Opinion ID: 1930879
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 24

Heading: whether the trial court erred in overruling king's motion for severance.

Text: ś 18. Here, King complains that the trial court erred in overruling his motion to sever his trial from that of Dooley. King also argues that the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury to consider the case of each defendant separately and individually. ś 19. Regarding severance of trials, URCCC 9.03 states as follows: The granting or refusing of severance of defendants in cases not involving the death penalty shall be in the discretion of the trial judge. The court may, on motion of the state or defendant, grant a severance of offenses whenever: 1. If before trial, it is deemed appropriate to promote a fair determination of the defendant's guilt or innocence of each offense; or 2. If during trial, upon the consent of the defendant, it is deemed necessary to achieve a fair determination of the defendant's guilt or innocence of each offense. URCCC 9.03. The court's refusal of a severance will not be overturned absent showing of an abuse of discretion. Minor v. State, 482 So.2d 1107, 1109 (Miss.1986); Hicks v. State, 419 So.2d 215, 216 (Miss.1982). When the evidence at trial goes equally to the guilt of both defendants, and not to one more than the other, it is not error to try the defendants jointly. Johnson v. State, 512 So.2d 1246, 1254 (Miss.1987). ś 20. Therefore, to warrant reversal on these grounds, King must demonstrate that (1) Dooley attempted to exculpate himself at the expense of King, i.e., there was a conflict of interest between the two; and (2) that the balance of the evidence introduced at trial went more to the guilt of Dooley than to the guilt of King, such that the jury may have found King guilty by association. Duckworth v. State, 477 So.2d 935, 937 (Miss.1985). King has failed to make that showing. ś 21. King argues there is  no question the focus of this entire action was King himself. (emphasis in original). He cites Walker v. State, 729 So.2d 197 (Miss.1998), where this Court found that severance is necessary when the balance of evidence introduced at trial tends to go more to the guilt of one defendant than the other. King argues this is particularly true when the disparity of evidence introduced against one defendant would tend to inculpate a co-defendant by association. See Swanagan v. State, 759 So.2d 442, 445 (Miss.Ct.App.2000). ś 22. Though it would seem obvious that these principles are meant to protect the co-defendant against whom the State has less evidence, that point is apparently lost on King, who argues that the vast weight of the evidence was aimed at him, and not at Dooley. Since the balance of the evidence introduced at trial tend[ed] to go more to the guilt of one defendant [meaning King] rather than the other [meaning Dooley], King concludes that the court erred in denying his motion to sever. Beyond this misguided argument, King makes no further attempt to demonstrate prejudice. ś 23. King's argument on this point fails because it misapplies controlling precedent. Since the bulk of the evidence was aimed at King, there is no way that he was prejudiced by being tried jointly with Dooley, and no way that the jury found him guilty by association. This argument might be applicable to Dooley, [3] but not King. Therefore, in the case at bar, like in Duckworth, there is no showing of prejudice, and accordingly, no grounds to hold that the trial court abused its discretion in overruling King's motion for severance. See Caston v. State, 823 So.2d 473, 487-88 (Miss.2002) (Co-defendants did not seek to exculpate themselves at defendant' expense). ś 24. Finally, King argues that the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury that it was to consider the case of each defendant separately and individually. Initially, it is noted that King failed to request such an instruction. A trial court has no duty to give unrequested instructions. Therefore, this contention is procedurally barred. Giles v. State, 650 So.2d 846, 853-54 (Miss.1995) (no error where no instruction requested); Buggs v. State, 754 So.2d 569 (Miss.Ct.App.2000) (No request for limiting instruction to instruct jurors as to what evidence could be considered against each defendant for the numerous crimes charged in the multi-count indictment; therefore, there is no error.). ś 25. Moreover, beyond arguing that the failure to instruct the jury on this point was error, King offers no argument in support of his position. He merely cites United States v. Buckhalter, 986 F.2d 875 (5th Cir.1993), and asserts that prejudice attached to both Dooley and him, thus, he claims, reversal is proper. The failure of King to properly brief this issue obviates the necessity of our review. See Pulphus v. State, 782 So.2d at 1224 (Issues cannot be decided based on assertions from the briefs alone. The issues must be supported and proved by the record.) (citing Robinson, 662 So.2d at 1104). ś 26. Procedural bars notwithstanding, this issue is without merit. Buckhalter does not stand for the proposition that a trial judge is required to instruct the jury to consider the guilt of each defendant separately. Rather, in that case, the court merely commented on the fact that the trial judge followed that procedure. Buckhalter, 986 F.2d at 877. Moreover, in the present case, individual jury instructions were given for each defendant on each separate count, save the conspiracy count, which by necessity required the mention of all the alleged participants in the conspiracy. ś 27. This assignment is without merit.