Source: http://www.leagle.com/decision/1981305184Conn121_1292.xml/STATE%20v.%20STANKOWSKI
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Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 53', '§ 53', '§ 1', '§ 62', '§ 379', '§ 8', '§ 53']

STATE v. STANKOWSKI | Leagle.com Menu
184 Conn. 121 (1981)
Decision released May 12, 1981.
Citing Case Joseph F. Keefe and Edward J. Peters, Jr., for the appellant (defendant).
BOGDANSKI, PETERS, HEALEY, ARMENTANO and WRIGHT, JS.
After trial to a jury of twelve, the defendant was found guilty of murder in violation of General Statutes § 53a-54a (a). Upon the trial court's denial of his motions for acquittal and for a new trial, the defendant has appealed and presses seven claims of error. He contends that the trial court erred: (1) in denying his motions for judgment of acquittal; (2) in admitting statements made by him while he was in police custody; (3) in excluding the testimony of a child witness; (4) in giving the "Chip Smith" charge; (5) in its charge to the petit jury on the element of intent; (6) in its charge to the grand jury on the element of intent; and (7) in denying his post-trial motion for a new trial based on juror misconduct.
From the evidence presented at trial, the jury could have reasonably found the following: At approximately 8 p.m., on August 25, 1977, after having consumed two beers at the Hilltop Lounge, the defendant met Stephen Grant at Moodus Center. The defendant asked Grant if he wanted to smoke a marijuana cigarette, and Grant said yes. The defendant then purchased a six pack of sixteenounce bottles of beer and met Grant and George Hungerford at Hungerford's car. The three then proceeded to Grant's van, in which they passed around a marijuana cigarette supplied by the defendant.
At approximately 10:30 p.m., the defendant, Hungerford, Jansky, Vickers and Corey left the van for Hungerford's car, and then went to the defendant's house at the defendant's invitation "[t]o finish the gin and have some more marijuana...." Hungerford later testified that, initially, while he, the defendant, and Corey were in Hungerford's car, with the windows rolled up, the defendant said that Vickers and Jansky should not be let into the car. After Hungerford indicated that they were "nice girls," the defendant stated that "Cathy was all right, but he really did not like Valerie."
General Statutes § 53a-54a (a) provides that "[a] person is guilty of murder when, with intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of such person." Section 53a-3 (11) states: "A person acts `intentionally' with respect to a result or to conduct described by a statute defining an offense when his conscious objective is to cause such result or to engage in such conduct." At trial, the defendant offered evidence to show that the shooting was accidental. He testified that once he brought the shotgun upstairs, he handed it to the deceased. The victim allegedly handled the gun for a while, discussing it with him. According to the defendant's testimony, at one point the defendant asked Vickers if she wanted to roll a "joint," to which she responded "go ahead." The defendant claimed that he then placed the gun on a table; that Vickers grabbed the end of the barrel and tapped it on the edge of the table a few times; and that she then placed two hands on the rifle and pulled it, whereupon the gun went off.
We have repeatedly stated the test which this court employs to determine whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain a verdict: "`[T]he issue is whether the jury could have reasonably concluded, upon the facts established and the reasonable inferences drawn therefrom, that the cumulative effect of the evidence was sufficient to justify the verdict of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt ..." State v. Gaynor, 182 Conn. 501, 503, 438 A.2d 479 (1980), quoting State v. Festo, 181 Conn. 254, 259, 435 A.2d 38 (1980); State v. Nemeth, 182 Conn. 403, 410, 438 A.2d 120 (1980); State v. Saracino, 178 Conn. 416, 419, 423 A.2d 102 (1979); State v. Jackson, 176 Conn. 257, 262, 407 A.2d 948 (1978). "In ruling on such a motion, the evidence presented at the trial must be given a construction most favorable to sustaining the jury's verdict." State v. Jackson, supra, 262; see State v. Nemeth, supra; State v. Chetcuti, 173 Conn. 165, 172, 377 A.2d 263 (1977). Each essential element of the crime charged must be established by proof beyond a reasonable doubt, "`and although it is within the province of the jury to draw reasonable, logical inferences from the facts proven, they may not resort to speculation and conjecture.'" State v. Gaynor, supra, 503; State v. Festo, supra, 259.
We have stated: "Intent is a mental process which ordinarily can be proven only by circumstantial evidence." State v. Zdanis, 182 Conn. 388, 396, 438 A.2d 696 (1980), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 1003, 101 S.Ct. 1715, 68 L. Ed. 2d 207 (1981). "The intent of the actor is a question for the trier of fact, and the conclusion drawn by the trier in this regard should stand unless it is an unreasonable one." State v. Holley, 174 Conn. 22, 26, 381 A.2d 539 (1977).
