Court Opinion

ID: 9543313
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:44:15.737161+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:10:07.872742
License: Public Domain

MURRAY, J.*, concurs. APPENDIX “THE COURT: Thank you, gentlemen. This case, like most others boils down to the issue of credibility. The police have testified as to certain alleged admissions that were made by the defendant, and the defendant denies making any statements. And it is claimed— And I cannot state it any other way — That he is being framed by the police. If the police are telling the truth then the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. There are admissions, and those admissions are corroborated by the statements as to the types of weapons used, the number of shots fired, the place of the crime and a motive has been established. And the Court has judged the credibility of defense witnesses and the police in the same way. The defendant has a motive to lie obviously. He faces going to jail for a long time. And the police have a motive to lie. They feel that he beat them. They may be out to get him. There is no need to judge the credibility of Miss Quinn simply because of her lack knowledge as to the whereabouts for great periods of time. Certain questions have been raised that are relevant to this issue of credibility. Did McGuire know how many shots were fired, and what bullets were recovered before or after these alleged statements? What did the defendant believe, or what was he told about double jeopardy? Some of those questions are obviously double-edged; for example, regarding the February 5, 1982 arrest. The defendant says that there was no charges of murder and therefore there was no thought of double jeopardy. It was a UUW and everybody knew it, period. That has a bearing as to his state of mind, but it also has a bearing as to the motive for the police to lie. If all that it was was a UUW, why do the cops want to put a false charge on someone who beat a UUW; those are rather common. Some of the issues that are raised are collateral; as an example, what Mr. Jones told Judge Moran as to his address. Certainly that is impeachment, if at all, to a collateral issue and is not of concern to this court. There are many questions that were asked that have a bearing on credibility, and I will not overburden this record as to what they are. There is not essential determination to be made. Either he made these statements or he didn’t. And either the police are lying — And there is no other way to put it — Or they are telling the truth. While there are a number of questions as to this matter of credibility, there is one that bears very heavily on the issue; and its this: If the police are lying and they are attempting to convict him with admissions that he did not make, why do they pick the Mayfield murder for the frame, and not the Brooks homicide or the triple homicide? My conclusion is that he was prosecuted by the Mayfield murder because he did make the statements. Therefore there will be a finding of guilty to the offense of murder in the manner and form as charged in Counts 1 and 2, and there will be judgment entered to that finding. The defendant is in custody, he has not made bond.”   Justice Mejda heard the oral argument in this case and following his retirement Justice Murray was substituted, listened to the tapes of the oral argument and read the brief and record.