Ex Parte Long
Ex Parte Long
Opinion of the Court
We granted Randall Blake Long's petition for a writ of certiorari to determine whether the Court of Criminal Appeals' judgment, affirming Long's conviction despite the trial court's denial of Long's request to instruct the jury on homicide by vehicle, conflicts with our opinion in Ex parte Jordan,
The grand jury indicted Long for "intentionally caus[ing] the death of another person Arthur Simmons by running over him with an automobile, in violation of Section
The facts, briefly stated, are as follows: On July 20, 1989, Long drove to a Birmingham residential area in an attempt to buy cocaine. He picked up a man named Reginald and they drove around in Long's car, but were unable to find any cocaine. Another man, Simmons, approached the car and told Long that he could get him some cocaine. Long handed Simmons a $100 bill and Simmons started to walk away. Reginald told Long that he had made a mistake by giving Simmons the money, so Long called out to Simmons that he wanted his money back. Simmons ran around the corner of an apartment building. Long drove his car over the curb and up onto the grass, chasing after Simmons. The car struck Simmons and killed him. Testimony by Long, the coroner, and another witness indicated that Simmons fell on the ground before Long's car ran over him.
For his argument that vehicular homicide should have been submitted to the jury as a lesser included offense, Long relies on this Court's decision in Ex parte Jordan,
Jordan, 486 So.2d at 486 (footnote omitted)."1st: Larry Joe Jordan . . . did recklessly engage in conduct which manifested extreme indifference to human life and created a grave risk of death to a person other than the said Larry Joe Jordan, and did thereby cause the death of John Howard [Odum] by operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and did thereby cause the death of John Howard [Odum] by striking the vehicle which John Howard [Odum] was operating, in violation of Section
13A-6-2 of the Alabama Criminal Code."2nd: Larry Joe Jordan . . . did intentionally cause the death of . . . John Howard [Odum], by operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and did thereby cause the death of John Howard [Odum] by striking the vehicle which John Howard [Odum] was operating, in violation of Section
13A-6-2 of the Alabama Criminal Code."
Jordan requested that the jury be instructed that homicide by vehicle was a lesser included offense of murder. The trial judge refused to give the instruction and, instead, instructed the jury on murder, manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide. Jordan was convicted of murder and was sentenced to 40 years in the penitentiary.
This Court granted Jordan's petition for certiorari review and initially reversed the *Page 985 Court of Criminal Appeals' affirmance, holding that under the facts in Jordan vehicular homicide was a lesser included offense of murder; however, on rehearing, this Court held that the failure to instruct the jury on vehicular homicide was harmless error because the jury had already rejected the lesser included offenses of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. This Court reasoned that although the instruction would have been proper, the failure to give it did not prejudice Jordan and did not affect the outcome of the case.Jordan, 486 So.2d at 489.
In deciding Jordan, this Court rejected the decision by the Court of Criminal Appeals, which "[stood] for the proposition that a set of facts establishing the commission of murder cannever also establish the commission of vehicular homicide [and] create[d] a broad rule which fails to take into account the facts of each case." Id., at 488 (emphasis in original). This Court went on to say that considering the relationship of the murder and vehicular homicide statutes "only in abstract terms . . . completely ignores the facts of this case and the indictment under which Jordan was charged. We find this application of §
This Court in Jordan held that "[u]nder the proper application of subsection (1) of [§
This Court also noted that if subsection (4) of §
We find this case indistinguishable from Jordan on the question of whether the jury should have been instructed that homicide by vehicle was a lesser included offense of murder. The jury rejected the intentional murder charge and found that Long committed manslaughter, i.e., that he "recklessly cause[d] the death of another person." For purposes of the Criminal Code, "recklessly" is defined at §
*Page 986"A person acts recklessly with respect to a result or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense when he is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the result will occur or that the circumstance exists. The risk must be of such nature and degree that disregard thereof constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation."
