Opinion ID: 1852436
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Failure to Grant a Sentencing Hearing

Text: ¶ 94. The failure to grant a sentencing hearing likewise does not establish sufficient prejudice to overcome the strong presumption of impartiality. A court rule provides that after a defendant is adjudged guilty of the offense charged, sentence must be imposed without unreasonable delay. URCCC 11.01. Another rule states that upon a finding of guilt, and where the court has discretion as to the sentence to be imposed, the court may direct that a presentence investigation and report be made. URCCC 11.02 (emphasis added). Presentence investigations are provided for in Miss.Code Ann. § 47-7-9(3)(a) (Supp.2003), which indicates that a presentence investigation is required only where the trial court requests it. Roberson v. State, 595 So.2d 1310, 1315 (Miss.1992). In this case, Judge Gordon requested and Payton submitted to such an investigation. ¶ 95. URCCC 10.04 provides, in pertinent part, as follows: C. Upon conviction, or after a plea of guilty, in cases where the court has sentencing authority, there may be a hearing before the trial judge as follows: 1. A presentence investigation may be conducted.... URCCC 10.04(C)(1) (emphasis added). Thus, like the presentence investigation, the rules clearly leave whether to have a sentencing hearing to the sound discretion of the trial judge. Considering that the judge allowed a presentence investigation, we conclude that the failure to provide a sentencing hearing was not done out of contempt for Payton or his counsel. ¶ 96. This was a retrial before the same judge. The trial judge was therefore already privy to the facts of the case and the aggravating and mitigating circumstances prior to sentencing. Although the trial judge did not allow Payton to call witnesses and present evidence relevant to sentencing, he did allow Payton to make relevant arguments. Payton addressed the court regarding the law that applies when a defendant is sentenced a second time. He advised the judge that Payton had colon cancer. He told the judge that Payton's life expectancy is in the early sixties and advised him that the life expectancy for a black male is shorter than that of a white male. Payton urged the judge to impose a term equal to the time he had already served. ¶ 97. Payton alleges that at a sentencing hearing, he would have also presented evidence regarding the false nature of co-defendant Graves's testimony. This testimony was cited by the trial court as a major reason for enhancing Payton's sentence. Payton alleges that he was prepared to prove through the testimony of the notary public and other inmates at the Wilkinson County Facility the spurious nature of Graves's testimony that Payton threaten [ed] his family if he did not make the statement. Payton also requested that jurors be polled to determine whether they found Graves's testimony to be credible if the judge was going to rely on Graves's testimony in sentencing. This request was apparently denied. ¶ 98. Beyond asserting that this evidence would have proved the spurious nature of Graves' testimony, Payton does not identify what this testimony would have been. Without a proffer of what Payton's new evidence would have been, this Court cannot consider the appeal in an informed manner. See Holland v. State, 705 So.2d 307, 348 (Miss.1997). ¶ 99. Payton's attacks on the veracity of Graves's testimony were questionable given Graves's overall unconvincing testimony at Payton's appeal-bond hearing. Also, during that hearing, Payton presented an inmate, Ernest Sykes, who testified that he was nearby when Graves wrote the statement exonerating Payton. Sykes testified that Payton was not present and that Graves told him that Payton was not involved in the robbery. This testimony contradicted that given by Graves during Payton's trial. It is also contrary to the inference that Payton was present since he signed the document as a witness. However, Payton's presentation of this evidence in the motion for a new trial does not demonstrate that the trial judge vindictively denied Payton a sentencing hearing. Payton presented no witnesses during trial to dispute Graves's testimony, thus, the trial judge should not be found in error for relying on his testimony. See Boatner v. State, 754 So.2d 1184, 1191-92 (Miss.2000); Mullins v. Ratcliff, 515 So.2d 1183, 1189 (Miss.1987). ¶ 100. In any event, had this evidence been presented it would have had no effect on the sentence imposed. It was not conclusive on the issue of whether Graves's testimony was false; rather, it simply pitted his word against that of other inmates. Credibility is a question to be determined by the trier of fact, not this Court. The trial judge was apprised of sufficient evidence to support the sentence, and Payton has not sufficiently put forth any new evidence for this Court to consider. ¶ 101. This assignment is without merit.
