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Jeffrey
Keller DAVIS
Robbery -
Drugs
Same day (surrenders)
Samuel E.L. Anderson, Jackson, Cynthia L. Eldridge,
Walter E. Wood, Ridgeland, Attorneys for Appellant.Office of the
Attorney General by Leslie S. Lee, Attorney for Appellee.
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
¶ 1. On Friday, July 12, 1991, Greene County
Sheriff Tommy Miller received a phone call at home from Jeffrey Keller
Davis. Davis identified himself and told Miller that he had killed
Linda Hillman. Sheriff Miller knew Davis and Hillman. Miller and a
deputy went to Davis's home and found him with his bags packed,
waiting for Miller. Davis told Miller that he had gone to Hillman's
trailer early on the morning of July 11 to get money to buy drugs.
When Hillman refused to give him any money, he shot and stabbed her to
death.
¶ 2. Jeffrey Keller Davis was convicted in May 1992
in Greene County for the capital murder of Linda Hillman while engaged
in robbery. His conviction and death sentence were affirmed by this
Court in Davis v. State, 684 So.2d 643 (Miss.1996), cert. denied,
Davis v. Mississippi, 520 U.S. 1170, 117 S.Ct. 1437, 137 L.Ed.2d 544
(1997). Davis filed his Application for Leave to File Motion to
Vacate Judgment and/or Sentence of Death in this Court on April 1,
1998.
STATEMENT OF ISSUES
¶ 3. Davis's application raises the following
issues:
I. Davis was denied the effective assistance of
counsel.
1) Counsel failed to contest the constitutionality
of Davis's confession.
2) Counsel failed to move to suppress evidence
retrieved from Davis's home and truck.
3) Counsel's cross-examination of the sheriff
bolstered the State's case.
4) Counsel failed to contest evidence retrieved
prior to the initial appearance even though a judge was available.
5) Counsel failed to object to the admission of
testimony regarding decomposition of the victim's body even though it
incited bias and passion in the jury.
6) Counsel's defense of Davis in the sentencing
phase was deficient as a matter of law-Counsel failed to investigate
the existence of character witnesses and inadequately prepared and
examined the ones present.
7) Davis was not assigned two attorneys for his
capital defense in violation of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the
United States Constitution.
8) Counsel failed to request a change of venue.
9) Counsel failed to move to quash the jury based
on improper contact with the State.
A) Jury members were taken on a tour of the Greene
County Jail where Davis was held the week before trial and discussed
Davis's case with guards.
B) Jury members mingled with Assistant District
Attorney Daryl Dryden the week prior to trial.
10) Counsel failed to investigate or offer any
independent evidence of cocaine psychosis.
11) Counsel failed to explain a plea bargain
offered to Davis.
12) Counsel failed to object to Instruction S-3
which was defective in violation of state law and the Eighth
Amendment.
13) Counsel failed to request a special jury venire
prior to trial date.
14) Counsel failed to have to have the court
reporter record the jury selection process.
15) Counsel failed to object to the nonconformity
between S-3, S-2 and the indictment.
16) Counsel failed to raise the M'Naghten Rule in
contesting the State's voluntary intoxication instruction.
17) Counsel failed to pose a specific objection to
pain testimony by Dr. Hayne.
18) Counsel failed to require the prosecution to
lay the proper foundation for introduction of the highly prejudicial
photograph of Davis's right arm.
19) The cumulative errors of counsel deprived Davis
of his Sixth Amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel.
II. Juror Denmark worked with Davis's mother but
failed to reveal this fact during voir dire.
III. The prosecution improperly elicited evidence
regarding Davis's alleged lack of remorse at trial.
IV. The many instances of prosecutorial misconduct
violated Jeffrey Davis's right to a fair trial.
V. The trial court erred in denying defendant's
instruction on the lesser included offense of murder.
VI. The trial court erred in limiting examination
of witness Clayton Evans with regard to his knowledge of the victim.
VII. The trial court erred in prohibiting evidence
concerning the victim's prior conviction for possession of marijuana.
VIII. The aggravating circumstance of whether the
capital offense was committed for pecuniary gain was invalid and
should not have been submitted to the jury.