If the jury had been instructed on homicide by vehicle, it might have found that Long "unlawfully and unintentionally" caused Simmons's death by operating his vehicle in violation of any of the following statutes:
"§
"(a) Any person who drives any vehicle carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard for the rights or safety of persons or property, or without due caution and circumspection and at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or property, shall be guilty of reckless driving."
"§
"Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter or the provisions of any local ordinance, every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian. . . ."
"§
"No person shall drive any vehicle upon a sidewalk or sidewalk area except upon a permanent or duly authorized temporary driveway."
We hold that Long, like the defendant in Jordan, was entitled to a charge on the lesser included offense of homicide by vehicle under either subsection (1) or subsection (4) of §
Because the charge of homicide by vehicle correctly states the law of the case against Long and because there was evidence to support that charge, Long was entitled to have it given.
Chavers v. State,"An individual accused of the greater offense has a right to have the court charge on the lesser offenses included in the indictment, when there is a reasonable theory from the evidence supporting his position. Fulghum v. State,
291 Ala. 71 ,277 So.2d 886 (1973). A court may properly refuse to charge on lesser included offenses only (1) when it is clear to the judicial mind that there is no evidence tending to bring the offense within the definition of the lesser offense, or (2) when the requested charge would have a tendency to mislead or confuse the jury. Lami v. State,43 Ala. App. 108 ,180 So.2d 279 (1965). In fact, our decisions are to the effect that every accused is entitled to have charges given, which would not be misleading, which correctly state the law of his case, and which are supported by any evidence, however weak, insufficient, or doubtful in credibility. Burns v. State,229 Ala. 68 ,155 So. 561 (1934)."
In Jordan, 486 So.2d at 489, the Court said that, "on a continuum of culpability," manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide "stand between murder and vehicular homicide." For purposes of the Court's "harmless error" holding, it was not necessary to decide whether vehicular homicide or criminally negligent homicide was the least culpable offense; it was sufficient that manslaughter is a more culpable offense than vehicular homicide and that the jury returned a verdict of guilty on the most culpable offense, murder. Upon further consideration, we find that, if vehicular homicide is a lesser included offense of murder, as it is in this case and was in Jordan, it will ordinarily be a more culpable offense than criminally negligent homicide. It is punished more severely. Vehicular homicide is punishable by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $2,000 and imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five years. See §
Because vehicular homicide is the next lesser included offense under manslaughter, at least under the circumstances presented here, the failure to instruct on vehicular homicide cannot be harmless error, as it was in Jordan. Nothing in the jury's verdict supports the contention that it could not have returned a verdict on that offense instead of manslaughter if it had been given the opportunity, or that any finding implicit in the jury's verdict necessarily precludes a verdict on homicide by vehicle. By returning a verdict on manslaughter, the jury has found that Long acted recklessly, but that finding could also support a verdict of vehicular homicide.5 Therefore, the affirmance by the Court of Criminal Appeals is inconsistent with Jordan,6 at least as we reinterpret the relative degrees of culpability of vehicular homicide and criminally negligent homicide, and that court's judgment is due to be reversed.
Long also contends that the trial court erred to reversal in admitting into evidence a "mug shot" taken at the time of his arrest for the alleged murder, on the *Page 988 grounds that it was highly prejudicial and irrelevant. During the State's cross-examination of Long, the following occurred:
"Q. You didn't look quite the same on July 20, 1989, as you do now, did you?
"A. No, sir.
"MR. COSTELLO: I object to that.
"THE COURT: State your grounds for the record.
"MR. COSTELLO: It's immaterial, irrelevant, and incompetent.
"THE COURT: Overruled.
"(Photograph marked State's Exhibit 40 for identification. Exhibit handed to Mr. Costello.)
"MR. COSTELLO: I have an objection to the exhibit if it is offered.
"(Exhibit handed to the Court. Jury out.)
"THE COURT: Mr. Brown, what is this for?
