GREGORY JERMAINE LANGLEY V. COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
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2006-SC-000853-MR
GREGORY JERMAINE LANGLEY
V.
ON APPEAL FROM HENDERSON CIRCUIT COURT
HONORABLE STEPHEN A. HAYDEN, JUDGE
NO . 06-CR-00192
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
APPELLEE
MEMORANDUM OPINION OF THE COURT
AFFIRMING
Gregory Jermaine Langley appeals as a matter of right from a November 6, 2006
Judgment of the Henderson Circuit Court convicting him of first degree trafficking in a
controlled substance (2nd offense) and being a first degree persistent felony offender
(PFO) . The Commonwealth alleged that on the afternoon of October 5, 2005, Langley
sold methamphetamine to a Henderson Police Department confidential informant at the
corner of Vine Street and Adams Street in Henderson, Kentucky. Although the
informant refused to testify at Langley's trial and was ultimately found in contempt of
court, the Commonwealth nonetheless obtained a guilty verdict by introducing a video
of the drug transaction, which was created by a hidden video recording unit worn by the
confidential informant during the buy, and also the testimony of the two Henderson
police detectives who interacted with the informant . Langley was subsequently
sentenced to a total of thirty years in prison .
On appeal, Langley contends that the trial court erred by (1) allowing the
Commonwealth to exclude all the African-American jurors from the jury panel in
violation of his equal protection rights ; (2) admitting the videotape of the alleged drug
transaction despite the confidential informant's refusal to testify, which, Langley argues,
constitutes error because (a) its introduction violated his rights under the Confrontation
Clause, (b) the video was not properly authenticated at trial, and (c) the Commonwealth
did not prove the required chain of custody ; (3) not giving a spoliation instruction to the
jury; (4) allowing the Commonwealth to introduce certain testimony by the Henderson
Police officers in violation of the hearsay rules and the eavesdropping statute ; (5) failing
to find a discovery violation after the Commonwealth withheld evidence that the
confidential informant had been given a deal in exchange for his cooperation ; and (6)
not showing the entirety of the video after the jury requested to have it replayed during
their deliberations . Finally, Langley argues that he was severely prejudiced by the
cumulative effect of the aforementioned errors and that as a result, he is entitled to a
new trial . Although we agree with Langley that the trial court erred in admitting the final
portion of the videotape, during which the confidential informant made a testimonial
statement, after reviewing all the evidence presented at trial, we conclude that this error
was harmless. Finding that Langley's other arguments were either not preserved for
review or did not constitute error, we affirm .
RELEVANT FACTS
On October 5, 2005, Detective Jamie Duvall of the Henderson Police
Department spoke with a confidential informant on the telephone about setting up a
controlled drug buy from Jermaine Langley. While Duvall was still on the line, the
informant called Langley using his phone's three-way calling feature . Detective Duvall,
who recognized Langley's voice because he had known Langley for sixteen years,
listened in as the informant and Langley briefly discussed the drug transaction .
Following this conversation, Duvall understood that the informant would need $100 to
buy an eighth of an ounce of methamphetamine from Langley . Detective Duvall, along
with another Henderson police detective, Ron Adams, then met with the confidential
informant at a designated location . Detective Adams testified at trial that after
searching the informant's person and car and finding no drugs or contraband, he
equipped the informant with the hidden video recording unit. After activating the
recording feature, Adams gave the informant $100, and the informant then left to go
meet Langley .
The confidential informant was gone for approximately half an hour, during which
the hidden video unit made a continuous recording . For the first eighteen minutes of
the thirty-two minute video, the informant drove through Henderson . Eventually, he
pulled over at the corner of Vine and Adams Street,' exited his vehicle, and started
walking across the front yard of property on which a trailer is visible . The informant then
got into the passenger side of a car while Langley got into the driver's side. The two
stayed in the car for approximately thirty seconds . Although no drugs can be viewed
from the video and there was no discussion regarding drugs, as the informant was
exiting the car, Langley can be seen gathering some money and placing the bills in the
console between the front seats of the car.
'In Langley's criminal complaint, Detective Adams signed an affidavit stating that
the drug buy occurred in the area of Vine Street and Alves Street . At trial, Adams
testified that he was off by one street in his report, and the drug transaction actually
occurred on the corner of Vine and Adams Street .
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The confidential informant then got back into his car and drove away.
Approximately twelve minutes later, the informant pulled alongside Duvall and Adams,
who were in a red mini-van . Without getting out of their cars, Duvall and the informant
agreed to meet at a less visible location . When the two detectives arrived at the agreed
upon location, the informant got into their mini-van and handed the officers a plastic bag
from his pocket, which contained methamphetamine. Adams then asked the informant
who gave him the drugs. The informant responded "Jermaine ." Next, Adams asked
the informant where the transaction happened. The informant told the officers that it
occurred on "the corner of Vine and Adams."
