96 Conn. App. 421 | Conn. App. Ct. | 2006
Opinion
The defendant, Abdul Peay, appeals from the judgment of conviction, rendered after a jury trial, of burglary in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) (1), burglary in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) (2), assault in the second degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-60 (a) (2) and interfering with an officer in violation of General Statutes § 53a-167a (a).
On the basis of the evidence presented at trial, the jury reasonably could have made the following findings of fact. On April 17, 2003, Edwin Carter was the superintendent of an apartment building in Hartford. Generally, Carter had maintenance and caretaking duties in and around the building. Carter lived in an apartment in
At approximately 11:30 p.m., Carter heard noises coming from the laundry room. Carter went to the doorway of the laundry room and observed the defendant standing near a coin operated laundry machine. The defendant was not a tenant of the building. Carter asked the defendant what he was doing there. The defendant, who was attempting to pry open the coin box on a laundry machine, replied, “[w]hat does it look like?” The defendant moved toward Carter, while Carter was standing in the laundry room’s doorway, and struck him on the head with a crowbar, causing a significant injury.
The defendant ran from the laundry room. Carter, despite feeling the ill effects of his head injury, pursued the defendant and pulled him to the ground. The defendant made his way to the building’s lobby, where he and Carter continued to “wrestle” with each other. The defendant attempted to strike Carter with a Sheetrock knife and a screwdriver and bit Carter on the chest. After breaking a glass door in the lobby, the defendant made his way to the small lawn in front of the building. Carter pursued the defendant outside and began shouting for assistance. Carter restrained the defendant against a fence until the police arrived.
Brian Salkeld and Shawn St. John, officers with the Hartford police department, then separated the defendant and Carter. The officers spoke with witnesses at the scene, including Carter. Carter recounted the relevant events that had transpired, and the officers investigated the laundry room. On the basis of their interviews and their investigation of the laundry room, which
I
The defendant first claims that his conviction of the two counts of burglary in the first degree violated the constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy. We will review the defendant’s unpreserved double jeopardy claim under State v. Golding, 213 Conn. 233, 239-40, 567 A.2d 823 (1989),
The defendant’s claim that he was improperly convicted of two counts of burglary in the first degree in violation of § 53a-101 (a) (1) and (2) involves the third category of double jeopardy analysis. “Double jeopardy analysis in the context of a single trial is a two-step process. First, the charges must arise out of the same act or transaction. Second, it must be determined whether the charged crimes are the same offense. Multiple punishments are forbidden only if both conditions
It is clear from our reading of the state’s long form information and undisputed by the parties that the burglary offenses of which the defendant was convicted arose out of the same transaction or occurrence. Our analysis is tailored to determining whether the two burglary offenses are the same for double jeopardy purposes. The defendant argues that subdivisions (1) and (2) of § 53a-101 (a)
“The test for determining whether two charged offenses constitute the same offense for double jeopardy purposes was set forth in Blockburger v. United
Our review of § 53a-101 (a) and the state’s long form information reveals that the crimes of burglary in the first degree in violation of § 53a-101 (a) (1) and burglary in the first degree in violation of § 53a-101 (a) (2) each contain an element that the other does not.
Under Blockburger, the offenses at issue are separate for double jeopardy purposes. The Blockburger test is a rule of statutory construction; its application does not give rise to a conclusive presumption of law. State v. Lonergan, 213 Conn. 74, 88 n.5, 566 A.2d 677 (1989), cert. denied, 496 U.S. 905, 110 S. Ct. 2586, 110 L. Ed. 2d 267 (1990), overruled in part by State v. Alvarez, 257 Conn. 782, 794-95, 778 A.2d 938 (2001). Application of the test “should not be controlling where, for example, there is a clear indication of contrary legislative intent. ” (Emphasis in original; internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Delgado, 19 Conn. App. 245, 251, 562 A.2d 539 (1989).
The defendant did not address the Blockburger test in his principal brief and, in his reply brief, argued that the proof necessary to convict him of the two crimes at issue was “basically the same” and that the two crimes are “really the same crime.” The defendant has not provided this court with any discussion or analysis of the legislative intent underlying the subdivisions of the statute at issue.
