Opinion ID: 2189422
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: People v McWhorter

Text: Defendant McWhorter was charged and convicted of conspiracy to kidnap, MCL 750.349, 750.157a; MSA 28.581, 28.354(1), and kidnapping, MCL 750.349; MSA 28.581. The facts are succinctly set forth in the Court of Appeals opinion: Defendant's convictions arose out of the abduction of David Nixon from defendant's law office by William Snyder and Joseph Postelwaite. The evidence tended to show that the kidnapping was arranged by defendant as a means of extorting payment of legal services rendered. Defendant was retained by Douglas Suess to represent his parents and a friend who had been arrested in Florida while driving trucks filled with marijuana. The marijuana was being shipped to other states, including Michigan, as part of an operation equally run by Suess and Nixon. Nixon owed Suess his share of the proceeds from marijuana sales which had accumulated during the course of the venture. Suess intended to pay defendant with some portion of these proceeds; however, Nixon refused to provide him with any money. When Nixon refused to pay Suess, defendant told him to be more emphatic and forceful with Nixon. Ultimately, defendant offered Snyder the opportunity to work off fees which Snyder owed to him. Defendant asked Snyder to follow Nixon and scare him into giving Suess some money. Snyder proved to be unable to accomplish the task and suggested recruiting some help. The pair agreed to seek assistance from Postelwaite. At some point, Snyder, Postelwaite, Suess, and defendant all met at defendant's office. Defendant indicated that Nixon would be coming in shortly. The group agreed that if the meeting with Nixon did not go right and he would not pay the money, they would grab him. Nixon arrived at defendant's office and went downstairs with defendant into his law library. An argument ensued. Defendant returned from the library and told Snyder to grab Nixon as soon as possible. Defendant and others then left the office. Snyder and Postelwaite bound Nixon with a cord and took him to Postelwaite's farm where he was tied to a tree. Nixon eventually agreed to pay $30,000. When this offer was conveyed to defendant, he agreed to accept the deal and arrangements were made for collecting the funds. Defendant denied involvement in the extorting of money from Nixon. He claimed that he only learned that Nixon had been beaten and abducted after the fact. A careful review of the record indicates that defendant confirmed much of the prosecution witnesses' testimony, while denying those parts which would incriminate him. He made repeated references to other witnesses' testimony or lack thereof. The meeting at defendant's office and the abduction took place on May 14, 1977. On the following day, Nixon paid $30,000 in cash and was released. Defendant's secretary picked up $15,000 in cash from Snyder and Postelwaite in a grocery store parking lot and took the money to defendant's office. In his closing argument, the prosecutor made the following remarks: I'm not going to belabor that, because I think the line is drawn. I think on the one side of that line you have one person, two persons, six people and on the other side of the line you have Bob McWhorter who says here is where I was and all the other people who were involved say, hey, Bob, you were over here with us. What are you trying to tell us? You didn't know what was going on. You were obvious [ sic ] as to what was going on. We are the patsies on the other side of this line. I didn't know what was going on, says Bob McWhorter. Well, I challenge you and I ask you to look at that because that is where the line is drawn. Did he know? Did he not know? When you think about how that line is drawn, I want you to remember this. How many of those other witnesses were present in the courtroom during this testimony? How many people knew where that line was so when it came time to walk that line you knew where to walk? I submit to you only one person knew where that line was because that one person heard all that testimony. [ Defense Attorney ]: I will object, Your Honor. That is the defendant's right in every case. In fact, he has to be present during all the testimony. That's improper. The Court: You may proceed. [ Prosecuting Attorney ]: Thank you, Your Honor. Specifically, Bob McWhorter is the only person who knew where to go, knew where the testimony had to go to avoid any implications and I submit to you he took that line and he walked it very carefully. Defendant appealed to the Court of Appeals, raising numerous allegations. Relying on People v Fredericks, supra , the Court of Appeals reversed defendant's convictions, finding error requiring reversal in the prosecutor's closing argument.