Opinion ID: 2177003
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Appellant Nero's Arguments

Text: Appellant Nero argues that the trial court erred in precluding him from cross-examining Melvin Smith, the sole eyewitness to the shooting, about his independent motive for killing Kearney. [5] Nero's theory was that Smith killed Kearney at Elliott's request in order to protect Elliott's drug business, in which Smith had a financial stake, because it had been affected adversely by Kearney's robberies. He sought to establish this drug enterprise connection by asking Smith on cross-examination whether Elliott had supplied Smith with drugs in the month or two preceding the murder. The trial court prohibited this line of cross-examination, reasoning that the proffered evidence of the alleged criminal relationship was too tenuous, too prejudicial to appellant Elliott, and not supported by clear and convincing evidence that Elliott was the source of the drugs for Smith or that the proffered circumstances were the motivation for Smith to kill Kearney. The court also considered that the close relationship between Smith and Elliott had been brought out through other evidence. Appellant then moved for severance of the trials in order to meet the concern for prejudice to Elliott. The court denied the motion. Appellant contends that these rulings violated his rights under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment and constituted an abuse of discretion requiring reversal. [6] The Sixth Amendment right of the accused to confront the witnesses against him encompasses necessarily the right to cross examine the government's witnesses. Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 315-16, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 1110, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (1974); Ray v. United States, 620 A.2d 860, 862 (D.C. 1993); Parker v. United States, 586 A.2d 720, 722 (D.C.1991) (citations omitted); Jones v. United States, 516 A.2d 513, 517 (D.C.1986). An important function of this constitutionally-protected right is the exposure of the witness' biases or motives for not telling the truth. Parker, 586 A.2d at 722; Porter v. United States, 561 A.2d 994, 996 (D.C.1989). However, the right of cross-examination is not without limits. Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 679, 106 S.Ct. 1431, 1435, 89 L.Ed.2d 674 (1986); Ray, 620 A.2d at 862. After sufficient cross-examination has been allowed to satisfy constitutional requirements, the trial court retains broad discretion to determine the scope and the extent of cross-examination. Roundtree v. United States, 581 A.2d 315, 323 (D.C.1990) (citing In re C.B.N., 499 A.2d 1215, 1218 (D.C. 1985)). In exercising its discretion, the trial court may restrict cross-examination within reasonable limits to avoid such problems as `harassment, prejudice, confusion of the issues, the witness' safety, or interrogation that is repetitive or only marginally relevant.' Roundtree, 581 A.2d at 323 (quoting Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. at 679, 106 S.Ct. at 1435). The court may also exercise its discretion to preclude cross-examination where the prejudicial effect of the proffered evidence outweighs its probative value. Roundtree, 581 A.2d at 323. It is not challenged that a defendant has the right to present evidence that someone else committed the offense for which the defendant is on trial. See Ray, supra, 620 A.2d at 863; (Woredell) Johnson v. United States, 552 A.2d 513, 516 (D.C. 1989). There is also no question that the trial court's refusal to allow any questioning tending to elicit evidence of bias or evidence from which the jury might make adverse inferences about the witness' credibility is error of constitutional dimension. Ford v. United States, 549 A.2d 1124, 1126 (D.C. 1988) (citing Van Arsdall, supra, 475 U.S. at 678-79, 106 S.Ct. at 1435). It is appellant's contention that the trial court's rulings precluded his presentation of this type of evidence, resulting in the denial of the right reserved to him under the Confrontation Clause. Recognizing these principles, we turn our focus in greater detail to appellant Nero's proffer of the basis for the motive and bias inquiry. This proffer is capsulized essentially in the following representation which Nero's counsel made to the court at trial: And I may seek to explore the area of Mr. Smith's dependence, either directly on Mr. Elliott or through Mr. Felsen on Mr. Elliott for drug supply. That may entail getting into Mr. Elliott supplying drugs at some time before the day of the charged offense.... I'd submit ... that the testimony about Mr. Elliott providing drugs to the Mercer household, even in days before, is particularly relevant to Mr. Nero if it comes out, if the foundation is laid, that Mr. Smith had an ongoing connection with that house and that he obtained drugs through that house either directly from Mr. Elliott or from Mr. Felsen. That, your Honor, would tend to establish the connection between Mr. Elliott and Mr. Smith and the dependence of Mr. Smith upon Mr. Elliott that I have submitted, that I may submit to the jury explains