STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. GABRIEL C. BARNES (13-01-0178, ESSEX COUNTY AND STATEWIDE)

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court."
Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the
parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-0210-15T1
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
GABRIEL C. BARNES,
Defendant-Appellant.
_____________________________
Submitted September 27, 2017 – Decided November 1, 2017
Before Judges Alvarez and Currier.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New
Jersey, Law Division, Essex County, Indictment
No. 13-01-0178.
Ferro and Ferro, attorneys for appellant
(Nancy C. Ferro, on the briefs).
Robert D. Laurino, Acting Essex County
Prosecutor, attorney for respondent (Kayla E.
Rowe, Special Deputy Attorney General/Acting
Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and on the
brief).
PER CURIAM
Defendant Gabriel C. Barnes appeals from his conviction
following a jury trial and the subsequent denial of his motion for
new trial, arguing that the prosecutor made improper comments in
both his opening statement and closing argument. Defendant also
contests a pre-trial ruling and the sentence. After a review of
these contentions in light of the record and applicable legal
principles, we affirm.
Defendant was charged in the indictment with second-degree
conspiracy to commit robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-
1(b); four counts of first-degree armed robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-
1; second-degree unlicensed possession of a firearm, N.J.S.A.
2C:39-5(b); second-degree unlicensed possession of a firearm with
purpose to use it unlawfully against the person or property of
another, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4(a); fourth-degree conspiracy to commit
false swearing, N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2, N.J.S.A. 2C:28-2; and fourth-
degree making a false statement under oath or equivalent
affirmation, N.J.S.A. 2C:28-2.
Prior to trial, defendant filed a motion challenging the photo
array procedure and seeking a Wade hearing.1 After hearing oral
argument and listening to the audiotape of the identification
procedure, the judge denied the motion. A jury convicted defendant
on all counts except the fourth-degree making a false statement
1
U.S. v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 87 S. Ct. 1926, 18 L. Ed. 2d 1149
(1967).
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under oath. A motion for new trial was denied on June 8, 2015,
and defendant was sentenced to an aggregate prison term of eighteen
years, with the requisite period of parole ineligibility.
At trial, the State presented several witnesses who testified
that defendant and another man robbed them at gunpoint. Defendant
also struck one of the witnesses several times in the head with
the gun, which caused the magazine clip to fall out of the gun
onto the ground. Defendant and the other man ran from the scene.
They returned later in a pickup truck, lost control of the truck,
hit a house, and again ran away.
The police found the magazine clip at the scene, and located
the gun on the floor of the truck. Their investigation further
revealed that defendant had reported the pickup truck had been
carjacked and that the owner of the vehicle was defendant's uncle.
After learning that a carjacking had not occurred, and because of
the truck's connection to the robbery, the police placed
defendant's photo into the array presented to the victims of the
robbery. Several victims identified defendant's photo as the man
who had robbed them at gunpoint.
In his opening statement to the jury, in referring to defendant
returning to the scene of the robbery, the prosecutor made the
following remarks:
3 A-0210-15T1
Now, as the judge instructed, the
defendant is under no obligation to testify
in this case. He's under no obligation to
provide any evidence. So we might never know
why he came back. But the State submits that
it will offer adequate evidence for you to
make the reasonable inference that he came
back for that magazine.
He wanted to clear any link to his
culpability. He knew what he had done and
knew what he had left, so he came back to get
it.
Defense counsel did not immediately object but instead posited
an objection at the close of the opening statements, stating that
the prosecutor impermissibly commented on defendant's right not
to testify. The judge agreed and advised that he would instruct
the jury that defendant had the right to remain silent throughout
the trial, and they should not draw any adverse inferences from
the assertion of that right.
In closing arguments, the prosecutor commented:
For some reason, [on] August 26, 2012
[the police officers] woke up and they said
we're nailing Gabriel Barnes and . . .
Detective James[2] . . . decided to go along
and he said I'm going to manipulate this photo
array for all my years[,] 12, 13[,] years as
a detective in the Major Crimes Bureau.
2
Detective Lydell James testified as one of the investigating
police officers on this case.
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Defense counsel objected to this testimony, asserting that it
was an impermissible argument to vouch for a police officer's
credibility. The trial judge overruled the objection, stating
that the prosecutor was commenting on the credibility of the
witnesses in response to defense counsel's comments in summation
that the testimony of James and the other officers was not
believable. The prosecutor continued,
Detective James is going to wake up and frame
this guy right here, Gabriel Barnes, never
seen him before. That's what he did. August
26 [James] got some imaginary phone call
[that] said hey guys, it's time to frame
Gabriel Barnes and that's what he did. . . .
That's what defense counsel told you.
Following the jury's verdict, defendant moved for a new trial,
arguing that the verdict was against the weight of the evidence,
that the prosecutor had improperly vouched for the credibility of
a witness, and violated defendant's Fifth Amendment right to remain
silent by discussing his failure to testify. In a June 8, 2015
written decision, the trial judge denied the motion.
