Opinion ID: 2625842
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Child Abuse Added as Predicate Felony

Text: ¶ 42 The indictment alleged that the defendant committed murder in the first degree... in violation of A.R.S. §§ 13-1105, 13-1101, 13-604.01, 13-703, 13-701 and 13-801, a Class 1 Felony. The state announced before voir dire that it would be pursuing only a felony murder theory. In opening statement, the prosecutor said the state had to prove that Blakley committed a sexual assault, and that in the course and in furtherance thereof he killed Shelby. The defense theory was that Shelby's death was not caused by suffocation but rather by blunt force head trauma. Blakley also argued that the child's death was not in the course or furtherance of the sexual assaults. ¶ 43 Dr. Robert Bucklin, the Nevada medical examiner who conducted the autopsy, testified that Shelby had subarachnoid hemorrhages, bleeding of the filmy layer that covers the brain. He said that such hemorrhages may be present in cases of shaking or rapid head movement, but are generally not seen with blunt force trauma. He also observed hemorrhages on the anterior and posterior scalp which did not reach the bone and may have been caused by rapid head movement or something striking the head. Finally, he testified that her genital injuries were recent. ¶ 44 Dr. Flores, a pathologist called by the defense, testified that in his opinion, the cause of death was more likely blunt force head trauma. He agreed that the genital injuries occurred recently but he was unable to determine how close to the time of death. ¶ 45 At the end of the state's case, Blakley moved for a directed verdict on the felony murder count, arguing that the state had failed to prove any connection between the sexual assaults and the murder. The court denied the motion, stating that the jury could reasonably assume that they were taking place during an event that would be most likely causing this child to be crying and screaming and that it is less likely that she would have been quiet during this incident and then some time later would have started acting this way.... ¶ 46 At the close of all the evidence and prior to final arguments, the parties and the court discussed proposed jury instructions. The state requested instructions concerning sexual assault and child abuse as predicate felonies. The appellant objected, citing the indictment which did not mention child abuse, and lack of prior notice. The court stated: I am simply not convinced that there is any authority for your suggestion that the State had an obligation to disclose in advance any specific predicate felony that he wants to allege in this case. ¶ 47 The United States Supreme Court has stated: No principle of procedural due process is more clearly established than that notice of the specific charge, and a chance to be heard in a trial of the issues raised by that charge, if desired, are among the constitutional rights of every accused in a criminal proceeding in all courts, state or federal. Cole v. Arkansas, 333 U.S. 196, 201, 68 S.Ct. 514, 517, 92 L.Ed. 644 (1948). Rule 13.2 of the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure states that an indictment or information shall be a plain, concise statement of the facts sufficiently definite to inform the defendant of the offense charged. Ariz. R.Crim. P. 13.2. ¶ 48 According to the state, this court has consistently held that [t]here is no requirement that the defendant receive notice of how the State will prove his responsibility for the alleged offense. State v. Arnett, 158 Ariz. 15, 18, 760 P.2d 1064, 1067 (1988) (citing State v. Tison, 129 Ariz. 526, 538, 633 P.2d 335, 347 (1981)). In State v. West, 176 Ariz. 432, 443, 862 P.2d 192, 203 (1993), overruled on other grounds by State v. Rodriguez, 192 Ariz. 58, 64 n. 7, 961 P.2d 1006, 1012 n. 7 (1998), we rejected the defendant's claim that reversal was required because the prosecutor misled him into believing that the state would proceed on a premeditated theory as well as on a felony murder theory. The court held that [t]he prosecutor has no independent duty to tell the defendant how the state intends to proceed or to elect theories in advance. Id. (citing Arnett, 158 Ariz. at 18, 760 P.2d at 1067). ¶ 49 In State v. Gray, 122 Ariz. 445, 447-48, 595 P.2d 990, 992-93 (1979), we held that due process was not denied where a defendant was convicted of second degree statutory rape when charged with first degree rape but put on notice of the victim's minority. There the victim had testified at the preliminary hearing that she was seventeen years old. Justice Gordon dissented, stating that different defenses are involved, and a defendant may virtually convict himself of statutory rape if he is surprised by a statutory rape instruction after presenting a consent defense to a forcible rape charge. Id. at 450, 595 P.2d at 995 (Gordon, J., dissenting). ¶ 50 In State v. Arnett , the court distinguished the defendant's situation from one in which an accused suffers surprise or