Although there was not overwhelming evidence to support the finding of the requisite intent, and thus the defendant's guilt, there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict. As concluded by the trial court: "From the evidence presented, the jury could have found that the defendant did not `like' the decedent; that the defendant, despite contrary admonitions, obtained shells and deliberately loaded the shotgun before returning to the loft; that, upon returning to the loft, he pointed the loaded shotgun at the decedent and told her that he was going to shoot her; and that, when she said `Go ahead,' he pulled the trigger. Further, the lack of any fingerprint smudges on the rifle and powder burns on the victim's hands and person, belied the defendant's claim that the victim caused her own death by pulling on the barrel of the shotgun."1
The defendant argues that the trial court erred in admitting statements made by him after he was taken into custody and before he was informed of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694 (1966).
Although it is unclear when the defendant's restraints were loosened, trooper David Horan,2 who had accompanied the defendant in the ambulance and was present at the barracks, at one point testified that within five to ten minutes after arrival at the barracks, the straps about the defendant's legs were loosened, his handcuffs were changed from behind his back to in front, and he was allowed to sit up.
We first examine whether the defendant's statements are inadmissible because they were involuntarily given. The ultimate test of the admissibility of such statements is their voluntariness. See Culombe v. Connecticut, 367 U.S. 568, 602, 81 S.Ct. 1860, 6 L. Ed. 2d 1037 (1961); Rogers v. Richmond, 365 U.S. 534, 544, 81 S.Ct. 735, 5 L. Ed. 2d 760 (1961); State v. Staples, 175 Conn. 398, 406, 399 A.2d 1269 (1978). The state is required to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that under all the circumstances a particular confession is voluntary. Lego v. Twomey, 404 U.S. 477, 489, 92 S.Ct. 619, 30 L. Ed. 2d 618 (1972); State v. Hawthorne, 176 Conn. 367, 370, 407 A.2d 1001 (1978); State v. Staples, supra, 406-407; State v. Vollhardt, 157 Conn. 25, 34, 244 A.2d 601 (1968). "The issue of whether a confession is voluntary and admissible is, in the first instance, one of fact for determination by the trial court in the exercise of its legal discretion. State v. Devine, 149 Conn. 640, 652, 183 A.2d 612 (1962). That discretion must, however, be exercised in accordance with constitutional standards of due process. State v. Staples, [supra, 408]." State v. Derrico, 181 Conn. 151, 162-63, 434 A.2d 356, cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1064, 101 S.Ct. 789, 66 L. Ed. 2d 607 (1980).
We have stated that "` "the test of voluntariness is whether an examination of all the circumstances discloses that the conduct of `law enforcement officials was such as to overbear [the defendant's] will to resist and bring about confessions not freely self-determined ....' Rogers v. Richmond, 365 U.S. 534, 544, [81 S.Ct. 735, 5 L. Ed. 2d 760] (1961)."`" State v. Staples, supra, 408; see State v. Derrico, supra, 163. "The ultimate test remains .... `Is the confession the product of an essentially free and unconstrained choice by its maker? If it is, if he has willed to confess, it may be used against him. If it is not, if his will has been overborne and his capacity for self-determination critically impaired, the use of his confession offends due process.'" Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218, 225, 93 S.Ct. 2041, 36 L. Ed. 2d 854 (1973), quoting Culombe v. Connecticut, supra, 602; see State v. Derrico, supra.
The trial court concluded: "There was no evidence of any mistreatment, threats or promises or physical or mental abuse which would deprive an otherwise rational mind of the exercise of free will and power of decision and discernment. The record in this case is totally devoid of any indication that the defendant was subjected to this sort of coercion or intimidation either while he was riding back to the barracks or while he was being held at the barracks." 3 On the basis of a review of the evidence before it, we cannot conclude that the trial court erred in holding that the defendant's statements were not involuntary.
Although the defendant was in his teens, he was not in his early teens; at the age of nineteen he had already passed the age of majority in our state. General Statutes § 1-1d. There is no claim that he was intellectually or psychologically deficient in any way.
The defendant argues that due to his ingestion of alcohol and use of marijuana, both of which were self-induced, his statements cannot be deemed to be voluntary. "[T]he use of drugs or the ingestion of alcoholic beverages does not in and of itself render a subsequent admission inadmissible." People v. Pawlicke, 62 Ill.App.3d 791, 796, 379 N.E.2d 798 (1978); see United States v. Brown, 535 F.2d 424, 427 (8th Cir. 1976); State v. Peterson, 366 A.2d 525 (Me. 1976). It is one factor to be considered in determining the voluntariness of a statement. See State v. Peterson, supra; Commonwealth v. Jones, 457 Pa. 423, 322 A.2d 119, 125 (1974).
