Opinion ID: 1258810
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Other Issues Likely to Arise Again on Retrial

Text: 3. Lamar argues, particularly with regard to potential juror Dillard, that the trial court denied him the right to ask jurors if they were conscientiously opposed to a life sentence with the possibility of parole and if they would be willing to consider imposing that sentence for murder. Since the time of Lamar's trial, we have held that a death penalty defendant must be permitted to make such inquiries of jurors. Zellmer v. State, 272 Ga. 735, 534 S.E.2d 802 (2000). Upon retrial, the trial court should ensure that voir dire is conducted in a manner consistent with our opinion in Zellmer. 4. As we have consistently held, [q]ualifying potential jurors on the basis of their death penalty views is not unconstitutional. [Cit.] Braley v. State, 276 Ga. 47, 52(21), 572 S.E.2d 583 (2002). 5. While we perceive no reversible error in the trial court's refusal to order a change of venue for Lamar's first trial, the factual circumstances existing at the time of retrial should be considered if Lamar should again seek a change of venue. See Gissendaner v. State, 272 Ga. 704(2), 532 S.E.2d 677 (2000). 6. Lamar argues that the seizure and subsequent search of his backpack was unconstitutional. Testimony presented at a pretrial hearing demonstrated that Lamar left the backpack on the floor of the bakery where he was employed and that the backpack was open to the view of employees and visitors. An FBI agent observed the backpack in plain view and was informed by the manager that the backpack belonged to Lamar. Lamar lacks standing to challenge the agent's mere presence in this open space that was subject to the control of the bakery's management; furthermore, it is clear from the record that the bakery manager gave his consent to the agent's presence. Because the agent was aware that a person identified by witnesses as being Lamar had been videotaped leaving the scene of the murder wearing a backpack, the agent had probable cause to seize the backpack as potential evidence of Lamar's presence at the murder scene. See Moss v. State, 275 Ga. 96, 104(14), 561 S.E.2d 382 (2002) (addressing plain view doctrine); 3 LaFave, Search and Seizure, § 8.1(c), pp. 623-625 (3d ed.1996). Pretermitting whether the State improperly failed to carry its burden of proving that the agent's search of the backpack was legally permissible, but see id. at § 5.5(c), pp. 199-200 (showing of probable cause to seize container in plain view does not alone demonstrate that warrant is not required to search contents of container); see also O'Connor v. Ortega, 480 U.S. 709, 716(II), 107 S.Ct. 1492, 94 L.Ed.2d 714 (1987), the lack of any inculpatory contents in the backpack rendered any error in the admission of this evidence harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. See generally Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18(III), 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967) (addressing harmless constitutional violations); Mullins v. State, 258 Ga. 734(2), 374 S.E.2d 530 (1988) (finding Fourth Amendment violation harmless). 7. There is no merit to Lamar's argument that his arrest warrants were constitutionally invalid or otherwise unlawful. There was no constitutional requirement for an arrest warrant for Lamar's arrest at a soup kitchen that was open to the general public. Compare Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573, 583, 100 S.Ct. 1371, 63 L.Ed.2d 639 (1980) (arrest in a private residence). Assuming, arguendo, that Lamar's arrest in Alabama by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation was subject to the Georgia arrest warrant requirements, we note that the warrants issued in Georgia prior to Lamar's arrests complied fully with Georgia statutory requirements. See OCGA § 17-4-41; Smith v. Stynchcombe, 234 Ga. 780, 781, 218 S.E.2d 63 (1975) (contrasting constitutional requirements for lawful search warrant with requirements of OCGA § 17-4-41). Our holding here resolves adversely to Lamar his arguments regarding evidence he contends should have been suppressed because of his alleged illegal arrest. 8. The trial court correctly found that Lamar's personal effects seized at the time of his arrest were sufficiently relevant to the question of his sanity at the time of the offense to be admitted into evidence. See Clark v. State, 224 Ga. 311(1), 161 S.E.2d 836 (1968) (evidence of defendant's actions before and after crime relevant to question of sanity). 9. Georgia's death penalty statutes are not unconstitutional. Gissendaner, supra, 272 Ga. at 716(16), 532 S.E.2d 677. 10. Georgia's murder statute, OCGA § 16-5-1, is not unconstitutional for any of the reasons Lamar argues. Rhode v. State, 274 Ga. 377(20), 552 S.E.2d 855 (2001); Chester v. State, 262 Ga. 85(3), 414 S.E.2d 477 (1992). 