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Mitchell v. State

The redaction of certain portions of the defendant's statements to police did not affect the outcome of the trial, since the same evidence in the defendant's recorded statements was admitted through the testimony of a detective who was present at the time the defendant made the recorded statements to police.

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After his conviction on charges of malice murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony related to the shooting death of Christopher Copeland, appellant Matthew Mitchell was sentenced to life in prison.1 The trial court denied his motion for new trial and he appeals, asserting the court erred by redacting portions of his statements to police, intimating an opinion as to his guilt in front of the jury, and exiting the courtroom during a critical stage of the proceedings. Finding no reversible error, we affirm.

1. Viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, the jury was authorized to find that appellant and his girlfriend were robbed at gunpoint by associates of Copeland, causing tension between two rival groups. In retaliation, appellant and several other individuals fatally shot Copeland as he left a private club. Copeland was shot at least 40 times from six different guns with wounds to the head, torso, and extremities. Appellant’s girlfriend told police that appellant admitted to her his involvement in the crimes and she led police to a handgun used in the crimes which was hidden under a board at appellant’s former residence. Appellant initially denied owning the gun but later stated he purchased it from a friend and hid it when he learned it had been used in a crime.

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