II
The defendant next claims that the court improperly excluded two sound recordings from being admitted into evidence. We disagree.
“Unless an evidentiary ruling involves a clear misconception of the law, [t]he trial court has broad discretion in ruling on the admissibility ... of evidence. . . . The trial court’s ruling on evidentiary matters will be overturned only upon a showing of a clear abuse of the court’s discretion. . . . We will make every reasonable presumption in favor of upholding the trial court’s ruling .... Moreover, evidentiary rulings will be overturned on appeal only where there was an abuse of discretion and a showing by the defendant of substantial prejudice and injustice.” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Smith, 275 Conn. 205, 219, 881 A.2d 160 (2005).
Subsequently, outside of the presence of the jury, the defendant’s attorney asked the court to admit into evidence two sound recordings of calls placed to the 911 dispatcher of the Hartford police department. The defendant’s attorney represented that the first recording was of a 911 call made by Kelly and that the second recording was of a subsequent 911 call by an “unidentified caller.” The defendant’s attorney represented that the recordings did not reflect the time of the calls, but that it was clear that the events at issue in the trial were the subject of the calls. The court heard the recordings at issue outside of the jury’s presence. Each will be discussed in turn.
The first recording depicted the following colloquy:
“[The Dispatcher]: Hartford police emergency.
“[The Caller]: Hi. You need to come to 18 Niles Street. Somebody is about to get hurt right now.
“[The Dispatcher]: What is the problem?
“[The Caller]: There is a big fight.
“[The Caller]: Yeah.
“[The Dispatcher]: Any weapons?
“[The Caller]: I don’t know. I don’t know.
“[The Caller]: Huh.
“[The Dispatcher]: All right. All right. Bye-bye.”
The defendant’s attorney asked the court to admit the recording as a prior inconsistent statement for the purpose of impeaching Kelly’s testimony. The defendant’s attorney argued that Kelly represented during the 911 call that there was a “big fight” in progress and that the fight was occurring outside of the building. The defendant’s attorney argued that these representations contradicted Kelly’s testimony at trial that, before she called 911, the fight was occurring indoors and that the fight was between just two persons. The defendant’s attorney agreed with the court’s observation that the recording would also help the defense in that it would make it more likely that the defendant was not inside of the building when Kelly observed him. The defendant’s attorney further argued that the statement was admissible as a spontaneous utterance by Kelly.
The court disallowed this first recording on the ground that the defendant had not authenticated the recording. Specifically, the court observed that the defendant had not called a witness or presented any evidence to demonstrate that Kelly was, in fact, the caller in the recording. The prosecutor declined to stipulate that the caller in the recording was Kelly. The court observed that the parties had already finished examining Kelly and that the defendant’s attorney did not inquire of her as to whether she was the caller in the recording. Apart from ruling that the recording had not been authenticated properly, the court also ruled that
The second recording depicted the following colloquy:
“[The Dispatcher]: Hartford police, 911.
“[The Caller]: Hi. I live on 18 Niles Street, and it looks like the superintendent] from my building is fighting with someone [on] the front lawn—
“[The Dispatcher]: Okay.
“[The Caller]: —lawn.
“[The Dispatcher]: We got it. Any weapons?
“[The Caller]: I think so. I think he is holding it right now. The superintendent] is holding something.
“[The Dispatcher]: You don’t know what it is?
“[The Caller]: No, I don’t.
“[The Dispatcher]: Okay. What — they were already on their way.
“[The Caller]: Okay. Thank you.
“[The Dispatcher]: Thank you. Bye-bye.”
