Opinion ID: 666559
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Harmless Error as to Evidence Considered on Intentional

Text: Murder Conviction 39 The Supreme Court of Delaware expressly found, on direct appeal, that a second taped confession Deputy made to police after he appeared before the Justice of the Peace was obtained in violation of his Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment right to counsel and was therefore improperly admitted into evidence at trial. See Deputy II, 500 A.2d at 592. The supreme court therefore reversed the intentional murder convictions but held that this error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt as to the felony-murder convictions. Id. The supreme court stated: 40 Under all the circumstances, we can confidently state that the second statement did not contribute to the jury's guilty verdict as to robbery. Since two murders took place during the commission of the robbery (in which the jury decided that defendant had participated), the elements of felony murder are clearly established. No matter how the evidence was viewed by the jury, a finding of guilt was mandated on the felony murder counts. 41 Id. (citations omitted). 42 A state court's conclusion that constitutional error was harmless does not constitute a factual finding entitled to the presumption of correctness. Rather, it is a mixed question of fact and law. See Dickson v. Sullivan, 849 F.2d 403, 405 (9th Cir.1988). Under the standard set forth in Brecht v. Abrahamson, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 1710, 123 L.Ed.2d 353 (1993), where a constitutional error is a trial type error which implicates the weight and effect of evidence presented to the jury, we must ask whether the error had substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury's verdict. Id. --- U.S. at ----, 113 S.Ct. at 1772 (quotation omitted). We agree with the state court that the illegally obtained second confession which the jury heard before finding Deputy guilty of premeditated murder was harmless on the issue of Deputy's guilt for felony murder and the appropriateness of the death penalty the jury imposed on the felony murder count. In this case, there was ample evidence to support the felony murder conviction without Deputy's illegally obtained second statement to police. In fact, the second statement added nothing to Deputy's first statement other than the fact that he had stabbed one of the victims. See Deputy II, 500 A.2d at 592. That improperly admitted piece of evidence led to reversal of his convictions for the premeditated murders. It did not affect the overwhelming evidence the jury had before it on his participation in the felony murders without regard to human life.