Opinion ID: 1988594
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Accomplice Liability Instruction Proper

Text: At trial, the State's initial theory of its murder case against Ayers coincided with the Indictment: that Ayers shot Wells and was guilty as a principal. During the course of the State's case-in-chief, testimony elicited on cross-examination by the defense suggested the possibility that Anderson, and not Ayers, had shot Wells. Nevertheless, the State continued to contend that Ayers was the shooter. As a result of this testimony, however, the State began to develop the alternative position that if Anderson was the shooter, Ayers was liable as an accomplice. After all evidence had been introduced, the trial judge presented counsel with draft jury instructions. The instructions included provisions for the State's alternative theory of accomplice liability. Ayers objected on the ground that the State had indicted Ayers on the theory that he was the principal who shot Wells and that there was no evidence to support a theory of accomplice liability. The trial judge overruled the objection. The accomplice liability instruction was given to the jury. The record reflects sufficient evidence for the jury to find that Ayers was guilty as a principal by actually shooting Wells. Evidence introduced at trial that Ayers was guilty as the shooter included the following: testimony by Gregory that on the night of the shooting, Ayers told him to move his car because something might get messy; testimony by Ringold that the weapon used in Wells' murder was the same 9mm semiautomatic handgun he had given Ayers the night before; expert testimony linking that gun to the shooting of the gold Nissan; eyewitness testimony that Ayers had shot at the gold Nissan; testimony by Gregory that after the Wells' shooting Ayers had stated that Ayers had thrown the gun behind Rash's Market, the same location at which the gun was later recovered by the police; testimony by Gregory that after the Wells shooting, Ayers had said, We handled that nigger; and testimony by Anderson that Ayers shot Wells. The record also includes evidence that Anderson was the person who actually shot Wells. Evidence introduced during the State's case-in-chief that Anderson was the shooter (principal) included the following: testimony that Wells had grabbed Anderson by the neck the night before the shooting; testimony by Gregory that: he saw Anderson, not Ayers, holding the gun at 30th and Market streets; Gregory knew Anderson was looking for Wells; Gregory knew Anderson was in the same area as Ayers at the time of the shooting; and that Anderson told Gregory, We handled that nigger. The record also includes evidence that, if Anderson actually shot Wells, Ayers was Anderson's accomplice. Evidence introduced during the State's case-in-chief that Ayers was Anderson's accomplice included the following: Ayers' statement to Gregory before the shooting to move his vehicle because something might get messy; Ayers' statement to Gregory after the shooting that he threw the gun behind Rash's Market; Ayers' statement to Gregory after the shooting that, If anybody asked, we ride [sic] with you; and Ayers' statement to Gregory after the shooting that, We handled that nigger. It is well established under Delaware law that a defendant can be indicted as a principal and then convicted as an accomplice. [1] Accordingly, Ayers was on notice that he could be convicted as an accomplice. [2] Nevertheless, Ayers presented a defense that portrayed Anderson as the person who shot Wells. [3] and sought to convince the jury that Ayers' presence was simply as an innocent bystander rather than as Anderson's accomplice. A person is guilty as an accomplice when [i]ntending to promote or facilitate the commission of the offense the person ... [a]ids, counsels or agrees or attempts to aid the other person in planning or committing it .... [4] Although the State did not indict Ayers an as accomplice to the Wells' murder, the jury heard testimony, and was presented with other evidence, that Ayers aided Anderson. The record reflects sufficient evidence from which a jury could reasonably conclude that Ayers was Anderson's accomplice in the shooting of Arthur Wells. Therefore, we hold that the trial judge properly permitted the jury to consider Ayers' culpability both as a principal and under the State's alternative theory, as Anderson's accomplice.