The defendant’s attorney represented that this second recording was a “spontaneous” call made to the police by an unknown caller. The defendant’s attorney argued that the defense did not have the ability to identify the caller, stating that there was “no feasible way” for the defense to obtain the caller’s testimony at trial. The defendant’s attorney nonetheless argued that it was reasonable to infer that the caller lived in the apartment building and that she made the call as she was looking out of her window at Carter, whom she had recognized. The defendant’s attorney further argued that it was
The defendant’s attorney offered the recording to prove the truth of the matters asserted in the recording, importantly, that Carter was in possession of a weapon at the time of the call. The defendant’s attorney argued that this evidence was “critical to the defense claim of self-defense” and that this evidence contradicted Carter’s testimony. The defendant’s attorney also argued that the recording was admissible under, inter alia, the spontaneous utterance and residual exceptions to the hearsay rule. The prosecutor argued that the recording had not been authenticated. The prosecutor stipulated only to the fact that that recording was of a call made to a 911 dispatcher. The court disallowed the recording on the ground that it had not been authenticated. The court noted that the defendant had not presented evidence concerning either the caller’s identity or availability to testify.
“The requirement of authentication as a condition precedent to admissibility is satisfied by evidence sufficient to support a finding that the offered evidence is what its proponent claims it to be.” Conn. Code Evid. § 9-1 (a). “Both courts and commentators have noted that the showing of authenticity is not on a par with the more technical evidentiary rules that govern admissibility, such as hearsay exceptions, competency and
The defendant claims that the parties did not dispute that the recordings were of 911 calls related to the incident and, thus, “[tjhere was no problem with the authentication of either 911 [recording].” The defendant also claims that the court should have admitted the recordings on the basis of the evidentiary grounds on which they were offered. The court must look to the puipose for which evidence is offered to determine if a prima facie showing has been made to authenticate the evidence. The defendant did not offer these recordings solely for the purpose of proving that these calls were made to the 911 dispatcher. Instead, the defendant offered the first recording on the ground that it was the 911 call made by Kelly. The defendant offered the recording for the puipose of proving the truth of the matters asserted in the recording and to impeach Kelly’s trial testimony. Similarly, the defendant offered the second recording for the purpose of proving the truth of the matters asserted in the recording.
The defendant failed to present any evidence to support a finding that the first recording was what the defendant claimed it to be, namely, the 911 call made
Ill
The defendant next claims that the evidence did not support a finding that he committed any of the four crimes of which he was convicted.
In raising these sufficiency of the evidence claims, the defendant has essentially raised a blanket claim, stating that the evidence is insufficient with regard to all four of the crimes of which he stands convicted. The defendant’s sufficiency of the evidence claims are poorly briefed in that the defendant has failed to identify the essential elements of the crimes and which elements are at issue. Despite this shortcoming, insofar as our review of the arguments raised permits us to surmise which elements are at issue and which elements are not at issue, we will address in turn the claims raised with regard to each crime.
A
The defendant first argues that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of the burglary charges. To convict the defendant of burglary in the first degree in violation of § 53a-101 (a) (1), as charged, the state had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant (1) entered or remained unlawfully in a building, (2) intended to commit a crime therein and (3) was armed with a dangerous instrument. General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) (1). To convict the defendant of burglary in the first degree in violation of § 53a-101 (a) (2), as charged,
Carter and Kelly testified that the laundry room was behind locked doors, in an area of the building not open to the general public. Carter and Kelly testified that tenants possessed keys to gain entry into the laundry room. Carter, the building’s general caretaker, testified that the defendant was not a tenant, and there was no evidence to the contrary.
Carter also testified that he had observed the defendant in the building on more than one occasion prior to the incident at issue. According to Carter, on one of these occasions, three months before the incident at issue, he encountered the defendant in the laundry room. Carter asked the defendant what he was doing there. The defendant replied that he was staying with a tenant, his aunt. Carter testified that he asked the defendant what apartment his aunt lived in, and the defendant replied that he did not remember. Carter then asked the defendant to show him where his aunt lived. The defendant replied that his aunt was not at home. Carter informed the defendant that he would wait for her in the lobby. As Carter and the defendant reached the lobby, the defendant ran out of the building. Carter told the defendant that he would “catch” him again.
