Opinion ID: 1809080
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: the trial court erred in denying the defendant's motion for change of venue, as the public had been subjected to extensive pretrial publicity which overshadowed the defendant's right to be tried by a fair and impartial jury

Text: Morgan moved for a change of venue prior to trial, raising a rebuttable presumption that he could not obtain a fair trial in Lee County. The lower court denied Morgan's motion for a change of venue but stated that he would entertain the motion for a change of venue during jury selection if the motion was warranted by the facts. During the jury selection, Morgan once again moved for a change of venue. This motion was once again denied. Morgan argues on appeal that the trial court erred in overruling his requests for a change of venue because of the publicity surrounding his case. Accordingly, Morgan contends that his conviction should be reversed and he should be given a new trial. Miss. Code Ann. § 99-15-35 (Change of venue; how need shown; grounds) provides as follows: On satisfactory showing, in writing, sworn to by the prisoner, made to the court, or to the judge thereof in vacation, supported by the affidavits of two or more credible persons, that, by reason of prejudgment of the case, or grudge or ill will to the defendant in the public mind, he cannot have a fair and impartial trial in the county where the offense is charged to have been committed, the circuit court, or the judge thereof in vacation, may change the venue in any criminal case to a convenient county, upon such terms, as to the costs in the case, as may be proper. When the defendant alleges that he cannot obtain an impartial jury without a change of venue, the lower court's decision to deny such a motion is within the trial judge's sound discretion. Porter v. State, 616 So.2d 899, 905 (Miss. 1993) (citing Harris v. State, 537 So.2d 1325, 1328 (Miss. 1989)). Where this discretion has not been abused the decision of the lower court will not be overturned. Id. (citing Shook v. State, 552 So.2d 841, 849 (Miss. 1989)). Morgan attached five form affidavits to his motion for change of venue. These affidavits indicated that the affiant(s) thought that Morgan could not get a fair trial in Lee County because of ill will toward the defendant. Accordingly, Morgan successfully raised a rebuttable presumption under our statutory law to demonstrate that an impartial jury could not be impaneled. Thus, the prosecution was charged with rebutting the presumption that Morgan could not obtain an impartial jury panel in Lee County. Johnson v. State, 476 So.2d 1195, 1211 (Miss. 1985). Morgan produced two witnesses at the change of venue hearing to demonstrate that he could not get an impartial jury panel in Lee County. First, he called Terry Smith, the news director of WTVA, to the stand. Smith testified that his station covered approximately a 32-county area in North Mississippi and that his station ran approximately three stories on the Franks murder from June 26, 1991, until September 22, 1992. On cross-examination Smith testified that he would consider the three stories an average amount of coverage and that he had not heard a lot of discussion about Morgan's case. Moreover, Smith testified that he was not aware that there was any amount of malice towards Morgan in the Lee County community. Herb Wells was Morgan's next witness. Wells was hired by Morgan to go out into the community and determine whether people had prejudged his case or bore him ill will because of the Franks' murder. Wells testified that the majority of the people he talked with felt like Morgan was involved in a gang and was guilty of Franks' murder. The prosecution called several witnesses to rebut Morgan's case. First, the prosecution called Lee County Chancery Clerk Bill Benson. Benson testified that he came into regular contact with the citizens of Lee County and that Morgan's case was not a topic of general conversation. Likewise, Benson testified that he was not aware that Morgan's case had been prejudged. Lee County District One Supervisor Billy Davis was the next witness called by the prosecution. Davis testified that he spoke with people on a daily basis throughout Lee County and that the Franks' murder had not been discussed except right after it happened. Further, Davis testified that he had heard of no ill will towards Morgan. The State's next witness was Lee County Tax Assessor Kerrie Weathers. Weathers, like Davis and Benson before him, testified that he had daily contact with Lee County citizens and that he had not heard a lot of discussion about Franks' death. He also testified that he was unaware of any ill will the community harbored towards Morgan. Charles Dillard, the Lee County Tax Collector, testified much the same way as did his predecessors. Dillard testified that there had not been a lot of discussion about Franks' murder and that he was not aware of any community ill will towards Morgan. Finally, the prosecution called Louis McGee. McGee is employed by the Lee County Board of Supervisors and is a pastor at the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Plantersville. McGee's testimony mirrored the other witnesses' testimony and he testified that he thought that Morgan could get a fair trial in Lee County. After hearing all of the testimony, the trial judge ruled that the proof does not meet the required proof necessary to sustain the Motion for Change of Venue. However, the trial judge stated that he would allow Morgan to raise the issue again at, during, or after voir dire. Morgan suggests that, under the facts of this case, he raised an irrebuttable presumption of impartiality, and therefore the trial judge should have granted his request for a change of venue. In White v. State, 495 So.2d 1346, 1349 (Miss. 1986), this Court announced the following elements which should serve to indicate an irrebuttable presumption of prejudice: (1) Capital cases based on considerations of a heightened standard of review; (2) Crowds threatening violence towards the accused; (3) An inordinate amount of media coverage, particularly in cases of (a) serious crimes against influential families; (b) serious crimes against public officials; (c) serial crimes; (d) crimes committed by a black defendant upon a white victim; (e) where there is an inexperienced trial counsel. Morgan argues that he meets three of the above guidelines. First, he argues that he is a black man accused of killing a white man. Second, there was existing community prejudice against persons believed to be a member of a gang. Third, the trial was of a capital nature at the onset and all pretrial publicity referenced this fact. Morgan is correct on his first assertion. He is black and Franks was white. Next, Morgan argues that there was a general prejudice against gang members and this case was perceived as a gang case. Notwithstanding Morgan's argument, the record just does not support his assertion. His own affidavits submitted with his Motion for Change of Venue do not even indicate that the affiants felt that Morgan could not get a fair trial because of his reputed gang membership. Finally, this case did start off as a capital murder case but was not pursued as a capital murder case, and the testimony of various witnesses did not indicate that this case was a high profile case because it had once been a capital murder case. Finally, Morgan argues that twelve of the venire members had formed an opinion about this case and could not set aside their opinion. A search of the record indicates that twelve venire members indicated that they had read or heard about the story through a news story. Of those twelve venire members, nine indicated that they could not set aside what they had read or heard. Two indicated that they could and one indicated that he would be more lenient on Morgan. Other venire members indicated that they either knew the victim or knew the defendant and felt that this might hinder their impartiality. The presumption of prejudice may be rebutted by the State's demonstration that an impartial jury was actually impaneled. Harris v. State, 537 So.2d 1325, 1328-29 (Miss. 1989). In this case none of the twelve jurors who served on Morgan's case indicated that they had read about Morgan's case or formed an opinion one way or the other about his innocence vel non. Accordingly, we find nothing in the record which would indicate that Morgan's jury was not fair and impartial. Based upon the testimony in the record, we hold that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion when he overruled Morgan's motion for change of venue. The witnesses, save one, indicated that there had not been a lot of discussion about the case, and all save one indicated that they were aware of no ill will or malice harbored by the residents of Lee County towards Morgan. Accordingly, this assignment of error merits Morgan no relief.