Opinion ID: 2259614
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Simms v. State

Text: The petitioner James Simms was tried before a jury in the Criminal Court of Baltimore on a three count criminal information. Count one charged assault with intent to rob, count two charged simple assault, and count three charged attempted larceny. At the trial the victim, Floyd Munden, testified that at about 8:00 p.m. on February 9, 1978, he was walking home and passed the defendant Simms who mumbled that Munden owed him. Munden testified that he began to walk faster and that Simms began chasing him. According to Munden, as he reached the front of a firehouse Simms threw a wine bottle at him which missed and shattered a window of the firehouse, resulting in Munden being cut by some of the flying glass. Munden stated that Simms then knocked him to the ground, went through his pockets and removed his wallet. The victim further stated that when a bystander shouted police, Simms dropped the wallet and fled. Simms, testifying in his own behalf, gave an entirely different version of the incident, saying that Munden had attacked him. At the close of the evidence, the State's theory of the case, presented to the jury in the prosecuting attorney's final argument, was that Simms's actions in throwing a bottle at Munden, attacking Munden and going through his pockets, constituted the assault under count one of the information, and that Simms's intention clearly was to rob. The prosecuting attorney indicated to the jury that the first count was the only reason for the criminal proceeding and that we're really not interested in the second and third counts.... After final arguments to the jury, and out of the jury's presence, the prosecuting attorney represented to the court that the case was either assault with intent to rob or nothing. Because of this, the court urged the State to proceed on the first count only. Nevertheless, the State wanted all counts to go to the jury, although the prosecuting attorney specifically requested an instruction that if the jury reached a guilty verdict on the first count, it should not consider the second and third counts. The trial court then instructed the jury as follows: If you find that the defendant is guilty under the first count, you need not consider the second or third count.... If you find that the defendant is not guilty under the first count, then you should consider the second count of the assault. If you find that the defendant is not guilty under the first count, but guilty under the second count, you need not consider the third count. Counsel for each side indicated satisfaction with this instruction. Thereafter, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on count one and guilty on count two. [1] Following receipt of a presentence report, the court imposed a sentence of twelve years' imprisonment for the conviction on count two, simple assault. Simms appealed to the Court of Special Appeals, challenging his conviction on several grounds. In addition, Simms contended that because the maximum punishment for assault with intent to rob is ten years, a sentence of twelve years for the lesser included offense of simple assault was improper. The Court of Special Appeals, in an unreported opinion, upheld the conviction and the sentence.