Opinion ID: 2993582
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Testimony Presented at the Guilt Phase

Text: Prior to trial, the court ordered that Morris be examined to determine his competency to stand trial and whether he could pursue an insanity defense. Dr. Richard Drewery (“Dr. Drewery”) and Dr. Richard Pullen (“Dr. Pullen”) concluded that Morris was competent and that there was no basis for an insanity defense. During the guilt phase of the trial, Morris’s counsel presented testimony from pharmacologist Dr. Robert Parker (“Dr. Parker”) and psychiatrist Dr. William Bernet (“Dr. Bernet”). Dr. Parker was an assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Tennessee. He testified that within ten to fifteen seconds of smoking crack Nos. 11-6322/6323 Morris v. Carpenter Page 7 cocaine, the user experiences euphoria, becomes very excited, speaks rapidly, and sweats profusely. The user also may become suspicious and paranoid, lose inhibition, suffer impaired judgment, and experience enhanced sex drive and performance. The euphoric effects last ten to thirty minutes, while the other effects last longer. Dr. Parker explained that a binge is when a crack user tries to maintain his high by taking more and more crack. The euphoria is replaced by intense anxiety, irritability, fear, suspicion, and paranoia. Binging on crack increases the risk of violent or homicidal behavior. Some crack users experience delusions and hallucinations. Extensive use can cause mania––heightened mental and physical activity––and psychosis––a lost concept of reality. After a user stops ingesting crack, he experiences a crash. A crash is characterized by an intense craving for more cocaine, profound depression, exhaustion, suicidal thoughts, paranoia, anxiety, and irritability. Dr. Parker testified that Angela Ragland’s (“Angela”) and Morris’s statements to the police regarding Morris’s behavior were consistent with crack cocaine ingestion. Angela described Morris as moving around a lot, acting very excited, and sweating. Morris said he was very agitated and upset because he perceived that Charles Ragland (“Ragland”) had disrespected him. Dr. Parker testified that it was hard to say whether Morris was under the acute effects of crack or was crashing when he committed the crimes. He said that someone taking crack from Friday at 5:00 p.m. until midnight could still have effects Saturday at 5:20 p.m., when Morris gave his statement. On cross-examination, Dr. Parker testified that a person who has taken crack is not usually violent or homicidal in the crash stage. Dr. Bernet, the medical director of the University of Vanderbilt’s Psychiatric Hospital, took Morris’s medical history, examined him, and testified at trial. He also reviewed police reports, interviews, and reports by Drs. Drewery, Pullen, and Parker. Dr. Bernet testified that Morris’s life was pretty stable prior to September 1994. Morris was accused of rape and worried that the charge would result in his going to prison and would destroy his relationship with his wife and children. On September 16, 1994, Morris was upset and thought about killing himself by overdosing on cocaine. Physically, he experienced a rush, his heart rate increased, he sweated profusely, and he spoke rapidly. Psychologically, he became highly agitated and paranoid. Morris argued with Ragland and came to believe that Ragland was capable of killing Morris and Nos. 11-6322/6323 Morris v. Carpenter Page 8 his family. Dr. Bernet said that Morris felt threatened by Erica Hurd (“Hurd”) and first stabbed her accidentally. He attributed the rest of the stabbings to Morris’s agitation and overreaction. Dr. Bernet also noted that Morris behaved irrationally after killing Ragland and Hurd. Morris had Angela bathe him, did not kill her although she could identify him, and went to his home next door and waited for the police. However, Morris also wiped his fingerprints off items in the house. Dr. Bernet testified that Morris’s cocaine intoxication may have prevented him from premeditating and forming the specific intent to murder Ragland and Hurd, and that he was under extreme mental and emotional disturbance. The trial court instructed the jury on first- and second-degree murder. Morris’s counsel presented an intoxication defense. The court instructed the jurors that if they found Morris was intoxicated to the extent that he could not have possessed the required culpable mental state, then he could not be guilty of the offense charged. The jury found Morris guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated rape.