Based on the video recording and the affidavit of Detective Adams, on January
4, 2006, the Henderson District Court issued an arrest warrant against Langley for first
degree trafficking. Five days later, on January 9, 2006, Langley was arrested . On
August 1, 2006, the Henderson County Grand Jury indicted Langley for first degree
trafficking in a controlled substance (2nd offense) and for being a persistent felony
offender . On October 12, 2007, Langley's trial began in the Henderson Circuit Court .
Although the confidential informant refused to testify during Langley's trial, the
Commonwealth nevertheless introduced evidence of the alleged drug transaction
through the videotape and the testimony of Detective Duvall and Adams . After hearing
all the evidence, the jury returned a verdict finding Langley guilty of both charges and
recommended that he be sentenced to thirty years in prison . After denying Langley's
motion for a Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict, the Henderson Circuit Court
entered Langley's judgment of conviction and sentence on November 6, 2006,
sentencing him to thirty years as recommended by the jury. This appeal followed .
ANALYSIS
1. The Commonwealth Did Not Commit a Batson Violation In Striking Juror B For
Cause Or In Using a Peremptory Strike On Juror P.
A. Striking Juror B For Cause Was Within The Discretion of The Trial Court
and Did Not Constitute a Batson Violation .
During its voir dire, the Commonwealth asked the potential jurors if any of them
knew the defendant, Jermaine Langley . Two people raised their hands: Juror B and
Juror P . The first to address the court was Juror B, an African-American woman who
had grown up with Langley and was related to some of his family members through
marriage . After disclosing this relationship to the court, the Commonwealth asked Juror
B if given her knowledge of the defendant, it would be difficult for her to give Langley or
the Commonwealth a fair trial. She responded that it would be difficult . The parties
then approached the bench, where Juror B further stated that she did not believe she
could set aside her prior knowledge and be impartial during the trial. The
Commonwealth moved for Juror B to be struck for cause. After specifically asking
Langley's counsel if he had any objection to this strike, to which he answered "no," the
trial court struck Juror B for cause .
As Juror B left the courtroom, Juror P, also an African-American woman who
knew the defendant from growing up together in Henderson, approached the bench .
Before the court began questioning Juror P, however, Langley's counsel stepped
forward and stated that he wanted to preserve an objection to the Commonwealth's
attempt to exclude black people from the jury based on their race . The trial judge then
sought clarification from Langley's counsel, stating that "on the last one [involving Juror
B], I thought you had no objection, is that correct or incorrect?" Langley's counsel
responded, "that's fine, on that one [involving Juror B], but I would like a continuing
objection on every individual of color."
Regarding the trial court's strike of Juror B, Langley stated in his brief that "the
Commonwealth suggested the relationship [between Juror B and the defendant] would
prevent her from being fair and impartial" and that "the Defendant refuted the
Commonwealth's contention ." Langley has misstated the facts in this instance . A
review of the trial record reveals that Juror B personally felt she could not be an
impartial juror and clearly expressed this bias to the trial court. Langley's counsel
recognized this conflict, did not refute Juror B's obvious bias, and had no objection to
her being struck for cause. Furthermore, Langley erroneously states that striking Juror
B for cause constituted a violation of Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U .S . 79, 106 S . Ct. 1712,
90 L. Ed . 2d 69 (1986). First, the holding in Batson prohibits attorneys from using
preemptory challenges in a discriminatory manner and is not relevant when jurors are
struck for cause. See Id. at 82. Second, as noted previously, Langley did not object to
Juror B being struck for cause during voir dire. Thus, this claim of error is not preserved
for review and this Court will not consider it on appeal. RCr 9.22; Edmonds v.
Commonwealth , 906 S.W .2d 343, 346 (Ky. 1995) .
B. Having Provided a Race-Neutral Reason for Excluding Juror P, the
Commonwealth Did Not Commit a Batson Violation In Using Its Peremptory
Strike .
After Juror B was struck for cause, Juror P, who also raised her hand and
acknowledged that she knew the defendant, approached the bench. Although Juror P
told the court that she knew Langley and his family from growing up together in
Henderson, she also stated that she could be fair and impartial and decide the case
based solely on the evidence presented at trial. The trial court then asked Juror P if
she knew the confidential informant . Juror P responded affirmatively, saying that she
also knew the informant from growing up in Henderson but that she would not give his
testimony any more weight or credibility because of this prior knowledge . Juror P then
returned to the venire .