We next examine whether the defendant's statements are inadmissible because they were uttered prior to the time he was given his Miranda warnings. Miranda held that "the prosecution may not use statements, whether exculpatory or inculpatory, stemming from custodial interrogation of the defendant unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the [fifth amendment's] privilege against self-incrimination." Miranda v. Arizona, supra, 444. Before one suspected of the commission of a crime is entitled to the warnings constitutionally required by Miranda, however, two conditions must be satisfied: the suspect must be in the custody of law enforcement officials; Oregon v. Mathiason, 429 U.S. 492, 495, 97 S.Ct. 711, 50 L. Ed. 2d 714 (1977); Beckwith v. United States, 425 U.S. 341, 344-48, 96 S.Ct. 1612, 48 L. Ed. 2d 1 (1976); and the suspect must be subjected to interrogation. Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 100 S.Ct. 1682, 64 L. Ed. 2d 297 (1980); Miranda v. Arizona, supra, 444. The defendant was clearly in custody during the time period in question. The question becomes whether he was the subject of police interrogation.
In Rhode Island v. Innis, supra, the United States Supreme Court defined what conduct amounted to "interrogation" for Miranda purposes. The court stated: "[T]he term `interrogation' under Miranda refers not only to express questioning, but also to any words or actions on the part of the police (other than those normally attendant to arrest and custody) that the police should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from the suspect. The latter portion of this definition focuses primarily upon the perceptions of the suspect, rather than the intent of the police.... A practice that the police should know is reasonably likely to evoke an incriminating response from a suspect thus amounts to interrogation. But, since the police surely cannot be held accountable for the unforeseeable results of their words or actions, the definition of interrogation can extend only to words or actions on the part of police officers that they should have known were reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response." Rhode Island v. Innis,
supra, 301-302.
Although the test in Innis is an objective one, the Supreme Court noted that the intent of the police is not irrelevant. This is so "for it may well have a bearing on whether the police should have known that their words or actions were reasonably likely to evoke an incriminating response. In particular, where a police practice is designed to elicit an incriminating response from the accused, it is unlikely that the practice will not also be one which the police should have known was reasonably likely to have that effect." Rhode Island v. Innis, supra, 301-302 n.7. There is clearly no indication from the record that the police conduct in this case was designed to elicit incriminating utterances from the defendant. Although trooper Horan took notes of the defendant's statements, this factor cannot alone be decisive of an intent to interrogate, "for a law officer would be derelict in his duty not to log an accused's incriminating statements...." United States v. Voice, 627 F.2d 138, 145 (8th Cir. 1980). We simply cannot conclude that the defendant was subjected to any words of or actions by the police that the police should have known were reasonably likely to elicit incriminating responses from the defendant. Cf. State v. Krajger, 182 Conn. 497, 438 A.2d 745 (1980).
After Kaplan testified, the trial judge ruled that he was of the opinion that the child was not competent to testify. He stated: "[E]ven in the most liberal stretch of the rule that I can make, the witness is not qualified."4
"In determining the competency of child witnesses, age is not the decisive factor. See Kuczon v. Tomkievicz, supra, 570; McCormick, Evidence (2d Ed.) § 62. Instead, the trial court must consider `the proposed witness' maturity to receive correct impressions by his senses, ability to recollect and narrate intelligently, and ability to appreciate the moral duty to tell the truth.' State v. Siberon, supra, 458. The witness should also have an intelligent comprehension of the facts sought to be developed. See State v. Segerberg, supra, 548; Kuczon v. Tomkievicz, supra, 570; McCormick, loc. cit." State v. Rodriguez, 180 Conn. 382, 389, 429 A.2d 919 (1980). See also 2 Wharton, Criminal Evidence (13th Ed.) §§ 379-380.
Upon review of the evidence, we cannot conclude that the trial judge abused his discretion by not allowing Stephen Stankowski to testify. The trial judge, who has the advantage of viewing the child first hand, and observing the child's demeanor and ability to answer questions posed to him, could have reasonably come to the conclusion that Stephen did not have the ability to recollect and narrate intelligently, or the ability to appreciate the moral duty to tell the truth.5
The defendant contends that the court erred in giving a supplemental instruction to the jury. After the jury had been deliberating for approximately two and one-half days, they came back and asked the trial court whether they had "to reach a unanimous decision on the first or more serious charge before considering the lesser charge?" After the trial court answered yes and explained its answer, it then gave the jury a charge on the role and responsibility of the jurors, commonly referred to as a "Chip Smith" instruction.6 See State v. Smith, 49 Conn. 376 (1881). The defendant objected to the giving of the charge, contending that the charge violated his due process of law and right to a jurytrial under article first, § 8 of the Connecticut constitution because it coerces the "jurors individually into listening to and adopting the conclusions of their fellow jurors."
