Kevin George Vines 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 formal 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 , Alabama 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-09-0759 K e v i n George V i n e s v. S t a t e o f Alabama A p p e a l from S h e l b y C i r c u i t C o u r t (CC-05-503.60; CC-05-504.60; and CC-05-505.60) PER CURIAM. The appellant, Kevin George V i n e s , court's denial of h i s petition pursuant appeals the circuit forpostconviction relief t o R u l e 3 2 , A l a . R. C r i m . P. filed CR-09-0759 In the first years his 2008, V i n e s degree imprisonment. appeal, without o f a p p e a l was 658 not ( A l a . Crim. certificate On July circuit Vines exist to was He timely App. 30, sentenced appealed three filed. 2009, relief. argues on to t h i s See He Court. finding This filed a Green, which 32 petition states the an We of So issued 32 petition 15 3d the for appeal relief. followed. discovered material affidavit vacated. executed for facts Attached by Keisha following: " I have known [ K . C . ] f o r t w e l v e y e a r s and she w o u l d speak f r e e l y t o me. Approximately s i x to nine m o n t h s ago [ K . C . ] was p l a y i n g w i t h a f r i e n d o f m i n e at a neighbor's house. On this occasion [K.C.] c o n f i d e d i n me t h a t s h e a n d K e v i n V i n e s n e v e r had sex and that the allegations leading to his conviction were u n t r u e . When I a s k e d why she t e s t i f i e d u n t r u t h f u l l y against Kevin Vines, [K.C.] t o l d me t h a t h e r m o t h e r , [ M . M . ] , t o l d h e r t o do t h i s because of j e a l o u s y of Kevin Vines being with another girl." 2 in dismissed S t a t e , 33 grounds the p e t i t i o n ; t h i s was terms Court Rule t h a t r e q u i r e t h a t h i s c o n v i c t i o n s be h i s Rule rape 2008. a s s e r t e d two t h a t newly of t h a t the n o t i c e V i n e s v. December 23, Vines counts to concurrent 2008) ( t a b l e ) . court denied first c o n v i c t e d of an o p i n i o n , a f t e r of judgment postconviction The and was CR-09-0759 (C. Rule 17.) Attached to the State's 32 was a n a f f i d a v i t stated, executed motion to dismiss b y K.C. The Vines's affidavit i n pertinent part: " I , [ K . C . ] g a v e t e s t i m o n y i n c a s e s s t y l e d The S t a t e o f A l a b a m a v . K e v i n G e o r g e V i n e s , CC 2 0 0 5 - 5 0 3 , 5 0 4 , 505 ... i n M a r c h 2 0 0 8 . The t e s t i m o n y I g a v e i n t h a t c a s e was t r u e a n d a c c u r a t e . " I k n o w a p e r s o n b y t h e name o f K e i s h a G r e e n . I have never had a c o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h K e i s h a Green where I s t a t e d t h a t t h e t e s t i m o n y I gave d u r i n g t h e t r i a l i n M a r c h 2 0 0 8 was u n t r u e . " (C. 39.) When d e n y i n g Vines's requested relief the c i r c u i t stated: "The p u r p o r t e d n e w l y d i s c o v e r e d e v i d e n c e i n this case does n o t e s t a b l i s h t h a t [ V i n e s ] i s i n n o c e n t o f these crimes as r e q u i r e d by t h e r u l e . Ati t s absolute best, this evidence i s impeachment evidence, w h i c h goes t o t h e c r e d i b i l i t y of the w i t n e s s e s and i s f o r t h e j u r y t o e v a l u a t e . Nothing about t h i s a l l e g e d r e c a n t a t i o n e s t a b l i s h e s [Vines's] innocence. I t i s common f o r c h i l d victims to r e c a n t , e s p e c i a l l y when a p a r e n t o r c u s t o d i a n i s involved, and i t g e n e r a l l y says nothing about whether or not the events actually took place. A d d i t i o n a l l y , i t bears repeating that i n t h i s case the child victim has n o t been shown t o have r e c a n t e d . J u s t as [ V i n e s ] m a i n t a i n e d h i s i n n o c e n c e , t h e c h i l d v i c t i m m a i n t a i n s t h a t s h e was r a p e d o n multiple occasions by t h i s [Vines]. The jury believed the c h i l d victim. No new e v i d e n c e exists that compels this Court to question that determination." 3 court CR-09-0759 The c i r c u i t court correctly f o u n d t h a t t h e e v i d e n c e was impeachment e v i d e n c e t h a t d i d n o t meet t h e d e f i n i t i o n o f n e w l y d i s c o v e r e d e v i d e n c e i n R u l e 3 2 . 