Opinion ID: 1090851
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether smith was truly unavailable to testify at the 1993 trial.

Text: ¶ 89. At Russell's second sentencing trial on March 2, 1993, the State argued that Smith was not available, and therefore it should be able to introduce his transcript from the first trial into evidence. Sandy Sanders, an employee of the District Attorney's Office, testified that she began issuing subpoenas in January 1993 for witnesses in this case. She issued a subpoena to Parchman, then found out Smith had been transferred to the correctional facility in Greene County. She issued a subpoena there, only to find that Smith had been released on July 10, 1992. There were apparently no restrictions on Smith's release. Sanders was told Smith got on a bus for Jackson, so she contacted the Hinds County Sheriff's Office, which was unable to locate him. ¶ 90. There is no dispute that Smith was actually in the Yazoo County Jail on September 28, 1992, after his arrest on forgery charges, and that he remained there until April 6, 1993, when he pled guilty to two counts of forgery. Smith received five years on one forgery count, with 4½ years suspended and six months to serve, which he had already served by that time. Smith was sentenced to complete the Restitution Program on the other count. ¶ 91. He was released on April 6, 1993, failed to report to the Restitution Program, stole a one-ton truck on May 28, 1993, and was arrested and placed in the Yazoo County Jail on May 31. His suspended sentence was revoked on June 24, 1993, and a hold was placed on Smith in Yazoo County for the MDOC at that time. Smith pled guilty to one count of grand larceny in July 1993 and received a four year sentence with one year suspended. ¶ 92. Russell first argues that defense counsel was ineffective for failure to determine Smith's whereabouts prior to the second trial. There is no way to determine now why defense counsel did not find Smith. However, it is evident that Smith's reliability as a witness would be questionable at best due to a number of factors and the lack of an authenticated affidavit which would cast further doubt on what his testimony would be. ¶ 93. Russell then argues that since the same assistant district attorney prosecuted Russell in March 1993 and Smith at his guilty plea hearing four months later, the State knew where Smith was in March 1993 and lied to the court about his availability. According to Russell, the State's motive to keep Smith off the stand at the second sentencing trial was the knowledge that he would testify truthfully the second time. Russell also implies that the dismissal of a burglary charge against Smith in July 1993 was a reward of some kind for some earlier testimony. ¶ 94. The State answers that Smith flat-timed his sentence and was released without restriction in July 1992, and the State would have no reason to know of Smith's whereabouts until he was sentenced to their custody in April 1993. ¶ 95. Russell states that at the time of the second trial, it is clear that the State would not have got the same testimony from Mr. Smith, and the story that the jury heard would have been very different. Once again there is no authority for this except Smith's unsworn statement. If Smith testified in fear of his life at Russell's first trial because of threats from MDOC personnel, there is no reason to believe that these threats would not have been as viable in 1993 when Smith was still in custody. While Smith was available at the second trial, there is no credible evidence that his testimony would have been different, that the defense would have been able to do a better job of impeaching him, or that the State's failure to find him was part of some deliberate plot. We find that this issue to be without merit.