In his determination, the judge noted that in light of the
"ample" physical evidence and testimony from witnesses, it was
"reasonable for the jury to reach the verdict that it did and to
convict the defendant." The trial judge found that the verdict
was not against the weight of the evidence.
5 A-0210-15T1
The trial judge also concluded that the prosecutor's comments
in opening and closing were not improper. Regarding the
prosecutor's statements on defendant's silence, the judge found
that
[t]he prosecutor was not inviting the jury to
draw an adverse inference from the defendant's
failure to testify; rather, he was
hypothesizing as to why the defendant returned
to the scene of the crime. . . . Therefore,
the prosecutor's comments only went to support
his theory that the defendant returned to the
scene of the crime to retrieve the magazine
that was left during the commission of the
crime.
Furthermore, because he had instructed the jury on defendant's
right to remain silent, the judge determined that defendant was
not deprived of his Fifth Amendment privilege.
The judge also found that the prosecutor's statements
regarding Detective James's credibility were not improper. He
stated that the prosecutor "was merely trying to boost Detective
James's credibility to counter the defense's argument of
suggestiveness in the photo array[,]" and was not vouching for the
detective's credibility.
On appeal, defendant raises the following arguments:
POINT ONE: THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN DENYING
THE MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL.
A. The court erred in finding that
the prosecutor did not
impermissibly infringe on
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defendant's Fifth Amendment
privilege against self-
incrimination in the opening
statement
B. The court erred in finding that
the State did not commit misconduct
by improperly vouching for the
credibility of Detective Lydell
James
C. The court erred in ruling that
the verdict was not against the
weight of the evidence
POINT TWO: THE COURT ERRED IN FINDING THAT
THE PHOTO ARRAY WAS PROPERLY CONDUCTED AND MET
THE WADE STANDARDS AND DENIED THE REQUEST FOR
A WADE HEARING.
POINT THREE: THE IMPOSITION OF THE AGGREGATE
CUSTODIAL TERM OF EIGHTEEN YEARS SUBJECT TO
THE NERA PAROLE INELIGIBILITY PERIOD WAS
MANIFESTLY EXCESSIVE AND A MISAPPLICATION OF
JUDICIAL SENTENCING DISCRETION.
We review a trial court's decision to deny a motion for a new
trial for an abuse of discretion, State v. Russo, 333 N.J. Super.
119, 137 (App. Div. 2000), and will not reverse the decision
"unless it clearly appears that there was a miscarriage of justice
under the law." State v. Afanador, 134 N.J. 162, 178 (1993)
(quoting R. 2:10-1).
Defendant asserts that the prosecutor improperly made
statements in both his opening and closing remarks that constitute
prosecutorial misconduct. When reviewing a prosecutor's
statements, an appellate court must evaluate "'the severity of the
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misconduct and its prejudicial effect on the defendant's right to
a fair trial' and conclude that 'prosecutorial misconduct is not
grounds for reversal of a criminal conviction unless the conduct
was so egregious as to deprive defendant of a fair trial.'" State
v. Wakefield, 190 N.J. 397, 437 (2007) (citation omitted) (quoting
State v. Papasavvas, 163 N.J. 565, 625 (2000)), cert. denied, 552
U.S. 1146, 128 S. Ct. 1074, 169 L. Ed. 2d 817 (2008).
It is a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system
that "[a]n accused has the right to remain silent and no negative
inference can be drawn against him or her for maintaining that
silence." State v. Scherzer, 301 N.J. Super. 363, 435-36 (App.
Div.), certif. denied, 151 N.J. 466 (1997). The State may not
comment to the jury about defendant's silence. Id. at 436. We
are satisfied that the prosecutor did not violate that principle.
In his opening statement, the prosecutor outlined the
evidence the State expected to present to support the charges.
After describing the events surrounding the robbery and
defendant's departure from the scene, the prosecutor told the jury
that defendant returned to the area five to ten minutes later.
The prosecutor reiterated the instruction already issued by the
judge that the defendant was under no obligation to either provide
any evidence or testify. He continued, "[s]o we might never know
why [defendant] came back."
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The prosecutor's next sentence informed the jury that the State
would provide sufficient evidence for them to infer that defendant
came back for the magazine that had fallen onto the ground.
Although the comments, standing on their own, could be construed
as defendant argues, when read in the context of the preceding and
succeeding sentences, they are harmless. The State was merely
outlining its version of the events and defendant's actions, and
advising that it would be presenting the necessary evidence from
which the jury could draw inferences.
Defendant argues that these comments are similar to those found
to be egregious enough to require a new trial in State v. Pickles,
46 N.J. 542, 566-68 (1966), and State v. Black, 380 N.J. Super.
581, 594-95 (App. Div. 2005), certif. denied, 186 N.J. 244 (2006).
We disagree. Here, the prosecutor neither implied that defendant
was withholding crucial information about the case, nor put
defendant in a position where he would have to testify to
counteract an adverse inference about his silence. When the
comments are viewed in the context of the prosecutor's argument,
the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in denying a new
trial on those grounds.