1 ( e ) , A l a . R. parte Frazier, 562 So. 2 d 560 (Ala. C r i m . P. 1 merely See Ex 1989). (e) "Newly d i s c o v e r e d m a t e r i a l f a c t s e x i s t w h i c h r e q u i r e that the c o n v i c t i o n o r s e n t e n c e be v a c a t e d by t h e c o u r t , because: 1 "(1) The f a c t s r e l i e d upon were n o t known by p e t i t i o n e r o r p e t i t i o n e r ' s c o u n s e l at the time of t r i a l or s e n t e n c i n g or i n time t o f i l e a p o s t - t r i a l motion pursuant t o R u l e 2 4 , o r i n t i m e t o be i n c l u d e d i n any p r e v i o u s c o l l a t e r a l p r o c e e d i n g and c o u l d n o t have been d i s c o v e r e d by any o f those times through the exercise of reasonable d i l i g e n c e ; "(2) The f a c t s a r e n o t m e r e l y o t h e r f a c t s t h a t were k n o w n ; "(3) impeachment The facts evidence; do not cumulative to merely amount to "(4) I f t h e f a c t s h a d b e e n known a t t h e t i m e o f t r i a l or of sentencing, the r e s u l t probably would have been d i f f e r e n t ; and "(5) The f a c t s e s t a b l i s h t h a t p e t i t i o n e r i s i n n o c e n t o f t h e c r i m e f o r w h i c h t h e p e t i t i o n e r was c o n v i c t e d o r s h o u l d n o t have r e c e i v e d t h e s e n t e n c e that petitioner received." 4 CR-09-0759 II. Vines appeal of argues because, appeal Ala. also R. was he P. the Court claim of relief had failure fault to to file o f h i s own. (C. on t h i s "already Criminal petitioner." Vines no the is entitled an out-of-time a timely See Rule notice 32.1(f), 2 When d e n y i n g that says, through Crim. t h a t he c l a i m the c i r c u i t been Appeals litigated and to decided court the found Alabama against this 42.) a s s e r t e d the following i n h i s Rule 32 petition: "It has been established by the Court of C r i m i n a l Appeals that p e t i t i o n e r f a i l e d to appeal w i t h t h e p r e s c r i b e d t i m e as c o n t e m p l a t e d by Rule 32.1. I t would f u r t h e r appear c l e a r that this f a i l u r e was o f no f a u l t o f t h e p e t i t i o n e r . Petition was r e p r e s e n t e d a t a l l t i m e s b y a p p o i n t e d c o u n s e l . . . . T h e r e i s no i n d i c a t i o n t h a t t h e f a i l u r e t o f i l e t h e n o t i c e o f a p p e a l was t h r o u g h a n y f a u l t o f t h e petitioner." (C. 21-22.) Contrary to the findings C o u r t ' s r e c o r d s r e v e a l t h a t we because his notice of of the circuit court, dismissed Vines's direct appeal was untimely this appeal filed. R u l e 3 2 . 1 ( f ) s t a t e s , i n p e r t i n e n t p a r t : "The p e t i t i o n e r failed to appeal within the prescribed time from the c o n v i c t i o n o r s e n t e n c e i t s e l f . . . and t h a t f a i l u r e was w i t h o u t f a u l t on t h e p e t i t i o n e r ' s p a r t . " 2 5 CR-09-0759 Specifically, not we f o u n d t h a t V i n e s ' s m o t i o n continued i n compliance before the expiration notice of no addressed of t h e 60th filed by facts 1283, claim that P., his direct fault by o f h i s was the c i r c u i t must be t a k e n therefore, court. as t r u e . " "When untimely. was by Vines's dismissed the State nor the State does n o t the unrefuted statement Smith 976 S o . 2 d 1 0 4 5 ( A l a . C r i m . was appeal not refuted 1284 ( A l a . C r i m . A p p . 1 9 9 1 ) . State, 2 4 . 4 , A l a . R. C r i m . h i s attorney, respond to a p e t i t i o n e r ' s a l l e g a t i o n s , of was day; appeal, Vines's through w i t h Rule f o r a new t r i a l v. S t a t e , A s we s t a t e d App. 581 So. 2 d i n Dedeaux v. 2005): "If the f a i l u r e to f i l e a timely notice of appeal i s through no f a u l t of the appellant's, then the appellant i s entitled t o an o u t - o f - t i m e a p p e a l . A v e r y v . S t a t e , 832 S o . 2 d 6 6 4 , 666 ( A l a . C r i m . A p p . 2 0 0 1 ) ; N o b l e v . S t a t e , 7 08 S o . 2 d 217 ( A l a . C r i m . App. 1997). This claim was not specifically addressed by t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t . However, g i v e n t h a t this Court d i s m i s s e d Dedeaux's d i r e c t a p p e a l as u n t i m e l y , remand i s n e c e s s a r y f o r t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t t o make f i n d i n g s r e g a r d i n g t h i s c l a i m . " 976 So. 2d a t 1049. appeal, i ftrue, Accordingly, t o make f i n d i n g s out-of-time Vines's entitles this claim r e g a r d i n g an o u t - o f - t i m e him t o r e l i e f . case i s remanded f o r t h e c i r c u i t court o f f a c t as t o w h e t h e r V i n e s i s e n t i t l e d t o an appeal because, through 6 no f a u l t o f h i s own, h i s CR-09-0759 direct may grant should this appeal was d i s m i s s e d whatever be f i l e d relief i n this as u n t i m e l y . i t deems court The c i r c u i t necessary. w i t h i n 54 d a y s Due court return of the date of opinion. AFFIRMED I N PART; REVERSED I N PART; AND REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS. Wise, P . J . , and Welch, Windom, concur. 7 Kellum, and Main, J J . ,

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