"MR. BROWN: Judge, I think it has tremendous probative value in demonstrating the reason for the inability of the witnesses, Warren Terrell and Billy Cheatem, to identify this defendant, because his appearance has been changed considerably since that time. The photograph was taken on July 20, 1989. It is admittedly a booking photograph, but it in no way implies any prior misconduct on the part of this defendant because it was taken in connection with this case on the date of this incident. His hair, as you can see, is at least six inches longer than it is now.
"THE COURT: I thought Warren, the second kid, it was my understanding that he never saw the man enough to identify him period. That was my digest of the testimony. He was saying he didn't see him good enough. He didn't even try to look out — he did stand up and look around the courtroom.
"MR. BROWN: And he was unable to identify him.
"THE COURT: But, at one time he did say just a white man. And I believe Cheatem basically was the same. He would know where the defendant was. I don't think it would have any bearing on Cheatem.
"MR. BROWN: I would also say it is admissible for edification of the jury to make a determination of who the real Randall Blake Long is. They are entitled to know how he appeared on July 20, 1989, as much as how Arthur Simmons appeared on that day.
"THE COURT: Let me hear from you.
"MR. COSTELLO: I take it that the argument from the State is because the man has a haircut, which is the only difference — he wanted to get a haircut and get cleaned up for trial, but that would not make that picture admissible, and I don't know of any precedent for that type of thing. The second thing is it has a number on it and it makes him look like a criminal. It's got murder written all over the back of it and it doesn't tend to prove anything that would help the State in their case."THE COURT: He's saying it was taken the same day this crime allegedly took place, and that it would show — I guess he's saying it would offer the jury some evidence of how he appeared and his ability and state of mind and his general demeanor.
"MR. COSTELLO: Yes, sir. I think that's exactly what they are trying to prove and I don't see how a picture can show his state of mind. It can show that he didn't have a haircut on that day.
"THE COURT: Wait just a minute. You don't take the benefit without the burden. You asked the defendant, I mean you asked if Simmons had cocaine in his system. You asked Dr. Brissie that. I believe you asked several things about the decedent in this case. Tell me what you were proving about whether there was cocaine in him.
"MR. COSTELLO: To show that the decedent was not functioning as a person would have been functioning. He could have very easily thought he could outrun the car. He could very easily have slipped.
"THE COURT: So that's in on that basis. Wouldn't this picture tend to show or allow the jury a reasonable posture from which to see how he was functioning *Page 989 on that date? I don't know anything that would be better.
"MR. COSTELLO: I don't see how the jury can conclude from a photograph —
"THE COURT: If the picture doesn't speak better than words about the cocaine, then I've been misled during my tenure here on this earth. These people know he said he's been to the city jail. He said that the last few minutes. The question was where did Officer Whisenhant take you and he said, no, he didn't take him to jail, he took him to city hall. City hall is not jail. Then he referred to the fact that he got his car soon after he got out of jail. All of that — you know, you've got to play by the same rules. I think it would be as much relevance as whether or not the decedent had cocaine in him when he was over at the forensic science place. This jury knows he's in here for murder. But I tell you what, we will excuse all that. I think the jury has a right to see how he looked on July 20, 1989, within hours after it took place. If something did take place. When you open doors, you can't close them on the other fellow.
"(State's Exhibit 40 received into evidence. Jury present.)
"Q. (By Mr. Brown) Take a look at State's Exhibit 40, Mr. Long, and that's the way you looked on July 20, 1989 —
"MR. COSTELLO: May I have an exception?
"THE COURT: Sure.
"A. Yes, sir. After that fight."
