PEOPLE OF MI V MICKEY THOMPSON
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,
UNPUBLISHED
January 26, 2001
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v
No. 218211
Wayne Circuit Court
LC No. 98-009765
MICKEY THOMPSON,
Defendant-Appellant.
Before: Collins, P.J., and Doctoroff and White, JJ.
MEMORANDUM.
Defendant appeals as of right from his conviction of bank robbery, MCL 750.531; MSA
28.799, entered after a bench trial. We affirm. This appeal is being decided without oral
argument pursuant to MCR 7.214(E).
Prior to trial, defendant moved to suppress photographs taken with bank surveillance
equipment on the ground that the prosecution failed to produce the photographs as required by a
discovery order. The prosecution stated that it had received the photographs only that morning,
and indicated that it would not object to an adjournment. The trial court took the motion under
advisement, but gave defendant and his counsel an opportunity to review the photographs.
At trial, two bank employees, including the teller whose window was robbed, identified
defendant as the perpetrator. Defense counsel did not object to the admission of various
photographs, including the surveillance photographs. In finding defendant guilty as charged, the
trial court noted that the victim’s statement to the police contained some discrepancies, but
concluded that her identification testimony was credible.
To establish ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must show that counsel’s
performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness under prevailing professional
norms, and that counsel’s performance resulted in prejudice. To demonstrate prejudice, a
defendant must show a reasonable probability that but for counsel’s error, the result of the
proceedings would have been different. Strickland v Washington, 466 US 668; 104 S Ct 2052;
80 L Ed 2d 674 (1984); People v Toma, 462 Mich 281, 302-303; 613 NW2d 694 (2000).
Counsel is presumed to have afforded effective assistance, and a defendant bears the burden of
proving otherwise. People v Rockey, 237 Mich App 74, 76; 601 NW2d 887 (1999).
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Defendant argues that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel at trial for the
reason that counsel failed to object to admission of the surveillance photographs. We disagree
and affirm defendant’s conviction. When the prosecution indicated that it would seek to admit
the surveillance photographs into evidence, defense counsel objected and noted that the
photographs had not been produced as required by the discovery order. MCR 6.201(A)(5).
Defendant does not suggest that the prosecution misrepresented the facts when it stated that it
had received the photographs only that morning. The trial court exercised its discretion to
fashion a remedy for the discovery violation by granting defendant and his counsel time to
review the photographs. MCR 6.201(J). Defendant’s assertion that had the photographs not
been admitted into evidence the results of the trial likely would have been different is without
merit. Prior to viewing the photographs, the victim identified defendant as the person who
robbed her window. The trial court, as finder of fact, was entitled to believe this testimony.
People v Marji, 180 Mich App 525, 542; 447 NW2d 835 (1989). Defendant has failed to show
that he was prejudiced by any deficient performance from counsel. Toma, supra; see also People
v Newton (After Remand), 179 Mich App 484, 493; 446 NW2d 487 (1989).
Affirmed.
/s/ Jeffrey G. Collins
/s/ Martin M. Doctoroff
/s/ Helene N. White
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