State v. Cox , 367 N.C. 147 ( 2013 )


Menu:
  •                   IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA
    No. 57PA12-2
    FILED 8 NOVEMBER 2013
    STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
    v.
    RONALD PRINCEGERALD COX
    On discretionary review pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 7A-31 of a unanimous
    decision of the Court of Appeals, ___ N.C. App. ___, 
    731 S.E.2d 438
     (2012), reversing
    in part and finding no error in part in a judgment entered on 15 September 2010 by
    Judge Charles H. Henry in Superior Court, Wayne County, and remanding for
    resentencing. Heard in the Supreme Court on 3 September 2013.
    Roy Cooper, Attorney General, by Joseph L. Hyde, Assistant Attorney General,
    for the State-appellant.
    Irving Joyner for defendant-appellee.
    MARTIN, Justice.
    Defendant, a convicted felon, confessed to possession of a firearm recovered
    by Goldsboro police officers ten to twelve feet from a car in which he was a
    passenger. Because defendant’s confession is supported by substantial independent
    evidence tending to establish its trustworthiness, the corpus delicti rule is satisfied.
    We reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals.
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    The Goldsboro Police Department conducted a DWI checkpoint from 11:00
    p.m. on 30 October until 3:00 a.m. on 31 October 2009 at the intersection of Central
    Heights Road and Highway 13 North. The Department posted notice signs and
    illuminated the area with mobile lighting units. Officer William VanLenten was
    assigned to watch for vehicles attempting to avoid the checkpoint.               At
    approximately 1:35 a.m., Officer VanLenten observed a Chevrolet Impala sedan
    traveling north toward the checkpoint.      The Impala abruptly slowed down and
    appeared to Officer VanLenten “like it was going to turn west” onto another road.
    Instead, the Impala continued its path north and turned into the driveway of a
    residence. Officer VanLenten was familiar with this residence and had never seen
    the Impala there. As he followed in his patrol vehicle to investigate, he observed
    the driver jump from the Impala and flee to the back of the property. Three other
    men remained in the car: defendant in the front passenger seat, James Darden in
    the rear seat behind defendant, and Deangelo Cox in the rear seat behind the
    driver’s seat. The driver’s door was open and all the windows were down. Officer
    VanLenten ordered the passengers to show their hands. The backseat passengers,
    Darden and Deangelo Cox, complied, but defendant ignored the command, rolling a
    marijuana cigarette instead.
    As Officer Tyler McNeill arrived to provide backup, the driver of the Impala,
    Brian White, returned to the scene with his hands up. Officer McNeill removed
    James Darden from the car and found a firearm on the car’s floor at the foot of his
    -2-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    seat. Deangelo Cox and defendant were then removed from the car. In White’s
    flight path through the yard, the officers found a firearm loaded with five rounds of
    ammunition and a clear plastic bag containing several smaller plastic bags of
    marijuana. The firearm was located within ten to twelve feet of the driver’s side of
    the car. The night was cool and the grass was wet with condensation, but the
    firearm was dry and warm. Within three feet of the firearm the officers also found
    a small bag of individually wrapped marijuana. Darden claimed ownership of the
    firearm found at the foot of his seat, and Officer NcNeill took him into custody. No
    one claimed ownership of the firearm and marijuana that were found outside the
    car. Officer VanLenten checked the serial number of the unclaimed firearm and
    learned it had been reported stolen from Sumter, Georgia.       He arrested White,
    Deangelo Cox, and defendant.
