Link to original WordPerfect file
How to access the above link?
All opinions are subject to modification and technical correction prior to official publication in the North Carolina Reports and North Car
olina Court of Appeals Reports. In the event of discrepancies between the electronic version of an opinion and the
print version appearing in the North Carolina Reports and North Carolina Court of Appeals Reports, the latest print version is to be consid
ered authoritative.
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. DEWAYNE ANTHONY McNAIR
No. COA00-1202
(Filed 6 November 2001)
1. Indictment and Information--amendment--victim's name--typographical errors
The trial court did not err in a robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree
kidnapping, and first-degree kidnapping case by allowing the State to amend the name of the
victim in two of seven indictments from Donald Dale Cook to Ronald Dale Cook to comport
with the evidence present at the trial on the ground that they were typographical errors, because:
(1) the correct name of the victim appears twice on the indictment for robbery with a dangerous
weapon; (2) the variance was inadvertent, and defendant was neither misled nor surprised as to
the nature of the charges; and (3) the amendment did not substantially alter the charge in the
original indictment.
2. Criminal Law--prosecutor's argument--defendant's failure to present evidence of
alibi
The trial court did not err in a robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree
kidnapping, and first-degree kidnapping case by allowing the prosecutor to comment, over
defendant's objection, on defendant's failure to present evidence of an alibi, because: (1) it was
not an impermissible comment on defendant's decision not to testify; and (2) while a prosecutor
may not comment on the failure of the accused to testify, he may comment on a defendant's
failure to produce witnesses or exculpatory evidence to contradict or refute evidence presented by
the State.
3. Sentencing--firearms enhancement--second-degree kidnapping--issue not submitted
to jury
Although the trial court erred by enhancing each of defendant's sentences for his
convictions of second-degree kidnapping by sixty months for possession of a firearm during the
offense where the jury did not specifically pass on the issue, it was not plain error because there
is no reasonable possibility that had the error in question not been committed that a different
result would have been reached at trial.
4. Sentencing--firearms enhancement--second-degree kidnapping--fatally defective
indictment
The trial court committed plain error by enhancing each of defendant's sentences for his
convictions of second-degree kidnapping by sixty months for possession of a firearm during the
offense based on a fatally defective indictment because the indictment failed to allege the facts to
support the firearms enhancement found in N.C.G.S. § 15A-1340.16A.
Appeal by defendant from judgments entered 14 April 2000 by
Judge Richard L. Doughton in Guilford County Superior Court. Heard
in the Court of Appeals 13 September 2001.
Attorney General Roy Cooper, by Special Deputy Attorney
General Alexander Peters, for the State.
W. David Lloyd for defendant appellant.
McCULLOUGH, Judge.
Defendant Dewayne Anthony McNair was tried before a jury at
the 27 March 2000 Criminal Session of Guilford County Superior
Court. The facts shown at trial were that early on the morning of
2 October 1996 two black males, one matching the description of
defendant, were picked up by a cab driver for the Red Bird Cab
Company in Greensboro. Soon after the cab reached the on-ramp for
Interstate 85 Business, one of the men pulled a gun and directed
the driver to pull over. After being robbed of her collected
fares, the driver was forced to get into the trunk of the cab.
While the driver was in the trunk, defendant and two other men
stopped at the Bi-Lo grocery store at approximately 2:00 a.m. Once
there, defendant forced two store employees who were stocking
shelves into the store's bathroom and robbed them. Defendant then
returned to the front of the store and assaulted another store
employee until she became unconscious. In the meantime, the two
other men with defendant had forced the store's manager and
assistant manager to hand over all the store's cash and receipts.
The threesome left the store in the stolen cab. They parked
the cab in a well-lit area, got into another car and left, leaving
the driver in the trunk.
