Opinion ID: 1794090
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Response to Dissenting Opinion

Text: The dissent argues that Barrera and Musall were not constitutionally entitled to use Copeland's statement as exculpatory evidence with respect to proving their state of mind at the time of the stabbing because the dissent believes that Copeland's state of mind was not relevant to his co-participants' defenses to aiding and abetting felony murder. Op. at 307-308. However, the respective juries did not articulate whether they convicted the defendants of felony murder as principals or as aiders and abettors. Nevertheless, in Michigan, an aider and abettor must possess the same requisite intent as that required of a principal. People v. Kelly, 423 Mich. 261, 278, 378 N.W.2d 365 (1985). Kelly explained the aiding and abetting felony-murder theory: The requisite intent is that necessary to be convicted of the crime as a principal. Meister v. People, 31 Mich. 99 (1875). In this instance, under Aaron, it therefore must be shown that the aider and abettor had the intent to kill, the intent to cause great bodily harm or wantonly and willfully disregarded the likelihood of the natural tendency of his behavior to cause death or great bodily harm. Aaron, 409 Mich. [at] 733 [299 N.W.2d 304]. Further, if the aider and abettor participates in a crime with knowledge of his principal's intent to kill or to cause great bodily harm, he is acting with wanton and willful disregard sufficient to support a finding of malice under Aaron. [423 Mich. at 278-279, 378 N.W.2d 365.] Hence, it would not be sufficient for the jury to conclude only that Barrera or Musall had assisted another in committing or attempting to commit a larceny or rape. [28] Aaron requires the jury to take the additional step of finding, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant himself possessed the requisite intent with respect to the murder. [29] That requisite intent is malice, whether proven or inferred from the circumstances. The dissent states: Copeland's statement regarding his hallucination speaks only to his own state of mind. The relevant inquiry is whether Barrera and Musall possessed the requisite state of mind. Stated otherwise, that Copeland confessed to stabbing the woman does not negate the possibility that Barrera and Musall also possessed a state of mind sufficient to be found guilty of felony-murder. [Op. at 308 (emphasis added).] We do not disagree with the dissent that there is a possibility that a jury, even after hearing Copeland's statement, may find that the defendants also acted with malice. However, a possibility of malice is insufficientmalice must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. It is in this respect that the dissent is missing the forest for the trees. Four defendants were involved in some way with the events that occurred that night. All four defendants stated that one, and one alone, stabbed the victim. All four stated that the stabbing was spontaneous, and three stated that it was unanticipated by them. The decisive question before the respective juries was whether Barrera or Musall intended to create a very high risk of serious harm to the victim and knew that such harm was a probable result of his actions. The dissent contends that Copeland's statement does not support a defense that the defendants did not aid or abet a felony murder. Op. at 308. We disagree. Copeland's motive and thought process in killing the victim, she resembled Spooner, would have a direct effect on the required felony-murder element of malice, whether under a co-felon theory as addressed in Aaron, or under an aiding and abetting theory as addressed in Kelly, because the spontaneity of the killing was probative of the defense theory that the stabbing was unanticipated and beyond the scope of the alleged common enterprise of rape or larceny. People v. Pitts, 84 Mich.App. 656, 662, 270 N.W.2d 482 (1978). Michigan case law requires the jury to find a causal link between the felony and the death. People v. Datema, 448 Mich. 585, 601-602, 533 N.W.2d 272 (1995). The dissent points to evidence that Barrera kicked the victim and that Musall hit the victim in her face. Op. at 309. However, the dissent must concede that a mere intent to injure falls short of malice, Datema, supra at 606, 533 N.W.2d 272, and that mere participation in committing the underlying felony, without a finding of malice with respect to the death, likewise falls short of felony murder, id. at 601, 533 N.W.2d 272. Accordingly, evidence that would tend to prove that Barrera's and Musall's respective intents fell short of malice would indeed support the defendants' theories that they did not have any reason to anticipate that death or great bodily injury would occur. Finally, we do not hold that a trial court should allow a defendant to present unreliable evidence as suggested by the dissent. Op. at 302. Instead, we hold that a trial court cannot place too many hurdles in front of admitting evidence that is not only crucial to the defense theory and uncontradicted by any other evidence in the case, but also has some common-sense basis of trustworthiness. As to redacting the portions of the statement that do not directly inculpate Copeland, we note that the prosecutor has not argued that such redaction is required. We leave this issue for the trial court for further analysis. We do note that in Williamson, the Supreme Court did not address application of the carry-over rule in the context presented by the instant cases. We also note that Carson v. Peters, 42 F.3d 384 (C.A.7, 1994), a case on which the dissent relies, expressly recognized that Williamson dealt with situations in which the prosecution seeks to use a codefendant's statement and further stated that defendants have an easier time under the second sentence of Rule 804(b)(3).... Id. at 386. We find that the critical portions of Copeland's statement, where he described why and how he stabbed the victim, and that the other three did not stab the victim (which would be inculpatory because it intensified his culpability and depravity through the number of stab wounds), were against his penal interests and should be admitted on retrial. BRICKLEY, C.J., and LEVIN, RILEY, and MALLETT, JJ., concur. WEAVER, J., not participating.