Masika v. Commonwealth

• Decision Date: 06 May 2014
• Docket Number: Record No. 0575–13–1.
• Citation: 757 S.E.2d 571,63 Va.App. 330
• Court: Virginia Court of Appeals
• Parties: Francis Anyokorit MASIKA v. COMMONWEALTH of Virginia.

63 Va.App. 330

757 S.E.2d 571

Francis Anyokorit MASIKA

v.COMMONWEALTH of Virginia.

Record No. 0575–13–1.

Court of Appeals of Virginia, Chesapeake.

May 6, 2014.

A. Robinson Winn, Deputy Public Defender (Office of the Public Defender, on brief), for appellant.

Steven A. Witmer, Senior Assistant Attorney General (Mark R. Herring, Attorney General, on brief), for appellee.

Present: FRANK, HUMPHREYS and CHAFIN, JJ.

FRANK, Judge.

Francis Anyokorit Maskia, appellant, was convicted, in a bench trial, of failure to return leased property in violation of Code § 18.2–118 and felony contempt ¹ in violation of Code § 18.2–456. On appeal appellant contends that because Code § 18.2–118, by its very terms, excludes vehicles from the types of personal property subject to Code § 18.2–118, the trial court erred in convicting him under that statute. For the reasons stated, we reverse the judgment of the trial court.

BACKGROUND

Appellant and Triangle Rental Car (Triangle) entered into a written contract for appellant to lease one of Triangle's vehicles for a single day rental. Appellant did not return the vehicle on the agreed-upon return date. An employee of Triangle unsuccessfully attempted to contact appellant to seek return of the vehicle. Triangle sent a notice letter to appellant as required by Code § 18.2–118(B). The letter was returned.² The vehicle was returned to Triangle approximately two weeks later.

The trial court found the evidence sufficient to convict appellant under Code § 18.2–118.

This appeal follows.

ANALYSIS

Appellant maintains the trial court erred in convicting him under Code § 18.2–118, as that section specifically excludes vehicles from the provisions of the statute. On appeal, appellant does not contest that he failed to return a rented vehicle or that the evidence would be insufficient to establish that he violated Code § 18.2–117. Rather, his argument is that he did not violate Code § 18.2–118. Appellant concedes that he never raised that issue below. He asserts the “ends of justice” exception to Rule 5A:18 permits us to address his assignment of error.

“The Court of Appeals will not consider an argument on appeal which was not presented to the trial court.” Ohree v. Commonwealth, 26 Va.App. 299, 308, 494 S.E.2d 484, 488 (1998) (citing Jacques v. Commonwealth, 12 Va.App. 591, 593, 405 S.E.2d 630, 631 (1991)); see alsoRule 5A:18.

However, Rule 5A:18 provides for consideration of a ruling by the trial court that was not objected to at trial “to enable the Court of Appeals to attain the ends of justice.” Rule 5A:18. “ ‘The ends of justice exception is narrow and is to be used sparingly’ ” when an error at trial is “ ‘clear, substantial and material.’ ” Redman v. Commonwealth, 25 Va.App. 215, 220–21, 487 S.E.2d 269, 272 (1997) (quoting Brown v. Commonwealth, 8 Va.App. 126, 132, 380 S.E.2d 8, 10–11 (1989)). “In order to avail oneself of the exception, a defendant must affirmatively show that a miscarriage of justice has occurred, not that a miscarriage might have occurred.” Id. at 221, 487 S.E.2d at 272 (citing Mounce v. Commonwealth, 4 Va.App. 433, 436, 357 S.E.2d 742, 744 (1987)).

In order to show that a miscarriage of justice has occurred, an appellant must demonstrate more than that the Commonwealth failed to prove an element of the offense.... [T]he appellant must demonstrate that he or she was convicted for conduct that was not a criminal offense or the record must affirmatively prove that an element of the offense did not occur.

Id. at 221–22, 487 S.E.2d at 272–73 (emphasis in original).

In order to avail himself of this exception to 5A:18, the appellant must “ ‘affirmatively show [that] ... that the error [was] clear, substantial and material.’ ” Bazemore v. Commonwealth, 42 Va.App. 203, 219, 590 S.E.2d 602, 610 (2004) (quoting Brown, 8 Va.App. at 132, 380 S.E.2d at 11 (alterations in original)).

Our inquiry, then, is whether “manifest injustice” occurs when an accused is convicted of conduct excluded from the statute under which he was charged. In order to make that determination, we must delve into the facts of the case and analyze them in the context of Rule 5A:18.

In examining a case for miscarriage of justice, we do not simply review the sufficiency of the evidence under the usual standard, but instead determine whether the record contains affirmative evidence of innocence or lack of a criminal offense.