We disagree. We have had recent occasion to note: "The possibility of disagreement by the jury is implicit in the requirement of a unanimous verdict and is part of the constitutional safeguard of trial by jury. See United States v. Harris, 391 F.2d 348, 355 (6th Cir. [1968]); Thaggard v. United States, 354 F.2d 735, 740 (5th Cir. [1965]) (Coleman, J., concurring specially); Jenkins v. United States, 330 F.2d 220, 222 (D.C. Cir. [1964]) (Wright, J., dissenting), rev'd, 380 U.S. 445, 85 S.Ct. 1059, 13 L. Ed. 2d 957 [1965]; Green v. United States, 309 F.2d 852, 856 (5th Cir. [1962]).... While a defendant is not entitled to an instruction that a jury may `hang'; United States v. Sawyers, 423 F.2d 1335, 1340 (4th Cir. [1970]); United States v. Bowles, 428 F.2d 592, 596 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 928, 91 S.Ct. 193, 27 L. Ed. 2d 188 [1970]; he is entitled to a jury unfettered by an order to decide. Jenkins v. United States, 380 U.S. 445, 446, 85 S.Ct. 1059, 13 L. Ed. 2d 957 [1965]." State v. Peary, 176 Conn. 170, 183-84, 405 A.2d 626 (1978), quoting State v. Ralls, 167 Conn. 408, 421-22, 356 A.2d 147 (1974).
In the present case, the court's charge cannot be said to have coerced the jurors. When read as a whole, the charge adequately apprised the jurors of their individual responsibility both to reconsider their opinion and "to reach his or her own conclusion," and not merely to acquiesce in the conclusions of others. See United States v. Robinson, 560 F.2d 507, 517 (2d Cir. 1977), cert. denied, 435 U.S. 905, 98 S.Ct. 1451, 55 L. Ed. 2d 496 (1978). We cannot conclude that the court's charge, when read as a whole, was prejudicial to the defendant. See State v. Peary, supra; State v. Martinez, 173 Conn. 541, 378 A.2d 517 (1977); State v. Ralls, supra; State v. Keeler, 164 Conn. 42, 316 A.2d 782 (1972); Tough v. Ives, 162 Conn. 274, 294 A.2d 67 (1972); State v. Walters, 145 Conn. 60, 138 A.2d 786, cert. denied, 358 U.S. 46, 79 S.Ct. 70, 3 L. Ed. 2d 45 (1958); State v. Schleifer, 102 Conn. 708, 130 A. 184 (1925); State v. Smith, supra.7
The defendant also claims that the trial court erred in its instruction to the trial jury on the issue of intent as an element of the crime of murder. He specifically contends that the court's charge impermissibly shifted the burden of proof to him, thereby violating his constitutional protections of the presumption of innocence and of due process of law as guaranteed by the fourteenth amendment to the United States constitution. See Sandstrom v. Montana, 442 U.S. 510, 99 S.Ct. 2450, 61 L. Ed. 2d 39 (1979). He takes issue with that portion of the charge which stated: "A person's intentions may be inferred from his conduct. Every person under the law is presumed to intend the natural and necessary consequences of his acts."8
On a number of recent occasions, this court has reviewed claims based on an alleged violation of Sandstrom v. Montana, supra.9 See, e.g., State v. Brokaw, 183 Conn. 29, 33-34, 438 A.2d 815 (1981); State v. Truppi, 182 Conn. 449, 452-59, 438 A.2d 712 (1980), cert. denied, 451 U.S. 941, 101 S.Ct. 2024, 68 L. Ed. 2d 329 (1981); State v. Theriault, 182 Conn. 366, 379-80, 438 A.2d 432 (1980); State v. Vasquez, 182 Conn. 242, 245-53, 438 A.2d 424 (1980); State v. Maselli, 182 Conn. 66, 75-78, 437 A.2d 836 (1980), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1083, 101 S.Ct. 868, 66 L. Ed. 2d 807 (1981); State v. Perez, 181 Conn. 299, 315, 435 A.2d 334 (1980); State v. Arroyo, 180 Conn. 171, 173-74, 429 A.2d 457 (1980). We have cautioned that the Sandstrom holding must not be oversimplified; see State v. Vasquez, supra, 248; State v. Arroyo, supra, 175; and that other instructions may be adequate to overcome the potential for confusing the jury on the issue of inferences and presumptions with regard to intent. See State v. Vasquez, supra; State v. Arroyo, supra, 175-76; State v. Harrison, 178 Conn. 689, 697, 425 A.2d 111 (1979).
We are aware that general instructions on the burden of proof or the presumption of innocence do not in and of themselves dispel the possibility that the jury could have interpreted the instruction on intent in an unconstitutional manner. See Sandstrom v. Montana, supra, 518 n.7. Such instructions, however, may be considered with all other instructions relevant to the claim raised to determine whether the jury could have interpreted the presumption involved to be either conclusive or burden-shifting and, thus, unconstitutional. See State v. Vasquez, supra, 248.