Defendant was indicted on four counts of robbery with a
dangerous weapon, two counts of second degree kidnapping, and one
count of first degree kidnapping. The jury convicted defendant on
all counts. Defendant was sentenced to minimum terms of 146 monthsand maximum terms of 185 months for each of the convictions of
robbery with a dangerous weapon; a minimum term of 168 months and
a maximum term of 211 months for the first degree kidnapping
conviction; minimum terms of 119 months and maximum terms of 152
months for each of the second degree kidnapping convictions, of
which 60 months was based on the "firearm enhancement" pursuant to
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.16A, all to run consecutively.
Defendant asserts that the trial court erred by (I) allowing
the State to amend the indictments from Donald Dale Cook to Ronald
Dale Cook to comport with the evidence presented at trial on the
ground that they were typographical errors; (II) allowing the
prosecutor to comment, over defendant's objection, on defendant's
failure to present evidence of alibi in violation of his rights
under both state and federal constitutions; and (III) enhancing
each of defendant's sentences for his convictions of second degree
kidnapping by 60 months for possession of a firearm during the
offense where the jury did not specifically pass on the issue in
violation of Jones v. United States, 526 U.S. 227, 143 L. Ed. 2d
311 (1999), and Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 147 L. Ed. 2d
435 (2000), as plain error.
I.
[1]Defendant's first assignment of error asserts that the
trial court erred in allowing the State to amend the indictments
against defendant.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-923(e) (1999) provides that "[a] bill of
indictment may not be amended." An amendment within the meaning of
this statute is "'any change in the indictment which wouldsubstantially alter the charge set forth in the indictment.'"
State v. Marshall, 92 N.C. App. 398, 401, 374 S.E.2d 874, 875
(1988) (quoting
State v. Price, 310 N.C. 596, 598, 313 S.E.2d 556,
558 (1984)),
cert. denied, 328 N.C. 273, 400 S.E.2d 459 (1991).
This Court has held that "[a] change in an indictment does not
constitute an amendment where the variance was inadvertent and
defendant was neither misled nor surprised as to the nature of the
charges."
State v. Campbell, 133 N.C. App. 531, 535-36, 515 S.E.2d
732, 735,
disc. review denied, 351 N.C. 111, 540 S.E.2d 370 (1999);
see also Marshall, 92 N.C. App. 398, 374 S.E.2d 874.
In the
Marshall case, the trial court allowed the State to
amend the victim's name in a rape indictment from "Regina Lapish"
to "Regina Lapish Foster."
Marshall, 92 N.C. App. at 401, 374
S.E.2d at 875. In that case there were four separate indictments
for different criminal violations.
Id. Only the rape indictment
used the incorrect name of the victim. The Court, in affirming the
trial court, said that "[i]t is clear that the rape indictment
inadvertently omitted the last name of Regina Lapish Foster. At no
time was defendant misled or surprised as to the nature of the
charges against him."
Id. at 401, 374 S.E.2d at 876.
In
State v. Bailey, 97 N.C. App. 472, 389 S.E.2d 131 (1990),
the trial court allowed the State to amend the victim's name on
three indictments from "Pettress Cebron" to "Cebron Pettress."
Id.
at 475, 389 S.E.2d at 133. The Court, citing
Marshall, concluded
that the errors in the indictments were inadvertent, and said, "Wediscern no manner in which defendant could have been misled or
surprised as to the nature of the charges against him."
Bailey, 97
N.C. App. at 476, 389 S.E.2d at 133.
In the present case, the trial court allowed the State to
amend two of seven indictments. Specifically, in case 00 CRS 23235,
Count I indicts defendant for robbery with a deadly weapon of the
victim, Ronald Dale Cook. It refers to the victim properly twice,
but it refers to a "Donald Dale Cook" once. In case 00 CRS 23236,
Count II indicts defendant for two counts of second degree
kidnapping of the victim, who was also Ronald Dale Cook. However,
in this Count, the indictment only refers to a "Donald Dale Cook."
At trial, the "D's" were amended to "R's" so that both indictments
read "Ronald" throughout.