    After the Impala’s four occupants had been transported to the Wayne County
    Magistrate’s Office, they discussed among themselves their desire that Deangelo
    Cox, who was defendant’s younger brother, not be charged.        Officer VanLenten
    reiterated that if none of them took ownership of the marijuana and stolen firearm,
    then all of them would be charged. The group asked Officer VanLenten whether
    Deangelo Cox would be released “if they said who the items belonged to.” After
    Officer VanLenten gave them their Miranda warnings, White stated the marijuana
    belonged to him and defendant stated the firearm belonged to him.          The men
    refused to make written statements.       Deangelo Cox was released from police
    -3-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    custody and was not charged. Defendant was indicted for possession of a stolen
    firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
    Before defendant’s case was called for trial, the State dismissed the charge of
    possession of a stolen firearm. At trial, Officers VanLenten and McNeill testified
    for the State. The trial court admitted a certified copy of defendant’s prior felony
    conviction. At the conclusion of the State’s case in chief, defense counsel moved to
    dismiss the two remaining charges. The trial court denied these motions. Brian
    White, the Impala’s driver, was the sole witness for the defense. He testified that
    he was present with defendant the entire time they were held at the magistrate’s
    office and never heard defendant admit the stolen firearm belonged to him. He also
    denied claiming ownership of the marijuana found in the grass. At the close of the
    evidence, the trial court again denied the defense’s motions to dismiss the charges.
    The jury found defendant guilty of possession of a controlled substance and
    possession of a firearm by a felon. The trial court consolidated the offenses for
    judgment and sentenced defendant to a term of twelve to fifteen months of
    imprisonment.
    On appeal, the Court of Appeals held the trial court erred by denying
    defendant’s motion to dismiss the charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. State
    v. Cox, ___ N.C. App. ___, ___, 
    721 S.E.2d 346
    , 348 (2012). The court stated: “[T]he
    entirety of the confession, as conveyed by Officer VanLenten, was that defendant
    -4-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    owned the gun. Thus, any corroborative evidence under either [the traditional or
    Parker articulation of the corpus delicti] test would have to tend to establish that
    defendant owned or possessed the gun.” 
    Id.
     at ___, 721 S.E.2d at 350. Concluding
    that “[t]he State did not present such evidence” and “the only evidence that
    defendant possessed the gun was the extrajudicial confession,” the Court of Appeals
    reversed the trial court’s denial of defendant’s motion to dismiss that charge. Id. at
    ___, 721 S.E.2d at 350. As for the second issue raised on appeal, the court found no
    error in defendant’s conviction for possession of marijuana. Id. at ___, 721 S.E.2d at
    350.
    On 13 June 2012, we allowed the State’s petition for discretionary review for
    the limited purpose of remanding to the Court of Appeals for reconsideration in
    light of our decision in State v. Sweat, 
    366 N.C. 79
    , 
    727 S.E.2d 691
     (2012). State v.
    Cox, 
    366 N.C. 211
    , 
    742 S.E.2d 189
     (2012).         Upon reconsideration, the Court of
    Appeals upheld its original decision.     State v. Cox, ___ N.C. App. ___, ___, 
    731 S.E.2d 438
    , 443 (2012). The State again petitioned this Court for discretionary
    review. We allowed the State’s petition on 24 January 2013.
    The sole issue before us is whether the Court of Appeals erred by reversing
    the trial court’s denial of defendant’s motion to dismiss the charge of possession of a
    firearm by a felon. “Upon a defendant’s motion to dismiss for insufficient evidence,
    the question for the Court is whether there is substantial evidence (1) of each
    -5-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    essential element of the offense charged . . . and (2) of defendant’s being the
    perpetrator of such offense. If so, the motion is properly denied.” Sweat, 366 N.C.
    at 84, 727 S.E.2d at 695 (alteration in original) (citations and internal quotation
    marks omitted). “Substantial evidence is relevant evidence that a reasonable mind
    might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” State v. Miller, 
    363 N.C. 96
    , 99,
    
    678 S.E.2d 592
    , 594 (2009) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted). “The
    evidence is to be considered in the light most favorable to the State, and the State is
    entitled to . . . every reasonable inference to be drawn therefrom.” Sweat, 366 N.C.
    at 84, 727 S.E.2d at 695 (alteration in original) (citations and internal quotation
    marks omitted).     “Whether the State presented substantial evidence of each
    essential element is a question of law.” State v. Phillips, 
    365 N.C. 103
    , 133-34, 
    711 S.E.2d 122
    , 144 (2011) (citation omitted), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 
    132 S. Ct. 1541
    (2012). “We review questions of law de novo.” State v. Khan, ___ N.C. ___, ___, 
    738 S.E.2d 167
    , 171 (2013) (citation omitted). Accordingly, we conduct a de novo review
    to determine whether there was substantial evidence that defendant was previously
    convicted of a felony and subsequently possessed a firearm. State v. Bradshaw, 
    366 N.C. 90
    , 93, 
    728 S.E.2d 345
    , 347-48 (2012) (citing N.C.G.S. § 14-415.1(a) (2011)).