Carter also testified that, when he encountered the defendant in the laundry room on April 17, 2003, he observed the defendant standing near a laundry machine. The defendant moved toward Carter and, as Carter positioned himself so as to prevent the defendant
The defendant first argues that the evidence did not permit a finding that he entered or remained unlawfully in the building because Carter testified that the defendant once told him that his aunt lived in the building. The defendant also argues that there was “no evidence of forced entry into the building.” These arguments are unavailing. The evidence permitted a finding that the defendant was neither a tenant nor that he had a lawful reason to enter or remain in the apartment building. On the basis of Carter’s testimony concerning his interaction with the defendant in the apartment building prior to this incident, as well as Carter’s testimony concerning the defendant’s conduct on the night of April 17, 2003, it was not unreasonable for the jury to find that the defendant entered or remained unlawfully in the building and, specifically, the locked laundry room. Section 53a-101 (a) does not require the state to prove that the defendant forcibly entered the building.
With regard to his conviction under § 53a-101 (a) (1), the defendant argues that there was no evidence that he possessed a dangerous instrument inside the building. The defendant relies on evidence that the police found a crowbar, a screwdriver and a Sheetrock knife outside, rather than inside, of the building. The defendant also relies on the fact that Kelly testified that she observed these instruments outside of the building. We reject the defendant’s claim because there was evidence, in the form of Carter’s testimony, that the defendant was armed with, among other instruments, a crowbar, while inside of the building. The defendant does not argue that the crowbar was not a dangerous instrument. The fact that the evidence permitted a finding that the crowbar and other instruments were later recovered outside of the building is of no consequence to our analysis.
B
To convict the defendant of assault in the second degree in violation of § 53a-60 (a) (2), as charged, the state had to prove that the defendant (1) intended to cause physical injury to another person and (2) caused
We previously have set forth the version of events provided by Carter. The defendant does not dispute that the evidence permitted a finding that he caused physical injury to Carter by striking him in the head with a crowbar or that a crowbar is a dangerous instrument. The evidence was undisputed that Carter suffered a head injury that caused bleeding and required medical attention. The defendant’s claim is related to the element of intent. The defendant claims that “the evidence suggested that all [he] was doing throughout his confrontation with Mr. Carter was attempting to escape from Mr. Carter” and that all of his actions were taken in self-defense. The defendant so argued at trial. The defendant also argues that several witnesses testified that, when they observed him on the small lawn in front of the apartment building, he was being restrained.
“Where . . . factual issues exist that are related to a defendant’s intent, we recognize that such factual issues are characteristically proven by circumstantial evidence. ... It is obvious that direct evidence of the accused’s state of mind is rarely available and, therefore, intent is often inferred from conduct . . . and from the cumulative effect of the circumstantial evidence and the rational inferences drawn therefrom.” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. McCoy, 91 Conn. App. 1, 7, 879 A.2d 534, cert. denied, 276 Conn. 904, 884 A.2d 1026 (2005).
On the basis of the evidence and the rational inferences drawn therefrom, the jury reasonably found that the defendant had not acted in self-defense but with the intent to cause physical injury to Carter. The jury was free to accept or reject, in whole or in part, Carter’s testimony. On the basis of that testimony, the jury could
C
To convict the defendant of interfering with an officer in violation of § 53a-167a, as charged, the state had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant obstructed, resisted, hindered or endangered any peace officer in the performance of his duties. General Statutes § 53a-167a.
Salkeld testified that, when he and other officers at the scene attempted to place the defendant under arrest, the defendant became “very irate.” Salkeld recalled that the defendant disobeyed the officers’ commands to put his hands behind his back and, later, to get inside of a police cruiser. Salkeld recalled: “We said that you are under arrest. Give us your hands, grabbed one of his hands. He refused to comply. So, we had to put his hands behind his back several times. He continued to refuse. When we got him handcuffed, we tried to get him into the [police] vehicle. He would not get back into the vehicle. He did not want to get inside the cruiser.” Salkeld testified that the defendant “stared” at the officers and that eventually, after repeated reprimands by the officers, the defendant complied with their request to get into the cruiser. St. John generally corroborated Salkeld’s version of events in this regard. St. John testified that the defendant used profanity and yelled and screamed at the time of his arrest. The defendant did not obey the officers’ commands. St. John
The defendant argues that, at the time of his arrest, he had been restrained by more than one person and that “[a]ny failure to cooperate with the police was minimal and the reasonable response of someone who had just been attacked.” The defendant seems to argue that, although he engaged in the type of behavior prohibited by the statute, he did not act with the mental state required for the commission of the crime.