¶ 102. Here, Payton argues that the trial judge was vindictive when he sentenced Payton to ten years for arson at the second trial after he had sentenced him to five years in the first trial. He argues that Judge Gordon punished him for refusing to admit his guilt and for successfully appealing his first convictions. This assertion is based in part on Judge Gordon's giving Payton an opportunity, prior to being sentenced, to admit his guilt. Payton maintained his innocence. He claims that the trial judge held that refusal against him. ¶ 103. Regarding Payton maintaining his innocence, Payton offers no citation to the record for where this claimed error occurs, and the only possible place this Court has found is located at page 678 of the trial record. We do not interpret the trial judge's comments there to demonstrate vindictiveness. The following dialog occurred: BY THE COURT: Henry C. Payton, do you have anything to say? BY THE DEFENDANT: The only thing I've got to say to Your Honor is that I'm not guilty. I didn't do it. When sentencing Payton, the judge made the following comment: A moment ago, I gave you a chance to  you have already had your trial by jury, you have your right of appeal, and, if you were guilty, I gave you a chance to say as such, which would not affect your fight of appeal, but would have shown this Court some remorse. You declined to do so. ¶ 104. The State, relying on this Court's precedent, argues that remorse, or lack thereof, is an appropriate factor to consider in sentencing. Indeed, after stating that it is within the trial judge's discretion to consider things outside the trial record such as presentence investigations, this Court in Ferrell v. State, 810 So.2d 607, 612 (Miss.2002), noted that the trial court considered that the defendant showed no remorse for his actions. This consideration was not held to be erroneous. Id. at 612. See also Bell v. State, 725 So.2d 836, 852 (Miss.1998). ¶ 105. At the second trial, there was evidence that Payton had a personal conversation with co-defendant, Cleon Graves, after the first trial and before the second. The evidence showed that Payton, by threatening violence upon Graves's family if he did not cooperate, forced Graves to write a statement that contained false facts supporting a finding that Payton was innocent. [13] Graves testified that the assertions in the statement were false and that he only made them out of fear for his family. The judge found that Payton attempted to change the testimony of a witness. He also found that Payton insinuated that he would commit some violent act if the witness did not help him. The trial judge then gave Payton a longer sentence for arson than he received at his first trial. ¶ 106. The court is to consider all relevant factors when making a sentencing decision. Stewart v. State, 372 So.2d 257, 259 (Miss.1979). Where the sentence imposed is within the range permitted by statute, this Court generally has no power to disturb the trial court's exercise of discretion. Davis v. State, 724 So.2d 342, 344 (Miss.1998). There is no absolute constitutional bar to sentence enhancement at a second trial. Colten v. Kentucky, 407 U.S. 104, 117, 92 S.Ct. 1953, 1960-61, 32 L.Ed.2d 584, 594 (1972); Jones v. City of Meridian, 552 So.2d 820, 826 (Miss.1989). To determine if a harsher sentence has been imposed due to vindictiveness, we have outlined the following considerations: 1. The imposition of a harsher sentence by a judge following a new trial and conviction for the same charge is not violative of the federal, or Mississippi's Constitution. 2. Due process of law does require that vindictiveness against a defendant for having successfully attacked his first conviction play no part in the sentence he receives after a new trial. 3. Due process also requires that a defendant be freed of apprehension of such a retaliatory motivation on the part of the sentencing judge. 4. In order to assure that it may be determined on appeal whether such a motive was absent the following must occur: a. The judge must affirmatively state in the record his reasons for the harsher sentence. b. The reasons must be based upon objective information concerning identifiable conduct on the part of the defendant which occurred after the time of the original sentencing proceedings, or based upon objective information concerning events which occurred after the time of the original sentencing proceeding that may have thrown new light upon the defendant's life, health, habits, conduct or mental and moral propensities. c. The factual data upon which the increased sentence is based must be made a part of the record. d. This information and data upon which the judge bases his sentence may come to the judge's attention from evidence adduced at the second trial itself, from a new presentencing investigation, from the defendant's prison record, or possibly from other sources. Ferrell v. State, 810 So.2d at 611-12 (citing Ross v. State, 480 So.2d 1157, 1160-61 (Miss.1986)). ¶ 107. In this case, the trial court reviewed on the record the reasons for imposing the maximum available sentence. Prominent among those reasons was the fact that Payton sought to force Cleon Graves through threats of violence to change his testimony and that the robbery, arson, and kidnaping were planned and set into motion by Payton. The trial judge also considered Freeman's testimony that Payton got him to ask his co-defendants to change their testimony to exonerate Payton. The court specifically considered Payton's age, but the judge found the aggravating factors to outweigh Payton's age. ¶ 108. In spite of Payton's claim that he was punished with the maximum sentence only because he successfully appealed his first conviction and refused to admit his guilt, we conclude that the record clearly reflects that the trial court's basis for imposing the maximum sentences was the gravity of the offenses, Payton's lack of remorse, and testimony that Payton attempted to coerce his co-defendants to change their testimony. The judge's enhancement of Payton's sentence was not an abuse of discretion and is therefore affirmed. ¶ 109. This assignment is without merit.
