Davis v. State
Davis v. State
Opinion
The defendant was indicted and convicted for the capital murder of Freddy Paul Tatum, in violation of Section 13A-5-31 (a)(2), Code of Alabama (1975). The trial judge sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment *Page 1193
without parole in accordance with the verdict of the jury in the penalty phase of the trial. All proceedings were conducted in accordance with Beck v. State,
Although the defendant initially refused to sign the Miranda
waiver forms, he agreed to talk to the investigating officers. The refusal to sign a written waiver of rights form without more does not preclude a knowing and intelligent waiver of those rights. Houston v. State,
The defendant's mental abnormality was not such as would render any confession inadmissible. C. Gamble, McElroy'sAlabama Evidence, Section 200.14 (1) (3rd ed. 1977). The defendant presented testimony to the effect that his intellectual operation was on a third grade level. These results were from tests conducted seven and one-half years before the murder. The more recent report of the lunacy commission, which was conducted just a year and one-half after the crime, showed that the defendant was "functioning within the dull normal range of intellectual abilities."
Approximately one-half of the delay between arrest and trial is attributable to the defendant's initial waiver of a speedy trial and his subsequent request for a mental examination made just eleven days before his case was scheduled for trial. The defendant was tardy in the assertion of his right to a speedy trial. The defendant's own defense counsel acknowledged that the delay "stems primarily from the fact that the lawyer formerly appointed to represent the defendant got sick and subsequently died." The defendant's allegations of prejudice resulting from the delay are without factual merit.
"The holding in Witherspoon is not applicable where the jury recommends a sentence less than the death sentence. Bumper v. State of North Carolina,
391 U.S. 543 ,88 S.Ct. 1788 ,20 L.Ed.2d 797 . By its express terms, Witherspoon is limited to those cases where the death sentence is imposed by a jury from which some have been removed because they opposed capital punishment."Eady v. State,
284 Ala. 327 ,328 ,224 So.2d 876 ,877 (1969).
See Bumper v. North Carolina,
During the guilt phase of the trial, the trial court's charge to the jury included instructions on the intent required for a capital felony, on the felony murder doctrine and on the distinction between the intent required for a capital felony and the intent required for the lesser included offense of non-capital murder. Defense counsel announced "satisfied" with the court's oral charge.
After the jury had deliberated for several hours, it returned with a written question about the intent element. That question and the trial judge's response are reflected in the record.
"Question number two. What is the latest point that intent can begin? Does it have to begin before or as he is going over the fence or can it begin as late as the moment before the blow occurs?
"I am going to address myself to your second question. . . . To the point; the law is that the intent and the act must coincide. The intent must exist when the act was committed. That is when intent becomes an element for your consideration. And is the only time. In the written requested charges which you carried with you to the Jury Room it is possible there may be language which created the impression that the intent with which an act was committed had to last a certain length of time or had to begin at some point in time or some place. That, to the degree that I created that impression, I misspoke. I misstated it because the law is that the intent and the act have to exist at the same time and that is the point at which you apply the text (sic) of intent. That being the case, I believe, given that answer to question number two makes it unnecessary to answer question number one (what constitutes premises?).
"Have you other questions which you have? Have I caused more problems by attempting to solve that one?
"A JUROR: That is fine."
The objection of defense counsel is not the same as that argued on appeal.
"MR. DAVIS (Defense Counsel): Yes, sir. Your Honor, we would renew our object(ion) to any further instructions to the Jury. We feel that the previous instructions by the Court were adequate and that any further instruction answering any of the questions presented by the Jury to the Court invade the province of the Jury and can only add to prejudice the Jury against the Defendant."
Because the defendant objected only to the giving of the supplemental charge and not to the trial court's failure to give further instructions in the supplemental charge, the issue of whether the court should have included an instruction on the felony murder doctrine is not before this Court. An objection to an oral charge must be specific and must clearly delineate the perceived defect. Fuller v. State,
Additionally, we find that the trial court did not err by failing to repeat the instructions on intent and the felony-murder rule given earlier. When a jury requests additional instructions the recommended practice is for the trial court to remain within the area of the specific request in making his response. East v. State,
Our consideration of the issues raised on appeal convinces us that the judgment of the circuit court is due to be and is hereby affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
TYSON, HARRIS, HUBERT TAYLOR, JJ., concur.
SAM W. TAYLOR, J., recuses himself.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Henry L. Davis v. State.
- Cited By
- 51 cases
- Status
- Published