Opinion ID: 2508644
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Were Daniels' Convictions of Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Robbery and Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Robbery Supported by Sufficient Evidence?

Text: Next, Daniels argues that there was insufficient evidence to support her convictions of aiding and abetting aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. When the sufficiency of the evidence is challenged in a criminal case, the standard of review is whether, after review of all the evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the appellate court is convinced that a rational factfinder could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Beach, 275 Kan. 603, Syl. ¶ 2, 67 P.3d 121 (2003). First, Daniels contends that the abrasion to the victim's head was not sufficiently serious to constitute the bodily harm element of aggravated robbery. Second, Daniels contends there was insufficient evidence to prove that Dewayne Moss committed the underlying aggravated robbery; therefore, there was also insufficient evidence to prove that she aided and abetted and conspired with him to commit the robbery. Specifically, Daniels notes that Moss has a noticeable growth on the left side of his face which one would expect an eyewitness to mention. None of the eyewitnesses mentioned seeing this growth. With regard to this argument, the Court of Appeals recapped the evidence as follows: In support of the `bodily harm' element, the record demonstrated that the victim had been pushed to the ground and had hit his head, causing an abrasion. As previously discussed, whether the injury was more significant than `trivial bruises or impressions' incidental to the force necessary to accomplish the robbery is a jury determination. See State v. Peltier, 249 Kan. 415, 422-23, 819 P.2d 628 (1991). Had the jury been properly instructed, the record could easily bear out a determination that the victim had suffered bodily injury in the attack. Similarly, although none of the eyewitnesses to the crime specifically identified Moss or Dante, each described two black males wearing similar clothing, one being approximately 5 or 6 inches shorter than the other. At roughly the same time of day, an employee of the D & D Tire Shop witnessed a blue, 4-door Chevrolet Malibu pull up to the alley in which the robbery occurred and noticed that two individuals, with descriptions similar to later descriptions of the perpetrators of the robbery, exited the vehicle and headed in the direction of the alley. Also at the approximate time of the robbery, Kitsmiller witnessed two African-American males running out of the alley where the robbery occurred; they continued past her, east on 10th Street, before she lost sight of them. Shortly thereafter, Officer Craig Shanks positively identified Moss running with another African-American who was dressed similarly to Moss. The two individuals ran across New Hampshire near or on 10th Street. The defendant owns a blue, 4-door Chevrolet Malibu, and she was videotaped at the bank standing directly behind the victim of the robbery moments before the crime occurred. The individuals who committed the robbery seemingly knew which pocket the victim had put his money because they immediately reached into that pocket and retrieved the cash without searching his other pockets for additional items of value. From this circumstantial evidence, a reasonable jury could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had witnessed the victim's bank transaction, had told Moss and Dante about the transaction and which pocket the victim had placed the money and had driven them around the corner to the alley down which the victim was walking, so that the men could rob the victim. In addition, the jury may have adopted Detective Flachsbarth's and Officer Sayler's versions of D.D.'s testimony in which he informed them of the defendant's, Moss', and Dante's involvement in the crime and ultimately showed the officers where the defendant left the other two men outside the alley. Consequently, the record contains sufficient evidence to lead a reasonable person to conclude that Moss and Dante had committed the robbery against the victim at the instigation of, and with the assistance of, the defendant. Slip op. at 19-21. Daniels has failed to demonstrate that the Court of Appeals' conclusion was erroneous. The record contains sufficient evidence to support her convictions of aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery.