David Phillip Wilson v. State of Alabama

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REL: 11/05/2010 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , A l a b a m a A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2010-2011 CR-07-0684 David P h i l l i p Wilson v. S t a t e o f Alabama A p p e a l from H o u s t o n C i r c u i t C o u r t ( C C - 0 4 - 1 1 2 0 ; CC-04-1121) WINDOM, Judge. David convictions one count Phillip Wilson and sentences of capital appeals o f death. murder Walker during the course h i s two capital-murder W i l s o n was c o n v i c t e d o f f o r taking of a robbery, the l i f e see § o f Dewey 13A-5-40(a)(2), CR-07-0684 Ala. Code taking the burglary, 10-2, The circuit a of second Dewey Wilson accepted to Batson the this v. Wilson inference the S t a t e used racially not this Court a Batson argues Court has By for of a a vote of sentenced to death. recommendation and this t o remand t h e cause 476 U.S. the record i t s peremptory to Batson, 79 (1986). raises 1 an challenges i n a After noting that Wilson did at cause to for i t to hold a hearing that objection to remand a hearing pursuant This Court d i s c r i m i n a t o r y manner. raise jury's Kentucky, Specifically, that course A l a . Code 1975. court with instructions to the murder death. appeal, Wilson asks pursuant capital during Walker of recommended t h a t W i l s o n be court circuit count § 13A-5-40(a)(4), the j u r y On and life see sentenced the 1975, trial, to the 476 U.S. the State circuit also asks court to h o l d 79. explained: "In B a t s o n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s Supreme C o u r t h e l d t h a t b l a c k v e n i r e m e m b e r s c o u l d n o t be s t r u c k f r o m a b l a c k defendant's j u r y because of t h e i r race. In Powers v . O h i o , 499 U.S. 4 0 0 , 111 S. C t . 1 3 6 4 , 113 L. E d . 2 d 411 (1991), the c o u r t extended i t s d e c i s i o n i n Wilson raises numerous a d d i t i o n a l issues on appeal. B e c a u s e W i l s o n ' s B a t s o n i s s u e may b e d i s p o s i t i v e , t h i s C o u r t pretermits d i s c u s s i o n of those a d d i t i o n a l issues. 1 2 CR-07-0684 B a t s o n t o a p p l y a l s o t o w h i t e d e f e n d a n t s . ... The U n i t e d S t a t e s Supreme C o u r t i n G e o r g i a v. M c C o l l u m , 505 U.S. 4 2 , 112 S. C t . 2 3 4 8 , 120 L. E d . 2 d 33 (1992) , h e l d t h a t t h e p r o t e c t i o n s o f B a t s o n w e r e also available to defense counsel in criminal trials. The A l a b a m a S u p r e m e C o u r t h a s h e l d t h a t t h e p r o t e c t i o n s of Batson apply to the s t r i k i n g of white prospective jurors. White C o n s o l i d a t e d I n d u s t r i e s , I n c . v . A m e r i c a n L i b e r t y I n s u r a n c e , C o . , 617 S o . 2 d 657 ( A l a . 1993) ." Grimsley v. State, 678 So. 2d 1194, 1195 (Ala. Crim. App. 1995). Although trial, See this Rule 45A, Wilson did not raise failure does not preclude this App. P. A l a . R. a Batson objection Court's at review. " U n d e r t h e ' p l a i n e r r o r ' d o c t r i n e , as e n u n c i a t e d in Rule 45A, [ A l a . R. App. P.,] the Court of C r i m i n a l Appeals i s r e q u i r e d to search the r e c o r d i n a d e a t h p e n a l t y c a s e and n o t i c e any e r r o r ( r u l i n g o r omission) of the trial court, and to take appropriate action, whenever such error has or probably has adversely affected the substantial r i g h t o f t h e [ d e f e n d a n t ] , i n t h e same m a n n e r a s i f d e f e n d a n t ' s c o u n s e l had p r e s e r v e d and r a i s e d such error for appellate review." Ex p a r t e J o h n s o n , and 507 So. 2d 1 3 5 1 , quotations omitted). Batson State c o n t e x t , the engaged record "For must 1356 plain raise ( A l a . 1986) error an to (citations exist inference i n ' p u r p o s e f u l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n ' i n the of i t s peremptory c h a l l e n g e s . " L e w i s v. S t a t e , 3 24 So. in the that the exercise 3d 480, CR-07-0684 489 2d (Ala. Crim. 1074 The (Ala. App. 2006) (citing Ex parte Watkins, 509 1987)). Alabama Supreme C o u r t "The following are e v i d e n c e t h a t c a n be discrimination: has explained: illustrative of the types used to r a i s e the i n f e r e n c e "1. Evidence that the 'jurors in question share[d] only this one c h a r a c t e r i s t i c -- t h e i r membership i n t h e g r o u p -- and t h a t i n a l l o t h e r respects they [were] as heterogeneous as the community as a whole.' [People v.] W h e e l e r , 22 C a l . 3d [ 2 5 8 , ] a t 2 8 0 , 583 P.2d [ 7 4 8 , ] a t 7 6 4 , 148 C a l . R p t r . [ 8 9 0 , ] a t 905 [(1978)]. For instance ' i t may be s i g n i f i c a n t t h a t the persons challenged, a l t h o u g h a l l b l a c k , i n c l u d e b o t h men and women and are a variety of ages, occupations, and social or economic c o n d i t i o n s , ' W h e e l e r , 22 C a l . 3d a t 280, 583 P.2d a t 7 6 4 , 148 C a l . R p t r . a t 9 0 5 , n. 2 7 , i n d i c a t i n g t h a t r a c e was t h e d e c i d i n g factor. "2. A p a t t e r n o f s t r i k e s a g a i n s t b l a c k j u r o r s on t h e p a r t i c u l a r v e n i r e ; e . g . , 4 o f 6 p e r e m p t o r y c h a l l e n g e s were used to s t r i k e black jurors. B a t s o n , 476 U.S. a t 97, 106 S. C t . a t 1723. " 3 . The p a s t c o n d u c t o f t h e o f f e n d i n g attorney i n using peremptory challenges to s t r i k e a l l b l a c k s from the j u r y v e n i r e . S w a i n [ v . A l a b a m a , 380 U.S. 2 0 2 , 85 S. C t . 8 2 4 , 13 L. E d . 2d 759 (1965)]. "4. The type and offending attorney's 4 manner of questions the and of of So. CR-07-0684 statements during voir dire, including nothing more than desultory voir dire. B a t s o n , 476 U.S. a t 9 7 , 106 S. C t . a t 1 7 2 3 ; W h e e l e r , 22 C a l . 3 d a t 2 8 1 , 583 P . 2 d a t 7 6 4 , 148 C a l . R p t r . a t 9 0 5 . " 5 . The t y p e a n d m a n n e r o f q u e s t i o n s d i r e c t e d to the challenged juror, i n c l u d i n g a lack of questions, or a lack of meaningful questions. S l a p p y v . S t a t e , 503 So. 2 d 3 5 0 , 355 ( F l a . D i s t . C t . A p p . 1 9 8 7 ) ; P e o p l e v . T u r n e r , 42 C a l . 3 d 7 1 1 , 726 P . 2 d 1 0 2 , 230 C a l . R p t r . 656 ( 1 9 8 6 ) ; P e o p l e v . W h e e l e r , 22 C a l . 3 d 2 5 8 , 583 P . 2 d 7 4 8 , 7 64 , 148 C a l . R p t r . 890 [ 9 0 5 ] ( 1 9 7 8 ) . "6. D i s p a r a t e t r e a t m e n t o f m e m b e r s o f the jury venire with the same c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s ; o r who a n s w e r a q u e s t i o n i n t h e same o r s i m i l a r m a n n e r ; e . g . , i n Slappy, a black elementary school teacher was s t r u c k a s b e i n g p o t e n t i a l l y t o o l i b e r a l because of h i s j o b , but a white elementary s c h o o l t e a c h e r was n o t c h a l l e n g e d . Slappy, 503 S o . 2 d a t 352 a n d 3 5 5 . "7. D i s p a r a t e e x a m i n a t i o n o f members of t h e v e n i r e ; e.g., i n Slappy, a q u e s t i o n designed to provoke a c e r t a i n response that i s l i k e l y t o d i s q u a l i f y a j u r o r was a s k e d to b l a c k j u r o r s , b u t not t o w h i t e jurors. S l a p p y , 503 S o . 