The instructions in this case which the defendant attacks are very similar to the murder instructions which we upheld in State v. Arroyo.10 Upon review, we conclude that the attacked portions of this charge, when considered in light of the charge as a whole, including the explanatory instructions on inference and circumstantial evidence, could not be reasonably construed to require a conclusive presumption or a shifting of the burden of proof, and did not deprive the defendant of his due process right to a fair trial. See State v. Arroyo, supra.
In State v. Stepney, 181 Conn. 268, 435 A.2d 701 (1980), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1077, 101 S.Ct. 856, 66 L. Ed. 2d 799 (1981), we considered the question whether the prohibitions enunciated in Sandstrom regarding instructions delivered to a petit jury on the issue of criminal intent were applicable in grand jury proceedings. For the reasons stated therein, we concluded that "the interests intended to be protected by the prohibitions delineated in Sandstrom with regard to a petit jury are not equally imperiled within the context of a grand jury proceeding as conducted in this state...." State v. Stepney, supra, 271. Accordingly, we find no error with regard to this claim.
The defendant knew he was not following his trial counsel's instructions when he talked to the juror. Yet, he did not tell his trial counsel of his conversation because he knew the conversation was improper11 and was therefore afraid of his trial counsel's response.
The defendant argues, on several grounds,12 that the court erred in refusing to grant the defendant's motion for a new trial. We do not agree. "Where alleged juror misconduct claimed as prejudicial is known by the party or his counsel prior to rendition of a verdict, and no objection is made, nor the matter brought to the court's attention, the party cannot later assert the misconduct as grounds for a new trial." (Emphasis added.) State v. Porter, Green & Smith, 228 Kan. 345, 353, 615 P.2d 146 (1980), quoting State v. Buggs, 219 Kan. 203, 547 P.2d 720 (1976). "[W]here misconduct of jurors is first presented in the motion for new trial, an affirmative showing must be made that both defendant and his attorney were ignorant of the misconduct until after the trial.... The reason for the rule is that a defendant is not entitled to wait until the verdict is in, gambling on a favorable verdict, then seek a new trial if a verdict of guilty is returned.... Appellant's knowledge of the alleged misconduct prior to the conclusion of trial prevents its consideration when raised for the first time in the motion for new trial, even though appellant's counsel did not learn of it until after trial." (Emphasis added.) State v. Brown, 599 S.W.2d 498, 502 (Mo. 1980).
FootNotes 1. We note that the jury were fully apprised by the court on the issue of the effect which the defendant's intoxication could have had on their verdict. See General Statutes § 53a-7. Nevertheless, they found that the defendant had the requisite intent. The defendant makes no claim that the court's charge with respect to the issue of the defendant's intoxication was deficient in any way. We set out the court's charge on the murder count with respect to that issue to show its comprehensiveness: "I have to point out to you at the outset that under our statute, intoxication is not a defense to a criminal charge, but evidence of intoxication of the defendant may be offered by the defendant whenever it is relevant to negate or negative an element of the crime charged. However, the burden remains with the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, in spite of any intoxication, if you find any, had the capacity to and did form the intent to cause Valerie Vickers' death when he shot her. This is due to the basic rule that the state has the burden of proving all the elements of the crime charged, including intent beyond a reasonable doubt. So, I mention this to you because I don't want you to think that the defense has the burden of proof on this. The burden overall is upon the state.
"Now, intoxication under the statute means a substantial disturbance of mental or physical capacities resulting from the introduction of substances into the body. Intoxication, whether induced by the use of intoxicating liquor or drugs, becomes significant only when it has proceeded so far that it has affected the operation of the defendant's mind to a point where it has caused a substantial disturbance of mental or physical capacities, caused by introducing such intoxicating liquor or drugs into the body. The resulting substantial disturbance of the mind or body must be such as to render the defendant incapable of forming an intent to cause the death of another person as required by the murder statute. In other words, the substantial disturbance must be of such a degree as to nullify the defendant's conscious objective to cause the result or to engage in the conduct forbidden by the murder statute. Only when and if the intoxication has reached that point does it negative the existence of the criminal intent required for murder. If it fails to reach such a point, it does not negative the existence of the criminal intent, and you may find that he had such criminal intent. On the other hand, if it does reach that point, then you must find that he did not have the necessary criminal intent to commit murder.
"As we all know, the condition of intoxication may vary in degree according to the amount and character of the liquor or drug taken, the temperament and physical characteristics of the person who takes either or both, the lapse of time between their taking and the commission of the alleged crime, and other circumstances which you may reasonably consider that I may not have mentioned, but were mentioned partly through the testimony of Dr. Stollman.
