At аpproximately 1:30 a.m. on October 18, 2009, eight bullets were fired at the front-room window of a first-floor apartment in Springfield; the window was covered by Venetian blinds and dark curtains. Four of those bullets struck and killed nineteen year old Brittany Perez as she stood near the window. The defendant, who was seen fleeing from the scene of the shooting, was convicted by a Superior Court jury of murder in the second degree. He was convicted also of possession of ammunition without a firearm identification (FID) card and of two separate counts of unlicensed carrying of a rifle outside his residence or place of business.
On appeal, the defendant contends that a number of errors at trial require reversal of his convictions. He asserts error in the judge’s decision not to instruct the jury on involuntary manslaughter; the judge’s instruction on joint venture liability; and the prosecutor’s improper impeachment of a defense witness’s credibility. In addition, the defendant argues that the two convictions of the unlicensed carrying of a rifle are duplicative.
We сonclude that the judge erred in declining to instruct the jury on involuntary manslaughter, where the jury reasonably could have found that the defendant did not know the room was occupied when he fired the rifle at the window and, therefore, that the defendant’s conduct was wanton or reckless but not necessarily conduct that, in the circumstances known to the defendant, a reasonable person would have known created a plain and strong likelihood that death would follow. Consequently, the defendant’s conviction of murder in the second degree cannot stand. We reject the defendant’s remaining claims of trial error and conclude also that the firearms convictions are not duplicative.
Background. We summarize the facts the jury could have found, reserving certain details for discussion of the issues raised. On October 16, 2009, the defendant’s television was
By the early morning hours of October 18, the birthday party had ended. At approximately 1:30 a.m., the victim was standing with her mоther inside the apartment, in front of a window that looked out onto the street but was covered by Venetian blinds and dark curtains. As the victim and her mother were talking, her mother heard a noise and turned around. When she turned back, she saw her daughter fall to the ground. The victim’s mother ran outside and saw the defendant running down the street toward his apartment.
Springfield police officers arrived on the scene shortly after 1:30 a.m. Based on information provided by the victim’s mother,
Discussion. 1. Instruction on involuntary manslaughter. The defendant does not contest the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction of murder in the second degree but contends that, based on evidence viewed in the light most favorable to him, the jury reasonably could have found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Therefore, he claims, the judge erred by declining his request to instruct the jury on involuntary manslaughter.
“A fine line distinguishes murder in the second degree based on third prong malice from the lesser offense of involuntary manslaughter.” Commonwealth v. Lyons,
Both murder in the second degree based on third prong malice and involuntary manslaughter involve subjective as well as objective elements. For murder, “[mjalice can be found if, in the circumstances subjectively known to the defendant, a reasonably prudent person would have known of the plain and strong likelihood that death would follow a contemplated act... . Similarly, for wanton and reckless conduct, the relevant inquiry is whether a defendant knew of facts that would cause a reasonable person to know of the relevant danger, or whether the defendant in fact knew of the danger.” Commonwealth v. Earle,
An involuntary manslaughter instruction must be given if “any ‘reasonable view of the evidence would have permitted the jury to find “wanton and reckless” conduct rather than actions from which a “plain and strong likelihood” of death would follow.’ ” Commonwealth v. Braley,
Viewed in that light, the evidence here supports a reasonable inference that the defendant could not have seen into the room behind the covered window, and thus did not know that the room was occupied. When the defendant fired his rifle at the window, it was 1:30 a.m., the party had ended, and the window was covered by Venetian blinds and dark curtains. There was nothing in the evidence to suggest that it was possible to see through the window’s curtains and blinds, that shadows of people could be seen moving behind the covered window, or that sounds indicative of human occupation could be heard coming from the room. The jury could have found that a reasonable person with the defendant’s subjective knowledge of the circumstances would have understood that firing at the window created a high degree of likelihood that substantial harm would result to another, but not a plain and strong likelihood that death would result.