¶ 110. Payton argues that the trial judge erred when he sentenced him to a term of years that was not reasonably expected to be less than his life expectancy. Payton was convicted of violating Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-79, which states: Every person who shall feloniously take or attempt to take from the person or from the presence the personal property of another and against his will by violence to his person or by putting such person in fear of immediate injury to his person by the exhibition of a deadly weapon shall be guilty of robbery and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for life in the state penitentiary if the penalty is so fixed by the jury; and in cases where the jury fails to fix the penalty at imprisonment for life in the state penitentiary the court shall fix the penalty at imprisonment in the state penitentiary for any term not less than three (3) years. Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-79 (Rev.2000). The jury in the case at bar failed to sentence Payton to life imprisonment, thus, as authorized by the statute, the trial judge sentenced him. This Court has held that, where a statute authorizes the jury to impose life imprisonment and the jury fails to so impose, the judge must sentence the defendant to a definite term reasonably expected to be less than life. Stewart v. State, 372 So.2d at 258. The sentence imposed in the case at bar was 38 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. ¶ 111. Payton was born March 30, 1958. He was forty-three years old at the time of sentencing. The mortality tables that the trial judge used indicated that a forty-three year old male has a life expect of 39.6 years. Finding Payton's life expectancy to be 39.6 years, the judge sentenced Payton to serve a term of thirty-eight years for the armed robbery: one and a half years less than his life expectancy. If Payton serves one-hundred percent of his sentence for armed robbery, he would be complete his sentence for the armed robbery conviction at age 81. He would still have ten years to serve for arson (minus time served). ¶ 112. The trial judge recognized and apparently relied on precedents of this Court in sentencing Payton. Indeed, we have upheld sentences that neared what could be considered life sentences while taking into account the defendant's life expectancy. Ware v. State, 410 So.2d 1330, 1332 (Miss.1982); Wilson v. State, 390 So.2d 575, 580 (Miss.1980). Age and life expectancy are but parts of the total considerations in proper sentencing. Lindsay v. State, 720 So.2d 182, 186 (Miss.1998). ¶ 113. In Ware the defendant was given a 40-year-sentence when he had an actuarial life expectancy of 40.51 years. Ware, 410 So.2d at 1332. Though the sentence neared the defendant's life expectancy, this Court found that the evidence indicated that the defendant should receive every year possible. Id. at 1332. ¶ 114. In Wilson, the defendant was given a 20-year sentence when his life expectancy was 22 years. Wilson, 390 So.2d at 580. The Wilson case made reference to Stewart, in that the Court considered other pertinent facts which led the judge to decide that the defendant deserved a harsh sentence. Though the sentence neared a life sentence, the defendant showed little remorse for what he had done, and he had not helped the police to catch his accomplices. Because of this, his life expectancy was not given as much weight as the other pertinent facts. ¶ 115. However, in its brief, the State agrees with Payton's contention that his life expectancy is not 39.6 years. According to the state, the life expectancy for a forty-three year old black male is 30.6 years. Thus the State confesses this issue. ¶ 116. A separate 10-year sentence for arson is immaterial when determining the length of the sentence for armed robbery. This would encourage the commission of other felonies during the course of a crime such as this. If this Court did as Payton argues, there would frequently be little or no additional penalty the trial court could impose without a jury sentence of life imprisonment. The fact that Payton engaged in other misconduct, i.e., the separate felony of arson, should not gain him a lighter overall sentence as determined by the learned trial judge. The issue before the Court is not whether the sum of sentences for Payton's various crimes exceeds his life expectancy. Instead, the statute and our precedent case law focus on whether the sentence of the particular crime exceeds Payton's life expectancy. ¶ 117. There is nothing in Payton's brief or argument which would overcome the strong presumption that the trial judge here was fair and unbiased. In light of the mortality information provided by the State and the confession of this issue by the State, this case is remanded to the trial court for resentencing of the armed robbery consistent with a life expectancy of 30.6 years.