The errors in the indictments were inadvertent. The correct
name of the victim appears twice on the indictment for robbery with
a deadly weapon. The defendant could not have been misled or
surprised as to the nature of the charges against him, and the
indictments were correct in all other respects. We hold that "'the
amendment to the indictment was permissible because it did not
substantially alter the charge in the original indictment.'"
State
v. Bowen, 139 N.C. App. 18, 27, 533 S.E.2d 248, 254 (2000) (quoting
State v. Brinson, 337 N.C. 764, 767, 448 S.E.2d 822, 824 (1994)).
We note that there is a line of cases by our Supreme Court
which hold that "[a] change in the name of the victim substantially
alters the charge in the indictment."
See State v. Abraham, 338
N.C. 315, 340, 451 S.E.2d 131, 144 (1994) ("Where an indictmentcharges the defendant with a crime against someone other than the
actual victim, such a variance is fatal.").
Id. The
Abraham case
held that a change from Carlose Antoine Latter to Joice Hardin was
such a change that substantially altered the indictment, and was
fatal.
Id. at 339, 451 S.E.2d at 143
; see also State v. Call, 349
N.C. 382, 424, 508 S.E.2d 496, 522 (1998) (holding that a change
from Gabriel Hernandez Gervacio to Gabriel Gonzalez was fatal);
State v. Bell, 270 N.C. 25, 29, 153 S.E.2d 741, 744 (1967) (holding
that a change from Jean Rogers to Susan Rogers was fatal); and
State v. Overman, 257 N.C. 464, 468, 125 S.E.2d 920, 924 (1962)
(holding that a change from Frank E. Nutley to Frank E. Hatley was
fatal). The defendant argues that our cases of
Bailey and
Marshall
are irreconcilable with these cases. We disagree.
Our Court has recently cited
Abraham for the proposition that
a change in the defendant's name substantially alters the
indictment.
See Bowen, 139 N.C. App. 18, 533 S.E.2d 248;
State v.
Grigsby, 134 N.C. App. 315, 517 S.E.2d 195 (1999),
reversed on
other grounds, 351 N.C. 454, 526 S.E.2d 460 (2000). Likewise, the
Supreme Court has cited the
Bailey case and its holding permitting
the change of a defendant's name with approval in
State v. Snyder,
343 N.C. 61, 68, 468 S.E.2d 221, 225 (1996). We do not believe the
Supreme Court intended the
Abraham holding to be a blanket
prohibition on changing the name of the victim in a criminal
indictment. Correcting inadvertent mistakes in an indictment, which
was done here and in the previous
Bailey and
Marshall cases, doesnot undermine the holding in
Abraham. These cases ca
n be read in
harmony, rather than in opposition.
This assignment of error is overruled.
II.
[2]Defendant next assigns error to the trial court's
overruling of his objection to the State's closing argument, and
argues that it was an impermissible comment on defendant's decision
not to testify. At the end of the State's closing, the following
transpired:
[Mr. PANOSH: State]: And there has not
been one shred of evidence to say that the
defendant was not there that night, robbing
the Bi-Lo. Ask yourself, ladies and gentlemen
of the jury, if you lived 800, 900 miles away
from Greensboro, somewhere in Florida, and you
were accused of something you didn't do on
October the 2nd of 1996, don't you think you'd
have one neighbor, one --
Mr. LLOYD: Objection, Your Honor.
Improper comment on the defendant's decision
not to testify or present evidence.
THE COURT: Overruled.
MR. PANOSH: -- one girlfriend, one wife,
one fellow employee, one person who knows that
you were down there in Florida, and not
robbing the Bi-Lo? Couldn't you have that one
person here to explain to this jury that it's
all a big mistake?
The State's evidence is totally
uncontroverted, and there's not been one shred
of evidence to say he was anywhere but at the
Bi-Lo, robbing the Bi-Lo, that he was anywhere
but in Greensboro and High Point, planning the
abduction, the kidnapping and the robbery of
Ms. Martin and taking part in it. Not one
shred of evidence consistent with innocence.