Because the evidence supports the reasonable inference that the defendant did not knowingly discharge his weapon in the direction of a person or group of people, the jury should have been permitted to consider whether the defendant’s conduct created a plain and strong likelihood of death, or, alternatively, only a high degree of likelihood of substantial harm, to someone inside the apartment. See Commonwealth v. Lyons, supra. A new trial is therefore required on the indictment charging murder
2. Instruction on joint venture. The defendant argues that the judge should not have instructed the jury on joint venture liability because there was insufficient evidence that more than one pеrson was involved in the shooting. Since there was some evidence that another person participated in the shooting with the defendant, however, including evidence, highlighted by the defendant as part of his defense, that it was Haley who fired the shots,
The jury heard evidence that Haley and the defendant were together for much of the day and evening prior to the shootings; that they discussed the theft of the defendant’s television; that Halеy accompanied the defendant on his second visit to the victim’s apartment; and that, after the shooting, the defendant and Haley were seen coming from the direction of the victim’s apartment building and acting together to hide what the jury could have inferred was the rifle that had been used in the shooting, before entering the defendant’s apartment, where they were located by police.
To support a conviction on a theory of joint venture, the jury must find beyond a reasonable doubt that “the defendant knowingly participated in the commission of the crime charged, alone or with others, with the intent required for that offense.” Commonwealth v. Zanetti,
3. Impeachment by silence. The defendant contends that the judge abused his discretion in allowing the prosecutor to impeach a defense witness’s credibility by eliciting testimony from that witness concerning her failure to bring exculpatory information to the attention of police. Linda Houle, a clerk at the convenience store where the defendant was also employed, testified that, after the defendant had been arrested, Haley came to the store and asked her if she had heard anything about the defendant’s case. When Houle said that she had not, Haley responded that the defendant “was a dirty dog and that he was going to get his and . . . that he should take the rap for” Haley. On cross-examination, the prosecutor elicited testimony from Houle that she was friendly with the defendant, had worked with him for several years, and, on the night of the shooting, had lent him a television to replace the one that hаd been stolen. In addition, Houle testified on cross-examination that she was aware at the time she spoke to Haley that the defendant had been arrested for a shooting in his neighborhood, and realized that Haley’s statement was “important.” The prosecutor elicited that, three months after the shooting, Houle related Haley’s comments to a private investigator hired by the defense, but neither mentioned the encounter in her statement to police several months afterwards, nor telephoned police, visited the police station, or spoke with any of the Springfield police officers who frequented the convenience store where she worked about Haley’s statements.
“The scope of cross-examination, including to what extent the accuracy, veracity, and credibility of a witness may be tested, rests largely in the sound discretion of the judge . . . .” Commonwealth v. Gagnon,
Nonetheless, since “a citizen ordinarily has no legal obligation to offer exculpatory information to law enforcement authorities,” Commonwealth v. Brown, supra, counsel seeking to impeach a witness’s credibility by eliciting testimony regarding her prior silence first must lay the proper foundation. Counsel must establish “that the witness knew of the charge against the defendant in sufficient detail to realize that [s]he possessed exculpatory information; that the witness had a reason to make the information available; [and] that the witness was familiar with the means of reporting it to authorities.” Commonwealth v. Cintron,
The prosecutor laid the required foundation in this case by establishing that Houle understood that Haley’s statement was important and potentially exculpatory, that she was motivated to help the defendant, and that she had the opportunity to convey the infоrmation to authorities. On appeal, the defendant argues that Houle had a good reason not to tell police about Haley’s statement, namely that her position as a night-shift worker at a convenience store left her especially vulnerable to violent retaliation.
Because the proper foundation had been laid, there was no error in allowing the prosecutor to impeach Houle’s credibility in this manner.
4. Duplicative firearms convictions. The defendant was convicted on two indictments charging possession of a rifle outside his residence or place of business, in violation of G. L. c. 269, § 10 (a). One indictment related to the defendant’s possession of a rifle on October 17, 2009, when he confronted Darco in front of the victim’s home. The second was based on the defendant’s possession of a rifle on October 18, 2009, when he shot at the victim’s window. The defendant contends that the two convictions violate principles of double jeopardy because they are premised on his continuous and uninterrupted possession of the same weapon.
