Opinion ID: 1921869
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Robinson's and Butler's Other Arguments

Text: We conclude that Robinson's and Butler's other arguments are unpersuasive, and therefore, we dispose of them summarily. Both Robinson and Butler maintain that the trial court erred by failing to sentence them under the addict exception set forth in § 33-541(c)(2) which has been repealed. The question as to whether the addict exception should be used in sentencing is committed to the sound discretion of the trial judge. . . . Stroman v. United States, 606 A.2d 767, 770 (1992) (citing Grant v. United States, 509 A.2d 1147, 1154 (D.C.1986)). In exercising its discretion, the trial court made credibility determinations and weighed the evidence submitted by Butler and Robinson. The court discredited the testimony of Butler, and in her testimony, Robinson asserted that, in addition to some drug usage, she drank alcohol, at least one pint a day. On this record, we see no reason to disturb the trial court's decision not to use the addict exception in sentencing Robinson and Butler. Robinson contends that the trial court erred in denying her motion to suppress her identification. She argues that the Park Police officers did not have reasonable, articulable suspicion to stop her, and that the ride by identification procedure was unduly suggestive, essentially because the officers' description of what she was wearing differed since two officers said her jump suit had red trim or piping and two mentioned gold speckles. Our review of the court's disposition of a motion to suppress `is limited.' Thompson v. United States, 745 A.2d 308, 312 (D.C. 2000) (quoting Lawrence v. United States, 566 A.2d 57, 60 (D.C.1989)). Furthermore, in United States v. Turner, 699 A.2d 1125 (D.C.1997), we said: Because we examine the totality of the circumstances and require far less than certainty, we have routinely held that an imperfect description, coupled with close spatial and temporal proximity between the reported crime and seizure, justifies a Terry [6] stop. Id. at 1129 (citing King v. United States, 550 A.2d 348, 357 (D.C.1988)) (other citations omitted). Although the officers' descriptions of Robinson's jump suit differed somewhat, we are satisfied that the articulable suspicion of the officers was `particularized as to the individual stopped.' In re T.L.L., 729 A.2d 334, 340 (D.C.1999) (quoting In re A.S., 614 A.2d 534, 537 (D.C.1992) (citations omitted)). Moreover, there was a close spatial and temporal proximity between the reported crime and seizure, Turner, supra, 699 A.2d at 1129, because events surrounding the heroin buy began at 5:50 p.m. and Robinson was stopped and arrested at approximately 6:45 p.m., only about one block from the purchase site. Robinson maintains that the trial judge violated her Fifth and Sixth Amendment constitutional rights by not allowing her to be present at the bench during voir dire. In Robinson v. United States, 448 A.2d 853 (D.C.1982) ( Robinson I ), we held that the trial court erred in denying appellant's request to be present at the bench for the jury voir dire. In this case, however, Robinson failed to request that she be present, even though as the trial judge found, she was aware of her right to be present at the bench since she was the appellant in Robinson I. Under Welch v. United States, 466 A.2d 829, 839 (D.C. 1983), by not making a request, Robinson has waived this argument. For the first time, on appeal, Robinson maintains that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to grant her motion, made during trial, to sever her case from that of co-defendant Butler, under Super. Ct. Civ. R. 14. Robinson argues that the cumulative impact of testimony regarding Butler was prejudicial, and that Butler and Borum were targets of an ongoing heroin investigation. On the record before us, we conclude that the trial judge managed the trial in a manner that avoided prejudicial impact on Robinson from the testimony of Butler's witnesses and from her status as a codefendant with Butler. Therefore, we see no abuse of discretion. Indeed, Robinson has not sustained her burden to show manifest prejudice with respect to the joinder of her case with that of Butler. See Elliott v. United States, 633 A.2d 27, 34-35 (D.C.1993). Robinson argues that the trial court abused its discretion by excluding a videotape of the street scene where the events surrounding the drug transaction took place. Although the videotape was proffered by Butler, Robinson challenges its exclusion on appeal. The trial court excluded the videotape because it was not taken from the same angles or position [from which Lt. Schmidt] made his observations, and thus the probative value of the videotape would be substantially outweighed by its prejudice because the videotape would be misleading to the jury. . . . We conclude that there was no abuse of discretion. See Gonzalez v. United States, 697 A.2d 819, 827 (D.C.1997). Butler asserts that the trial court erred by failing to admit into evidence, as a prior inconsistent statement, handwritten notes made by Officer Heller. We conclude that even if the trial court erred in excluding Officer Heller's handwritten notes, the error was harmless because Officer Heller was questioned at length about her notes, and thus, the jury had a basis for determining her credibility. See Scott v. United States, 619 A.2d 917, 921 n. 8 (D.C.1993); Reed v. United States, 403 A.2d 725, 729 (D.C.1979). We also reject Robinson's and Butler's contention that the trial court erred by not granting their motion for a mistrial after the jury sent a note that it was unable to reach a verdict. Towards the end of the day before the note was sent, one of the jurors announced, during deliberations, that he was scheduled to leave the following