    A confession can be powerful evidence against the accused. See, e.g., Premo v.
    Moore, ___ U.S. ___, ___, 
    131 S. Ct. 733
    , 744 (2011). But we have long held that “an
    extrajudicial confession, standing alone, is not sufficient to sustain a conviction of a
    crime.” State v. Parker, 
    315 N.C. 222
    , 229, 
    337 S.E.2d 487
    , 491 (1985). When the
    -6-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    State relies upon a defendant’s extrajudicial confession, we apply the corpus delicti
    rule “to guard against the possibility that a defendant will be convicted of a crime
    that has not been committed.”     
    Id. at 235
    , 
    337 S.E.2d at 494
    .      This inquiry is
    preliminary to consideration of whether the State presented sufficient evidence to
    survive the motion to dismiss.
    The corpus delicti rule is historically grounded in three policy justifications:
    (1) to “protect[ ] against those shocking situations in which alleged murder victims
    turn up alive after their accused killer has been convicted and perhaps executed”;
    (2) to “ensure[ ] that confessions that are erroneously reported or construed,
    involuntarily made, mistaken as to law or fact, or falsely volunteered by an insane
    or mentally disturbed individual cannot be used to falsely convict a defendant”; and
    (3) “to promote good law enforcement practices [by] requir[ing] thorough
    investigations of alleged crimes to ensure that justice is achieved and the innocent
    are vindicated.” State v. Smith, 
    362 N.C. 583
    , 591-92, 
    669 S.E.2d 299
    , 305 (2008)
    (citations and internal quotation marks omitted).
    Traditionally, our corpus delicti rule has required the State to present
    corroborative evidence, independent of the defendant’s confession, tending to show
    that “(a) the injury or harm constituting the crime occurred [and] (b) this injury or
    harm was done in a criminal manner.”           Id. at 589, 
    669 S.E.2d at 304
     (citation
    omitted); see also Parker, 
    315 N.C. at 231
    , 
    337 S.E.2d at 492
    .        This traditional
    -7-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    approach requires that the independent evidence “ ‘touch[ ] or concern[ ] the corpus
    delicti’ ”—literally, the body of the crime, such as the dead body in a murder case.
    Parker, 
    315 N.C. at 229
    , 
    337 S.E.2d at 491
     (citation omitted).
    When applying the corpus delicti rule, it is fundamental that the
    corroborative evidence “need not . . . in any manner tend to show that the defendant
    was the guilty party.” 1 Kenneth S. Broun et al., McCormick on Evidence § 146, at
    810 (7th ed. 2013) [hereinafter 1 McCormick on Evidence].            Instead, the rule
    requires the State to present evidence tending to show that the crime in question
    occurred. The rule does not require the State to logically exclude every possibility
    that the defendant did not commit the crime. Thus, if the State presents evidence
    tending to establish that the injury or harm constituting the crime occurred and
    was caused by criminal activity, then the corpus delicti rule is satisfied and the
    State may use the defendant’s confession to prove his identity as the perpetrator.
    See, e.g., State v. Trexler, 
    316 N.C. 528
    , 533, 
    342 S.E.2d 878
    , 881 (1986).
    In State v. Parker, acknowledging shortcomings and criticisms of the
    traditional corpus delicti rule, 
    315 N.C. at 231-35
    , 
    337 S.E.2d at 492-95
    , we adopted
    a rule for non-capital cases “expand[ing] the type of corroboration which may be
    sufficient to establish the trustworthiness of the confession,” Trexler, 316 N.C. at
    532, 
    342 S.E.2d at 880
    .
