Court Opinion

ID: 9603301
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:04:52.823158+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:09.441455
License: Public Domain

Justice Meyer
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent from the majority’s conclusion that the trial court’s instruction concerning the import of Dr. Love’s testimony constituted prejudicial error.
The majority correctly points out that “false, contradictory or conflicting statements made by an accused concerning the commission of a crime may be considered as a circumstance tending to reflect the mental processes of ‘a person possessed of a guilty conscience seeking to divert suspicion and to exculpate [himself].’ State v. Redfern, 246 N.C. 293, 297-98, 98 S.E. 2d 322, 326 (1957).” The majority characterizes the challenged instruction “at first glance” as seemingly “innocuous,” and further characterizes the State’s argument that the omission of the “consciousness of guilt” language was favorable to the defendant as seemingly “plausible.” With these conclusions I agree.
My reading of the majority’s position is that the trial judge erred in failing to include in his instruction statements to the effect (1) that the evidence, if believed, could be considered as consciousness of guilt; (2) that the evidence did not create a presumption of guilt and was not sufficient to establish guilt; and (3) that the evidence could not be used to show premeditation and deliberation. It is the omission of the latter two statements upon which the majority apparently rests its decision.
*90After finding error in the omission of these statements, the majority then points out, significantly, that “the statements referred to in the instruction under scrutiny were completely irrelevant since the alleged falsehood referred to defendant’s whereabouts during the morning hours of 21 February 1975 and all the evidence was to the effect that the crime occurred in the afternoon of that day.” (Emphasis added.) Defendant’s alleged falsehood did nothing to establish an alibi for his whereabouts at the time of the crime; and thus, ostensibly it may not have been intended to “divert suspicion” or “exculpate” the defendant. Under these circumstances the alleged falsehood becomes not only doubtfully relevant to the question of guilt but is also reduced to insignificance for any purpose other than its value as traditional impeachment evidence. It is entirely possible, then, that the jury never reached the question of the weight to be given this evidence, having determined that it was not the purpose of this falsehood to divert suspicion.
Even assuming the jury did reach the question of the weight to be given to what amounted to an inconsistency relating to a totally different time frame (and thus a collateral matter) of no significance to the murder itself, I cannot join with the majority in its implied assumption that the jury, “roaming at will,” improperly considered this evidence as proof of defendant’s guilt or to establish premeditation and deliberation.
Nor do I agree with the majority’s position that “the trial judge’s emphasis upon the negative aspect of defendant’s statements to the police officers may well have left the jury with the impression that he did not find defendant’s statements to be credible.” The fact that a trial judge summarizes properly presented evidence tending to show that a defendant lied in his statement to the police does not constitute an expression of opinion. G.S. § 15A-1232.
Finally, while evidence against this defendant was, indeed, circumstantial, it overwhelmingly pointed to defendant’s guilt. While it is true that the relationship of some of the witnesses makes their credibility as truthful witnesses suspect, the State presented twenty-six witnesses, nine of whom either placed defendant at the scene of the crime or identified him, through defendant’s own admissions to them, as the murderer of Diane *91Hennessee. The jury resolved any question as to these witnesses’ credibility against the defendant at trial.
I would vote to affirm defendant’s conviction.