¶ 118. At a post-conviction motion hearing, Payton again moved for the judge to recuse himself. The motion was denied. Payton argues this denial was reversible error. He reasserts his previous arguments: (a) the fact that Payton was denied a sentencing hearing which would have provided evidence of his life expectancy and the fabricated nature of Cleon Graves's testimony the court cited to justify Payton's increased sentence; (b) the court based its sentence in part on the testimony of Eric Freeman. The required continuance would have shown the testimony to be untenable; and (c) Payton was sentenced to a term of years greater than his life expectancy because he failed to tell the court he was guilty. Payton also claimed that the judge displayed a deep animosity toward his counsel and vindictiveness toward Payton. ¶ 119. The record reveals that during the hearing on Payton's motion for a new trial, Payton's counsel, Chokwe Lumumba, was fined $500 and sentenced to three days in jail for contempt of court. Attorney Lumumba characterizes what occurred as an innocuous comment. However, this Court disagrees. Attorney Lumumba was extremely disrespectful to the judge. After the motion for a new trial was denied, Lumumba attempted to offer the judge advice on how to get along better with other lawyers in the future. The judge ordered him removed, and Lumumba stated your henchmen throw me out, Judge? Lumumba told the judge, I'm proud to be thrown out of your courtroom. The judge fined him $300. After he was fined, Lumumba stated, Look, Judge, if we've got to pay for justice around here, I will pay for justice....I've paid other judges to try to get justice, pay you, too, if that's what is necessary. Following this comment, the judge fined him $500, sentenced him to three days in jail, and later reported him to the Mississippi Bar. Payton argues that, based upon these facts, a reasonable person would harbor doubts about the judge's impartiality. ¶ 120. A judge should recuse himself if a reasonable person, knowing all the circumstances, would harbor doubts about the judge's impartiality. Green v. State, 631 So.2d 167, 177 (Miss.1994). A presumption exists that the judge is qualified and unbiased. To overcome that presumption the evidence must produce a reasonable doubt about the validity of the presumption. Id. Occasional displays of irritation, usually regretted as soon as made, does not suffice to show personal bias or prejudice, whether the irritation was justified or not. See Walker v. Bishop, 408 F.2d 1378, 1381 (8th Cir.1969); Rosen v. Sugarman, 357 F.2d 794, 798 (2d Cir.1966). ¶ 121. The trial judge had already ruled upon Payton's motion for a new trial at the time the spectacle described above occurred. Following that incident, the judge voluntarily recused himself from hearing motions later brought by Payton's regarding his appeal. All of the other events complained of by Payton have been addressed elsewhere in this opinion and found lacking in merit. After a thorough review of the record, this Court concludes that any personal feelings the trial judge may have had about Payton's counsel did not improperly influence his trial decisions. He presided over the trial with dignity and treated both parties equally in his rulings. He did this in the face of rude, disrespectful behavior exhibited by Payton's counsel throughout the trial. ¶ 122. Payton has failed to present evidence sufficient to overcome the presumption that the judge was impartial while presiding over Payton's case. He has not shown that the sanctions his counsel received were unwarranted. He also has not proved that a reasonable person, knowing all the facts, would harbor doubts about the trial judge's impartiality. Therefore, he has not met his heavy burden, and this assignment is without merit.
¶ 123. During the hearing on Payton's motion for a new trial, Payton argued for the admissibility of the affidavits and testimony of two jurors. [14] Payton claimed this evidence would show that the jurors knew the witness Britt would not lie and that they failed to admit to knowing him during voir dire. Additionally, Payton claims jurors would have testified that they believed they would not be allowed to leave without returning a unanimous verdict. Payton claims this evidence was admissible because it did not impeach the jury verdict or concern matters or statements made during jury deliberations. He argues that the evidence was offered to show what happened or did not happen during voir dire and why he was denied a fair trial. He also claims it would have revealed outside influence that affected the verdict. ¶ 124. In response, the State argues that Payton's proposed evidence relates to individual juror misconduct and not to any outside influences. It cites various cases which hold that such evidence, being personal to the jurors, is inadmissible to impeach their verdict. Thus, it argues, the trial judge was correct in excluding the evidence. This Court agrees.