Opinion ID: 1926440
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Trial court error in the penalty phase

Text: We now address appellant's claims of trial court error during the penalty phase. First, appellant claims that the trial court erred in preventing appellant from presenting exculpatory evidence during the penalty phase that would have demonstrated that the shooting was not drug related. This claim is devoid of merit. Appellant took the stand during the penalty phase and testified concerning his background, family, education and employment history. Appellant's family members also took the stand and testified in his favor. The only evidence that the trial court prohibited appellant from presenting during the penalty phase was statements that he was not guilty of the murder for which he had just been convicted. This limitation was proper. Franklin v. Lynaugh, 487 U.S. 164, 173-74, 108 S.Ct. 2320, 101 L.Ed.2d 155 (1988)(there is no constitutional requirement that a convicted murderer be permitted to argue residual doubt concerning guilt as a mitigating factor); Commonwealth v. Harris, 550 Pa. 92, 109-10, 703 A.2d 441, 449-50 (1997), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 1015, 119 S.Ct. 538, 142 L.Ed.2d 447 (1998)(counsel was not ineffective for failing to present the residual doubt evidence that two prior juries were hung on the question of appellant's guilt; such evidence has no relevance to the imposition of the penalty). Because the trial court allowed appellant to present all relevant mitigating circumstances, no relief is warranted. Appellant next claims that the trial court erred in not striking the testimony of Angelic Kirkman during the penalty phase on the basis that the witness was incompetent. Kirkman testified that she was smoking crack cocaine in a parked car with another woman when she observed appellant shoot the victim and that she overheard appellant make certain remarks while shooting the victim. The trial court asked the witness whether the drugs she had used that night affected her ability to perceive and relay what she saw. The witness indicated that the drugs did affect her perceptions but then stated that she had not heard any remarks the appellant made while shooting the victim. Appellant moved to strike her testimony in its entirety. The trial court overruled the objection and properly determined that it was for the jury to evaluate Kirkman's credibility against the backdrop of admitted drug use on the night of the killing and her testimonial inconsistencies. These factors went to the weight of her testimony, not her competency. Commonwealth v. Parks, 453 Pa. 296, 301, 309 A.2d 725, 728 (1973), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 1074, 94 S.Ct. 589, 38 L.Ed.2d 481 (1973)(a witness is not incompetent per se merely because it is established that he is a drug addict and had taken drugs prior to the incident to which he testifies); Commonwealth v. Farrell, 319 Pa. 441, 444, 181 A. 217, 218 (1935)(the use of narcotics may impair mind and memory, the extent of the impairment is for the jury's measurement.). Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in failing to strike this testimony. Next, appellant asserts that the trial court erred by permitting a prosecution witness to read the contents of an arrest warrant affidavit for a robbery charge against appellant that predated the murder. This claim is meritless because defense counsel opened the door for such testimony. Initially, we note that, prior to the commencement of the penalty hearing, and again while the penalty hearing was in progress, both defense counsel and the trial court advised appellant that if he testified, evidence of his 1989 robbery conviction would be admitted as a crimen falsi crime. Appellant nevertheless chose to testify and the prosecution called as a witness the investigator assigned to the robbery case in order to admit evidence that appellant had pleaded guilty to the robbery charge. The prosecutor questioned the investigator only about the guilty plea. No details about the underlying crime were elicited. On cross-examination, defense counsel elicited from the investigator that, on the day that appellant pleaded guilty to the robbery, the complaining witness informed the investigator that the circumstances leading to the robbery complaint were a mistake and that he was not interested in pursuing the case further, thereby implying that appellant had pleaded guilty to a crime he did not commit. On rebuttal, the prosecutor had the investigator read the contents of the arrest warrant affidavit from the robbery charge. The affidavit included the facts supporting the robbery charge and the fact that appellant told the complainant that he would kill him if appellant was arrested for the incident. The admission of rebuttal testimony is within the sound discretion of the trial court. Commonwealth v. Jones, 530 Pa. 591, 617, 610 A.2d 931, 942 (1992). The challenged testimony rebutted the implication created by the defense that appellant had not committed the robbery in question. Because defense counsel opened the door during cross-examination, it was not an abuse of discretion for the trial court to allow this rebuttal testimony. Additionally, immediately following the investigator's testimony, the trial court instructed the jury that evidence of the robbery conviction was relevant only to evaluate the credibility of appellant's penalty hearing testimony and that the underlying facts of the conviction were irrelevant to that assessment. We find that the limiting instruction was sufficient