Stevens v. Commonwealth, 415 S.E.2d 881 (Va. Ct. App. 1992). · Go Syfert
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 415 S.E.2d 881 (Va. Ct. App. 1992). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
77 citation events (42 in the last 25 years) across 3 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Dorothea Chisom Martin v. Commonwealth of Virginia (vactapp, 2000-08-22)
Treatment trajectory · 1992 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1992 2009 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 32 distinct citers. How cited ↗
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) Dorothea Chisom Martin v. Commonwealth of Virginia (2×) also: Cited as authority (quoted)
Va. Ct. App. · 2000 · signal: see · quote attribution · 2 verbatim quotes · confidence high
the existence of an unlawful and inherently covert agreement can be inferred from the overt conduct of the parties.
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Morin (2×) also: Cited as authority (quoted)
4th Cir. · 1996 · signal: see · quote attribution · 2 verbatim quotes · confidence high
the crime is committed when the agreement to commit the offense is complete' and no overt act in furtherance of the underlying crime is necessary
examined Cited as authority (verbatim quote) United States v. Andrew Scott Morin, A/K/A Scott Morris, United States of America v. Andrew Scott Morin, A/K/A Scott Morris (2×) also: Cited as authority (quoted)
4th Cir. · 1996 · signal: see · quote attribution · 2 verbatim quotes · confidence high
the crime is 'committed when the agreement to commit the offense is complete' and no overt act in furtherance of the underlying crime is necessary
cited Cited as authority (rule) Jack Marshall Heverin v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2024 · confidence medium
No overt act in furtherance of the underlying crime is necessary.” Id. (citing Falden v. Commonwealth, 167 Va. 542, 544 (1937); and Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 (1992)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Everett William Schwartz v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2023 · confidence medium
“Proof of an explicit agreement,” however, “is not required, and the Commonwealth may, and frequently must, rely on circumstantial evidence to establish the conspiracy.” Combs v. Commonwealth, 30 Va. App. 778, 787 (1999) (citing Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 (1992)).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Harold Donnell Livingston v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2016 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Wayne Scott Cahoon v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2016 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Freddy Velez-Suarez v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2015 · confidence medium
Chambliss v. Commonwealth, 62 Va.App. 459, 466 , 749 S.E.2d 212, 216 (2013) (“[T]he crime of conspiracy is complete when the parties agree to commit an offense; Virginia does not require proof of an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.” (citing Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va.App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992))).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Jamie Montez-Ellis Nunnally v. Commonwealth of Virginia (3×) also: Cited "see"
Va. Ct. App. · 2014 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).” Gray v. Commonwealth, 260 Va. 675, 680 , 537 S.E.2d 862, 865 (2000).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Traveyan Lee Chambliss v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2013 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va.App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Aaron Christopher Searcy v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2012 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992). “‘The existence of an unlawful and inherently covert agreement can be inferred from the overt conduct of the parties.’” Floyd v. Commonwealth, 219 Va. 575, 581 , 249 S.E.2d 171, 174 (1978) (quoting United States v. Harris, 433 F.2d 333, 335 (4th Cir. 1970)).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Eric Lamont Cameron v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2009 · confidence medium
“Proof of an explicit agreement is not required and oftentimes the prosecution must rely only on circumstantial evidence to establish the conspiracy.” Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992) (citing Stultz v. Commonwealth, 6 Va. App. 439, 442-43 , 369 S.E.2d 215, 217 (1988); Wright, 224 Va. at 505 , 297 S.E.2d at 713 ).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Linda Anne Brown v. Commonwealth
Va. Ct. App. · 2008 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) John C. Berry v. Commonwealth
Va. Ct. App. · 2007 · confidence medium
“Proof of an explicit agreement is not required and oftentimes the prosecution must rely only on circumstantial evidence to establish the conspiracy.” Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Roosevelt Walker, III v. Commonwealth
Va. Ct. App. · 2006 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Schwartz v. Commonwealth