"An individual may or may not show in his behavior the present effects of liquor or drugs which he has taken and yet, still retain his faculties sufficiently to reason, to know what he is about, and to form and carry out an intent to violate the law. It is only when he is so substantially under the influence of liquor or drugs that at the time the crime was committed, he was unable to have a conscious objective to cause the result or to engage in such conduct as the law forbids. Under the murder statute then, you may find he did not have the necessary intent required by the statute. Thus, as to the third element of the crime of murder, namely, the intent to cause the death of another person, even if you are to find the defendant may have become intoxicated to some degree, if you find that the state has proved the defendant was still capable of forming an intent to cause the death of another person and that he had such intent at the time the crime was committed, and if you find the state has proved all of the other essential elements of the offense, you must find the defendant guilty of murder as charged.
"On the other hand, if you find that the state has failed to prove that at the time of the commission of the offense, the defendant was capable of forming a specific intent mentioned, and also has failed to prove that he had such specific intent, you must find the defendant not guilty of murder."
2. Trooper David Horan arrived at the Stankowski residence at approximately midnight, rode with the defendant to the barracks, and stayed with him during the time in question.
3. The court continued: "The record should reflect the fact that in arriving at this conclusion, the court has taken into account the fact that he was on the stretcher and handcuffed for at least a portion of this time. However, since the time period involved— although there was testimony of time that stretched it out to an hour, clearly the mathematical computation puts it somewhere in the vicinity of twenty-five to thirty minutes. This court cannot say that the actions of the police in that situation were unreasonable or coercive, particularly in light of the accused's conduct when the police arrived at the scene where he was threatening to take his life and threatening the lives of other people and so forth. Consequently, given the totality of the circumstances and the applicable rules the court stated for the record, it first finds that the statements made were voluntary. This finding is made under the totality of the circumstances then and there existing, including those—the mental and physical state of the defendant including his voluntary ingestion of alcohol."
4. He soon thereafter stated: "As I said, even under the most broad interpretation of the rule, I just can't allow this boy to testify. Believe me, if I felt there was any way that I could I would." The rule to which the trial court judge referred was that of State v. Siberon, 166 Conn. 455, 352 A.2d 285 (1974), which was cited with approval in State v. Rodriguez, 180 Conn. 382, 389, 429 A.2d 919 (1980).
5. Although the printed record cannot, itself, fully demonstrate the demeanor, maturity, responsiveness or abilities of the child, i.e., those factors which went into the trial court's determination, the transcript regarding the examination of the child witness adequately supports the trial court's conclusion. Portions of that transcript include the following:
"By Mr. Redway [State's Attorney]:
Q. Stephen, how do you feel today?
Q. Stephen, you told us how old you were and you said you were six years old, right?
Q. Do you know your birth date, Stephen?
Q. The second of what? Do you know what date your birthday falls on?
Q. Stephen, you said you went to kindergarten?
Q. What is your teacher's name?
A. Miss Warzecha.
Q. What do you do when you go to kindergarten?
Q. Do you have fun playing?
Q. Do you do anything else while you are in kindergarten?
Q. What is that? A. See-saw.
Q. Do you do any writing when you are in kindergarten?
Q. Do you know how to write your name?
Q. Do you know the alphabet?
Q. Can you say the alphabet for me?
(Witness responds by reciting alphabet, but most letters are unintelligible.)
Q. Do you know how to count?
Q. Can you count up to twenty for me?
(Witness counts to twenty, but most numbers are unintelligible.)