IX. The jury should not have been instructed to
consider the heinous, atrocious or cruel aggravating circumstance
under the facts in this case.
X. The jury was given an unconstitutional
definition of the heinous, atrocious or cruel aggravating circumstance
in the sentencing phase of trial.
XI. The sentencing instructions were erroneous in
that they failed to inform the jury that they need not be unanimous in
finding mitigating circumstances.
XII. The trial court erred in allowing the district
attorney to ask prospective jurors about their ability to return a
death sentence given specific facts.
XIII. The use of the trial judge questionnaire and
Miss.Code Ann. § 99-19-105 violated the Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth
Amendments of the United States Constitution.
XIV. The Court's proportionality review was based
on erroneous evidence.
XV. The death sentence should be vacated as it is
cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment and
disproportionate given the circumstances of the crime and the
background of the defendant.
XVI. The cumulation of error in this case demands
reversal.
¶ 4. Davis also filed in this Court a Motion for
Appointment of Counsel, Payment of Reasonable Litigation Expenses and
Suspension of Briefing. The motion asks for relief similar to that
granted by this Court in Jackson v. State, 732 So.2d 187 (Miss.1999).
DISCUSSION OF LAW
I. Davis was denied the effective assistance of
counsel.
¶ 5. Jeffrey Davis first alleges that George
Shaddock, sole trial and appellate counsel, was ineffective. The
standard for such a question was provided by this Court in Foster v.
State, 687 So.2d 1124, 1129-30 (Miss.1996):
“The benchmark for judging any claim of
ineffectiveness [of counsel] must be whether counsel's conduct so
undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the
trial cannot be relied on as having produced a just result.”
Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 686, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2064, 80
L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). The test is two pronged: The defendant must
demonstrate that his counsel's performance was deficient, and that the
deficiency prejudiced the defense of the case. Strickland, 466 U.S.
at 687, 104 S.Ct. at 2064; Washington v. State, 620 So.2d 966
(Miss.1993). “This requires showing that counsel's errors were so
serious as to deprive the defendant of a fair trial, a trial whose
result is reliable. Unless a defendant makes both showings, it
cannot be said that the conviction or death sentence resulted from a
breakdown in the adversary process that renders the result
unreliable.” Stringer v. State, 454 So.2d 468, 477 (Miss.1984),
citing Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. at 2064.
“In any case presenting an ineffectiveness claim, the performance
inquiry must be whether counsel's assistance was reasonable
considering all the circumstances.” Stringer at 477, citing
Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688, 104 S.Ct. at 2065; State v. Tokman, 564
So.2d 1339, 1343 (Miss.1990).
Judicial scrutiny of counsel's performance must be
highly deferential. (citation omitted) ․ A fair assessment of attorney
performance requires that every effort be made to eliminate the
distorting effects of hindsight, to reconstruct the circumstances of
counsel's challenged conduct, and to evaluate the conduct from
counsel's perspective at the time. Because of the difficulties
inherent in making the evaluation, a court must indulge a strong
presumption that counsel's conduct falls within the wide range of
reasonable professional assistance; that is, the defendant must
overcome the presumption that, under the circumstances, the challenged
action ‘might be considered sound trial strategy.’
Stringer at 477; Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689, 104
S.Ct. at 2065. In short, defense counsel is presumed competent.
Johnson v. State, 476 So.2d 1195, 1204 (Miss.1985); Washington v.
State, 620 So.2d 966 (Miss.1993).
Then, to determine the second prong of prejudice to
the defense, the standard is “a reasonable probability that, but for
counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would
have been different.” Mohr v. State, 584 So.2d 426, 430 (Miss.1991).
This means a “probability sufficient to undermine the confidence in
the outcome.” Id. The question here is
whether there is a reasonable probability that,
absent the errors, the sentencer-including an appellate court, to the
extent it independently reweighs the evidence-would have concluded
that the balance of the aggravating and mitigating circumstances did
not warrant death.
Strickland, 466 U.S. at 695, 104 S.Ct. at 2068.