Va. Ct. App. · 2005 · confidence medium
It follows, therefore, that the charged conspiracy offense requires proof of a fact the charged murder offense does not. “[C]onspiracy to commit murder requires proof of an agreement.” Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va.App. 238, 242 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 884 (1992).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Carol Devan,a/k/a Joann Brown,a/k/a Tracy BrownvCW
Va. Ct. App. · 2001 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Gray v. Commonwealth
Va. · 2000 · confidence medium
Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Patrick Howard Bailey v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Va. Ct. App. · 2000 · confidence medium
See Wright, 224 Va. at 505 , 297 S.E.2d at 713 (can infer that the defendants intended to commit robbery rather than another crime); Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992) (evidence sufficient to prove conspiracy to commit murder); Zuniga v. Commonwealth, 7 Va. App. 523, 531 , 375 S.E.2d 381, 386 (1988) (defendant only required to know "the essential nature of the scheme"); Stultz v. Commonwealth, 6 Va. App. 439, 443 , 369 S.E.2d 215, 217 (1988) (evidence permits reasonable inference that parties agreed to further prostitution). "'The existence of an unlawfu…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Andrew Lewis Adams v. Commonwealth
Va. Ct. App. · 1996 · confidence medium
However, "[p]roof of an explicit agreement is not required and oftentimes the prosecution must rely only on circumstantial evidence to establish the conspiracy." Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited "see" Deon Christopher Cobb v. Commonwealth of Virginia (2×)
Va. Ct. App. · 2013 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited "see" Derrick Brandon Graham v. Commonwealth of Virginia (2×)
Va. Ct. App. · 2013 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited "see" Torrence L. Banks v. Commonwealth (2×)
Va. Ct. App. · 2006 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited "see" Edward Harold Nelson, Sr. v. Commonwealth of VA (2×)
Va. Ct. App. · 2001 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited "see" Stephen Wayne Ferguson v. Commonwealth of Virginia (2×)
Va. Ct. App. · 2001 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992). "[A] conspiracy may be inferred from - 11 - the overt actions of the parties, and a common purpose and plan may be inferred from a development and collocation of circumstances." McQuinn v. Commonwealth, 19 Va. App. 418, 425 , 451 S.E.2d 704, 708 (1994) (internal quotations and citations omitted), aff'd en banc, 20 Va. App. 753 , 460 S.E.2d 624 (1995).
discussed Cited "see" Anthony Sylvester Gaines v. Commonwealth of VA (2×)
Va. Ct. App. · 2000 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 240 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 882-83 (1992).
examined Cited "see" Conrad v. Commonwealth (4×)
Va. Ct. App. · 1999 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va.App. 238, 240 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 882-83 (1992).
examined Cited "see" Combs v. Commonwealth (4×)
Va. Ct. App. · 1999 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va.App. 238, 240 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 882-83 (1992).
examined Cited "see" Combs v. Commonwealth (4×)
Va. Ct. App. · 1999 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va.App. 238, 240 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 882-83 (1992).
examined Cited "see" Gray v. Commonwealth (5×)
Va. Ct. App. · 1999 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va.App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
discussed Cited "see" Greeley Milburn Ball, Jr. v. CW (2×)
Va. Ct. App. · 1998 · signal: see · confidence high
See Stevens v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 238, 241 , 415 S.E.2d 881, 883 (1992).
examined Cited "see, e.g." Ostrander v. Commonwealth (4×)
Va. Ct. App. · 2008 · signal: see also · confidence low
Inherent in appellant’s argument is the claim that the trial judge’s acceptance of appellant’s guilty plea on the solicitation charge and appellant’s further prosecution on the attempted capital murder charge constituted two separate prosecutions and were thus subject to the constitutional prohibition against successive prosecutions for the “same offense.” Such an assertion, however, runs directly counter to the settled principle that a defendant’s election to plead guilty at trial to one charge and not guilty to another charge arising from the same criminal act “neither ‘tra…
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
LEWIS OLIVER STEVENS, S/K/A LOUIS OLIVER STEVENS
v.
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
Record No. 1598-90-2.
Court of Appeals of Virginia.
Mar 31, 1992.
415 S.E.2d 881
1992 Va. App. LEXIS 109
Counsel, John B. Boatwright, III, for appellant., Marla Lynn Graff, Assistant Attorney General (Mary Sue Terry, Attorney General, on brief), for appellee.
Bray.
Cited by 35 opinions  |  Published
3 passages pin-cited by 3 cases
Pinpoint authority: #27,776 of 633,719
Citer courts: Fourth Circuit (2) · Court of Appeals of Virginia (1)