and, barring evidence to the contrary, will presume that the jury followed this instruction. Baker, supra at 559, 614 A.2d at 672. Accordingly, no relief is due on this claim. [22] Appellant next claims that the trial court erred by failing to permit defense counsel to examine the contents of the affidavit of probable cause for the robbery charges prior to the investigator reading it into evidence. Appellant asserts that, had the court granted defense counsel's request to view the document, he would have seen the inflammatory and prejudicial statements and requested redaction. Initially, we note that the court properly denied defense counsel's request to view the document while the prosecutor was showing it to the witness. The document was used only for rebuttal during the penalty hearing for the purpose of refuting a defense claim that the police had engaged in improper conductarresting appellant for a crime he did not commit. The trial court also properly determined that the affidavit was not subject to pre-trial discovery, as it did not contain exculpatory information and had no relation to the murder for which appellant was on trial. A further review of the record reveals that the trial court ordered the prosecutor to turn over the affidavit to defense counsel at the conclusion of the prosecutor's re-direct examination of the witness. Defense counsel did not request a recess in order to examine the document and instead cross-examined the witness about matters relating to the affidavit. Accordingly, no relief is due on this claim. [23] Next, appellant alleges that the trial court erred by admitting evidence of appellant's previous drug activity. The court had initially granted appellant's motion in limine precluding the Commonwealth from presenting evidence of appellant's 1992 conviction for drug-trafficking during its case-in-chief in the penalty phase. However, the court conditioned its ruling on whether appellant presented mitigating evidence that would make the prior drug conviction appropriate rebuttal evidence. Appellant took the stand on his own behalf during the penalty phase and asserted the catch-all mitigating circumstance regarding any other evidence of mitigation concerning his character and record and the circumstances of the offense. See, 42 Pa. C.S. § 9711(e)(8). In an effort to show that appellant did not earn money by dealing drugs as the prosecution alleged, appellant testified on direct examination that he made his living as a professional boxer. The trial court correctly determined that this testimony opened the door for the prosecutor to inquire on cross-examination about other ways in which appellant made money. Commonwealth v. LaCava, 542 Pa. 160, 188, 666 A.2d 221, 234 (1995)(prosecutor correctly questioned defendant concerning what he told a witness because, having opened the door to the subject on direct, defendant could not complain because the Commonwealth chose to further examine what was behind that door). Appellant testified on cross-examination that he earned money as a boxer, tailor and pool hustler. He further testified on cross-examination that Jamaican drug-dealers once solicited him to work for them as a security guard but he declined the offer. Appellant denied that he became involved in selling drugs. N.T. 2/2/93 at 138. In rebuttal, the prosecutor impeached appellant's testimony by presenting evidence of appellant's arrest for selling drugs in October of 1991, an arrest that resulted in a conviction in April of 1992. Because this evidence was properly admitted to rebut appellant's testimony that he never sold drugs, this claim is meritless. Appellant next claims that the trial court erred in providing the jury with seven examples of aggravating circumstances while failing to provide any examples of mitigating circumstances. [24] The law of this Commonwealth does not require a trial court to provide any examples of aggravating or mitigating circumstances. Here, in order to aid the jury in understanding the aggravating circumstance asserted by the prosecution  that appellant knowingly created a grave risk of danger to another person in addition to the victim of the offense  the trial court presented brief fact patterns derived from case law as illustration. The court merely provided clarification on a point of law that was not within the common experience of jurors. In addition, after deliberating for a full day on the penalty, the jury requested the trial court to reissue the instructions in their entirety and the court complied but omitted the examples in the second set of instructions. Finally, appellant's claim that the court imbalanced the charge resulting in prejudice to him is insupportable in light of the fact that that jury found both mitigating circumstances asserted by appellant. Next, appellant asserts that, during closing argument in the penalty phase, the prosecutor committed misconduct by referring to striken testimony of Natalie Grant. [25] N.T. 2/3/99 at 10-11. The prosecutor mentioned in closing that Natalie Grant was one of the persons whose testimony supported the conclusion that appellant killed the victim because a drug relationship had gone sour. Trial counsel objected to the closing assertion. The trial court sustained the objection and ordered the jury to disregard the prosecutor's comments. Absent evidence to the contrary, the jury is presumed to have followed the court's instructions. Baker, supra, at 559, 614 A.2d at 672. Additionally, this statement by the prosecutor is harmless error in light of the other admissible evidence that the murder was drug related. [26]