Court Opinion

ID: 9846188
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:36:28.338481+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:34.910649
License: Public Domain

BURNETT, J.:
I agree with the majority’s conclusion the trial court erred in admitting Petitioner’s prior firearms convictions. However, I disagree with the majority’s harmless error analysis. Therefore, I respectfully dissent.
Error is harmless where it could not reasonably have affected. the result of the trial. In re Harvey, 355 S.C. 53, 63, 584 S.E.2d 893, 897 (2003). The materiality and prejudicial character of the error must be determined from its relationship to the entire case. State v. Mitchell, 286 S.C. 572, 573, 336 S.E.2d 150, 151 (1985). Generally, appellate courts will not set aside convictions due to insubstantial errors not affecting the result. State v. Sherard, 303 S.C. 172, 176, 399 S.E.2d 595, 597 (1991). Thus, an insubstantial error not affecting the result of the trial is harmless where guilt has been conclusively proven by competent evidence such that no other rational conclusion can be reached. State v. Bailey, 298 S.C. 1, 5, 377 S.E.2d 581, 584 (1989). Error is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt where it did not contribute to the verdict obtained. Arnold v. State, 309 S.C. 157, 172, 420 S.E.2d 834, 842 (1992). *520Where a review of the entire record establishes the error is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, the conviction should not be reversed. State v. Pickens, 320 S.C. 528, 531, 466 S.E.2d 364, 366 (1996).
To establish self defense: (1) the defendant must be without fault in bringing on the difficulty; (2) the defendant must have been in actual imminent danger of losing his life or sustaining serious bodily injury, or he must have actually believed he was in imminent danger of losing his life or sustaining serious bodily injury; (3) the defendant, must show that a reasonably prudent person of ordinary firmness and courage would have entertained the belief that he was actually in imminent danger and that the circumstances were such as would warrant a person of ordinary prudence, firmness, and courage to strike the fatal blow in order to save himself from serious bodily harm or the loss of his life; and (4) the defendant had no other probable means of avoiding- the danger. State v. Bryant, 336 S.C. 340, 344-45, 520 S.E.2d 319, 321-22 (1999); State v. Goodson, 312 S.C. 278, 280, 440 S.E.2d 370, 372 (1994).
At trial, Petitioner argued he acted in self defense and this defense hinged entirely on his own testimony. In my opinion, Petitioner’s exculpatory story of self defense is not plausible.
Petitioner testified he was living at Days Inn, where he met the victim, Austin, earlier in the week. He testified on July 22, 1999, he went to Bottoms Up, a strip club; where he met Austin. He and Austin had several alcoholic drinks during the evening. Austin repeatedly asked Petitioner if he had any “weed” or knew where to find any “weed,” but Petitioner repeatedly told Austin he did not. Around 3:30 a.m. Petitioner left the club to go back to the hotel and Austin followed him. The two men had a fist fight in the parking lot of Bottoms Up, and Petitioner testified Austin did not possess a weapon during the fight. He and Austin continued towards the hotel, but they got into another fist fight during which Petitioner fell out of his wheelchair. Austin kicked Petitioner in the face and eventually helped him back into his wheelchair. The two men then proceeded to Petitioner’s room, where they again had an altercation in front of the room. Petitioner fell out of his wheelchair during this incident, and Austin helped *521him back into the wheelchair. At this point, Austin left and went to the hotel desk clerk to get a room key.
Kevin Hawkins testified he saw Petitioner alone in the corridor between 3:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Petitioner asked Hawkins to tell the front desk clerk he had been robbed and needed help. Hawkins testified Petitioner had a scrape on his nose and he informed the front desk of Petitioner’s request.
Petitioner testified as he opened the door to his room, Austin reappeared. Austin then followed Petitioner inside, closed the door, and demanded “weed.” Petitioner testified he thought Austin would kill him and that another person was with Austin. He further testified Austin was not armed.
Petitioner then went to the nightstand and retrieved a loaded pistol. He shot Austin six times and Austin fell, got back up, and ran out of the room. Petitioner then went to the dresser and retrieved a loaded shotgun. He went into the breezeway where he saw Austin leaning against the wall.3 Petitioner fired the shotgun five times because he thought Austin had not been previously hit. He then went back into the room, reloaded both guns, and shot out into the hallway from the room. Petitioner eventually shot himself in the stomach before being apprehended by police after a stand-off.
In my opinion, Petitioner’s guilt was conclusively proven by competent evidence such that no other- rational conclusion could have been reached. Petitioner testified that after he shot the unarmed Austin six times, Austin ran out of the room. See State v. Light, 363 S.C. 325, 610 S.E.2d 504 (Ct.App.2005) (unarmed victim did not pose a threat to armed defendant and the defendant could not have reasonably believed she did.) Further, Petitioner followed Austin out into the hallway and continued shooting, even though he was not sure it was Austin in the hallway.
Significantly, the ballistics evidence does not support Petitioner’s claims. The State’s ballistics experts testified the pistol shots were fired through the hotel room door. Further, an officer testified he did not see any blood in the hotel room *522which is inconsistent with Austin having fallen after being shot several times while in the hotel room.
Even though the trial court erred in admitting Petitioner’s prior convictions, the error was harmless because the evidence fails in any respect to support Petitioner’s self-defense theory. A reasonably prudent person would not have believed Petitioner had to shoot Austin repeatedly through a door, reload, follow him into the hallway, and again shoot him in the hallway in order to save himself from serious bodily harm or the loss of his life. Accordingly, the admission of the prior firearms convictions was harmless.

. Petitioner testified he was not sure if the person" in the breezeway was Austin.