Martin v. State
| Docket Number: | 2002-KA-00607-SCT Linked Case(s): 2002-KA-00607-SCT |
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| Supreme Court: | Opinion Link Opinion Date: 07-17-2003 Opinion Author: Smith, P.J. Holding: Affirmed |
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| Additional Case Information: |
Topic: Murder - Voluntariness of confession - Photograph - Prior bad act - Reasonable doubt instruction Judge(s) Concurring: Pittman, C.J., Waller, Cobb, Diaz, Easley, Carlson and Graves, JJ. Non Participating Judge(s): Diaz, J. Concurs in Result Only: McRae, P.J. Procedural History: Jury Trial Nature of the Case: CRIMINAL - FELONY |
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| Trial Court: |
Date of Trial Judgment: 02-27-2002 Appealed from: Jackson County Circuit Court Judge: Dale Harkey Disposition: The Appellant was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. District Attorney: Keith Miller Case Number: 2000-10,061(1) |
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| Party Name: | Attorney Name: | |||
| Appellant: | Jeremy Dean Martin |
ROSS PARKER SIMONS |
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| Appellee: | State of Mississippi | OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BY: W. GLENN WATTS |
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Synopsis provided by:  If you are interested in subscribing to the weekly synopses of all Mississippi Supreme Court and Court of Appeals hand downs please contact Tammy Upton in the MLI Press office. |
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| Topic: | Murder - Voluntariness of confession - Photograph - Prior bad act - Reasonable doubt instruction |
| Summary of the Facts: | Jeremy Martin was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. He appeals. |
| Summary of Opinion Analysis: | Issue 1: Confession Martin argues that his youth and mental condition precluded him from effecting a knowing and voluntary waiver of his constitutional rights to counsel and to remain silent. The State meets its burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the confession was voluntary by the testimony of an officer, or other persons having knowledge of the facts, that the confession was voluntarily made without threats, coercion, or offers of reward. Prior to any interrogation, Martin blurted out circumstances surrounding his crimes. The officer informed Martin that they could speak about those matters after they reached the substation and Martin was given his Miranda rights. After the warnings were given, Martin indicated he wanted to talk, and the officer again read Martin his rights before taking his statement. There was no indication of coercion or misconduct of any kind. Issue 2: Photograph Martin argues that the court erred in admitting a gruesome photograph of the crime scene. Photographs have evidentiary value when they aid in describing the circumstances of the killing and the corpus delicti, they describe the location of the body and the cause of death, or they supplement or clarify witness testimony. Here, the photograph corroborated the testimony of witnesses and showed the location and positioning of the body and showed the nature of the crime and the lack of any possibility of self-defense. Issue 3: Prior bad acts Martin argues that there was error when the jury, during re-direct of a prosecution witness, heard a statement about a prior bad act allegedly committed by Martin. Not only was the statement elicited from the State’s witness unresponsive to the question asked by the prosecution, but the judge properly instructed the jury to disregard the statement since he did not believe irreparable damage had occurred. Issue 4: Reasonable doubt instruction Martin argues that an instruction defining reasonable doubt should be included in the instructions to the jury. A definition of reasonable doubt is not a proper instruction for the jury, since reasonable doubt defines itself. In addition, the jury instructions correctly stated the law and applied that law to the facts. |
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