There is no constitutional right then to errorless
counsel. Cabello v. State, 524 So.2d 313, 315 (Miss.1988); Mohr v.
State, 584 So.2d 426, 430 (Miss.1991) (right to effective counsel does
not entitle defendant to have an attorney who makes no mistakes at
trial; defendant just has right to have competent counsel). If the
post-conviction application fails on either of the Strickland prongs,
the proceedings end. Neal v. State, 525 So.2d 1279, 1281 (Miss.1987);
Mohr v. State, 584 So.2d 426 (Miss.1991).
1) Counsel failed to contest the
constitutionality of Davis's confession.
¶ 6. This Court recounted the events of Jeffrey
Davis's statements to law enforcement as follows:
On Friday, July 12, 1991, [Greene County] Sheriff
Tommy Miller received a phone call at home from Jeffrey Davis. Davis
identified himself to Sheriff Miller and told the Sheriff that he had
killed Linda Hillman. Sheriff Miller had no prior notice of foul
play at Linda Hillman's trailer located in Greene County, Mississippi.
Sheriff Miller knew both Davis, the defendant, and Hillman, the
victim. Davis told Miller to come and get him at his home. Miller
went to Davis' home with Deputy Sheriff Henry Benjamin. When they
arrived, Davis came out of his home carrying two bags of clothes.
Davis began to tell his story to Sheriff Miller, but Miller stopped
him and read Davis his Miranda rights. Davis told Miller that he
understood his rights and finished telling Miller his story.
Davis told Sheriff Miller the following: (1) that
Davis went to Hillman's trailer early Thursday morning, July 11, 1991;
(2) that he killed Hillman about 6:00 a.m.; (3) that he had borrowed
two hundred dollars from Hillman the previous Monday; (4) that he
knew she had more money; (5) that he went there to rob Hillman in
order to buy more drugs; (6) that he killed her when she refused to
give him more money; (7) that after the killing he walked through a
corn field, and (8) that he went to Pascagoula, Mississippi to buy
more drugs. Davis admitted stabbing Hillman with a knife. Davis
had the knife he had used to kill Hillman on him and gave the knife to
Sheriff Miller. Davis also told Miller the location of clothing and
shoes that Davis had worn the morning of the murder. Miller,
accompanied by Davis, found the items submerged in separate creeks.
After retrieving these items, Miller and Benjamin took Davis to the
sheriff's office and advised him again of his rights under the
Constitution and required by Miranda. Davis signed a waiver of
rights form and retold the story to Sheriff Miller. Sheriff Miller
then went to Hillman's trailer where he found her lying dead on her
bed.
Davis, 684 So.2d at 648-49.
¶ 7. George Shaddock never moved to suppress any of
Davis's statements and never objected to the admission of any of the
statements admitted through Sheriff Miller based on voluntariness.
Davis attempted to raise this issue on direct appeal, but this Court
found that the issue was procedurally barred for failure to raise the
issue at trial. Davis, 684 So.2d at 657-58. The Court further noted
that none of Davis's statements were ever reduced to writing, which
this Court found “passing strange” and “unique.” Davis, 684 So.2d at
658.
¶ 8. Davis now argues that Shaddock was ineffective
for failure to attack the voluntariness of Davis's statements based on
his alleged drug use and the fact that Davis believed that his
confession would lead to help from Sheriff Miller. First, Davis does
not specifically state which statements he is questioning here.
Davis made at least four separate statements. The standard of review
for such a question may be found in Kimmelman v. Morrison, 477 U.S.
365, 375, 106 S.Ct. 2574, 91 L.Ed.2d 305 (1986), where the U.S.
Supreme Court stated:
Where defense counsel's failure to litigate a
Fourth Amendment claim competently is the principal allegation of
ineffectiveness, the defendant must also prove that his Fourth
Amendment claim is meritorious and that there is a reasonable
probability that the verdict would have been different absent the
excludable evidence in order to demonstrate actual prejudice․
Though Kimmelman deals with a Fourth Amendment
question while this question arises out of the Fifth Amendment rights
to remain silent and against self-incrimination, we find that the
standard should be the same.