Mug shots are generally inadmissible in a criminal trial because the jury may infer from them that the defendant has a criminal history. Gross v. State,
We find no cases from this Court directly on the point of the admissibility of mug shots, but the Court of Criminal Appeals has, in numerous cases, relied on the three prerequisites established in United States v. Harrington,
"1. The Government must have a demonstrable need to introduce the photographs; andHarrington, 490 F.2d at 494. We conclude that these three inquiries are appropriate criteria to consider when determining the admissibility of a mug shot; however, the failure to meet one or more of these criteria would not necessarily result inreversible error. We shall still apply Rule 45, Ala.R.App.P., when deciding whether to reverse or set aside a judgment for error."2. The photographs themselves, if shown to the jury, must not imply that the defendant has a prior criminal record; and
"3. The manner of introduction at trial must be such that it does not draw particular attention to the source or implications of the photographs."
In applying this analysis, we find that there was no demonstrable need for the State to introduce into evidence Long's mug shot. In Van Nostrand v. State,
In another case similar to the present case, Boyd v. State,
The record clearly indicates that Long admitted to driving the car that ran over and killed Simmons. Long's identity was not an issue. The issue was whether he intentionally or accidentally ran over Simmons and, if accidentally, what the degree of his culpability was. The State argued that the photograph was probative because it explained why two of the witnesses could not identify Long; however, as the record indicates, the two witnesses were unable to identify Long, not because his appearance had changed, but because they never saw him well enough to make an identification. Also, the State offered no testimony from any of the witnesses concerning the photograph and whether they could now identify Long as the driver of the car.
In Williams v. State,
With regard to the second prerequisite in Harrington, supra, Long contends that the mug shot caused the jury to infer that he had a prior criminal record. The mug shot introduced by the State was composed of juxtaposed frontal and profile views of Long. He has no shirt on in the photograph and displayed on his chest is "City Jail, Birmingham, Alabama," a police identification number, and the date. The court placed tape over the markings on the back of the photograph.
In Holsclaw v. State,
The court noted in Harrington, with regard to the juxtaposed frontal- and profile-view mug shots, that the " 'double-shot' picture produces a 'natural, perhaps automatic' inference of prior encounters with the police and that crude and inartful masking of these pictures heightens, rather than diminishes, their significance to the jury." Harrington, 490 F.2d at 495. The photographs in Harrington had been masked, but in an extremely incompetent manner; however, although tape had been placed over the markings on the back of Long's mug shot, no attempt had been made to cover the incriminating inscriptions on the front. We conclude that the photograph of Long could have reasonably given the jury the impression that Long had a prior criminal record.
The present case is further distinguishable from several cases decided by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals regarding mug shots. In Williams v. State,
We believe that because identity was an issue inWilliams, therefore giving the photograph probative value,Williams is distinguishable from the instant case. Although the prosecutor asked Long if the picture was an accurate depiction of the way he looked on the day of the alleged crime, Long's identity was not in issue and the mug shot had no probative value whatever. Long was clearly depicted as a criminal.
Chunn v. State,
In the present case, although the date appeared on Long's mug shot and that date was the same date that the alleged crime occurred, there was no purpose in allowing the photograph into evidence. The record indicates that the reason the photograph was admitted was the court's belief that "the jury has a right to see how [Long] looked" on the day of the alleged offense; however, no evidence was offered that Long was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs when his car ran over Simmons. His condition at the time the picture *Page 992 was taken was irrelevant and was not probative of any issue in the case.
The final prerequisite in Harrington, supra, is that the manner in which the photograph is introduced at trial must not draw particular attention to the source or implications of the photograph. The fact that no mention was made by the State or any witness that the photograph was a mug shot does not satisfy the third requirement in Harrington. It is quite obvious from just a brief glance that the photograph was a mug shot. The jury did not need to be told this for us to conclude that particular attention was drawn to the source or implications of the picture. See Williams v. State,
Although the trial court placed white paper over the markings on the back of the photograph, no covering was placed over the markings on the front. See Jones v. State,
Because the admission of Long's mug shot into evidence failed to pass all three prerequisites in Harrington, and because its admission into evidence prejudiced Long, its admission constituted reversible error. For this reason, and also because of the failure to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of homicide by vehicle, we reverse the judgment and remand the cause for a new trial.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
HORNSBY, C.J., and MADDOX, SHORES, ADAMS, STEAGALL and KENNEDY, JJ., concur.