Under the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Massachusetts common law, no person may be convicted twice for the same offense. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Rivas, ante 184, 187-188 (2013), and cases cited. Determining whether two offenses are the same for purposes of double jeopardy is a matter of statutory interpretation, though the issue is one of constitutional magnitude. Cf. Commonwealth v. Suero,
Where a defendant is convicted twice under the same statute,
Relevant to discerning a criminal statute’s unit of prosecution is the continuous offense doctrine, which recognizes that certain criminal statutes are intended to punish just once for a continuing course of conduct, rather than for each and every discrete act comprising that course of conduct. The continuous offense doctrine has its roots in Crepps v. Durden, 98 Eng. Rep. 1283, 1287 (K.B. 1777), where the court held that a baker who had sold four loaves of bread on Sunday committed a single offense of “exercising his ordinary trade” on Sunday, and not four offenses. The United States Supreme Court adopted the doctrine in In re Snow,
Applying the continuous offense doctrine, courts have concluded that the unlawful possession of a weapon is a single, continuing offense for purposes of double jeopardy. See, e.g., United States v. Jones,
These cases inform our understanding of G. L. c. 269, § 10 (a),
Based on the foregoing, we conclude that an individual commits a single violation of G. L. c. 269, § 10 (a), for the duration of the uninterrupted period that he remains in possession of a rifle that he carries outside his residence or place of business. An individual who returns to his residence with a rifle that he hаs been carrying (or relinquishes possession of that rifle), and then goes back outside with the rifle, has committed a second violation. See State v. Williams, 59 Conn. App. 603, 608 (2000) (statute criminalizing carrying pistol outside home or business without license is violated each time person carries pistol outside home or business without having license). Cf. United States v. Ellis, supra.
Here, the jury found that the defendant was in possession of a .22 caliber rifle on October 17, 2009, when the defendant confronted Darco in the middle of the street near the defendant’s home. Evidence at trial supported the inference that the defendant returned home after this confrontation.
So ordered.
Notes
The victim’s mother testified that the defendant was alone.
Murder in the second degree is an unlawful killing with malice. Commonwealth v. Earle,
“Involuntary manslaughter is an unintentional, unlawful killing caused by wanton or reckless conduct.” Commonwealth v. Earle, supra at 347. “The essence of wanton or reckless conduct is intentional conduct. . . which . . . involves a high degree of likelihood that substantial harm will result to another.” Commonwealth v. Welansky,
Cf. Commonwealth v. Childs,
Defense counsel argued that Haley fired the shots because of a gang-related dispute involving retaliation and gang turf, and that the defendant was not involved in the shooting.
The defendant argues also that Linda Houle likely was afraid of Ernest Haley because of Haley’s affiliation with a Springfield gang. The defendant concedes that no testimоny was introduced indicating that Houle was aware that Haley was a gang member.
In defense counsel’s rehabilitation of Houle, he did not attempt to elicit testimony about Houle’s concern for her safety, but focused on the fact that police never asked her directly whether she had spoken to Haley following the defendant’s arrest. The prosecutor subsequently elicited testimony from Houle that the defense investigator had not asked her about her interactions with Haley, but that she had volunteered the information.
Cf. United. States v. Benjamin,
General Laws c. 269, § 10 (a), provides in relevant part:
“Whoever . . . knowingly has in his possession; or knowingly has under control in a vehicle; a rifle or shotgun, loaded or unloaded, without either:
“(1) being present in or on his residence or place of business; or
“(2) having in effect a license to carry firearms issued under [G. L. c. 140, § 131]; or
“(3) having in effect a license to carry firearms issued under [G. L. c. 140, § 131F]; or
“(4) having in effect a firearms identification card issued under section [G. L. c. 140, § 192B]; or
“(5) having complied with the requirements imposed by [G. L. c. 140, § 192C] upon ownership or possession of rifles and shotguns; or
“(6) having complied as to possession of an air rifle or BB gun with the requirements imposed by [G. L. c. 269, § 12B];
“shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two and one-half years nor more than five years, or for not less than 18 months nor more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.”
Indeed, the unlicensed possession of a rifle, whether inside or outside one’s residence or place of business, is a separate offense set forth in G. L. c. 269, § 10 (h) (1). See, e.g., Chardin v. Police Comm’r of Boston,
The defendant’s roommate testified that the defendant returned to their apartment and told her that he had spoken with Joseph about the stolen television.