¶ 9. Davis cites Jenkins v. State, 607 So.2d 1171,
1175 (Miss.1992), where this Court stated: “The admission of a
drug-induced confession would clearly violate a defendant's right
against self-incrimination guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the
Mississippi Constitution.” Davis also cites State v. Williams, 208
So.2d 172 (Miss.1968), as an example of a confession excluded because
of the influence of alcohol. Williams's situation was different than
Davis's; Williams was a habitual drunkard and the record showed that
he “was in an acute, rampant state of intoxication equivalent to
mania” and suffered from a “deranged and psychotic mental imbalance.”
Williams, 208 So.2d at 175. Davis also states that his confession
was the result of coercion in that Davis believed that “[a]fter
talking to the Sheriff, I thought he would help me if I turned myself
in.” Davis cites Abram v. State, 606 So.2d 1015, 1030 (Miss.1992),
where this Court stated that a voluntary admissible statement was one
that was not “the proximate result of any promises, threats or other
inducements.”
¶ 10. As to the statement that Davis made to
Sheriff Miller over the phone that he had killed Linda Hillman in her
trailer and wanted Sheriff Miller to come get him, there is no
suggestion that this was not unsolicited and voluntary, except for the
argument that Davis was intoxicated at the time. This statement
would not involve Miranda warnings, as there was no custodial
interrogation. As to the second statement, made to Sheriff Miller
when he and his deputy went to pick Davis up, this statement also did
not involve interrogation until Sheriff Miller stopped Davis from
telling his story and informed him of his Miranda rights. Miller
stated that Davis was very calm and unemotional at this time. Miller
stated that Davis acted normal and did not smell of alcohol. Davis
told Miller that he had been using drugs, and Miller saw what he
believed to be more than one needle mark on Davis's arm. The third
statement was made to Sheriff Miller once he and Davis arrived back at
the courthouse. According to Miller, he informed Davis of his rights
again, and Davis told the same story he had told earlier. The fourth
statement(s) would have been any that Davis made during the search of
his home. Kevin Fortenberry, an investigator with the Mississippi
Highway Patrol, observed Davis while his house was being searched and
stated that Davis had a calm, cocky attitude. Don Sumrall, crime
scene investigator for the Mississippi Crime Lab, also observed Davis
while his house was being searched and stated that Davis was calm and
showed no remorse.
¶ 11. The first step in the analysis under
Strickland v. Washington and Kimmelman v. Morrison is consideration of
whether Shaddock's failure to file a motion to suppress one or any of
Davis's statements was deficient conduct. It is certainly unusual in
a capital case that there was no attempt by defense counsel to
suppress the statement(s), and we would be hard-pressed to attribute
this to trial strategy. On the other hand, it does not appear that
counsel should be required to file frivolous motions. On this record
it is difficult to see how the trial court, given the proper standard
of review, would have excluded the statements. By all accounts Davis
was calm, in control of his faculties, and possessed a detailed and
helpful memory as to his actions during and after the murder. The
allegation made in Davis's affidavit was that the Sheriff was an
acquaintance of Davis's whom Davis thought would help him if he turned
himself in. Davis says nothing about what it was Sheriff Miller
might have said to make him think this, and nothing as to whether it
may have been improper. Based on this record, there is little to
support the notion that Shaddock would have been successful in
suppressing Davis's statements. Assuming that Shaddock could have
produced a basis for suppression of some of Davis's statements at a
hearing, we find no basis on which the initial statement, made over
the phone from Davis to Miller, could have been suppressed.
¶ 12. As to the question of prejudice, and whether
the verdict would have been different had the evidence in question
been excluded, there is once again the question of just which
statements are at issue. It is difficult to see how the initial
phone call admission from Davis to Miller could have been excluded.
That statement would have led to a search of Davis, which would have
elicited one murder weapon, the knife; Hillman's body would have been
discovered at her trailer; and a warrant for the search of Davis's
house could have been obtained. We find that Davis has failed to
make the requisite showing of deficient conduct and prejudice required
under Strickland v. Washington.
2) Counsel failed to move to suppress evidence
retrieved from Davis's home and truck.