Opinion

BRAY, J.

Lewis Oliver Stevens (defendant) was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to ten years imprison[*240] ment, with five years suspended. On appeal, he contends that (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction, and (2) his conviction was barred by the trial court’s previous acceptance of his guilty pleas to other charges which arose from the same sequence of events. We disagree and affirm the conviction.

Under familiar principles of appellate review, we examine the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, granting to it all reasonable inferences fairly deducible therefrom. Martin v. Commonwealth, 4 Va. App. 438, 443, 358 S.E.2d 415, 418 (1987). The judgment of a trial court, sitting without a jury, is entitled to the same weight as a jury verdict and will not be set aside unless it appears from the evidence that it is plainly wrong or without evidence to support it. Id.

The record discloses that Wilbur Thomas (Thomas), while in a motel room, was contacted by Rodney Wyatt (Wyatt) to arrange a meeting between the two men. Wyatt, accompanied by defendant and two others, came to Thomas’ room, entered, embraced Thomas and left the room. Thomas then walked toward the bathroom and defendant shot him eight times, causing severe injury. Defendant immediately fled in an automobile driven by Wyatt, but was soon apprehended by the police. The weapon used in the shooting was discovered inside the vehicle.

During questioning, defendant initially denied any involvement in the shooting, but, later, stated “all right, I shot him.” Defendant explained that he and “at least one of the other co-defendants had gotten together and . . . were doing this” because Thomas had been “making threats or causing problems” for another co-defendant. Asked whether “everyone in the room was supposed to die,” defendant responded that “these [people] is (sic) like a family. Doing something to one of them ain’t doing nothing but making it worse for Rodney [Wyatt].”

Defendant was indicted for five felonies, each related to this same incident, by a single grand jury, on the same day, and all charges were consolidated for trial. At trial, defendant pled guilty to the malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of malicious wounding, but not guilty to the remaining indictments, including the conspiracy charge subject of this appeal. The trial judge “accepted” these pleas and immediately proceeded with the trial.

[*241] Defendant first argues that the evidence was insufficient, as a matter of law, to establish that he conspired to commit murder. Specifically, he contends that the evidence failed to prove any agreement to commit an unlawful act.

A conspiracy is “ ‘an agreement between two or more persons by some concerted action to commit an offense.’ ” Brown v. Commonwealth, 3 Va. App. 101, 107, 348 S.E.2d 408, 411 (1986). The crime is “committed when the agreement to commit the offense is complete” and no overt act in furtherance of the underlying crime is necessary. Johnson v. Commonwealth, 8 Va. App. 34, 38, 377 S.E.2d 636, 638 (1989); Falden v. Commonwealth, 167 Va. 542, 544, 189 S.E. 326-27 (1937). Proof of an explicit agreement is not required and oftentimes the prosecution must rely only on circumstantial evidence to establish the conspiracy. Stultz v. Commonwealth, 6 Va. App. 439, 442-43, 369 S.E.2d 215, 217 (1988); Wright v. Commonwealth, 224 Va. 502, 505, 297 S.E.2d 711, 713 (1982).

Defendant admitted that he acted in concert with others in accordance with a prior agreement. He acknowledged that they “got[] together” and planned the shooting “to help out”. Wyatt and this is confirmed by the evidence. The four men arrived together at the motel room following Wyatt’s initial contact with Thomas. Wyatt left the room and defendant then shot Thomas eight times. Defendant fled with the others in a vehicle driven by Wyatt, still in possession of the weapon used in the shooting.