    [W]hen the State relies upon the defendant’s confession to
    obtain a conviction, it is no longer necessary that there be
    -8-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    independent proof tending to establish the corpus delicti
    of the crime charged if the accused’s confession is
    supported by substantial independent evidence tending to
    establish its trustworthiness, including facts that tend to
    show the defendant had the opportunity to commit the
    crime.
    We wish to emphasize, however, that when
    independent proof of loss or injury is lacking, there must
    be strong corroboration of essential facts and
    circumstances embraced in the defendant’s confession.
    Corroboration of insignificant facts or those unrelated to
    the commission of the crime will not suffice.          We
    emphasize this point because although we have relaxed
    our corroboration rule somewhat, we remain advertent to
    the reason for its existence, that is, to protect against
    convictions for crimes that have not in fact occurred.
    Parker, 
    315 N.C. at 236
    , 
    337 S.E.2d at 495
    ; see also Sweat, 366 N.C. at 82, 727
    S.E.2d at 694; Trexler, 316 N.C. at 532, 
    342 S.E.2d at 880
    . This rule, known as the
    Parker rule, applies when independent proof of the commission of the crime—that
    is, the corpus delicti—is lacking but there is substantial independent evidence
    tending to establish the trustworthiness of the defendant’s extrajudicial confession.
    Trexler, 316 N.C. at 532, 
    342 S.E.2d at 880
    .       As we later clarified, we did not
    abandon the traditional rule when we adopted the rule in Parker. 
    Id.
     Rather, the
    State may now satisfy the corpus delicti rule under the traditional formulation or
    under the Parker formulation. Id.; see also State v. Sloan, 
    316 N.C. 714
    , 725, 
    343 S.E.2d 527
    , 534 (1986).
    The Court in Parker noted that application of the traditional corpus delicti
    rule “is nearly impossible in those instances where the defendant has been charged
    -9-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    with a crime that does not involve a tangible corpus delicti such as is present in
    homicide (the dead body), arson (the burned building) and robbery (missing
    property).”   
    315 N.C. at 232
    , 
    337 S.E.2d at 493
    .        For many statutory offenses,
    “[s]imply identifying the elements of the corpus delicti . . . provides fertile ground
    for dispute.” 1 McCormick on Evidence § 147, at 815. These difficulties provided, in
    part, the Court’s motivation for adopting the more flexible Parker rule. Although
    the gun recovered by the officers may have provided independent evidence of the
    tangible corpus delicti under the traditional rule, in light of the above
    considerations, we apply the Parker rule. Accordingly, we must determine whether
    defendant’s “confession is supported by substantial independent evidence tending to
    establish its trustworthiness, including facts that tend to show [he] had the
    opportunity to commit the crime.” Parker, 
    315 N.C. at 236
    , 
    337 S.E.2d at 495
    .
    The State’s evidence tended to show that the Chevrolet Impala attempted to
    avoid a DWI checkpoint by pulling into a residential driveway. The driver fled on
    foot as Officer VanLenten’s patrol car approached. Officer VanLenten observed that
    defendant was one of three remaining passengers in the car. Officers thereafter
    found the firearm in question within ten to twelve feet of the driver’s open door.
    Even though the night was cool and the grass was wet with condensation, the
    firearm was dry and warm, indicating that it came from inside the car. Near the
    firearm officers found marijuana packaged in a manner consistent with packaging
    for sale. The officers also found a firearm at the feet of one of the other passengers.
    -10-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    These are not “insignificant facts” or facts “unrelated to the commission of the
    crime.”   
    Id.
         Rather, these facts strongly corroborate “essential facts and
    circumstances embraced in [ ] defendant’s confession.” 
    Id.
     They link defendant
    temporally and spatially to the firearm.         Thus, the circumstances preceding
    defendant’s confession—circumstances that were observed by law enforcement
    officers—establish the trustworthiness of the confession.
    Furthermore, defendant makes no claim that his confession was obtained by
    deception or coercion, or was a result of physical or mental infirmity. In fact, before
    confessing, defendant was advised of his Miranda rights and signed a Waiver of
    Rights form that stated:
    I have read the statement of my [Miranda] rights above.