To put this into context, the parties had discussed on the
record with the trial court their respective strategies beforeclosing arguments were given. The State expressed its displeasure
with the fact that defendant had forecasted an alibi in his opening
statement by saying, "Our evidence will show that he was not there
at the Bi-Lo," and then did not put on any evidence. The State
asked for "substantial latitude" to address this fact in closing
arguments. Defendant considered this a backdoor attempt to comment
on defendant's decision not to testify. Defendant admitted that he
had said, "Our evidence will show he was not at the Bi-Lo. He's
not the one." The trial court decided to postpone any ruling and
that defendant would have to object at the time.
"While a prosecutor may not comment on the failure of the
accused to testify, he may 'comment on a defendant's failure to
produce witnesses or exculpatory evidence to contradict or refute
evidence presented by the State.'"
State v. Skeels, 346 N.C. 147,
153, 484 S.E.2d 390, 393 (1997) (quoting
State v. Reid, 334 N.C.
551, 555, 434 S.E.2d 193, 196 (1993)). Defendant in this case
argues that the State has created a "ruse" that creates the
"inescapable conclusion that an innocent man would have presented
evidence of his alibi through not only other people, but by taking
the stand himself." We are not convinced. The prosecutor's
comments were directed "solely toward the defendant's failure to
offer evidence to rebut the State's case, not at defendant's
failure to take the stand himself; as such, the statement did not
constitute an impermissible comment on defendant's failure to
testify."
State v. Jordan, 305 N.C. 274, 280, 287 S.E.2d 827, 831
(1982);
State v. Tilley, 292 N.C. 132, 232 S.E.2d 433 (1977). In
Jordan, the district attorney noted in his closing argument
"that
defendant had not produced any alibi witnesses and stated, 'Where
are the witnesses who can put him anywhere else?'"
Id. at 279-80,
287 S.E.2d at 831. We find the comments here to be no different.
See also State v. Williams, 341 N.C. 1, 459 S.E.2d 208 (1995),
cert. denied, 516 U.S. 1128, 133 L. Ed. 2d 870 (1996) (holding that
prosecutor's statement that, if defendant was somewhere else on the
dates of the crimes, someone would have come into court and told
the jury where defendant was at the time of the crimes, was not
improper, but directed toward defendant's failure to offer evidence
to rebut State's case);
State v. Ward, 338 N.C. 64, 449 S.E.2d 709
(1994),
cert. denied, 514 U.S. 1134, 131 L. Ed. 2d 1013 (1995),
aff'd sub nom. Ward v. French, 165 F.3d 22 (4th Cir. 1998),
cert.
denied, 526 U.S. 1124, 143 L. Ed. 2d 809 (1999) (holding that
prosecutor's comments in closing arguing that defendant failed to
produce forecasted evidence were not improper comments on
defendant's failure to testify, but instead were fair and proper
comments on defendant's failure to present any evidence).
This assignment of error is overruled.
III.
[3]Defendant's final assignment of error is that the trial
court erred by enhancing his sentence by 60 months for possession
of a firearm during the offense for which he was convicted where
the jury did not specifically pass on the issue in violation of
Jones, 526 U.S. 227, 143 L. Ed. 2d 311, and
Apprendi, 530 U.S. 466,147 L. Ed. 2d 435.
Since defendant filed this appeal, our Supreme Court has ruled
on the applicability of
Jones and
Apprendi to North Carolina's
sentencing
in
State v. Lucas, 353 N.C. 568, 548 S.E.2d 712 (2001).
We note initially that
Lucas controls in this case. The
Lucas
Court stated that "this ruling applies to cases in which the
defendants have not been indicted as of the certification date of
this opinion [9 August 2001] and to cases that are now pending on
direct review or are not yet final."