After the counsel exercised their strikes, Langley's counsel approached the
bench and objected to the exclusion of Juror P, arguing that the jury did not constitute a
fair representation of Langley's community . The Commonwealth responded that they
struck Juror P because she knew both Langley and the confidential informant and
because they were concerned that she would be unable to put aside her previous
predispositions in deciding the case. The trial court then asked the Commonwealth on
the record if Juror P's race was a factor in her exclusion and if she would have still been
stricken if she were white. The prosecutor answered that Juror P's race was not a
factor and that he believed it would be difficult for anyone, white or black, who knew
both the defendant and the confidential informant in this case to be completely
impartial. In response, defense counsel stated that he thought there was another
young lady on the jury who indicated she knew Mr. Langley and she was not struck .
One Commonwealth attorney responded that he did not remember her, "but it could
be." Next, the Commonwealth stated that their decision to excuse Juror P was also
based on their own knowledge that two of her relatives had been prosecuted and
convicted in the Henderson Circuit Court. The trial judge then asked defense counsel
to restate his specific objection on the record . Langley's counsel stated that "the jury
pool does not make up or comprise an accurate representation of the peers of the
defendant." The trial court overruled this objection, found that the Commonwealth had
given a race-neutral reason for excluding Juror P, and ruled that the use of this
peremptory strike was valid .
Langley argues on appeal that since he rebutted the Commonwealth's proffered
race-neutral justification for excluding Juror P, the trial court erred by not inquiring
further to determine whether the prosecutor engaged in racial discrimination. Under
Batson , after a defendant makes a prima facie showing of racial discrimination, the
prosecutor must state a race-neutral reason for the peremptory strike . Batson , 476
U .S . at 93-97, 106 S . Ct. at 1722-23. Once this occurs, the trial court must determine
whether the defendant has adequately shown that the prosecutor engaged in
purposeful discrimination . Id. at 98. A trial judge's rulings under a Batson challenge,
including whether the prosecutor offered a race-neutral reason and whether the
defendant showed purposeful discrimination, will not be disturbed on appeal unless
they are found to be clearly erroneous. Washington v. Commonwealth , 34 S .W .3d 376,
379-380 (Ky. 2000).
In this case, since the prosecutor stated his reason for striking Juror P, we will
proceed directly to the second step under Batson . Thomas v. Commonwealth , 153
S.W.3d 772, 777 (Ky. 2004); Commonwealth v. Snodgrass, 831 S.W.2d 176, 179
(1992) . Langley argues that after the Commonwealth stated its race-neutral reasons,
i .e. , that Juror P knew both the defendant and the confidential informant and that two of
her relatives had been convicted previously by the trial court, he rebutted those
justifications and shifted the burden back to the Commonwealth . According to the trial
record, Langley's only response to the Commonwealth was that he thought there was
another woman on the jury who had acknowledged that she knew the defendant, but
she was not struck. Our review of the voir dire in this case reveals that in fact, Juror B
and Juror P were the only two people who raised their hands and stated that they knew
the defendant . In addition, Langley argues in his brief that the Commonwealth's
assertion regarding the conviction of Juror P's relatives was a pretext because she did
not have a brother who had ever been convicted of a felony in Henderson County. This
argument is irrelevant for two reasons . First, the prosecutor never mentioned Juror P's
brother; he only stated that two of her relatives had been convicted by the trial court.
Second, Langley did not raise this argument in the trial court and offers it up for the first
time on appeal. Therefore, Langley's argument that he sufficiently rebutted the
Commonwealth's race-neutral justification for excluding Juror P is totally without merit .
After hearing the Commonwealth's reasons for striking Juror P, the trial court
concluded that the grounds were race-neutral and that the peremptory strike was valid .
Langley identifies nothing in the record to suggest that the trial judge was clearly
erroneous in making this ruling. Although Juror P did state that she felt she could be
impartial, she had grown up with both the defendant and the confidential informant .
Furthermore, the Commonwealth attorney stated that Juror P's relatives' prior
convictions in the trial court added to his decision to exclude her. Finding that this
conclusion did not constitute clear error, we affirm the trial court's ruling that the
Commonwealth did not engage in purposeful discrimination and that no Batson
violation occurred .
11. With One Harmless Exception, the Trial Court Did Not Err In Admitting the
Videotape Or In Denying Langley's Motion to Dismiss For Failure to Prove Chain
of Custody .
A. Although Admitting the Final Portion of the Videotape Constituted Error
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Under Crawford, That Error Was Harmless.