¶ 13. This Court noted that Davis consented to a
search of his home and truck. Davis, 684 So.2d at 649. Evidence
collected from the house included a .22 caliber rifle which had fired
one of the spent cartridges found in Hillman's trailer; marijuana;
and the shirt Davis said he was wearing when he killed Hillman. A
search of his truck revealed blood on the seat and on a jack; and a
“shooter's kit” with syringes.
¶ 14. Davis argues that Shaddock was ineffective
for failure to object to the admission of this evidence. Davis
relies on the same argument he made under Issue I, that he could not
have given his consent because of drug intoxication and any statements
which led to other evidence were coerced or inadmissible also because
of lack of consent. The same analysis is applicable to this
question. Even if Shaddock's conduct was deficient for failure to
attempt to have the search results suppressed, it still appears that
the State could have eventually searched the house based on a warrant
based on Davis's initial, voluntary statement to Sheriff Miller and
the inevitable discovery of Hillman's body. As such, Davis has not
shown a reasonable probability that the evidence introduced at his
trial would have been altered. This issue is without merit.
16) Counsel failed to raise the M'Naghten Rule
in contesting the State's voluntary intoxication instruction.
¶ 48. The State requested and was granted
Instruction S-4, which instructed the jury that voluntary intoxication
was not a defense in this case if Davis was capable of distinguishing
between right and wrong when sober. On direct appeal Davis alleged
that this instruction had improperly relieved the State of its burden
on the question of intent. This Court found that S-4 was proper and
the burden of proof remained with the State under consideration of all
the instructions. Davis, 684 So.2d at 652-53.
¶ 49. It appears that Davis now alleges that
Shaddock was ineffective for failure to object to S-4 due to the
allegation that Davis was temporarily insane due to his intoxication
at the time of the murder. The State argues that this is simply the
same issue raised on direct appeal and recast as ineffective
assistance of counsel.
¶ 50. Davis first cites Edwards v. State, 178 Miss.
696, 174 So. 57 (1937), where this Court found that drunkenness could
be a defense to a crime requiring proof of specific intent. This
proposition was repeated in Bieller v. State, 275 So.2d 97
(Miss.1973), where this Court found that voluntary intoxication could
reduce murder to manslaughter because of lack of specific intent.
However, it was determined in Lanier v. State, 533 So.2d 473, 478
(Miss.1988), and was repeated on direct appeal in Davis, that
“voluntary intoxication is not a defense to a specific intent crime.”
The combination of voluntary intoxication and insanity was
considered in Norris v. State, 490 So.2d 839 (Miss.1986), which we
also cited on direct appeal in Davis. In Norris this Court found
that an instruction similar to S-4 was appropriate because of evidence
of Norris's voluntary intoxication. Norris, however, argued that he
had raised insanity in the form of post-traumatic stress syndrome, and
not intoxication, as a defense. The trial court also allowed an
insanity instruction, and this Court found that each was appropriate
if supported by the evidence, and the voluntary intoxication
instruction did not cause the jury to disregard Norris's insanity
defense. Norris, 490 So.2d at 841-42.
¶ 51. Under Norris, evidence of insanity, or the
M'Naghten defense, is not a basis for refusing to give an instruction
like S-4; it is a basis for giving a separate instruction on
insanity. In this case Davis never raised the insanity defense.
Davis argues that Sam Howell, the State's expert on toxicology who
detected cocaine in Davis's urine sample, could not state conclusively
whether Davis was operating under delusional activity caused by
cocaine psychosis. This is true. Howell was also never asked if
Davis was M'Naghten insane at the time of the murder. We find that
George Shaddock was not ineffective for failure to object to
Instruction S-4 based on alleged insanity due to alleged drug
intoxication.
17) Counsel failed to pose a specific objection
to pain testimony by Dr. Hayne.
¶ 52. Dr. Stephen Hayne, a forensic pathologist,
testified as to whether certain of Linda Hillman's wounds would have
been painful and/or lethal. Defense counsel objected to the first
such question, but did not give a specific ground, and then objected
to some but not all of the ensuing questions of this nature,
apparently on the ground that Dr. Hayne lacked personal knowledge to
answer such a question. The objections were overruled. The issue
was not raised on direct appeal.