Based upon our review of the record, we find ample evidence from which the trial court could conclude that defendant conspired to commit murder.

We next consider defendant’s claim that he was successively prosecuted for the same offense in violation of the Double Jeopardy Clause of the United States Constitution. [1] He argues that the conspiracy prosecution was barred by the trial court’s prior acceptance of his guilty pleas to malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of malicious wounding.

The prohibition against double jeopardy “protects against multiple punishments for the same offense” and “against a second[*242] prosecution for the same offense” following conviction or acquittal. Fitzgerald v. Commonwealth, 11 Va. App. 625, 627, 401 S.E.2d 208, 210, aff'd, 13 Va. App. 281, 411 S.E.2d 228 (1991). The first of the two-part test to determine whether two offenses are the “same” for purposes of double jeopardy “is whether each . . . requires proof of a fact which the other does not.” Block-burger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 304 (1932).

The offenses in issue are clearly not the same offense under the traditional Blockburger analysis. Malicious wounding consists of causing a person bodily injury with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or kill. Code § 18.2-51. Conspiracy to commit murder occurs when one person conspires with another to commit a willful, deliberate and premeditated killing. Code §§ 18.2-22, 18.2-32. Each of these offenses requires proof of a fact which the other does not. Malicious wounding requires proof of an actual injury, while conspiracy to commit murder requires proof of an agreement.

Defendant, therefore, must look to the second part of the test, enunciated in Grady v. Corbin, 495 U.S. 508 (1990), to support his contention that the crimes in issue constituted the “same offense.” Grady bars a “subsequent prosecution” if the prosecution seeks to “establish an essential element” of the second crime by proving conduct that constituted an offense for which an accused was previously prosecuted. Id. at 510. This conduct-based test, however, is applicable only to “successive prosecutions.” Id. at 516-19; see also Martin v. Commonwealth, 242 Va. 1, 5, 406 S.E.2d 15, 16-17, cert. denied, 112 S. Ct. 388 (1991); Low v. Commonwealth, 11 Va. App. 48, 51, 396 S.E.2d 383, 385 (1990). The instant case does not involve “successive prosecutions,” but, rather, multiple convictions at a single trial.

The Commonwealth simultaneously initiated and pursued the prosecution of all charges against defendant. During joint arraignments at the consolidated trial, defendant elected to plead guilty to two of the five indictments. These pleas were “accepted” by the court, but defendant was not actually found guilty by the court until the conclusion of trial on his not guilty pleas. The court then delayed further action on all cases to permit consideration of defendant’s motion to strike the Commonwealth’s evidence and the preparation of a presentence report, issues which were addressed by the trial court at a later hearing as a part of its joint final disposition of all the charges. Such circumstances clearly do[*243] not constitute the “successive prosecution” contemplated in Grady. Any temporal differences in the dispositions of the several indictments resulted from procedural courses attributable to defendant, and he cannot now complain of any rights lost or compromised in that process. Walker v. Commonwealth, 14 Va. App. 203, 205, 415 S.E.2d 446, 447 (1992); see United States v. Quinones, 906 F.2d 924 (2d Cir. 1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1069 (1991); Jeffers v. United States, 432 U.S. 137 (1977).

Finally, defendant’s contention that Code § 18.2-23.1 bars his conviction is also without merit. Code § 18.2-23.1 bars a subsequent conviction for conspiracy only if the underlying offense is the same “completed substantive offense” for which a defendant was previously convicted. See Bowman v. Commonwealth, 11 Va. App. 259, 264, 397 S.E.2d 886, 889 (1990). In this instance, defendant conspired to commit murder, and his other convictions were malicious wounding and use of a firearm in that offense, clearly not underlying offenses. For the foregoing reasons, the decision of the trial court is affirmed.

Affirmed.

Benton, J., and Willis, J., concurred.

1

U.S. Const. amend, v.