why Mr. Smith shot Mr. Kearny [sic], which as the Court knows is Mr. Nero's theory of the defense.... The prosecutor and counsel for appellant Elliott objected to this line of cross-examination, contending that the testimony had been that Smith obtained drugs from Felsen, [7] not from Elliott. Elliott also objected to the absence of clear and convincing evidence of the alleged drug connection, and the government further objected on grounds of the extreme prejudice such evidence would cause appellant Elliott. Elaborating further, appellant Nero pointed out that it was Smith's belief that the drugs in the Mercer/Felsen household came from Herman Elliott which he contended was relevant to establish Smith's motive. The court precluded the examination and denied appellant's request for severance. In subsequent cross-examination, appellant Nero sought to ask Smith whether Elliott supplied Smith with drugs in the two months preceding Kearney's death. Nero's counsel then made the following representation in support of the request: Your Honor, I can't tell the Court that I positively know what his answer will be[,] but I would submit that as I argued yesterday in a different context, to a certain extent, cross-examination is exploratory. I won't lead him. I would ask it in an open fashion. But it is relevant to his credibility and his relationship with Mr. Elliott, and I'd ask to be able to ask him that question. The government objected, and the trial court denied the request, reasoning that there had been no clear and convincing evidence of such crimes nor even a good faith belief that they occurred. [8] Moreover, the court found that the close relationship between Elliott and Smith had been developed through other evidence. We find no constitutional error or abuse of discretion in the trial court's rulings. Evidence that someone other than the accused committed the offense is relevant and admissible at trial only when it clearly links that other person to the commission of the crime, and a proffer must so indicate. [9] Ford, supra, 549 A.2d at 1126; accord, Ray, supra, 620 A.2d at 863; (Woredell) Johnson, supra, 552 A.2d at 516. As used in this context clearly link means proof of facts or circumstances which tend to indicate some reasonable possibility that a person other than the defendant committed the crime charged. (Woredell) Johnson, 552 A.2d at 516. It is not required that the evidence proffered reach the level of even a strong probability that someone else committed the crime charged. Id. at 517. However, the party proposing such cross-examination must lay a foundation which includes at least a proffer of facts (1) supporting a genuine belief that the witness is biased in the manner claimed, and (2) sufficient to permit the trial judge to evaluate whether the proposed question is probative of bias. Jones, supra, 516 A.2d at 517. Appellant's proffer did not meet the foundational requirements. The trial court found, and the record supports its finding, that appellant lacked a good faith belief that Smith ever obtained drugs from Elliott or had a stake in the latter's drug business which appellant claimed provided an additional motive for Smith to commit the murder. Appellant's counsel candidly admitted that his questions on the subject would be exploratory and that he did not know the answers to the line of cross-examination he sought to pursue. Appellant relies on appeal on the combination of facts in the record and his proffer at trial in support of his claim that the foundation was adequate to allow him to explore on cross-examination of Smith a possible illegal business relationship between Smith and Elliott in the two months preceding the murder. Specifically, appellant Nero cites the following: (1) Smith's testimony at his own trial that Elliott went to the Mercer house regularly to engage in drug transactions and to make money; (2) Smith's friendship with Elliott and the fact that both hung at Arlene Mercer's house; [10] (3) that Smith went to Mercer's house the night of the shooting to get high on drugs which he knew were supplied by Elliott; (4) that Elliott knew that Smith smoked crack cocaine; (5) that Elliott mentioned to Smith that night his concern about Kearney plotting to rob Elliott; (6) that Smith's testimony at his prior trial suggested that Smith believed Elliott was the source of the drugs Smith used and obtained from Felsen; and (7) that Smith was arrested with the gun that Elliott brought to Mercer's house earlier that night. Although this evidence provides areas ripe for exploration of other issues of bias on Smith's part, it does not lay the foundation for an inquiry into the area of bias that appellant sought to pursue. See Jones, supra, 516 A.2d at 517 (questioner must proffer facts supporting genuine belief that witness is biased in the manner asserted); see also Scull v. United States, 564 A.2d 1161, 1164 n. 4 (D.C.1989). The suspected cause of the bias which appellant asserted was that Elliott and Smith had been engaged in an illegal joint drug-selling venture in the two months preceding the murder, thereby giving Smith a financial stake in any robbery by Kearney of Smith's alleged partner, Elliott. Neither Nero's proffer nor the other evidence in the record discloses any basis for a plausible belief that Smith and Elliott worked together in an illegal drug-selling venture. See Sherer v. United States, 470 A.2d 732, 738 (D.C. 1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 931, 105 S.Ct. 325, 83 L.Ed.2d 262 (1984) (right to cross-examine on prior acts of perjury contingent on showing that perjury actually took place). Too broad a leap is required to make such an inference, which would be speculative at best. Therefore, we find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's ruling that the foundation was inadequate to allow the cross-examination, and clearly no basis for the claim of constitutional error. [11]