morning to attend the funeral of his wife's sister's daughter in Miami, Florida. When the trial judge received a note containing this information, he spoke with the juror and asked if the juror could return the next day to continue deliberations. The juror responded: Yes. The following day, the jury resumed its deliberations and sent the deadlock note to the judge about one and one half hours later. Robinson and Butler moved for a mistrial, but the judge decided to give the anti-deadlock instruction proposed by Judge Gallagher in an appendix to his opinion concurring in Winters v. United States, 317 A.2d 530 (D.C.1974) (en banc) (Gallagher, J., concurring). After receiving the instruction, the jury continued its deliberations for more than two and one half hours before reaching its verdict. In applying our standard for determining whether the jury verdict was coerced in this case, we see nothing in the record before us that even suggests coercion. This case is quite different from the facts presented in Morton v. United States, 415 A.2d 800, 802-03 (D.C.1980), where the brother of a juror died during jury deliberations and the juror protested that she was under emotional strain. In this case, there is no indication that the juror manifested emotional strain that threatened the jury's impartial deliberations. Consequently, we are satisfied that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying Robinson's and Butler's motion for a mistrial. See Coleman v. United States, 515 A.2d 439, 453 (D.C.1986), cert. denied, 481 U.S. 1006, 107 S.Ct. 1631, 95 L.Ed.2d 205 (1987); see also Smith v. United States, 542 A.2d 823, 824 (D.C. 1988). Robinson challenges the sufficiency of the evidence against her, declaring that the government failed to prove usable quantity in.009g of heroin, and did not establish either that there was an actual exchange of money for heroin between Robinson and Borum, or that any prerecorded money or heroin was found on her person. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, as we must, see Blakeney v. United States, 653 A.2d 365, 369 n. 3 (D.C.1995), the record shows sufficient evidence to permit a reasonable jury, drawing upon all reasonable inferences, to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Robinson aided and abetted the distribution of heroin to Officer Heller, see Johnson v. United States, 611 A.2d 41 (D.C.1992); Boyd v. United States, 473 A.2d 828, 832 (D.C.1984); and that, under the standard of usability in effect at the time of the drug transaction, the government met the usable quantity element through the testimony of its witnesses. See Johnson, supra ; Boyd, 473 A.2d at 832; Wishop v. United States, 531 A.2d 1005, 1008 (D.C.1987). Finally, Robinson argues that the trial court erred by denying her § 23-110 motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. Specifically, she claims that her trial counsel failed to: (1) impeach Officer Heller with her affidavit in support of the arrest warrant; (2) introduce into evidence her driver's license which was issued on the day of the drug transaction; and (3) assert her right to be present at the bench during jury voir dire. The trial court concluded that Robinson's trial counsel made a tactical decision not to use the affidavit, which described [Robinson] with dark hair, because he felt that since [Robinson]. . . had dark hair at trial, use of the affidavit could make the government's case stronger and not help the defense case. With respect to the driver's license, the trial court determined that: In light of the inconclusive nature of the license in terms of [Robinson's] hair coloring, and the strength of the government's evidence, trial counsel's performance . . . did not prejudice defendant. After a hearing regarding Robinson's assertion that trial counsel's performance was ineffective and prejudicial because her right to be present at the bench during voir dire was not asserted, the trial court found that Robinson did not discuss the voir dire issue with her counsel until the voir dire had been completed, and that she was aware of her right to be present upon request. Furthermore, the trial court concluded that Robinson suffered no prejudice by not being present at the bench during the voir dire. On appeal, Robinson argues that, prior to the jury voir dire, she gave her counsel a copy of Robinson I and asked to be present at the bench. This position not only contradicts the trial court's factual findings, but also her own testimony on cross-examination during the hearing on her § 23-110 motion. Under the familiar two prong test set forth in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), we conclude that on the record before us counsel's performance was not deficient, and that even if we assume deficient performance, Robinson has not sustained her heavy burden to show prejudice traceable to [her] trial counsel's deficiencies. Zanders v. United States, 678 A.2d 556, 569 (D.C.1996). Counsel's decisions regarding Officer Heller's arrest affidavit and Robinson's driver's license were tactical decisions and [t]actical decisions generally do not result in a finding of ineffective assistance of counsel. Id. Moreover, under the prejudice prong of Strickland, supra, Robinson `must demonstrate that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.' Id. (quoting Strickland, supra, 466 U.S. at 694, 104 S.Ct. 2052). The evidence against Robinson was strong, and in light of Robinson I, she was well aware of her right to be at the bench during jury voir dire. Consequently, we affirm the judgment of the trial court concerning Robinson's § 23-110 motion. Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgments of conviction for both Butler and Robinson. However, we remand Butler's case to the trial court for resentencing consistent with this opinion.