Langley argues on appeal that since he was unable to cross-examine the
confidential informant at trial, the admission of the videotape prevented him from being
able to confront his accuser and violated his rights under the Confrontation Clause of
the Sixth Amendment . In Crawford v. Washinqton , 541 U .S. 36,124 S . Ct. 1354, 158
L. Ed . 2d 177 (2004), the U.S . Supreme Court held that in order to comply with the
Confrontation Clause, a witness's testimonial statement can only be admitted if the
witness is unavailable and if the defendant had a prior opportunity to cross-examine the
witness . Although the U .S . Supreme Court has not yet fully defined "testimonial
statements," the Court has recognized that testimonial statements result from police
interrogations that are not made in the face of an "ongoing emergency," but rather,
occur in order "to establish or prove past events potentially relevant to later criminal
prosecution ." Davis v. Washington , 547 U .S . 813, 126 S . Ct. 2266, 2273-74, 165 L. Ed .
2d 224 (2006).
The videotape of which Langley complains contains few statements made by the
confidential informant . The video begins with the informant, Duvall and Adams inside
the detectives' mini-van . After Adams states the date and time, and that he is going to
give the informant $100 to purchase methamphetamine from Jermaine Langley, the
informant exists the van and drives off in his car . The informant does not say anything
audible until he pulls in front of the trailer and gets into a car with Langley. While they
are seated in the car, the informant and Langley briefly discuss a trip to Atlanta,
although exactly what the informant says is difficult to understand . After leaving
Langley and continuing to drive around Henderson, the informant then pulls alongside
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the detectives and they discuss where to meet. Once the detectives arrive at the
meeting point, the informant gets back into their mini-van . Adams then asks the
informant who he got the drugs from, to which the informant replies "Jermaine ." The
detective also asks the informant where the transaction occurred . The informant
responds, "the corner of Vine and Adams."
Both the Seventh and the Third Circuit United States Courts of Appeal have
found that since a confidential informant is aware that his statements are being
recorded in order to foster criminal prosecution, the informant's recorded statements
may be "testimonial" as the Supreme Court has employed that term. United States v.
Nettles, 476 F.3d 508, 517 (7th Cir. 2007); United States v. Hendricks. 395 F.3d 173 (3rd
Cir . 2005). In Hendricks, however, the Third Circuit specified that if the informant's
statements are made as part of an "integrated conversation" with the defendant and are
introduced not to prove their truth but to place the defendant's statements into context,
then the statements are not hearsay and their admission does not violate the
Confrontation Clause . Hendricks, 395 F.3d at 184. In adopting this holding, we find
that the statements made by the informant during his conversation with Langley were
not offered for their truth and did not violate Langley's rights under the Confrontation
Clause . Thus, the portion of the videotape that shows the confidential informant
engaged in a transaction with Langley was admissible even though the informant did
not testify at trial .
The confidential informant's statement to Detective Adams after the alleged drug
transaction, however, did constitute testimonial hearsay and should have been redacted
from the video. The U.S . Supreme Court has been clear that accusatory statements
elicited by law enforcement officers in non-emergency situations are testimonial . Davis,
126 S. Ct. at 2273-74; Crawford, 541 U.S . at 53, 124 S . Ct. at 1365 . In Langley's case,
the confidential informant's statement naming Jermaine as the person who gave him
the drugs was in direct response to Adams's question, "who did that come from?"
Furthermore, the informant's post-transaction statement to Adams was not reasonably
required to place any of Langley's statements into context . Although this final portion of
the video did include a testimonial statement by the confidential informant and should
have been excluded under Crawford, we agree with the Commonwealth that this error
was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
This Court has held that "[v]iolations of the confrontation clause of the Sixth
Amendment under the United States Constitution and Section 11 of the Kentucky
Constitution are subject to a harmless error analysis ." Greene v. Commonwealth , 197
S.W .3d 76, 83 (Ky. 2006). If in light of all the evidence presented at trial, the
erroneously admitted evidence was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, then its
admission constitutes a harmless error and is not grounds for reversal. Heard v.
Commonwealth , 217 S.W.3d 240, 244 (Ky. 2007). Aside from the final portion of the
videotape, the evidence presented against Langley at trial was compelling to prove his
guilt. Both Detective Adams and Duvall testified about arranging a controlled buy
between the informant and Langley, searching the informant and then equipping him
with the video recording unit, and receiving a baggie of methamphetamine from the
informant following his encounter with Langley. The admissible portion of the video
showed that from the time the informant exited the detectives' mini-van until he
returned, he met with only one person-Jermaine Langley. Furthermore, the fact that
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the informant admitted at the end of the video that he received the drugs from Langley
was cumulative since the videotape showed only one person from whom he could have
received the drugs--Jermaine Langley. Therefore, due to the substantial evidence
admitted against Langley at trial, the erroneous admission of the informant's testimonial
statement was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt .
B. The Videotape Was Properly Authenticated By Detective Duvall's and
Detective Adams's Testimonies.