¶ 53. Davis now alleges that Shaddock was
ineffective for failure to raise a specific objection, either on the
ground of lack of personal knowledge or that Dr. Hayne's expertise as
a forensic pathologist did not include testimony on pain. Davis
cites Jones v. State, 678 So.2d 707 (Miss.1996), where this Court
found that a social worker's opinion as to how a child could have
ingested cocaine was improper due to lack of expertise or personal
knowledge. In response the State cites Holland v. State, 705 So.2d
307, 341 (Miss.1997), where this Court stated: “Discussion of pain by
a forensic pathologist is admissible. Our caselaw has allowed
forensic evidence to prove that a victim suffered a fatal heart attack
as a result of trauma and stress induced by a beating and robbery.”
This issue is without merit.
18) Counsel failed to require the prosecution to
lay the proper foundation for introduction of the highly prejudicial
photograph of Davis's right arm.
¶ 54. The State introduced a photograph of Davis's
arm through Kevin Fortenberry, an investigator for the Mississippi
Highway Patrol, who had taken the photograph. Shaddock objected to
admission of the photograph, stating: “He don't know when that was
done, or how it was done, or by whom it was done, or what object did
it.” These comments apparently referred to a scratch mark on Davis's
arm. On direct appeal this Court rejected the allegation that the
photograph was inadmissible because it was irrelevant. See Davis,
684 So.2d at 659.
¶ 55. Davis now argues that Shaddock was
ineffective for failure to object to the photograph based on the
State's failure to offer a proper predicate for the photograph, in
other words, having Fortenberry testify that it fairly and accurately
depicted Davis and his arm at the time it was taken, citing Wactor v.
John H. Moon & Sons, Inc., 516 So.2d 1364, 1367 (Miss.1987). Davis
argues that had Shaddock objected on the ground of lack of predicate,
the photograph would have been excluded. Had that objection been
made, it is more likely that the trial judge would have at most
required the State to ask the question at issue, at which time
Fortenberry would have made the required answer. We find that
Shaddock was not ineffective for failure to require the State to ask
this one additional question.
19) The cumulative errors of counsel deprived
Davis of his Sixth Amendment right to the effective assistance of
counsel.
¶ 56. We find that the cumulative error argument is
without merit. As stated, Davis is granted leave to proceed in the
trial court on Issues I(6), (9), (11) and (13).
II. Juror Denmark worked with Davis's mother but
failed to reveal this fact during voir dire.
¶ 57. Jeffrey Keller Davis argues next that Terri
Denmark, who served on his jury, failed to answer a question during
voir dire which would have caused her to be stricken for cause,
resulting in reversible error. District Attorney Harkey asked at the
beginning of his voir dire: “Now, does anybody know Mr. Davis, the
defendant in this particular case? Anybody know him? Does anybody
know Mr. Davis' family. I believe some family members may be seated
out in the audience.” Davis's mother, Christine Davis, was employed
as a nurse at the South Mississippi Correctional Facility in Greene
County. Christine Davis stated in her affidavit attached to Davis's
Application that Terri Denmark “worked with me at the prison as a
security officer but did not reveal knowing me.” The affidavit
states nothing about the nature of the working relationship or the
frequency of contact between the two. Davis argues that if he had
known about the relationship then “she [Denmark] would have been
struck from the jury for cause.”
¶ 58. Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-21 (1994) states in
part:
(1) Failure by a prisoner to raise objections,
defenses, claims, questions, issues or errors either in fact or law
which were capable of determination at trial and/or on direct appeal,
regardless of whether such are based on the laws and the Constitution
of the state of Mississippi or of the United States, shall constitute
a waiver thereof and shall be procedurally barred, but the court may
upon a showing of cause and actual prejudice grant relief from the
waiver.
(2) The litigation of a factual issue at trial and
on direct appeal of a specific state or federal legal theory or
theories shall constitute a waiver of all other state or federal legal
theories which could have been raised under said factual issue; and
any relief sought under this chapter upon said facts but upon
different state or federal legal theories shall be procedurally barred
absent a showing of cause and actual prejudice.