Appellant Nero argues that the trial court erred in denying severance because he was unfairly prejudiced by the admission into evidence of his co-defendant's statements which he contends would have been inadmissible against him in a separate trial. He contends that the numerous statements introduced, some admissible against both defendants, and some admissible only against his codefendant, made it difficult for the jury to separate this evidence as to each defendant, thereby causing him prejudice. Nero also argues that the trial court's instructions were inadequate to prevent the prejudice. Finding no clear showing that the trial court abused its considerable discretion in denying severance, we reject this argument for reversal. See Taylor v. United States, 601 A.2d 1060, 1063 (D.C.1991). A strong presumption arises that persons charged with committing the same offense will be tried jointly. Id.; Tillman v. United States, 519 A.2d 166, 169 (D.C.1986). However, severance will be granted where a defendant makes a sufficient showing of prejudice under Super.Ct.Crim.R. 14. [12] Taylor, supra, 601 A.2d at 106. Whether to grant severance under Rule 14 is within the trial court's discretion, and in exercising that discretion, the court must weigh the potential prejudice to the defendant against the considerations of judicial economy and expeditious proceedings. Carpenter v. United States, 430 A.2d 496, 502 (D.C.), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 852, 102 S.Ct. 295, 70 L.Ed.2d 143 (1981). In balancing these interests, some prejudice is permitted. Id.; see also Payne v. United States, 516 A.2d 484, 489 (D.C. 1986). Thus, in order to show that the trial court abused its discretion in denying severance, a defendant must show not merely prejudice, but manifest prejudice. Payne, 516 A.2d at at 490; ( James A.) Johnson v. United States, 596 A.2d 980, 987 (D.C.1991), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 112 S.Ct. 1987, 118 L.Ed.2d 585 (1992). In light of these principles, we consider the statements which appellant Nero contends prejudiced him during the joint trial. The statements which form the predicate for appellant's severance argument include the following: (1) Terry Howard's testimony that appellant Elliott told her prior to the murder that she, her sister, and Kearney had better stop robbing people in the alley or he would f[___] them up; (2) testimony by Howard that a couple of weeks after the shooting Elliott denied shooting Kearney, but said that Kearney had stolen five thousand dollars and Elliott's gun and that he was looking for Brenda Thomas for testifying against him on killing [Kearney]; (3) Keisha Cooper's and Brenda Thomas' testimony that Elliott pointed a gun at them two days before the murder and accused them of setting him up with Kearney; [13] and (4) Tameshia Fowler's testimony that Elliott told her that if he learned that she snitched on him, somebody [was] going to blow up [her] house. Appellant argues that these statements attributed to Elliott had a prejudicial spill-over effect upon the jury's consideration of his case. He also contends that the sheer number of statements created a source of jury confusion. We disagree. None of the statements mention or even refer inferentially to appellant Nero. Appellant argues that the jury might have concluded that Nero was the somebody referred to in the statement recounted by Fowler. However, in context with Fowler's other testimony and the remaining evidence at trial, we discern no such danger. While the statements substantially incriminate Elliott, they do not inculpate Nero. The trial court gave a prompt limiting instruction, charging the jury to consider this evidence solely against appellant Elliott. Under these circumstances, there is no substantial risk that the jury improperly considered the statement in determining the guilt of appellant Nero. See Foster v. United States, 548 A.2d 1370, 1378 (D.C.1988). With the exception of the testimony of Cooper and Thomas recounting Elliott's words when he talked to them at gunpoint, the trial court gave appropriate cautionary instructions following the admission of each of the other statements. [14] Having reviewed the record, we conclude that the spillover effect of this evidence, if any, was minimal and that appellant failed to show manifest prejudice on that basis as a result of joinder. See Payne, supra, 516 A.2d at 491.