2 d a t 3 5 5 . "8. C i r c u m s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e o f i n t e n t may b e p r o v e n b y d i s p a r a t e i m p a c t w h e r e a l l or most o f t h e c h a l l e n g e s were u s e d t o s t r i k e b l a c k s from the j u r y . Batson, 476 U.S. a t 9 3 , 106 S. C t . a t 1 7 2 1 ; W a s h i n g t o n v . D a v i s , 426 U.S. [ 2 2 9 , ] 242 , 96 S. C t . [ 2 0 4 0 , ] 2 0 4 9 [ , 48 L. E d . 2 d 597 ( 1 9 7 6 ) ] . 5 CR-07-0684 "9. The offending party used peremptory challenges to dismiss a l l or most b l a c k j u r o r s , but d i d not use a l l of his peremptory challenges. See S l a p p y , 503 So. 2 d a t 3 5 4 , T u r n e r , supra." Ex parte Branch, 526 So. Here, both Wilson this cause to opportunity the to 2d and circuit explain trial that, raising i f the the the he this to provide had Court to State striking "review filed now 1987). the for Court's defense (Ala. ask reasons This arguments 622-23 State court its American veniremembers. indicates 609, of the with the v. reasons State, (Ala. f o r each of [Ms. CR-08-0696, Oct. C r i m . App. objection respond at to 2010). trial, his the is in a r g u m e n t s and a better t o r u l e on 01, trial State d i d not or to d i d not h a v e an provide veniremembers. position So. to for striking African-Americans because the j u r y - s e l e c t i o n proceedings. 6 i t was Whatley 3d , raise a Batson opportunity F u r t h e r , the the p r o p r i e t y of the state i t s reasons evaluate at court to challenges." 2010] Because Wilson allegations s t r i k i n g African-American court i t s peremptory record motion would have been o b l i g a t e d t o r e q u i r e the p r o s e c u t i o n the an African- a Batson raises, remand the State's present to for circuit parties' reasons during CR-07-0684 Thus, i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e p a r t i e s ' remands t h i s a hearing its during which i t i s to require the State reasons f o rs t r i k i n g African-American that pretext." reasons Preachers App. 2006) Batson, 47 6 U.S. determination veniremembers and t o or explanations v. S t a t e , (citations at regarding The circuit whether veniremembers. If the State the omitted). court State cannot has establishes that the State's Wilson shall State, 24 S o . 3 d 480 ( A l a . C r i m . hand, be e n t i t l e d reasons the State provides using i t peremptory Wilson shall the circuit challenges shall a provided legitimate challenges i f Wilson or pretext, See, e.g., Lewis v. App. 2006). I f , on t h e o t h e r l e g i t i m a t e r a c e - n e u t r a l reasons f o r n o t be e n t i t l e d court or a r e a sham t o a new t r i a l . make African-American provide veniremembers (Ala. See a l s o shall r a c e - n e u t r a l reasons f o rthe use of i t s peremptory African-American a sham 963 S o . 2 d 1 6 1 , 1 6 6 and quotations 97. showing are merely l e g i t i m a t e r a c e - n e u t r a l reasons f o r s t r i k i n g against Court to provide w i t h an o p p o r t u n i t y t o " o f f e r e v i d e n c e the [State's] Crim. this cause t o t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t f o r t h a t c o u r t t o h o l d provide Wilson or request, against t o a new t r i a l . African-Americans, In either make w r i t t e n f i n d i n g s o f 7 fact. event, CR-07-0684 Further, action Court the the circuit t o see that the circuit at the earliest release court of this shall time opinion. The include a t r a n s c r i p t of the Batson court's written REMANDED WITH Wise, P.J., a l l necessary c l e r k makes due r e t u r n possible findings take and w i t h i n return hearing to this 90 d a y s after t o remand shall and t h e c i r c u i t of fact. INSTRUCTIONS. and Welch, Kellum, 8 and Main, J J . , concur.

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