Langley argues that since the "creator' of the video, i .e . , the confidential
informant, refused to testify at trial, the Commonwealth failed to properly authenticate
the videotape and it should not have been admitted . After Langley raised this issue in a
pre-trial motion, the trial court held a hearing to determine whether the Commonwealth
could properly authenticate the videotape without the informant's testimony. During this
hearing, Duvall explained that once the recording unit is turned on, it can be stopped by
the person wearing it, but once it is stopped, it will not start recording again and a break
will show up when the video is downloaded . Duvall stated that after the unit was placed
on the confidential informant, it was turned on at 2 :48 p.m . and turned off at
approximately 3:20 p.m ., which accurately reflects the 32 minute length of the
videotape. Duvall testified that once the informant returned, he removed the recording
unit, which was intact and had not been altered, took the unit to the police station,
downloaded the video, and viewed a continuous feed with no stops or interruptions .
After hearing the detectives' testimony and viewing the video tape in its entirety, the trial
2 Having concluded that admitting this portion of the video constituted harmless
error, we decline to address the Commonwealth's argument that Langley forfeited his
right to confront his accuser by procuring the unavailability of the confidential informant
as a witness .
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court determined that the video had been properly authenticated per KRE 901(a).
KRE 901 (a) states that "[t]he requirement of authentication or identification as a
condition precedent to admissibility is satisfied by evidence sufficient to support a
finding that the matter in question is what its proponent claims." The proponent only
needs to make a prima facie showing of authenticity in order to meet this burden, and
on appeal, a trial court's ruling on the authentication of evidence is reviewed for abuse
of discretion . Johnson v. Commonwealth, 134 S.W.3d 563, 566 (Ky. 2004). In
Langley's case, for the video to be properly authenticated, the Commonwealth needed
to make a prima facie showing that the video reflected what actually occurred after the
informant left the officers' mini-van . Although Langley is correct that neither detective
was present with the informant as a majority of the video was being recorded, due to
their testimony regarding the mechanics of the recording device, there was sufficient
evidence before the trial judge to support a finding that the video accurately recorded
the informant's actions. The detectives were present when the video began recording
and when it was turned off; the mechanics of the recording unit allowed them to testify
that it was not stopped, altered, or turned off while the informant was away from their
presence; and after downloading and viewing the video, the detectives testified that
there was a continuous, 32-minute recording, which accounted for the total time the
informant was away from the officers. Thus, due to the detailed testimony given by
Detective Duvall and Adams, the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it found
that the videotape was properly authenticated, and we affirm its ruling on this matter.
C. Langley's Chain of Custody Dismissal Motion, Which Was Actually A
Sufficiency of the Evidence Argument, Was Properly Denied.
Langley argues on appeal that since the video neither shows drugs being
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exchanged nor reveals a discussion of drugs between the informant and himself, the
Commonwealth failed to prove an essential element of the charge, i .e. , that he provided
the informant with methamphetamine . Prior to trial, Langley filed a motion to dismiss
with the trial court, asserting this same argument. Although Langley continues to argue
in his brief that he is challenging the chain of custody of the drugs, the substance of his
argument actually deals with the sufficiency of the evidence. Langley's ultimate
contention is that without the testimony of the confidential informant, the
Commonwealth had no way of proving that he ever sold drugs to the informant since
the videotape is ambiguous and the officers' testimony is speculative .
Assuming that Langley intended to challenge the sufficiency of the evidence, we
find that his argument has no merit. When a defendant challenges the sufficiency of
the evidence on appeal, the appellate court must decide if under the evidence as a
whole, it was clearly unreasonable for a juror to find guilt. Commonwealth v. Benham ,
816 S .W.2d 186, 187 (Ky. 1991) . In Langley's case, the Commonwealth presented
evidence that Langley spoke with the confidential informant on the telephone in order to
set up the drug buy; that the informant was searched prior to the transaction and did not
have drugs with him; that the informant was given $100 to buy drugs from Langley; that
Langley and the informant met briefly to effectuate the exchange ; and that the
informant returned from his encounter with Langley with a baggie of methamphetamine .
Although the videotape did not capture the drugs changing hands and the informant
refused to verify this by testifying, all other evidence presented by the Commonwealth
pointed to the conclusion that the informant got the drugs from Langley. Therefore, it
was not clearly unreasonable for the jury to find Langley guilty of trafficking in a
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controlled substance, and the trial court did not err in denying Langley's motion to
dismiss .
Ill. Since Langley's and the Commonwealth's Versions of the Video Were
Identical, the Trial Court Did Not Err In Denying Langley's Request For A
Spoliation Instruction .