11. The Unified Appeal Procedure serves to protect the rights of death penalty defendants and is not unconstitutional for any of the reasons Lamar argues. Jackson v. State, 270 Ga. 494(10), 512 S.E.2d 241 (1999). 12. Lamar argues that the trial court erred by refusing his request that his jury not be sequestered. OCGA § 15-12-142(a) states that a trial court may permit the dispersion of a jury except in capital cases. This Court has stated that the statute requires the jurors to be sequestered in death penalty cases. Willis v. State, 243 Ga. 185, 188(5), 253 S.E.2d 70 (1979). Even if, as this Court has previously held in other cases, the sequestration of death penalty jurors is not mandatory where the defendant gives his or her consent for the jury to be dispersed during trial, see, e.g., Jones v. State, 243 Ga. 820(3), 256 S.E.2d 907 (1979), a trial court is clearly authorized by OCGA § 15-12-142(a) to maintain jury sequestration over a death penalty defendant's objection. Because Lamar has not shown any violation of his constitutional rights, the trial court did not err by sequestering the jury at Lamar's trial. 13. It would not have been improper for the trial court to emphasize in its original guilt/innocence phase charge that the jury could consider, in determining Lamar's mental state at the time of the crime, whether there had been any change in Lamar's mental state as a result of his taking new or additional medication since the time of the crime that may have made Lamar appear more mentally well at trial than he might have been at the time of the crime. See Lawrence v. State, 265 Ga. 310, 316(3)(b), 454 S.E.2d 446 (1995). Nevertheless, we do not find that the trial court's failure here serves as a separate basis for reversal in light of the fact that the jury was aware through the trial testimony what medication Lamar was taking during trial and what effect that medication could have on his mental state. See id. at 316-317(3)(b), 454 S.E.2d 446. 14. Although we need not address Lamar's arguments regarding the allegedly improper portions of the prosecutor's sentencing phase closing argument, we nevertheless note for the purposes of Lamar's retrial that juries in death penalty trials must be charged on the meaning of a life sentence with and without parole and the parties may present closing arguments regarding the appropriateness of such sentences in the case at hand. OCGA § 17-10-31.1(d). See also Zellmer, supra, 272 Ga. at 735-736(1), 534 S.E.2d 802. 15. The trial court did not exceed its discretion in permitting the State to replay the videotape of the murder during the sentencing phase. To hold otherwise would be inconsistent with this Court's prior decisions holding that evidence may be resubmitted, with proper instructions, during the sentencing phase upon the jury's request and that a videotape in evidence may be shown to the jury during closing arguments. See Berryhill v. State, 249 Ga. 442(11), 291 S.E.2d 685 (1982) (replaying of testimony); Brown v. State, 268 Ga. 354(8), 490 S.E.2d 75 (1997) (replaying portion of videotape during closing argument). 16. Lamar raises a vagueness challenge to OCGA § 17-7-130.1, which is part of the statutory scheme for handling insanity defenses in criminal cases and provides, inter alia, for the examination of the defendant by a court-appointed psychiatrist or psychologist. [3] Because the fair warning aspect of the void-for-vagueness doctrine is inapplicable here [4] and the statute sets forth sufficient guidelines to avoid its arbitrary and discriminatory implementation, we find no merit in Lamar's argument. See State of Ga. v. Old South Amusements, 275 Ga. 274, 276, 564 S.E.2d 710 (2002) (legislature not required to draft statutes with mathematical precision); Izzo v. State, 257 Ga. 109(1), 356 S.E.2d 204 (1987) (statute not void for vagueness if it provides enough specificity so as not to encourage arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement). Accord Exxon Corp. v. Busbee, 644 F.2d 1030, 1033(II) (5th Cir.1981) (constitutionality of statute not concerned with either First Amendment or definition of criminal conduct should be leniently evaluated; uncertainty in [a] statute is not enough for it to be unconstitutionally vague; rather, it must be substantially incomprehensible). Finally, because OCGA § 17-7-130.1 does not require a defendant to cooperate with the court's expert and provides no sanctions against a defendant who refuses to so cooperate, Motes v. State, 256 Ga. 831, 832, 353 S.E.2d 348 (1987), there is no merit in Lamar's overbreadth argument. See also Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454(II)(A), 101 S.Ct. 1866, 68 L.Ed.2d 359 (1981) (recognizing limited waiver of right to silence by defendant who introduces expert psychiatric testimony in support of insanity defense). See generally Moody v. State, 253 Ga. 456, 320 S.E.2d 545 (1984) (statute not overbroad that infringes upon no constitutionally-protected conduct). Judgment reversed.