INGRAM, J., concurs in the result.
"§
"(a) A person commits the crime of murder if:
"(1) With intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of that person or of another person; or"(2) Under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, he recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to a person other than himself, and thereby causes the death of another person.
". . . .
"(c) Murder is a Class A felony."
"§
"(a) A person commits the crime of manslaughter if:
"(1) He recklessly causes the death of another person, or
"(2) He causes the death of another person under circumstances that would constitute murder under section13A-6-2 ; except, that he causes the death due to a sudden heat of passion caused by provocation recognized by law, and before a reasonable time for the passion to cool and for reason to reassert itself.
"(b) Manslaughter is a Class C felony."
"§
"(a) A person commits the crime of criminally negligent homicide if he causes the death of another person by criminal negligence.
"(b) The jury may consider statutes and ordinances regulating the actor's conduct in determining whether he is culpably negligent under subsection (a) of this section.
"(c) Criminally negligent homicide is a Class A misdemeanor."
"§
"The following definitions apply to this Criminal Code:
". . . .
"(4) Criminal negligence. A person acts with criminal negligence with respect to a result or to a circumstance which is defined by statute as an offense when he fails to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the result will occur or that the circumstance exists. The risk must be of such nature and degree that the failure to perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation. A court or jury may consider statutes or ordinances regulating the defendant's conduct as bearing upon the question of criminal negligence."
"§
"(a) Whoever shall unlawfully and unintentionally cause the death of another person while engaged in the violation of any state law or municipal ordinance applying to the operation or use of a vehicle or to the regulation of traffic shall be guilty of homicide when such violation is the proximate cause of said death.
"(b) Any person convicted of homicide by vehicle shall be fined not less than $500.00 nor more than $2,000.00, or shall be imprisoned for a term not less than one year nor more than five years, or may be so fined and so imprisoned."
Section
"(a) A defendant may be convicted of an offense included in an offense charged. An offense is an included one if:
"(1) It is established by proof of the same or fewer than all the facts required to establish the commission of the offense charged; or"(2) It consists of an attempt or solication to commit the offense charged or to commit a lesser included offense; or
"(3) It is specifically designated by statute as a lesser degree of the offense charged; or
"(4) It differs from the offense charged only in the respect that a less serious injury or risk of injury to the same person, property or public interests, or a lesser kind of culpability suffices to establish its commission.
"(b) The Court shall not charge the jury with respect to an included offense unless there is a rational basis for a verdict convicting the defendant of the included offense."
Concurring Opinion
I agree with the majority that the trial court committed reversible error in admitting the "mug shot" into evidence. However, I do not agree that the trial court erred when it denied Long's request to instruct the jury on homicide by vehicle.
Under the facts of this case, I would hold that vehicular homicide is not a lesser included offense of murder. In my opinion, the facts establishing the offense charged here, murder, did not also establish vehicular homicide, and, therefore, I conclude that this fact situation is distinguishable from that in Jordan.
"Homicide by vehicle" is defined as follows:
"Whoever shall unlawfully and unintentionally cause the death of another person while engaged in the violation of any state law or municipal ordinance applying to the operation or use of a vehicle or to the regulation of traffic shall be guilty of homicide when such violation is the proximate cause of said death."
§
I would have difficulty holding that, just because a motor vehicle was the instrumentality that caused Simmons's death, the proximate cause of his death was the violation of a traffic ordinance. I am, therefore, satisfied that the trial court's charge to the jury was adequate and that that court did not err in denying the requested instruction.
Therefore, I concur in the result, although I see no error regarding the requested instruction.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ex Parte Randall Blake Long. (Re Randall Blake Long v. State).
- Cited By
- 34 cases
- Status
- Published