State v. James

Decision Date28 June 2019
Docket NumberNo. 117,945,117,945
Citation443 P.3d 1063
Parties STATE of Kansas, Appellee, v. Grover D. JAMES, Appellant.
CourtKansas Supreme Court

Kai Tate Mann, of Kansas Appellate Defender Office, argued the cause, and Sam Schirer, of the same office, was on the briefs for appellant.

Matt J. Maloney, assistant district attorney, argued the cause, and Marc Bennett, district attorney, and Derek Schmidt, attorney general, were with him on the brief for appellee.

The opinion of the court was delivered by Beier, J.:

This is defendant Grover D. James' direct appeal of his convictions for first-degree premeditated murder of Leon McClennon and criminal possession of a firearm.

James challenges the district judge's refusal to give certain lesser included homicide instructions and failure to tell the jury to consider certain homicide offenses simultaneously. He also challenges the admission of autopsy photographs into evidence, alleges reversible prosecutorial error, and asserts he was deprived of his constitutional right to be present at all critical stages of his trial. James also argues that cumulative error requires reversal of his convictions.

Although we identify errors in James' case, the errors are not reversible standing alone or cumulatively. For the reasons outlined below, we affirm James' convictions.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Resolution of James' appellate issues require an unusually extensive review of the factual and procedural background of this case.

On the night of May 8 and into the early morning hours of May 9, 2015, Rance Kindred's friends and family threw him a birthday party, held in the basement of the Parrot-fa-Nalia dress shop in Wichita. The party was attended by a variety of Kindred's friends and family, including: Grover "Boo" James, Kindred's friend; August Hughes, James' girlfriend; Keialsha James, James' sister; Torey West, Kindred's girlfriend and James' sister; Artadius "Ta Ta" Johnson, Kindred's son; and Leon "Fat Head" McClennon, Johnson's cousin and Kindred's nephew.

Johnson and McClennon ended up at the party after Johnson spoke with Kindred on the phone. At the party, Kindred introduced James and Johnson for the first time. Kindred would testify that he had "wanted them to meet each other" but "it went bad right away because Ta Ta [Johnson] swolled up," that is, swelled his body in a confrontational manner. See Urban Dictionary, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=swole (last visited June 28, 2019). The tension between the two escalated throughout the evening over a perception that Johnson was "mugging" James. On more than one occasion, Kindred told Johnson that he needed to "squash" his issues with James.

At some point in the evening, Johnson left with McClennon and another cousin before he returned to the party to "chill with [his] auntie and stuff." According to Johnson, Kindred made another attempt to convince Johnson to "squash" things with James, which caused Johnson to "want[ ] to fight." But before things escalated too far, another of Johnson's cousins—Anita Jones—grabbed him and calmed him down.

After this confrontation, many of the guests began leaving the party. Johnson and McClennon stayed to help clean up. James and Hughes initially left the party, but, Hughes would eventually testify, she remembered she had offered to help clean up; so she and James went back.

Surveillance camera footage captured what happened in the Parrot-fa-Nalia parking lot and outside the entrance to the basement upon James and Hughes' return. The footage would later be admitted at James' trial.

When James and Hughes pulled into the Parrot-fa-Nalia parking lot, Johnson and McClennon were outside. At that point, Johnson and McClennon immediately went down to the basement. Trial testimony would establish that the door at the bottom of the stairs to the basement was shut and could not be opened from the outside.

Surveillance footage from inside the door shows that Keialsha, James' sister, opened the door. Johnson and McClennon can be seen coming through the door, followed almost immediately by James. Hughes came through the door a moment later.

The events that followed inside the basement—outside the view of any surveillance camera—were disputed at trial. It is undisputed, however, that James fired two shots, one of which hit McClennon in the head, killing him. The internal surveillance footage then shows, approximately 37 seconds after the group had moved off camera, McClennon stumbling headfirst to the floor, where his motionless body comes to rest. While McClennon's body is lying on the ground, James walks past it and back up the stairs. Hughes follows him.

After the shooting, James drove Hughes' car to Oklahoma. He was apprehended there and was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and unlawful possession of a weapon.

