d ic e d b y th e

o m issio n

. S e e Div isio n 2

, su p ra

. S o to o

, th e tim e lin e ss or la c k th e re of o f tria l

c o u n se l ’ s r e q u e st to c ha rg e th e ju ry o n in v o lu n ta ry m a n sla u g h te r c o u ld n o t

c o n sti t u te in e ffe c tiv e re p re se n ta tio n

. A t b e st, th e e v id e n c e a rg u a b ly ra ise d th e

c o m p le te de fe n se o f a c c id e n t, a n d th e tria l c o u rt in stru c te d t h e j u r y o n th a t

d e fe n se

. In a sm

u c h a s S c h m id t’s c la im o f in e ffe c tiv e a ssista n c e o f tria l c o u n se l

m u st fa il fo r la c k o f p re

ju d ic e

, t h i s Co u rt n e e d no t c o n sid e r th e p e rfo rm a n c e

p ro n g o f th e S tric k

la n d te st. J

e n n in g s v

. S ta te

, 2 82 Ga

. 6 7 9

, 6 8 0 (2 ) (6 5 3 S E2 d

1 7 ) (2 00 7 ).

4

. Th e re is n o m e rit to S c h m id t’s fin a l c o n te n tio n th a t h is d isc r e t io n a ry

se n te nc e o f life in p riso n with o u t th e p o ssib ility o f pa ro le wa s in v io la tio n o f th e

10Eig h th Am e n dm e n t’s p ro h ib itio n o f “ c ru e l a n d u n u su a l p u n ish m e n t” b e c a u se h e

wa s a ju v e n ile a t th e tim e

. Bu n v. S t a t e

, 2 9 6 G a

. 5 4 9

, 5 5 0 -5 5 1 (2 ) (7 6 9 S E2 d

3 8 1 ) (2 01 5 ).

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

11