“This court has stated that General Statutes § 53a-167a . . . defines interfering to include obstruction, resistance, hindrance or endangerment. ... By using those words it is apparent that the legislature intended to prohibit any act which would amount to meddling in or hampering the activities of the police in the performance of their duties. ... In enacting [that section], the legislature sought to prohibit behavior that hampers the activities of the police in the performance of their duties. . . . The statute’s purpose is to ensure orderly compliance with the police during the performance of their duties; any act intended to thwart this purpose violates the statute. . . . Although the statute does not contain a specific intent element, we previously have construed the requisite mental state to include an intent to interfere with an officer by resisting arrest.” (Citation omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Porter, 76 Conn. App. 477, 491-92, 819 A.2d 909, cert. denied, 264 Conn. 910, 826 A.2d 181 (2003).
As the defendant apparently recognizes, the evidence permitted a finding that he disobeyed and physically
IV
Last, the defendant claims that the court improperly relied on an inaccurate presentence investigation report at the time of sentencing. We disagree.
At the sentencing hearing, the prosecutor and the defendant’s attorney addressed the court. The defendant’s attorney referred to the report that had been prepared but did not dispute the accuracy of its contents. The defendant thereafter addressed the court personally and characterized the report as inaccurate and biased against him. The defendant complained that the report referred to some convictions for crimes that had been committed more than ten years ago. The defendant stated that the report inaccurately reflected sentences he received for convictions in Ohio. The defendant also claimed that the report did not accurately reflect his employment history because it omitted reference to certain periods of employment. Further, the defendant disputed statements in the report concerning his history of drug use. The probation officer who interviewed the defendant and prepared the report noted that the defendant had stated that, at the time of the crime, he had a $200 a day crack cocaine habit. The defendant vehemently denied that he made such a representation.
Our rules of practice require the trial court to order a presentence investigation in cases in which a defendant “is convicted of a crime other than a capital felony, the punishment for which may include imprisonment
The defendant claims that the report contained the alleged inaccuracies that he brought to the court’s attention at the time of sentencing. The defendant also claims that the court “relied on some of these inaccuracies when it sentenced the defendant.” Apparently, the defendant relies on his representations at the sentencing hearing in support of the former claim. The defendant has not provided any support for the latter claim. The defendant does not claim that his sentence is excessive or that it should be set aside; the defendant does not state what relief he seeks with regard to this claim. The record reflects that, at the time of sentencing, the court’s central concern was the defendant’s criminal actions on the night of April 17, 2003, and, particularly, his infliction of a serious head injury on Carter. The court stated to the defendant: “This was a strong case. You were caught red-handed.” The court noted that Carter’s acts of “bravery” in preventing the defendant’s escape stood in contrast to the defendant’s repeated
“[I]f a sentence is within statutory limits it is not generally subject to modification by a reviewing court. ... A sentencing judge has very broad discretion in imposing any sentence within the statutory limits .... The court may appropriately conduct an inquiry broad in scope, largely unlimited either as to the kind of information [it] may consider or the source from which it may come. . . . Due process requires, however, that information be considered only if it has some minimum indicium of reliability. ... A court should refrain from comments that find no basis in the record. Nonetheless, the mere reference to information outside of the record does not require a sentence to be set aside unless the defendant shows: (1) that the information was materially false or unreliable; and (2) that the trial court substantially relied on the information in determining the sentence.” (Citations omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Collette, 199 Conn. 308, 320-21, 507 A.2d 99 (1986).
The record reflects that the court afforded the defendant an opportunity to bring any relevant information to the court’s attention and to dispute any of the information contained in the report. The fact that the defendant availed himself of this opportunity is significant. Cf. State v. Miller, 56 Conn. App. 191, 203, 742 A.2d 402 (1999), cert. denied, 252 Conn. 937, 747 A.2d 4 (2000). The court considered the report at the time of sentencing and, to the extent that the defendant disputed the information in the report, the court had the opportunity to consider the defendant’s denials and clarifications of such information. Certainly, the court was not
The judgment is affirmed.