Q. You indicated or you told Mr. Peters that you lived on Falls Road?
Q. Do you know the name of the town that you live in?
Q. Who lives with you at Falls Road?
A. Gary.
Q. Anybody else live with you?
A. Frankie and Grandma.
Q. Anybody else live with you there?
A. Debbie.
Q. Debbie lives with you, too?
Q. Anybody else live with you at that location?
Q. Do you go to church, Stephen?
Q. When do you go to church, Stephen?
Q. Where do you go to church, Stephen?
Q. How often do you go to church, Stephen?
Q. Do you go to church every week? T. No, just one week.
Q. Just one week?
Q. Do you know how many times you have been to church, Stephen?
Q. Just one time you have been in church?
Q. Who did you go to church with?
A. Frankie and Gary.
Q. Do you go to Sunday School?
Q. Do you go every week?
Q. What is your Sunday School teacher's name?
Q. Not kindergarten. I am talking about church school. Do you go to church school?
A. Falls Road.
Q. Is that where the church is?
Q. Is the church near your home, Stephen?
Q. How far is it from your home?
A. A little ways.
Q. Do you know the name of the church?
A. (Nodding negatively.)
Q. Who taught you to believe in God?
Q. Do you know what it is to tell a lie, Stephen?
Q. Do you know what would happen to you if you told a lie?
Q. What would happen to you? A. You `pologize (sic).
Q. I don't understand that word, Stephen. Can you state it again?
A. `Pologize.
Q. You apologize, is that what it is?
Q. What do you mean by that, Stephen?
A. Like sometimes you lie.
Q. What happens when you lie?
A. You `pologize.
Q. What does that mean, Stephen? I don't understand that word. Sometimes I have trouble understanding things.
A. Like you lie.
Q. Do you mean that once you lie, you have to say you're sorry?
Q. But you don't know what a lie is, Stephen?
Q. Would anything happen to you, Stephen, if you lied?
Q. Do you know why you are in court, Stephen?
Q. Why are you in court?
A. To ask the truth.
Q. Do you know what you are supposed to say when you come into court?
Q. What is that, Stephen?
Q. You like Gary, don't you?
Q. You like Frankie?
Q. If Gary or Frankie asked you to say something, would you say it?
Q. Why? Because you like them?
Q. If they told you it would be okay to tell a lie, would you do it?
Q. You wouldn't do it then?
Q. Stephen, when was the last time you were at school?
Q. Stephen, have you ever seen me before?
Q. Where did you see me before?
Q. Ever see Mr. Peters before?
Q. Stephen, Mr. Peters asked you some questions before. Is
Q. Do you remember the questions he asked you?
Q. Did he ever ask you those questions before?
Q. Did he ask you those questions before many times?
Q. Can you tell me how many times?
Q. Stephen, do you know how long ago Christmas was?
Q. Do you remember Christmas?
Q. Why do you remember Christmas, Stephen?
A. Before I like it.
Q. Do you remember how long ago that was?
A. A long day.
Q. Do you remember when this thing happened with Gary?
Q. Did that happen before Christmas or after Christmas?
Q. Stephen, what else happens to people when they tell lies?
Mr. Redway: No further questions.
The Court: Mr. Peters [defendant's attorney].
Q. Stephen, if the Judge allowed you to testify, would you lie? A. No. Q. Do you remember something that you did last summer?
Mr. Peters: No further questions, your Honor. By the Court:
Q. Stephen, do you know what the word testify means?
Q. Why do you remember Christmas?
Q. Do you get presents at Christmas time?
Q. Do you remember what present you got last Christmas?
Q. What kind of bike, three wheels or two wheels?
A. Three wheels.
Q. Do you remember going to church?
Q. Do you remember the name of the church?
Q. Who is the man or lady who runs things at the church, do you remember? A. No.
Q. Do you have friends in kindergarten?
Q. Do you know where Mark lives?
Q. Do you know Mark's last name?
A. Mark Shasso (sic).
Q. How old is Mark?
Q. Do you know the name of the people who live next door to you on Falls Road?
Q. Do you know what happens to you when you tell a lie?
The Court: All right, no other questions.
Mr. Peters: I have none, your Honor.
Mr. Redway: I have no further questions."
6. The court stated: "The last question which you sent out reads as follows: `Does the jury have to reach a unanimous decision on the first or more serious charge before considering the lesser charge?'
"The answer to the question is yes. You make a decision on the greater charge first and then you go on to the lesser charge, if you decide that the accused is not guilty of murder in the first degree on the first charge. Then and only then will you consider the lesser included charge.
"Now, there is something else at this point that I do want to say to you because of what your question implies. I want to point out to you that although the verdict to which each juror agrees must be, of course, his or her own conclusion and not a mere acquiescence in the conclusions of their fellow jurors, yet, in order to bring twelve minds to a unanimous result, all of the jurors should examine with candor the questions submitted to them and with due regard and in deference to the opinion of the other jurors in conferring together, the jury ought to pay proper respect to each other's opinions and listen with candor to each other's argument. If much the larger number of the panel are for a conviction, a dissenting juror should consider whether the doubt in his or her mind is a reasonable one which makes no impression upon the minds of so many men and women equally honest and equally intelligent as himself or herself, who have heard the same evidence with the same attention and with equal desire to arrive at the truth and under the sanction of the same oath. On the other hand, if the majority are for acquittal, the minority ought seriously to ask themselves whether they may not reasonably and ought not to doubt the conclusions of the judgment which is not concurred in by most of those with whom they are associated and distrust the weight or sufficiency of that evidence which fails to carry conviction to the minds of their fellow jurors.
"With that, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to send you back to the jury deliberating room. I will give the clerk the page with the question and again, it is to remain a part of the record of this case. You may now retire."
7. The defendant also objected to the timeliness of giving the charge since the jury had not reported a deadlock. Although such a charge "has customarily been deferred until after a disagreement has been reported"; (emphasis added) State v. Walters, 145 Conn. 60, 64, 138 A.2d 786, cert. denied, 358 U.S. 46, 79 S.Ct. 70, 3 L. Ed. 2d 45 (1958); a reported deadlock is not a prerequisite to giving the charge. In this case, even though a deadlock had not been reported, the jury had been deliberating for two and one-half days, and had sent the court a question which indicated they were having a problem with the concept of unanimity with regard to the more serious offense.