During trial, the Commonwealth played the video of the alleged drug transaction
that was made by the hidden recording device. Although the Commonwealth played
the video at trial using a DVD, it had previously provided to Langley a copy of the video
using two CD-ROMs . Langley argues on appeal that because of
a time differential
between the CD-ROMs he received from the Commonwealth and the DVD of the
alleged drug transaction that was actually played for the jury, he was entitled to a
spoliation instruction . Langley raised this argument in one of his pre-trial motions,
noting that the length of his two CD-ROMs totaled 37 minutes while the
Commonwealth's DVD totaled 32 minutes. The Commonwealth responded to this
motion by explaining that when the recording unit was downloaded onto the computer, it
produced three segments: a segment lasting 27 minutes and 5 seconds and two
segments lasting 5 minutes and 52 seconds . However, the two five-minute segments
are duplicates of the same recording, and when the Commonwealth played the DVD for
the jury, it did not re-play the second five-minute segment . Although the trial judge
questioned Langley's counsel as to whether he could point to any substantive
differences between the CD-ROMs he received and the Commonwealth's DVD, he
merely stated that since he was not an expert, he could not say for sure whether there
were differences or not. The trial court then entered Langley's CD-ROMs into the
record by way of avowal and denied his request for a spoliation instruction .
16
Langley correctly notes that a spoliation instruction is appropriate "where the
issue of destroyed or missing evidence has arisen ." Monsanto Co. v. Reed, 950
S .W.2d 811, 815 (Ky. 1997). However, after reviewing both the Commonwealth's DVD
and Langley's CD-ROMs, this Court is convinced that they are completely identical and
the time discrepancy is due to the duplicative five-minute segments as explained by the
Commonwealth at trial.
When the Commonwealth's DVD is played, it lists three titles : one lasting 27
minutes and 5 seconds and two lasting 5 minutes and 52 seconds . When Langley's
first CD-ROM is played, it lists one title lasting 5 minutes and 52 seconds . When
Langley's second CD-ROM is played, it lists two titles: the first lasting 5 minutes and 52
seconds and the second lasting 27 minutes and 6 seconds. Although the last segment
on Langley's CD-ROM is one second longer than the Commonwealth's DVD, this Court
could not find any difference between these versions . Thus, both versions contain one
segment lasting approximately 27 minutes and 5 seconds, and two segments lasting 5
minutes and 52 seconds . Although Langley's version is split between two CD-ROMs
and the order of the segments is reversed on his second CD-ROM, the fact remains
that all the segments are identical copies and portray the exact same sequence of
events. In addition, when the lengths of all the segments are totaled, including the
duplicative five-minute segments, they add up to 37 minutes . Even though the
Commonwealth only showed a 32-minute video to the jury, it did so because the last
five-minute segment would have been a repeat of what the jury had just seen .
Therefore, since there is no indication that the video evidence was destroyed or
missing, a spoliation instruction was not appropriate in this instance and the trial court
17
did not err in denying Langley's request.
IV. The Trial Court Did Not Err By Admitting Testimony In Violation of the
Hearsay Rules or the Eavesdropping Statute.
A. Neither Detective Adams Nor Detective Duvall Testified About What the
Confidential Informant Said During His Phone Conversation with Langley
and Thus, Their Testimony Was Not Hearsay .
In the Commonwealth's opening statement, the prosecutor stated that Detective
Duvall, in listening in on the informant's three-way call to set up the controlled buy,
heard Langley tell the informant that he would sell him a certain amount of
methamphetamine for $100 . Defense counsel objected to this statement, arguing that
statements made by the confidential informant are hearsay and should not be admitted .
Even though the prosecutor stated that he had only referred to what the defendant had
said, not the informant, the trial court agreed with Langley and "sustained the objection
as to what [the confidential informant] said ." On appeal, Langley now contends that
when Detective Adams and Duvall testified about this phone conversation, they violated
the trial court's prior ruling and the hearsay rules.
In making this argument, Langley misrepresents two important facts. First, the
trial court never ruled that the Commonwealth could not discuss this phone
conversation, but rather, it held that the prosecutor could not mention or elicit any
statements made by the confidential informant . Second, in testifying about this phone
conversation, the detectives never mentioned any statements by the confidential
informant . The Commonwealth did not question Detective Adams about the phone
conversation between Langley and the informant . On cross-examination, defense
counsel asked Adams about this phone call, but he responded that Duvall handled that
portion and he was not party to the conversation . When Detective Duvall was asked by
18
the Commonwealth about this call, he stated that after the informant telephoned
Langley, he understood that the informant would need $100 to buy methamphetamine
from Langley . At no point during either of these testimonies did the detectives mention
statements made by the confidential informant . Thus, the Commonwealth did not
introduce any inadmissible hearsay testimony and no error occurred with regard to this
issue .
B. Langley Never Raised the Issue that Introducing the Phone
Conversation Violated the Eavesdropping Statute and Thus, This Claim
of Error Is Not Preserved for Appeal.