(3) The doctrine of res judicata shall apply to all
issues, both factual and legal, decided at trial and on direct appeal.
¶ 59. Davis cites numerous cases from this Court
where the relationship between the juror and the person in question,
justifying striking the juror, was much closer than that of co-worker.
See Taylor v. State, 656 So.2d 104 (Miss.1995)(juror was brother of
assistant district attorney); Atkinson v. State, 371 So.2d 869
(Miss.1979)(juror had relative who was killed in similar manner to
crime victim); Walls v. State, 371 So.2d 411 (Miss.1979)(juror's son
was murder victim); Odom v. State, 355 So.2d 1381 (Miss.1978)(juror
was brother of police investigator in the case in question). Because
few of the details of the alleged relationship are provided, it is
speculative as to whether a challenge for cause would have been
justified. The State argues that, as this issue could have been
raised on direct appeal and was not, it is waived and procedurally
barred under § 99-39-21(1). The State further argues that the issue
is speculative and Davis failed to show any prejudice merely because
Denmark served as a juror. We agree that this issue is procedurally
barred and without merit.
III. The prosecution improperly elicited
evidence regarding Davis's alleged lack of remorse at trial.
¶ 60. Davis next argues that the prosecution
improperly produced testimony concerning Davis's lack of remorse after
the murder. Davis argues that this was improper first because lack
of remorse is not one of the eight statutory aggravating factors, and
second, because it amounted to a comment on Davis's refusal to
testify. This issue was raised and rejected by this Court on direct
appeal. See Davis, 684 So.2d at 653-54. This issue is barred by
res judicata.
IV. The many instances of prosecutorial
misconduct violated Jeffrey Davis's right to a fair trial.
¶ 61. Davis next alleges four specific instances of
prosecutorial misconduct or error. The four instances involve (1)
the State's closing sentencing argument where the State argued that
Davis was protected by rights that he had not allowed Linda Hillman to
enjoy; (2) the State's rebuttal of Davis's lack of criminal history
by arguing drug use was equivalent to criminal activity; (3) the
State's impugning the ethics of defense counsel; and (4) the State
attempting to recreate Hillman's dying thoughts in closing argument.
This issue was raised and rejected by this Court on direct appeal.
See Davis, 684 So.2d at 654-56. The State answers that as this issue
was raised and rejected on direct appeal, it is barred by res judicata
from being considered at the post-conviction level under
§ 99-39-21(3). We agree with the State that this issue is barred by
res judicata.
V. The trial court erred in denying defendant's
instruction on the lesser included offense of murder.
¶ 62. Davis next alleges that the trial court erred
in failing to give Instruction D-7, which would have allowed the jury
to consider the lesser-included offense of murder. This issue was
raised and rejected by this Court on direct appeal. See Davis, 684
So.2d at 656-57. We find that the issue is barred by res judicata
from being considered at the post-conviction level under
§ 99-39-21(3).
VI. The trial court erred in limiting
examination of witness Clayton Evans with regard to his knowledge of
the victim.
¶ 63. Davis next alleges that the trial court erred
in refusing to allow Clayton Evans to testify as to the details of his
relationship with the victim Linda Hillman, specifically as to bail
bonds he wrote for her and the criminal offenses with which she may
have been charged. This issue was raised and rejected by this Court
on direct appeal. See Davis, 684 So.2d at 660-61. The issue is
barred by res judicata.
VII. The trial court erred in prohibiting
evidence concerning the victim's prior conviction for possession of
marijuana.
¶ 64. Davis next alleges that the trial court erred
in excluding evidence of Linda Hillman's non-adjudicated offense for
possession of marijuana. This issue was raised and rejected by this
Court on direct appeal. See Davis, 684 So.2d at 660-61. The issue
is barred by res judicata.
VIII. The aggravating circumstance of whether
the capital offense was committed for pecuniary gain was invalid and
should not have been submitted to the jury.