    I understand what my rights are. I am willing to answer
    questions and make a statement. I do not want a lawyer
    present during questioning. I understand and know what
    I am doing. No promises or threats have been made
    against me and no pressure of any kind has been used
    against me by any officer or any other person.
    The evidence presented at trial is consistent with these statements. As Officer
    McNeill testified, while the officers were completing their paperwork, the four men
    discussed among themselves how they might prevent defendant’s younger brother
    from being charged. Officer VanLenten also testified that he observed the four
    men’s conversation and noted their concern that defendant’s younger brother might
    be charged. Defendant confessed only after Officer VanLenten informed him of his
    Miranda rights.     The trustworthiness of defendant’s confession is thus further
    -11-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    bolstered by the evidence that defendant made a voluntary decision to confess. For
    the foregoing reasons, defendant’s confession is “supported by substantial
    independent evidence tending to establish its trustworthiness.” 
    Id.
     The State has
    therefore met its burden under the Parker articulation of the corpus delicti rule.
    The Court of Appeals erred when it reasoned: “[T]he entirety of the
    confession, as conveyed by Officer VanLenten, was that defendant owned the gun.
    Thus, any corroborative evidence under either [corpus delicti] test would have to
    tend to establish that defendant owned or possessed the gun.” Cox, ___ N.C. App. at
    ___, 731 S.E.2d at 443. Even though defendant admitted the gun belonged to him,
    the Court of Appeals conducted a sufficiency analysis that effectively disregarded
    his confession—evaluating whether the State’s other evidence excluded the
    possibility that the gun belonged to any of the other three occupants of the Impala.
    This analysis is inconsistent with the corpus delicti doctrine, which does not require
    that the corroborative evidence “in any manner tend to show that the defendant
    was the guilty party.” 1 McCormick on Evidence § 146, at 810. Rather, defendant’s
    confession provides the proof that he committed the crime.
    We apply the corpus delicti rule in light of the standard of review for motions
    to dismiss for insufficient evidence, which requires the reviewing court to construe
    the evidence “in the light most favorable to the State.” State v. Powell, 
    299 N.C. 95
    ,
    99, 
    261 S.E.2d 114
    , 117 (1980). Under that standard, evidentiary “contradictions
    -12-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    and discrepancies are for the jury to resolve and do not warrant dismissal.” 
    Id.
     If a
    reasonable inference of the defendant’s guilt may be drawn from the evidence,
    dismissal is improper, “even if the evidence likewise permits a reasonable inference
    of the defendant’s innocence.” State v. Butler, 
    356 N.C. 141
    , 
    567 S.E.2d 137
     (2002).
    Our opinion in State v. Butler is illustrative of these axiomatic principles. In that
    case, controlled substances were discovered in a taxicab in which the defendant had
    been a passenger. 
    Id. at 144
    , 
    567 S.E.2d at 139
    . Unlike defendant in the present
    case, the defendant in Butler made no confession.           Applying the “light most
    favorable to the State” standard of review, we held there was sufficient evidence
    that the defendant constructively possessed the controlled substances even though
    two other individuals had the opportunity to place the drugs there. See 
    id.
     at 144-
    45, 
    567 S.E.2d at 139
    . We did not require the State to exclude the possibility that
    the controlled substances belonged to the two other individuals. In that case, the
    defendant did not confess. In the case before us, however, defendant did confess to
    possession of the firearm, presenting the jury with evidence of his guilt. Armed
    with defendant’s confession, the State was not required to submit alternative
    evidence proving defendant’s identity as the perpetrator.
    Because the corpus delicti rule is satisfied, defendant’s confession provides
    substantial evidence that he possessed the firearm. Taken with the undisputed
    evidence of defendant’s prior felony conviction, the evidence was sufficient for the
    State to survive defendant’s motion to dismiss the charge of possession of a firearm
    -13-
    STATE V. COX
    Opinion of the Court
    by a felon. See Bradshaw, 366 N.C. at 93, 728 S.E.2d at 347-48 (citing N.C.G.S.
    § 14-415.1(a) (2011)). Accordingly, we reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals.
    REVERSED.
    -14-