Opinion ID: 1817272
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: People v. Gearns

Text: Defendant Jeffrey Gearns was tried before a jury and convicted of second-degree murder, M.C.L. § 750.317; M.S.A. § 28.549, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, M.C.L. § 750.227b; M.S.A. § 28.424(2). The Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction in an unpublished per curiam opinion. On April 3, 1991, the defendant met the deceased, Douglas Lineberry, in the bar of a Chi-Chi's restaurant in Dearborn. They conversed, and defendant became heavily intoxicated. The defendant, a regular at that bar, left with Mr. Lineberry. Later that evening, defendant called Gary Edwards, a friend of his, in Florida. Mr. Edwards testified that defendant sounded intoxicated and wanted him to play the flute over the speaker phone. Mr. Edwards testified that he heard another person in the background, who was laughing and partying and whom defendant stated he met at the bar. The next day, Mr. Edwards received another call from defendant asking him to recommend a good criminal attorney. When Mr. Edwards inquired regarding why, the defendant indicated that someone was shot and there was some kind of fatality. When Mr. Edwards called him back with the name of an attorney, defendant stated, I guess I will see you in ten years. The victim's wife reported him missing, and a Chi-Chi's manager noticed a car in the parking lot for several days, which belonged to the victim. The victim's body was discovered in a wooded area near Brighton with a single gunshot wound to the forehead. It was a 9 mm shell, shot from about four inches. The medical examiner testified that the deceased had been dead for approximately three to four days before the discovery of the body. In addition to the gunshot wound, there were abrasions on the sides of the neck and on the back of the hand of the deceased, and dried blood was found under his fingernails, which matched neither the deceased nor defendant. In the pocket of the deceased's clothing was a Chi-Chi's matchbook with defendant's name and telephone number written on it. A police sergeant called the number in the matchbook and left a message on an answering machine. When the defendant called back, the sergeant asked him if he knew Mr. Lineberry, to which defendant responded that he had not heard of him. The sergeant requested that the defendant come in for an interview; however, he did not. On April 12, the police executed a search warrant at defendant's home in Dearborn Heights. Defendant and his brother, Gregory Gearns, were present, and one officer testified that defendant was on his hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor when he entered the home. One of the evidence technicians sprayed luminol on various areas of the home. She testified that it would glow in the dark when exposed to certain substances, including blood and a chlorine substance present in some household cleaners and certain metals. The test produced a glow on a puddle near defendant's car in the garage and the pattern of a set of footprints in the corner of the basement. There also was a trace of denim material found in the trunk of the defendant's car, but a positive match could not be obtained with the blue jeans worn by the victim. There was also positive presence of human blood on a trace of carpet, but it could not be typed. The officers found 9 mm ammunition, the same caliber as the bullet that killed the deceased. Defendant was the registered owner of a 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol, which was not found in the search. Some type O blood was found in the trunk, consistent with defendant's blood type, and type A blood was found in the trunk, but no type B blood (the victim's blood type) was found. Defendant's father testified that defendant and Gregory Gearns lived together at the Dearborn Heights address. After the jury was sworn, the prosecutor asked for a ruling from the court outside the jury's presence. The prosecutor wanted to call Gregory Gearns as its first witness. Gregory Gearns' attorney indicated that he would assert the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer questions. The prosecutor had offered Gregory Gearns immunity from prosecution for a charge of accessory after the fact to murder, which the prosecution argued was sufficient to cover any information that the prosecutor knew or was likely to ever know concerning Gregory Gearns' involvement. The judge indicated that she would hold Gregory Gearns in contempt if he refused to testify. His attorney indicated that he could not be held in contempt unless he actually refused to testify, and counsel for Gregory Gearns requested that the refusal take place outside the jury's presence. The prosecutor indicated his acquiescence, but the judge expressed her opinion that the refusal had to occur in front of the jury; otherwise, Gregory Gearns would not be in contempt of court. The jury was called in, and Gregory Gearns testified about the address at which he resided. When asked with whom he lived at that address, he stated that he was taking the Fifth Amendment. On request of the prosecutor, the judge instructed the witness that he had no valid privilege and must answer the question. Counsel for Gregory Gearns indicated that he believed the privilege was valid. The prosecutor asked the court to hold Gregory Gearns in contempt. Counsel for Gregory Gearns asked that the case be dismissed. The jury was excused. Defense counsel argued it was impossible that the prosecutor could have believed that Gregory Gearns was going to testify. The judge denied the motion because Gregory Gearns did not say anything detrimental about his client, and defense counsel was not counsel for Gregory Gearns, who did not say anything about defendant.