Although Langley's brief cites to portions of the record where he claims to have
raised this issue at trial, this Court has reviewed the cited portions of the record and has
not found a single instance where he argued to the trial court that the confidential
informant's lack of consent with regard to Detective Duvall listening in on his phone
conversation with Langley amounted to a violation of KRS 526 .010 (the eavesdropping
statute). As mentioned previously, Langley did object to the Commonwealth introducing
statements made by the informant during this phone conversation on the basis of the
hearsay rules . In addition, Langley did object to the introduction of the videotape on the
basis that it violated the eavesdropping statute . However, even when Detective Duvall
testified about the phone conversation, Langley never stated that the introduction of this
evidence violated the eavesdropping statute. Because this issue was not preserved for
review, this Court will not consider it on appeal . RCr 9 .22; Edmonds , 906 S .W .2d at
346 .
C . Since Detective Adams Testified That the Confidential Informant
Cooperated Fully in Carrying Out the Controlled Drug Buy, Including
Wearing the Hidden Recording Device, the Informant's Consent Was
Implied and No Violation of the Eavesdropping Statute Occurred .
19
In one of his pre-trial motions, Langley argued that since the confidential
informant had refused to testify at trial, the Commonwealth had no way of proving that
he consented to the creation of the video of the alleged drug transaction . Langley
stressed that without proof of the confidential informant's consent, the detectives
engaged in unlawful eavesdropping per KRS 526 .010 . In response to this motion, the
trial court asked Detective Adams several questions regarding the confidential
informant's willingness to wear a hidden recording device during the controlled drug
buy. Detective Adams stated that based on his personal observations, the confidential
informant was fully cooperative with regard to wearing the recording device and that he
was willing to do whatever was necessary to make the drug buy happen . The trial court
then ruled that based on Detective Adams's testimony and his own observation of the
videotape, the confidential informant had consented to the making of the video and its
admission did not violate KRS 526 .010 .
KRS 526 .020 classifies eavesdropping as a Class D felony . KRS 526.010 states
that "'eavesdrop' means to overhear, record, amplify or transmit any part of a wire or
oral communication of others without the consent of at least one (1) party thereto by
means of any electronic, mechanical or other device ." Although this Court has not had
the occasion to rule on whether an informant's consent can be shown through the
testimony of law enforcement officers, the Kentucky Court of Appeals held in Carrier v.
Commonwealth , 607 S .W .2d 115, 118 (Ky. App . 1980), that "the testimony of the
informant himself is not necessary in order to establish his consent." In Carrier, the
informant had initiated incriminating phone conversations with the defendant that were
electronically recorded by the police . Id. at 116-117. Although the informant refused to
20
testify at trial, "three law enforcement officers testified that [the informant] gave his
permission for the electronic recording of the conversation, that it was done freely and
voluntarily, without any sign of duress." Id . at 118 . We find the holding in Carrier
persuasive. Therefore, since Detective Adams testified that the confidential informant
voluntarily wore the recording device and since the videotape itself indicated that the
informant consented to the recording system, we affirm the trial court's ruling that the
informant consented to the creation of the videotape and that no unlawful
eavesdropping occurred .
V. Defense Counsel Was Told About the Informant's Deal Prior to Trial and
Allowed to Cross-Examine the Detectives Regarding This Issue, Thus, No Brady
Violation Occurred .
On the morning of his trial, Langley moved the trial court to admonish the
Commonwealth or dismiss the case due to the prosecutor's failure to disclose that the
confidential informant was given a deal for his cooperation in the case against Langley.
Detective Adams then verified for the court that the informant was "working off' some
of his prior charges by acting as a confidential informant for the police. Langley's
counsel then asked the trial judge if he would be able to cross-examine the detectives
on this subject during trial . Over the Commonwealth's objection, the trial court granted
Langley's request and stated that he could question the detectives on the consideration
the informant received for his cooperation . Despite the fact that Langley's counsel
questioned both Detective Adams and Detective Duvall at trial regarding the informant
being able to "work off' his prior criminal charges, Langley now argues on appeal that
the Commonwealth's failure to disclose this information constitutes reversible error
under Brady v. Maryland , 373 U.S.83, 83 S . Ct. 1194, 10 L. Ed . 2d 215 (1963) .
21
The U .S. Supreme Court held in Bradv that if the prosecution withholds material
evidence from the defense, it has violated the defendant's due process rights . Id . at 87.
In U .S . v. Bagley, 473 U .S . 667, 682, 105 S . Ct. 3375, 3383, 87 L. Ed . 2d 481 (1985),
the Supreme Court stated :
The evidence is material only if there is a reasonable
probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the
defense, the result of the proceeding would have been
different . A `reasonable probability' is a probability sufficient
to undermine confidence in the outcome.
