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Williams v. State

Evidence of gun ownership does not, in and of itself, impute bad character.

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In 2006, Reginald Quentin Williams was convicted of malice murder and 43 related crimes as a result of his participation in a string of armed robberies of Atlanta-area stores specializing in the sale of erotica and materials used in the illicit drug trade. Williams appeals, arguing that the trial court erred in refusing to grant a mistrial after a State’s witness referred to Williams’s gun ownership and in denying his motion for new trial based on ineffective assistance of trial counsel. Finding no merit in these arguments, we affirm.1 1. Masked gunmen robbed three adult entertainment stores in the Atlanta area over a six-month period in 2003. The robberies followed a similar pattern: the assailants entered wearing masks and gloves, fired into the air, and stole cash and drug paraphernalia digital scales and “cut,” i.e., vitamins used to dilute illegal substances such as cocaine to increase profit margins in drug deals. In the third robbery, the assailants shot and killed a customer, James Herrington.

The police were unable to identify the assailants at first, even though a surveillance video from the third crime scene caught the getaway car for a split second. Then, on June 7, 2004, criminal informant Steve Lewis came forward and told the police that his neighbor, Williams, had bragged to him about committing the second robbery. Lewis correctly identified the manner in which the robbery was committed, the types of items stolen, and the make and model of the getaway car. According to Lewis, Williams also invited him to participate in the second robbery before it happened, but he declined. Lewis admitted that after seeing how much money Williams was making off the stolen goods —Williams was selling the digital scales for $350 apiece —he regretted his decision not to participate in the crimes.

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