Id. at 598, 548 S.E.2d at 732.
While defendant's appeal was docketed 16 October 2000, it was not
heard until 13 September 2001.
As defendant notes in his brief, he did not raise an objection
at trial and thus our review is limited to a review for "plain
error."
State v. Odom, 307 N.C. 655, 300 S.E.2d 375 (1983). Our
Supreme Court adopted the plain error rule in
State v. Black, 308
N.C. 736, 303 S.E.2d 804 (1983), with regard to N.C.R. App. P.
10(b)(1), "when no objection or exception to evidence presented and
admitted was made at trial."
State v. Gardner, 315 N.C. 444, 449,
340 S.E.2d 701, 706 (1986);
see also United States v. McCaskill,
676 F.2d 995 (4th Cir.),
cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1018, 74 L. Ed. 2d
513 (1982). The N.C. Supreme Court reiterated the standard in
State v. Walker, 316 N.C. 33, 340 S.E.2d 80 (1986):
The plain error rule applies only in
truly exceptional cases. Before deciding that
an error by the trial court amounts to "plain
error," the appellate court must be convinced
that absent the error the jury probably would
have reached a different verdict. In other words, the appellate court must determine that
the error in question "tilted the scales" and
caused the jury to reach its verdict
convicting the defendant. Therefore, the test
for "plain error" places a much heavier burden
upon the defendant than that imposed by
N.C.G.S. § 15A-1443 upon defendants who have
preserved their rights by timely objection.
This is so in part at least because the
defendant could have prevented any error by
making a timely objection.
Id. at 39, 340 S.E.2d at 83-84 (citations omitted). It is with
this standard in mind that we review defendant's appeal.
In
Lucas, the Supreme Court analyzed the North Carolina
sentencing enhancement located in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.16A in
light of the
Jones and
Apprendi holdings. Those holdings state
that "[o]ther than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that
increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory
maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable
doubt."
Apprendi, 530 U.S. 466, 490, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435, 455
(2000). The N.C. Supreme Court found that the enhancement did
increase the penalty beyond the prescribed statutory maximum. See
Lucas, 353 N.C. at 592-98, 548 S.E.2d at 728-32
(for full
discussion on North Carolina's sentencing structure). Thus, the
Court held as follows:
[W]e hold that in
every instance where the
State seeks an enhanced sentence pursuant to
N.C.G.S. § 15A-1340.16A,
it must allege the
statutory factors supporting the enhancement
in an indictment . . .
and submit those
factors to the jury. If the jury returns a
guilty verdict that includes these factors,
the trial judge shall make the finding set out
in the statute and impose an enhanced
sentence.
Id. at 597-98, 548 S.E.2d at 731 (emphasis added). The Supreme
Court did not find the enhancement unconstitutional on its face,
only that it requires (1) the factors alleged in an indictment, (2)
submitted to the jury, and (3) proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
As long as this procedure is followed, the enhancement is
constitutionally sound.
Neither of the three requirements set forth in
Lucas were
fulfilled in the present case. There is therefore error. However,
this does not end our discussion under plain error review. The key
now is to determine whether the jury would have reached a different
verdict had the error not been committed. More precisely, could
the jury, having been given the task of determining whether or not
defendant used a firearm during the kidnapping of the two store
employees who were stocking shelves, have answered in the negative.
The State argues that, because the evidence of the fact that
defendant had a firearm in his possession during the commission of
the kidnapping is overwhelming and uncontroverted, it is impossible
that the jury could have come back with an answer in the negative.
The jury convicted defendant of robbery with a dangerous weapon of
the same two victims. The facts at trial showed that the dangerous
weapon involved was a firearm. Defendant committed the robbery and
the kidnapping simultaneously. All witnesses saw the gun.
Defendant put on no evidence to refute the testimony of the State's
witnesses.