The prohibition in Brady has no application to Langley's case since the information
about the informant's agreement with the Commonwealth was actually disclosed to the
defense as well as to the jury. Even though the informant's deal was not disclosed until
the morning of trial, since defense counsel was able to cross-examine both detectives
regarding this issue, no prejudice resulted from the late discovery. Thus, the trial court
did not err in failing to find a Brady violation .
VI. Langley Expressly Waived His Objection to the Jury's Not Viewing the
Entirety of the Videotape At Trial and Thus, That Issue Is Not Preserved .
After Langley's trial was concluded and the jury had begun their deliberations,
the trial court informed the parties that the jury had requested to view the videotape of
the alleged drug transaction again . However, while the jury was watching the video, the
electrical power in the courtroom went out twice, allowing the jury to only watch the first
18 minutes of the video . Because the device used to play the video did not have a fastforward feature, prior to starting the video from the beginning for a third time, the trial
court asked the jurors if anyone wanted to restart the video . Other than one jury
member asking whether they could fast-forward to the point at which the video stopped,
no one raised their hands. The trial court then explained to the Commonwealth and the
22
defense counsel that if either of them had an objection to not letting the jury complete
their viewing of the videotape, the trial court would replay the video in its entirety. Both
the Commonwealth and Langley's counsel stated that they had no objection. The trial
judge then stated on the record that both parties had waived any objection to the tape
not being played in its entirety. Both attorneys stated that was correct, no further
objections were made, and the jury was allowed to return to its deliberations .
Langley now argues in his brief, without mentioning that he waived any objection
on this issue at trial, that the trial court's failure to replay the video in its entirety violated
his right to a fair trial . This Court does not view lightly defense counsel's complete lack
of candor in asserting this claim. Langley not only failed to preserve this issue at the
trial court, but he expressly waived it. Therefore, this Court will not consider this claim
of error on appeal . RCr 9 .22; Edmonds , 906 S .W .2d at 346 .
VII. Langley Is Not Entitled to a New Trial Based On Cumulative Error .
Finally, Langley argues that he was severely prejudiced by the cumulative effect
of the previously claimed errors and that as a result, he is entitled to a new trial . Having
found that only one, minor error occurred during Langley's trial and that that error was
harmless, his argument that the cumulative effect of the trial court's errors entitles him
to a new trial is without merit . Tamme v. Commonwealth , 973 S .W.2d 13, 40 (Ky.
1998) (holding that an "insufficient harmless error" will neither constitute cumulative
error nor mandate reversal) . In sum, despite the admission of a testimonial hearsay
statement through the videotape, Langley received a fundamentally fair trial and there
was no cumulative error on which to grant his request for a new trial .
CONCLUSION
23
The final statement made by the confidential informant in the video was in direct
response to police interrogation and thus, was testimonial hearsay. Since the
confidential informant refused to testify at trial and Langley had no prior opportunity to
cross-examine him, the trial court erred in admitting this statement. However, based on
the totality of evidence introduced against Langley at trial and the cumulative nature of
the informant's statement, this error was harmless . With regard to Langley's other
allegations of error, we find that the trial court did not err and Langley has no grounds
for relief. Thus, the November 6, 2006 Judgment of the Henderson Circuit Court
convicting Langley of trafficking in a controlled substance and of being a persistent
felony offender is affirmed .
All sitting. All concur.
COUNSEL FOR APPELLANT :
Dax Ryan Womack
304 First Street
P.O . Box 637
Henderson, Kentucky 42419-0637
COUNSEL FOR APPELLEE :
Jack Conway
Attorney General
Jeffrey A. Cross
Assistant Attorney General
Criminal Appellate Division
Office of the Attorney General
1024 Capital Center Drive
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
~*Uyrrmr AT
vuvurf of ~irufurhv
2006-SC-000853-MR
GREGORY JERMAINE LANGLEY
APPELLANT
ON APPEAL FROM HENDERSON CIRCUIT COURT
HON . STEPHEN HAYDEN, JUDGE
NO. 06-CR-000192
V.
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
APPELLEE
ORDER DENYING PETITION FOR REHEARING
AND
MODIFYING OPINION ON THE COURT'S OWN MOTION
The petition for rehearing filed by Appellant, Gregory Jermaine Langley, is
hereby DENIED .
On the Court's own motion, this Court hereby modifies the Opinion rendered on
March 20, 2008 with the modification of language on page 19, section IV(B) of that
Opinion . Due to pagination, pages 19 through 24, attached hereto, in lieu of pages 19
through 24 of the Opinion as originally rendered, shall be substituted . Said modification
does not affect the holding.
Minton, C.J . ; Abramson, Cunningham, Noble, Schroder and Scott, JJ., concur .
Venters, J ., not sitting.
Entered : August 21, 2008 .
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