8. After the trial court discussed the first two elements of the crime of murder, it stated: "Now, the third element which the state must prove, and that is obviously a crucial element in this case, is that the person causing the death of the other person must have done so with intent to cause such death. In other words, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused shot Valerie Vickers with the intent to cause her death.
"Now, intent is a mental process. A person's intentions may be inferred from his conduct. Every person under the law is presumed to intend the natural and necessary consequences of his acts. It is often impossible and never necessary to prove criminal intent by direct evidence. Ordinarily, intent can be proved only by circumstantial evidence, as I have explained that term to you. What a person's purpose or intention has been is necessarily very largely a matter of inference. A person may take the stand and testify directly as to what his or her purpose or intention was. That testimony you can believe or not, according to whether or not you feel it warrants belief, but no witness can be expected to come here and testify that he looked into another person's mind and saw therein a certain purpose or intention. The only way in which a jury can determine what a person's purpose or intention was at any given time, aside from the person's own testimony, is by determining what that person's conduct was and what the circumstances were surrounding that conduct, and from those, infer what his purpose or intention was. To draw such an inference is not only permitted, but it is also the duty of a jury, provided, of course, the inference drawn is a reasonable one, as I have previously pointed out to you."
The defendant also takes issue with the charge given on manslaughter, which reads as follows: "Now, intent, as I have already explained to you, is a mental process. I have described to you how that process operates and how it may or may not be proved by the state. The person's intention may be inferred from his conduct. Here, I am, in effect, repeating what I have already told you and that is to say, every person is presumed to intend the natural and necessary consequences of his acts. It is often impossible and never necessary to prove criminal intent by direct evidence. Ordinarily, intent can be proved only by circumstantial evidence, as I have defined that term for you. What a person's purpose or intention has been is necessarily very largely a matter of inference.
"A person may take the stand and testify directly as to what his or her purpose or intention was or was not. That testimony, as I have told you, can be believed by you or not, according to whether or not you feel it warrants belief, but no witness can be expected to come here and testify that he looked into another person's mind and saw therein a certain purpose or intention. The only way which a jury can determine what a person's purpose or intention was at any given time, aside from that person's own testimony, is by determining what that person's conduct was and what the circumstances were surrounding that conduct, and from those, infer what his purpose or intention was at the time the conduct was engaged in."
During their deliberations, the jury requested the trial court to instruct them again on the definitions of murder and manslaughter. In response, the court thereafter reinstrueted them, and gave almost verbatim its earlier charges with respect to the two crimes.
9. In Sandstrom v. Montana, 442 U.S. 510, 99 S.Ct. 2450, 61 L. Ed. 2d 39 (1979), the United States Supreme Court held that a jury instruction that "the law presumes that a person intends the ordinary consequences of his voluntary acts" violates the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment, because a reasonable juror could interpret this instruction as a burden-shifting presumption, like that invalidated in Mullaney v. Wilbur, 421 U.S. 684, 95 S.Ct. 1881, 44 L. Ed. 2d 508 (1975), or as a conclusive presumption, like those invalidated in United States v. United States Gypsum Co., 438 U.S. 422, 98 S.Ct. 2864, 57 L. Ed. 2d 854 (1978), and Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246, 72 S.Ct. 240, 96 L. Ed. 288 (1952).
10. With respect to the crime of murder, the trial court in State v. Arroyo charged: "[I]ntent is a mental process. A person's intention may be inferred from his conduct. Every person is presumed to intend the natural probable consequences of his acts.... It is often impossible and never necessary to prove criminal intent by direct evidence. Ordinarily, intent can be proved only by circumstantial evidence as I have explained that term to you. Now, as to intent which a person may have, that is what a person's purpose, design, intention was is necessarily a matter of inference. A man may take the witness stand and testify directly as to what his purpose or intention was, and that testimony you can believe or not, according to whether or not it warrants belief or not. But no witness can be expected to come here and testify that he looked into another person's mind and saw therein a certain purpose or intention or certain knowledge. The only way in which a jury can determine what a person's purpose or intention was, at any given time, aside from that person's own testimony, is by determining what that person's conduct was and what the circumstances were surrounding that conduct, and from those, infer what his purpose or intention was. Now to draw such an inference is not only the privilege, but it is also the duty of a jury, provided, of course, the inference drawn is a reasonable one and a logical one. Now, one that uses a deadly weapon upon a vital part of another will be deemed to have intended the probable result of that act, and from such a circumstance a proper inference may be drawn in some cases that there was the intent to cause the death. Any inference that may be drawn from the nature of the weapon and the manner of its use, is an inference of fact to be drawn from the jury upon consideration of these and other circumstances in the case.'" State v. Arroyo, 180 Conn. 171, 177-78, 429 A.2d 457 (1980).
11. The defendant's father, on the day of said conversation, said to the defendant, "You know you're not suppose to talk to a juror."
12. Our disposition of this issue does not require us to reach all of the claimed bases of error.