In this opinion the other judges concurred.
The court sentenced the defendant to a total effective term of incarceration of twelve years.
The defendant did not preserve this issue for our review. Prior to the start of trial, the defendant, representing himself, argued that the two burglary charges were the same offense and violated his double jeopardy rights. The defendant thereafter was represented by a public defender. The court ruled that the defendant’s double jeopardy issue was raised prematurely but that the defendant could raise the issue at a later time, if the state obtained a conviction on both counts of burglary. The record does not reveal that the defendant raised the issue after his conviction. The defendant did not preserve the issue by raising it prematurely and failing to raise it at an appropriate time. In the context of a single trial, the double jeopardy clause protects against multiple punishm ents, not multiple charges, that arise from the same act or transaction and are related to a single criminal offense. State v. D’Antonio, 274 Conn. 658, 715, 877 A.2d 696 (2005).
Although the defendant asserts that he preserved this issue at trial, he nevertheless argues that the issue is reviewable under State v. Golding, supra, 213 Conn. 239-40. We agree that the claim is reviewable under Golding because the record is adequate for review and the claim is of constitutional magnitude. “A defendant may obtain review of a double jeopardy claim, even if it is unpreserved, if he has received two punishments for two crimes, which he claims were one crime, arising from the same transaction and prosecuted at one trial . . . .” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Nixon, 92 Conn. App. 586, 590, 886 A.2d 475 (2005).
In his principal brief, the defendant makes only passing reference to article first, § 9, of the Connecticut constitution in the context of his claim.
General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) provides in relevant part: “A person is guilty of burglary in the first degree when he enters or remains unlawfully in a building with intent to commit a crime therein and: (1) He is armed with explosives or a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument . . .
General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) provides in relevant part: “A person is guilty of burglary in the first degree when he enters or remains unlawfully in a building with intent to commit a crime therein and ... (2) in the course of committing the offense, he intentionally, knowingly or recklessly inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily injury on anyone.”
In count one of the long form information, the state charged the defendant with having violated General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) (1) in that, “on or about April 17, 2003 . . . the defendant entered and remained unlawfully in a building with the intent to commit a crime therein and was armed with a dangerous instrument.” In count two of the long form information, the state charged the defendant with having violated § 53a-101 (a) (2) in that, “on or about April 17, 2003 . . . the defendant entered and remained unlawfully in a building with the intent to commit a crime therein and in the course of committing the offense, he intentionally, knowingly, and recklessly inflicted bodily ipjury to another person.”
To the extent that the defendant suggests that the legislature’s inclusion of both offenses within the same statute is controlling with regard to the double jeopardy issue, he is not on solid footing. An argument of this nature was rejected by our Supreme Court in State v. Woodson, supra, 227 Conn. 11-13. In Woodson, the defendant was convicted of two counts of arson in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-lll (a) (3) and (4). State v. Woodson, supra, 6. The court applied the Blockburger test and concluded that the statutory provisions codified separate offenses for pur
Although the parties could have stipulated to the nature of the proffered evidence, the record reflects that the state stipulated only that the recordings were of calls received by the Hartford 911 dispatcher. This stipulation was insufficient to authenticate the recordings for the purposes for which they were offered.
There having been no proper showing relating to the authenticity of this evidence, we need not address the defendant’s claims that the court improperly declined to admit it on the grounds for which the evidence was offered.
At the close of the state’s case-in-chief, the defendant’s attorney moved for a judgment of acquittal. The defendant’s attorney raised generally the same issues as are raised in this claim. The court denied the motion, and the defendant’s attorney thereafter presented evidence on the defendant’s behalf. Although the defendant claims on appeal that the court “improperly denied the motion for a judgment of acquittal,” we will treat his claim as it appears in substance, as a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence. By operation of the so-called “waiver rule,” the defendant, having put on evidence on his behalf after the court’s denial of his motion for a judgment of acquittal, is not permitted to secure review of the court’s denial of the
The defendant does not claim that the evidence did not permit the jury to reasonably fmd that, in the course of committing a crime, he intentionally, knowingly or recklessly inflicted bodily injury on Carter.