Our Supreme Court has limited the “ ‘[a]pplication of the ends of justice exception [to cases where] the judgment of the trial court was error and application of the exception is necessary to avoid a grave injustice or the denial of essential rights.’ ” Rowe v. Commonwealth, 277 Va. 495, 503, 675 S.E.2d 161, 165 (2009) (quoting Charles v. Commonwealth, 270 Va. 14, 17, 613 S.E.2d 432, 433 (2005)). The language used by our Supreme Court indicates that there are two distinct requirements that [appellant] must meet before we can apply the ends of justice exception: (1) that the trial court erred, and (2) that a grave or manifest injustice will occur or the appellant will be denied essential rights.

Brittle v. Commonwealth, 54 Va.App. 505, 512–13, 680 S.E.2d 335, 339 (2009).

Both requirements are essential, because if a trial error is always considered manifest injustice, Rule 5A:18 would be absorbed into this exception. See Redman, 25 Va.App. at 221, 487 S.E.2d at 272. In that case, any issue, regardless of whether it was properly preserved, would be subject to appellate review, and Rule 5A:18 would be meaningless.

The burden of establishing a manifest injustice is a heavy one, and it rests with the appellant. We have previously held that the appellant must demonstrate more than that the Commonwealth failed to prove an element of the offense.... In order to show that a miscarriage of justice has occurred, ... the appellant must demonstrate that he or she was convicted for conduct that was not a criminal offense or the record must affirmatively prove that an element of the offense did not occur.

Brittle, 54 Va.App. at 514, 680 S.E.2d at 340 (citing Redman, 25 Va.App. at 221–22, 487 S.E.2d at 273) (emphasis in original).

The non-offense prong of the ends of justice analysis is similar to a legal impossibility analysis. It is clear from our jurisprudence that factual impossibility is not a defense to a crime, but legal impossibility is. Hix v. Commonwealth, 270 Va. 335, 344, 619 S.E.2d 80, 85 (2005).

Legal impossibility occurs when a defendant's actions would not constitute a crime, even if they were carried out fully and exactly as he intended. Factual impossibility arises when a defendant's actions are proscribed by the criminal law, but the defendant is prevented from bringing about the intended result due to a fact or circumstance unknown to him. See Parham v. Commonwealth, 2 Va.App. 633, 636, 347 S.E.2d 172, 173–74 (1986). “Traditional analysis recognizes legal impossibility as a valid defense but refuses to recognize factual impossibility.” Id. at 636, 347 S.E.2d at 174 (citing United States v. Oviedo, 525 F.2d 881, 883 (5th Cir.1976)).

The Supreme Court of Virginia was presented with a classic example of legal impossibility in Foster v. Commonwealth, 96 Va. 306, 31 S.E. 503 (1898). In that case, a boy under the age of fourteen was charged with the crime of rape. There was a conclusive presumption under the common law that a child under fourteen lacked the capacity to commit rape or to attempt to commit rape, regardless of the facts. Id. at 307, 31 S.E. at 504. The Court concluded that the underage defendant was legally unable to commit the substantive crime or be convicted of the attempt. Id. at 311, 31 S.E. at 505.

In Michaels v. Commonwealth, 32 Va.App. 601, 529 S.E.2d 822 (2000), the appellant was summarily convicted of contempt of court, in violation of Code § 18.2–456(5), for failing to transport an inmate to a mental hospital for an inpatient psychological evaluation. Id. at 603, 529 S.E.2d at 823. The trial court's continuance order implied that the inmate should go to a mental hospital for a psychological evaluation, yet the order never directed anyone to take him there. Id. at 605, 529 S.E.2d at 824. The trial court issued an order to show cause to Deputy Michaels to explain why he did not transport the inmate to the mental hospital. The testimony at the show cause hearing demonstrated that Michaels was never ordered to transport the inmate anywhere and that, in fact, he never transported the inmate anywhere. Id. at 609, 529 S.E.2d at 826. In reversing his conviction, we noted that Michaels was convicted of a crime that was legally impossible to commit.

Commonwealth v. Bruhn, 264 Va. 597, 570 S.E.2d 866 (2002), is helpful to our analysis. In Bruhn, the accused was tried and convicted of grand larceny. The Supreme Court of Virginia agreed with the reasoning of this Court and found the evidence insufficient to prove there was a trespassory taking, concluding that “the Commonwealth is no longer permitted to sustain an indictment for grand larceny by proving that the defendant committed embezzlement.” Id. at 601, 570 S.E.2d at 868.

In Ball v. Commonwealth, 221 Va. 754, 273 S.E.2d 790 (1981), Ball was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison. Id. at 755–56, 273 S.E.2d at 790–91. The indictment charged Ball with the willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of another “in the commission of robbery while armed with a deadly weapon,” in violation of Code § 18.2–31(d). Id. at 756, 273 S.E.2d at 791. The Court concluded that “[t]he evidence, construed in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, showed that [the victim] was killed during an attempted robbery, rather than in the actual commission of robbery.” Id. at 757, 273 S.E.2d at 792. As a result, “[u]nder the evidence, the only offense of which Ball could properly be convicted was felony murder of the first degree under [Code] § 18.2–32.” Id.

The Court stated:

Under Rule 5:21 [now Rule 5:25], we do...