The State cites as authority for its "overwhelming and
uncontroverted" proposition
Neder v. United States, 527 U.S. 1, 17,144 L. Ed. 2d 35, 52 (1999). In
Neder, a federal dis
trict court
judge refused to give an instruction to the jury on an element of
the offense charged [materiality in tax fraud]. While this was
found to be error, the Supreme Court of the United States found it
to be harmless error for two reasons: (1) While the jury did not
make a finding of materiality, no jury could reasonably find that
the accused's failure to report a substantial amount of income on
his tax returns was not a material matter, where the government's
evidence supporting materiality was so overwhelming that the
accused did not argue to the jury, and does not argue on review,
that his false statements of income could be found immaterial; and
(2) where a reviewing court concludes beyond a reasonable doubt
that the omitted element was uncontested and was supported by
overwhelming evidence, such that the jury verdict would have been
the same absent the error, the erroneous instruction is properly
found to be harmless.
Id. The U.S. Supreme Court justified its
holding two ways, explaining that its approach reaches an
appropriate balance between society's interest in punishing the
guilty and the method by which decisions of guilt are made, and
does not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the U.S.
Constitution's Sixth Amendment guarantee of the right to a jury
trial.
Id.
Under North Carolina law, "[i]n deciding whether a defect in
the jury instruction constitutes 'plain error,' the appellate court
must examine the entire record and determine if the instructional
error had a probable impact on the jury's finding of guilt."
Odom,307 N.C. 655, 661, 300 S.E.2d 375, 378-79. Here there is no
defect
in the instruction; just no instruction. However, we feel that our
law and
Neder are harmonious.
It appears from the record to this Court beyond a reasonable
doubt that defendant indeed possessed a firearm during the
commission of the kidnapping of the two employees of the Bi-Lo.
The evidence in the record is overwhelming and uncontroverted, and
to such an extent that the jury could not have come to a differing
conclusion. We hold that, while it was error not to submit to the
jury the specific question of fact whether defendant possessed a
firearm during the commission of the kidnapping, it was not plain
error, because there is no "'reasonable possibility that, had the
error in question not been committed, a different result would have
been reached at the trial,'" and defendant has failed to overcome
its heavy burden.
State v. Kelly, 120 N.C. App. 821, 825, 463
S.E.2d 812, 814 (1995) (quoting
State v. Parrish, 275 N.C. 69, 76,
165 S.E.2d 230, 235 (1969));
see State v. Wallace, 104 N.C. App.
498, 410 S.E.2d 226 (1991),
dismissal allowed, disc. review denied,
331 N.C. 290, 416 S.E.2d 398,
cert. denied, 506 U.S. 915, 121 L.
Ed. 2d 241 (1992) (trial court's failure to instruct on presence in
acting in concert case did not have a probable impact on jury's
finding of guilt because there was substantial evidence of
defendant's constructive presence at the scene).
[4]This only resolves two of the requirements handed down by
Lucas, namely that the facts are submitted to the jury and proven
beyond a reasonable doubt. The third requirement of
Lucas presentsan entirely different dilemma as the indictment is now defective.
Neither party addressed this issue; however, in the interest of
justice, we address the issue, and
sua sponte make a motion for
arrest of judgment. "A motion in arrest of judgment is generally
made after verdict to prevent entry of judgment based on a
defective indictment or some fatal defect on the face of the record
proper."
State v. Davis, 282 N.C. 107, 117, 191 S.E.2d 664, 670
(1972).
This Court reviewed the law of fatally defective indictments
in
State v. Wilson, 128 N.C. App. 688, 497 S.E.2d 416 (1998):
Where there is a fatal defect in the
indictment . . . which appears on the face of
the record, a judgment which is entered
notwithstanding said defect is subject to a
motion in arrest of judgment. A defect in an
indictment is considered fatal if it "wholly
fails to charge some offense . . . or fails to
state some essential and necessary element of
the offense of which the defendant is found
guilty." When such a defect is present, it is
well established that a motion in arrest of
judgment may be made at any time in any court
having jurisdiction over the matter, even if
raised for the first time on appeal.