Finally, appellant Nero contends that the trial court abused its discretion in denying his request for a supplemental instruction to avoid the coercive effect of the revelation during a jury poll that the seventh juror did not agree with the verdict returned prematurely. He argues that the instruction as given by the court failed to inform the jury that each juror was free to adhere to a position in spite of the views of the majority and left the impression that the jury would be required to continue deliberations until unanimity was reached. We have recognized that there is some coercive element inherent in every jury poll. Crowder v. United States, 383 A.2d 336, 342 (D.C.1978). The trial court has a measure of discretion in assessing the impact of the revelation of a dissenter during polling and in developing remedial measures to avoid undue coercion. Id. at 341; Harris v. United States, 622 A.2d 697, 701 (D.C.1993). The trial court's decision will be reversed only for an abuse of discretion, and we find none here. Where jury coercion is claimed in this context, in assessing the argument we examine (1) the inherent coercive potential of the situation before the court, and (2) actions of the trial court in exacerbating, alleviating or neutralizing any coercive potential. Harris, supra, 622 A.2d at 701. We then view these facts together in order to assess the possibility of actual coercion on any juror or jurors. Id. at 701-702. The potential for coercion resulting from the poll in this case was minimal. This is so because it was the seventh juror who expressed disagreement with the verdict, and the positions of the remaining jurors were never revealed. [15] Thus, the seventh juror did not stand in isolation before the court. See Artis v. United States, 505 A.2d 52, 58 (D.C.), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 964, 107 S.Ct. 464, 93 L.Ed.2d 409 (1986) (coercive potential minimal where juror not isolated as sole dissenter and jury split not revealed); see also Crowder, supra, 383 A.2d at 343 (coercive potential greater where twelfth juror revealed as lone dissenter). Here, the court excused the jury immediately, instructing them first not to deliberate until the court instructed them further. After consulting with counsel, the court gave standard criminal jury instruction no. 2.93 before allowing the jury to continue deliberating. [16] The instruction informed them that any juror could change his or her vote until they were discharged. [17] Moreover, the instruction was neutral. It was neither necessary nor prudent for the court to intrude further with the requested instruction where the jury made no inquiry after the court gave the standard instruction. [18] The trial court acted well within its discretion in denying the requested instruction and in carefully alleviating any potential coercive effect inherent in the situation. See Harris, supra, 697 A.2d at 706-707. We are satisfied that the jury fairly and freely reached a unanimous verdict.
Appellant Nero also argues that the trial court abused its discretion in permitting the government to introduce evidence that he smoked cocaine before and after the shooting on the night of the murder. [19] The government contends that the two references to appellant's drug use that night were relevant to the cocaine payment which Nero told the witness that he expected to receive for the crime and completed the chronological sequence of events. Appellant counters that neither smoking episode occurred contemporaneously with the murder, and therefore, the Toliver rule for admitting such evidence does not apply. See Toliver v. United States, 468 A.2d 958, 960-61 (D.C.1983) (contemporaneous criminal conduct is not other crimes evidence, and criminal conduct inextricably intertwined with charged offense is admissible without necessity of cautionary instruction). We need not decide upon the propriety of the admission of this evidence. Having examined the record, we conclude that even assuming error in the trial court's rulings in this regard, they were harmless. [20] See Kotteakos v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 765, 66 S.Ct. 1239, 1248, 90 L.Ed. 1557 (1946).