James' first appearance on the charges was in later October 2015. On December 14, 2015, James filed with the clerk of the court a letter he had written to his then-attorney Brad Sylvester. The letter asked Sylvester to take certain actions in his case. James asked Sylvester to "file and pursue any and all necessary paperwork to insure a speedy trial, I'd also ask you to file a 180 day writ [and] a motion for statutory speedy trial." James later reiterated a request that Sylvester "vigor[o]usly pursue" his "speedy trial" and asked that Sylvester "not continue my preliminary hearing ... or continue my trial ever." James also asked to be present at "any and all hearings ... when my case is d[i]scussed."

After District Court Judge David J. Kaufman found probable cause at James' January 13, 2016, preliminary hearing, James waived arraignment and the case was set for jury trial on February 16, 2016.

On February 16, Sylvester requested a continuance in a filing titled, "Notice and Order Concerning Defense Counsel's Request to Continue Trial after Consultation with the Defendant." District Court Judge Jeffrey E. Goering granted the request to continue the case and reset trial for March 14, 2016. The form document, which was signed and submitted by Sylvester, contained the following paragraph:

" ‘In submitting this request to the Court, the named defense counsel represents to the Court that counsel has consulted with the named defendant about this continuance and this continuance is to be charged to the defendant pursuant to K.S.A. 22-3402(g).’ "

On March 16, Sylvester asked for another continuance, using an identical form document. Judge Goering again granted the request and reset trial for June 6, 2016.

On April 14, James filed a motion seeking to dismiss counsel. James alleged an irreconcilable conflict and complete breakdown of communication. That same day, the motion was set for hearing on April 22, 2016.

James was present for the motion hearing before District Court Judge John J. Kisner, Jr. On April 22 Judge Kisner acknowledged James' previous concerns over a speedy trial. Judge Kisner informed James that recent caselaw required that any further continuances would require James to sign off on them or attend a hearing. Judge Kisner denied the motion to dismiss counsel and informed James that any appointment of new counsel would mean more time for trial preparation. James responded, "I'm not worried about the time."

During the hearing, the court and parties discovered that a June 6 start date for trial—the date that had been set on March 16—conflicted with the court's schedule. Trial was reset for July 11, 2016. Judge Kisner advised James that the time would not be charged to the State and asked if James was agreeable to the new trial date. James said he understood and agreed to the new date.

On June 15, 2016, James filed an Objection to Continuance.

"COMES NOW, the Defendant, pro se , formally objecting to any continuance sought by either the State or defense counsel in the above entitled action. The defendant further asserts his statutory, K.S.A. 22-3208(7), and Fourteenth Amendment Due Process right to appear at all ‘critical stages’ in a prosecution including any proceeding where the court may order that the Defendant has waived any constitutional or statutory right."

The same day, James moved to dismiss the case with prejudice. James alleged that his "statutory right to a fast and speedy trial, and his constitutional right to Due Process and fast and speedy trial" had been violated.

In his motion, James set out a timeline of events, alleging that his trial had been continued by his attorney on February 16, March 14, and June 6, outside of James' presence and against his "clear wishes." James further alleged, "At no time has the defendant been present in the courtroom or by video, and asked if he agreed to the continuance or given the opportunity to object to the continuance" and that "[t]here are no signed waivers of speedy trial or signed acknowledgments of continuance." According to James, the time the State had to bring him to trial under K.S.A. 22-3402 began to run on January 13, 2016, the date of his preliminary hearing, and expired on June 12, 2016.

The same day James filed his pro se motion, the district court clerk sent Sylvester a letter advising him of the filing and saying that no further action would be taken unless Sylvester directed otherwise.

On June 20, James filed another motion seeking to have Sylvester replaced. In an affidavit filed the next day, James alleged he had informed Sylvester in writing that he wanted to be present at all hearings but Sylvester had nevertheless failed to consult him about any of the previous continuances. James further alleged that he had not been given the opportunity to appear at any of the continuance hearings and that, had he been present, he would have objected to any continuance.

On July 1, Judge Kaufman heard James' motion for new counsel. James explained that he felt there was a communication breakdown between himself and Sylvester because of the continuances Sylvester had requested without James' knowledge.

The State contradicted...

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