¶ 65. Davis next alleges that the trial court erred
in submitting Sentencing Instruction S-2 to the jury. Davis argues
that the instruction should not have been given for two reasons: (1)
S-2, when considered with the closing argument of the State, amounted
to “stacking” the pecuniary gain factor with the robbery factor as
separate aggravating circumstances; and (2) because the trial judge
failed to define “pecuniary gain,” the instruction was too vague.
Davis further argues that this Court did not address this issue in its
entirety in its opinion. This Court defined “stacking” as submitting
robbery and pecuniary gain to the jury as separate aggravating
circumstances. Davis, 684 So.2d at 663. The Court defined
“doubling” as referring “to situations where a crime such as robbery
is used both as the underlying felony to support a capital murder
charge and as an aggravating circumstance to support the imposition of
a death sentence.” Davis, 684 So.2d at 663. This issue was raised
and rejected on direct appeal and is barred by res judicata from being
considered at the post-conviction level under § 99-39-21(3).
IX. The jury should not have been instructed to
consider the heinous, atrocious or cruel aggravating circumstance
under the facts in this case.
¶ 66. Davis next alleges that the trial court erred
in allowing the jury to consider the “especially heinous, atrocious or
cruel” aggravator, stating that the evidence did not support it.
This issue was raised and rejected by this Court on direct appeal.
See Davis, 684 So.2d at 662-63. The issue is barred by res judicata.
X. The jury was given an unconstitutional
definition of the heinous, atrocious or cruel aggravating circumstance
in the sentencing phase of trial.
¶ 67. Davis next alleges that the trial court erred
in giving the “especially heinous, atrocious or cruel” aggravator in
the form in which it was given, stating that too many of the factual
scenarios contained in this instruction did not apply to Davis and the
instruction was therefore overly specific, overly broad and
all-encompassing. This issue was raised and rejected by this Court
on direct appeal. See Davis, 684 So.2d at 661-62. It is barred by
res judicata from being considered at the post-conviction level under
§ 99-39-21(3).
XI. The sentencing instructions were erroneous
in that they failed to inform the jury that they need not be unanimous
in finding mitigating circumstances.
¶ 68. Davis next alleges that Sentencing
Instruction S-2, which instructed the jury that aggravating
circumstances must be found unanimously, did not instruct the jury
that unanimity was not required for mitigating circumstances. This
issue was raised and rejected by this Court on direct appeal. See
Davis, 684 So.2d at 664-65. This issue is barred by res judicata
from being considered at the post-conviction level under
§ 99-39-21(3).
XII. The trial court erred in allowing the
district attorney to ask prospective jurors about their ability to
return a death sentence given specific facts.
¶ 69. Davis next alleges that the trial court erred
in allowing the prosecutor to ask jurors whether they could consider
the death penalty given the particular circumstances involved in this
case. This issue was raised and rejected by this Court on direct
appeal. See Davis, 684 So.2d at 651-52. It is barred by res
judicata.
XIII. The use of the trial judge questionnaire
and Miss.Code Ann. § 99-19-105 violated the Fifth, Sixth and
Fourteenth Amendments [of] the United States Constitution.
¶ 70. Davis next alleges that the Report of the
Trial Judge Where Death Penalty Imposed, which was completed by
Circuit Court Judge William Jones and filed with this Court on June
30, 1993, pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 99-19-105(1)(1994), violated
his right to due process. Davis alleges that the report should not
be considered because it allows this Court to consider facts not
entered into evidence and because it seeks the gratuitous opinions of
the trial judge. According to a cover letter, the report was
forwarded to the parties by Judge Jones so that the parties could
submit comments on the report's factual accuracy, but defense counsel
Shaddock denies that he was ever “given the opportunity by anyone to
review the trial judge questionnaire.” Judge Jones stated that he
received no comments before he submitted the report to this Court.
Davis filed a Motion to Strike Trial Judge's Responses to Death
Penalty questionnaire and for Other Relief on January 17, 1995. The
motion asked that the Questionnaire be struck for the same reasons
raised here. The Court denied the Motion to Strike by order dated
June 20, 1996. As this issue was raised and rejected on direct
appeal, it is barred by res judicata from being considered at the
post-conviction level under § 99-39-21(3).