Prosecutors are generally afforded "considerable leeway" in
their closing arguments. State v. Smith, 167 N.J. 158, 177 (2001).
However, a prosecutor cannot offer his or her personal opinion as
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to the veracity of any testimony. State v. Michaels, 264 N.J.
Super. 579, 640 (App. Div. 1993), aff'd, 136 N.J. 299 (1994).
Opinions regarding the credibility of law enforcement officers are
assessed "very carefully." State v. Hawk, 327 N.J. Super. 276,
285 (App. Div. 2000) (citing State v. Staples, 263 N.J. Super.
602, 605 (App. Div. 1993)). A prosecutor may not "imply that
police testimony should be accepted, 'not because of its
believability but because the witnesses were policemen.'"
Staples, supra, 263 N.J. Super. at 606 (quoting State v. Jones,
104 N.J. Super. 57, 65 (App. Div. 1968), certif. denied, 53 N.J.
354 (1969)).
Defendant asserts that the prosecutor violated this tenet in
stating: "[Detective James] said I'm going to manipulate this
photo array for all my years[,] 12, 13[,] years as a detective in
the Major Crimes Bureau." After defendant's objection and a
sidebar conference, the prosecutor clarified his statement,
stating, on "August 26th [James] got some imaginary phone call
[that] said hey guys, it's time to frame Gabriel Barnes and that's
what he did. . . . We want to talk about facts. What fact is
there about that?"
The prosecutor did not state to the jury that the detective
would be risking his career or face serious charges if he conducted
himself as defense counsel intimated in his summation. See State
10 A-0210-15T1
v. Frost, 158 N.J. 76, 85-86 (1999) (stating that it was
"egregious" to suggest that police officers would not lie because
of the "magnitude" of charges that could be brought against them).
We are satisfied that the prosecutor was reacting to and countering
defense counsel's closing comments on the detective's credibility,
and asserting that the evidence did not support defendant's
argument. Therefore, the prosecutor's comments were not "so
egregious that [they] deprived defendant of the right to a fair
trial." State v. Gorthy, 226 N.J. 516, 540 (2016) (quoting State
v. Josephs, 174 N.J. 44, 124 (2002)).
We are also satisfied that the verdict was not against the
weight of the evidence. We must respect the jury's verdict unless
no reasonable jury could have reached it. Afanador, supra, 134
N.J. at 178. "Where the jury's verdict was grounded on its
assessment of witness credibility, a reviewing court may not
intercede, absent clear evidence on the face of the record that
the jury was mistaken or prejudiced." State v. Smith, 262 N.J.
Super. 487, 512 (App. Div.) (citing State v. Haines, 20 N.J. 438,
446-47 (1956)), certif. denied, 134 N.J. 476 (1993).
Here, four witnesses testified that two men robbed them and
that one of the men carried a handgun. Three of these witnesses
signed sworn statements that they identified defendant in a photo
array as the man who was carrying the gun when they were robbed.
11 A-0210-15T1
As the determination of a witness credibility is entirely at the
discretion of the jury, ibid., there was more than sufficient
evidence for a jury to reasonably find defendant guilty of these
crimes. Therefore, the verdict is not against the weight of the
evidence. Afanador, supra, 134 N.J. at 178.
We turn to defendant's argument that the court erred in denying
its motion for a Wade hearing to determine the admissibility of a
witness's identification of defendant. In making that deter-
mination, a court must first "decide whether the procedure in
question was in fact impermissibly suggestive." State v. Madison,
109 N.J. 223, 232 (1988). The court then must "focus on the
reliability of the identification." Ibid. If the identification
is "reliable despite the impermissibly suggestive nature of the
procedure, the identification may be admitted into evidence."
Ibid. The totality of the circumstances should be considered in
determining the reliability. Id. at 233.
A court only needs to conduct a Wade hearing if "defendant
offers some evidence of suggestiveness." State v. Henderson, 208
N.J. 208, 290 (2011). The court has discretion not to conduct the
hearing if it concludes that "defendant's initial claim of
suggestiveness is baseless." Id. at 290-91.
Defendant claims that a "tapping sound" heard on the recording
of the photo array procedure indicated that police were telling
12 A-0210-15T1
the witnesses which photo to choose. The trial judge listened to
the recording and found that, based on the timing of the tapping
sound, it was apparent that the sound came from the witnesses
tapping the photo array, not the police. According to the judge,
the tapping occurred almost simultaneously with the witnesses
claiming "that's him, that's him." The court found that there was
nothing to indicate that the photo array procedure was
"impermissibly suggestive." Therefore, the trial judge did not
err in exercising his discretion not to hold a Wade hearing.
In his final point, defendant contends, without elaboration,
that the imposed sentence was excessive. We disagree. The judge's
findings and balancing of the aggravating and mitigating factors
are supported by adequate evidence in the record, and the sentence
is neither inconsistent with sentencing provisions of the Code of
Criminal Justice nor shocking to the judicial conscience. See
State v. Bieniek, 200 N.J. 601, 608 (2010); State v. Cassidy, 198
N.J. 165, 180-81 (2009).
Affirmed.
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