Opinion ID: 1638526
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the trial court erred in denying chamberlin's petition for payment of travel and related expenses for mitigation witnesses.

Text: ¶ 86. Chamberlin argues that the trial court erroneously denied her petition for payment of travel and related expenses for her aunt and childhood best friend, who were to testify during the sentencing phase. The State responds that Chamberlin never obtained a ruling from the trial court on her petition, and thus, the issue is procedurally barred. Under Rule 2.04 of the Uniform Rules of Circuit and County Court Practice, the burden is on the movant to obtain a ruling on a pre-trial motion, and failure to do so constitutes a procedural bar. See Berry v. State, 728 So.2d 568, 570 (Miss.1999) (It is the responsibility of the movant to obtain a ruling from the court on motions filed by him and failure to do so constitutes a waiver of same.); Holly v. State, 671 So.2d 32, 37 (Miss. 1996) (finding that the burden to obtain a ruling on an in limine motion to exclude evidence rests on the moving party); Martin v. State, 354 So.2d 1114, 1119 (Miss.1978) (same). . . . It is the duty of the movant, when a motion . . . is filed . . . to pursue said motion to hearing and decision by the court. Failure to pursue a pretrial motion to hearing and decision before trial is deemed an abandonment of that motion; however, said motion may be heard after the commencement of trial in the discretion of the court. U.R.C.C.C. 2.04. Ross, 954 So.2d at 992. Chamberlin's failure to obtain a ruling on her pre-trial motion was a direct result of her failure to request a ruling at an appropriate time. The trial court heard several pre-trial motions brought by the defense, including a motion for severance, a motion for change of venue, and a motion for funds for an expert psychologist. The trial court granted the motion for severance and the motion for change of venue. However, the defendant did not present to the trial court her motion for payment of travel expenses. Therefore, the trial court did not, in fact, decline Chamberlin's pre-trial motion, rather, it did not rule on it at all. This Court agrees with the State that this issue is procedurally barred. ¶ 87. Further, this issue is without merit. Chamberlin asserts that this denial of travel expenses for the two witnesses constituted a violation of her rights to due process, equal protection of law and a reliable capital sentencing hearing, in violation of the Fifth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Chamberlin cites Eddings v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104, 102 S.Ct. 869, 71 L.Ed.2d 1 (1982), among other cases, in support of this argument. This Court previously has stated: [w]hile under the holding of the United States Supreme Court in Eddings v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104, 113-115, 102 S.Ct. 869, 71 L.Ed.2d 1 (1982), it might have been proper in the sentencing phase of the trial to have such witnesses testify on Johnson's background, that case is not authority for the proposition that a state is required to furnish travel expenses for out-of-state prospective character witnesses. Johnson v. State, 477 So.2d 196, 215 (Miss. 1985). The opinion went on to state that defense counsel was, at a minimum, under a duty to furnish detailed statements in affidavit form from each of these proposed witnesses as to what their testimony would be in the trial of the case. Id. The only thing counsel in that case presented was an unsworn summary as to what the witnesses might have testified. Id. The information in Johnson exceeded the information provided in this case. Chamberlin's petition consisted only of the statements that: (1) Chamberlin was a pauper; (2) the two witnesses for which funds were requested did not have adequate funds for lodging or travel; and (3) those witnesses were vital to the defense of the Defendant. This Court finds the purpose of these two witnesses was that of character witnesses, according to Chamberlin's post-trial notice of filing of her statement of evidence, where she claimed denial of the travel expenses in question violated her right to present the jury the full range of her mitigating factors. [4] Further, the psychologist testified as a mitigating witness during the sentencing phase concerning information she gathered from interviewing the aunt and childhood best friend about Chamberlin. ¶ 88. Chamberlin failed to meet her duty to provide sufficient information to the trial court, and she further failed to obtain a ruling on her motion. Therefore, this argument is not only procedurally barred, but also without merit.