lack of time for trial preparation because of a failure to specify the murder theory. In that case, felony murder and the predicate felony were mentioned on the first day of trial. The court found that this was adequate notice, giving defense counsel a reasonable chance to rebut the allegation. Arnett, 158 Ariz. at 18, 760 P.2d at 1067. ¶ 51 State v. Hutton, 143 Ariz. 386, 694 P.2d 216 (1985), involved lesser-included offenses of first degree murder. The defendant claimed error because he believed the state was pursuing a first degree murder charge. He allegedly failed to defend against the possibility of a manslaughter charge. Clearly, however, a defendant is on notice of lesser-included offenses from the time of indictment. Id. at 390, 694 P.2d at 220. An altogether different predicate felony is quite distinct from a lesser-included offense. ¶ 52 In State v. Eastlack, 180 Ariz. 243, 883 P.2d 999 (1994), the defendant complained of inadequate notice that kidnapping would be used as a predicate felony. This court summarily rejected the argument, stating [d]efendant is entitled to notice of the crimes with which he may be convicted, not the manner in which the state will prove his guilt. Id. at 258, 883 P.2d at 1014. It should also be noted that Eastlack failed to demonstrate prejudice or unfair surprise. ¶ 53 We believe the foregoing cases are distinguishable from that presently under consideration. Blakley was aware at the time of trial that the state was proceeding on a felony murder theory. However, nothing in the proceedings up to the eve of closing arguments gave him notice that the predicate felony would be child abuse. He had been indicted on two counts of sexual assault. The grand jury was never instructed on any predicate felony other than sexual assault. The prosecutor stated in his opening statement at trial that the murder was committed in the course of or in furtherance of the crime of sexual assault. ¶ 54 Blakley's entire defense rested on the reasonable assumption that sexual assault was the sole predicate felony. At oral argument before us, his counsel pointed specifically to other evidence that would have been elicited at trial had the defense known child abuse would be used as a predicate felony. The record supports the assertion that a different theory of defense would likely have been advanced had child abuse been disclosed earlier in these proceedings. As it is, the defendant was induced to convict himself by arguing that the victim died of head trauma, not the sexual assault. That, of course, played right into the undisclosed child abuse allegation. ¶ 55 The insertion of a new predicate felony after all the evidence was in and the defense had rested constitutes reversible error. The prejudice caused by such late notice was obvious. The defendant was deprived of his constitutional right to a fair trial. ¶ 56 Moreover, the state has failed to show how or why it would be unduly burdensome to require disclosure of a predicate felony early in the proceedings. In order to avoid injustice and to ensure that proper notice has been given in a felony murder case, we believe the state should include the predicate felony in the original or an amended indictment. ¶ 57 In Sheppard v. Rees, 909 F.2d 1234 (9th Cir.1989), the defendant was charged with one count of murder involving the use of a firearm. The prosecutor proceeded at trial on a theory of premeditated murder. At no time during the pretrial proceedings, opening statements, or trial testimony was there any mention of felony murder, either explicitly or impliedly. After both sides had rested, jury instructions were settled. Closing arguments were scheduled for the next day. The following morning, the prosecutor requested a felony murder instruction with robbery as the predicate felony. Id. at 1235. The judge instructed the jury on felony murder and the prosecutor argued it in his closing statement. Id. at 1236. The appellate court later stated: The constitutional error in the instant case was of [] a fundamental nature.... Here, the prosecutor ambushed the defense with a new theory of culpability after the evidence was already in, after both sides had rested, and after the jury instructions were settled. This new theory then appeared in the form of unexpected jury instructions permitting the jury to convict on a theory that was neither subject to adversarial testing, nor defined in advance of the proceeding. Id. at 1237. The court held that the right to counsel was implicated because the lack of notice denied the defendant a right to respond to charges against which he or she must defend. Id. ¶ 58 We agree with the following observation of the Ninth Circuit: We cannot regard as fair a trial in which the defendant's right to defend was impaired by a lack of notice as to the nature and cause of the accusation. Under these circumstances, lack of constitutionally required notice necessarily denies a defendant the fundamental right to a fair trial. Id. at 1238. We therefore reverse the capital conviction and sentence.