Id. at 691, 497 S.E.2d at 419 (footnotes omitted).
In the present case and under current law, the indictment is
fatally defective because it fails to allege the facts to support
the firearm enhancement found in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.16A as
required by
Lucas.
In its brief, the State cites
United States v. Mojica-Baez,
229 F.3d 292 (1st Cir. 2000),
cert. denied sub nom. Reyes-Hernandez
v. U.S., __ U.S. ___, 150 L. Ed. 2d 209,
cert. denied sub nom.
Mojica-Baez v. U.S., ___ U.S. ___, ___ L. Ed. 2d __,
cer
t. denied
sub nom. Ramos-Cartagena v. U.S., ___ U.S. ___, ___ L. Ed. 2d ___
(2001), in which the First Circuit upheld an indictment under a
Neder plain error analysis. The facts of that case are analogous
to the present case before us. In
Mojica-Baez, the defendants were
indicted and convicted of a crime and had their sentences increased
because of the federal firearm enhancement.
Mojica-Baez, 229 F.3d
at 306. Subsequently, the Supreme Court ruled that certain factors
which enhance the sentence must be alleged in the indictment and
submitted to the jury, because they were elements to a separate
offense and not merely sentencing factors.
See Castillo v. United
States, 530 U.S. 120, 147 L. Ed. 2d 94 (2000);
Apprendi, 530 U.S.
466, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435
. Thus, the defendant in that case made the
argument that, because of this, the indictments were defective, and
not subject to harmless and/or plain error analysis because these
are not trial errors, but structural errors requiring reversal.
Mojica-Baez, 229 F.3d at 307-08. The court in that case held that
the indictment was nevertheless subject to harmless error:
No interest in safeguarding fair trials or
vindicating compelling constitutional policies
would be served by classifying the error here
as structural. Nor do we think the integrity
of the judicial system is implicated.
The
reason the indictment in this case did not
specify that a semiautomatic assault weapon or
AK-47 had been used in the robbery was that
circuit precedent at the time did not require
it . . . . It is one thing to vacate a
conviction or sentence where the prosecutor
failed to indict in accordance with the
current state of the law. It is quite another
thing to vacate a conviction or sentence basedon an indictment
that was entirely proper at
the time.
Id. at 310 (emphasis added). We find this reasoning unpersuasive.
See United States v. Tran, 234 F.3d 798 (2d Cir. 2000) (stating
that
Mojica-Baez failed to address the failure of an indictment to
charge an offense as a jurisdictional matter, and that the Tenth
Circuit case
United States v. Prentiss, 206 F.3d 960 (10th Cir.
2000), had "convincingly reasoned that
Neder was inapplicable to
the failure of an indictment to state an offense").
Tran, 234 F.3d
at 809 n.2.
Our Supreme Court has ruled that the enhancement found in our
statutes was constitutional as long as the requirements of
Jones
and
Apprendi were followed. It bears repeating what those
requirements are: (1) the factors supporting the enhancement must
be alleged in an indictment; (2) the issue must be submitted to a
jury; and (3) the factors must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If these three requirements are not met, the enhancement is
unconstitutional. Here, the State did not fulfill these
requirements. It therefore follows that the enhancements at the
time of trial and sentencing were impermissible under the test set
forth by our Supreme Court in
Lucas.
Accordingly, as to No. 00 CRS 023236 (two counts of second
degree kidnapping), we vacate the 60-month enhanced sentence based
on the firearm possession, judgment is arrested, and the case is
remanded for resentencing.
As to No. 98 CRS 040303 (robbery with dangerous weapon), No.00 CRS 023235 (two counts of robbery with dangerous wea
pon), No.
00 CRS 023237 (robbery with dangerous weapon and first degree
kidnapping), no error.
Judges MARTIN and BIGGS concur.
*** Converted from WordPerfect ***