State Ex Rel. Bickman v. Dees

367 So. 2d 283
Supreme Court of Louisiana·Decided December 21, 1978·No. 62496, 62696, 62717, 62800, 62802, 62918, 62969, 63069 and 63072·Published·Cited by 78 cases

Opinion

367 So.2d 283 (1978)

STATE of Louisiana ex rel. Joseph BICKMAN
v.
Hayden J. DEES, Warden, Dixon Correctional Institute.
STATE of Louisiana ex rel. Kent BELL
v.
Hayden J. DEES, Warden, Dixon Correctional Institute.
STATE of Louisiana ex rel. Ray STEVENS
v.
Hayden J. DEES, Warden, Dixon Correctional Institute.
STATE of Louisiana ex rel. Glenn WADE
v.
Hayden J. DEES, Warden, Dixon Correctional Institute.
STATE of Louisiana ex rel. Keith CORNELL
v.
Hayden J. DEES, Warden, Dixon Correctional Institute.
STATE of Louisiana ex rel. David GIFFORD
v.
Hayden J. DEES, Warden, Dixon Correctional Institute.
STATE of Louisiana ex rel. Robert N. PAULHUS a/k/a Robert N. O'Brien
v.
CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS OF LOUISIANA STATE PENITENTIARY, C. Paul Phelps, Secretary, Department of Corrections, Frank Blackburn, Warden, Louisiana State Penitentiary. *284
STATE of Louisiana ex rel. Nelson MANUEL
v.
C. Paul PHELPS, Secretary, Department of Corrections.
STATE of Louisiana ex rel. Bruce HINKLEY
v.
C. Paul PHELPS, Secretary, Department of Corrections.

Nos. 62496, 62696, 62717, 62800, 62802, 62918, 62969, 63069 and 63072.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

December 21, 1978.

*286 PER CURIAM.

Recently this Court in State v. Curtis, 363 So.2d 1375 (La.1978), overruling its earlier decision in State v. Wilson, 360 So.2d 166 (La.1978), held that the application of amended provisions of La.R.S. 15:571.3(C), relative to denial of eligibility for diminution of sentence for good behavior, to a defendant who committed the underlying offense prior to enactment of the statute, but who was sentenced thereafter, violates the ex post facto prohibitions contained in both the United States and Louisiana Constitutions. See U.S.Const. art. I, § 9; La. Const. art. I, § 23 (1974). While the change in the law does not deprive defendants of any vested rights, we concluded that it does operate to apply "a new punitive measure to a crime already consummated to the detriment or material disadvantage of the wrongdoer and that it has the effect of making the standard of punishment `more onerous' through its effect on release eligibility." State v. Curtis, supra (citations omitted).

These nine consolidated cases, before the Court on petitions for writs, all raise issues concerning the application of State v. Curtis, supra, and the effect of its holding on other statutory provisions relative to diminution of sentence for good behavior. Three distinct problems are presented: (1) a pure Curtis issue, i. e. denial of the opportunity to earn good time diminution under La.R.S. 15:571.3(B) by the operation of laws passed after the date the offense was committed; (2) the effect of Curtis on the operation of La.R.S. 15:571.4 relative to computation of good time to be applied toward diminution of sentence, as amended by Acts 1977, No. 665, § 1; and (3) the effect of Curtis on the application of various provisions relative to forfeiture of good time by parole violators, including particularly La. R.S. 15:571.4.

Eligibility for Diminution of Sentence for Good Behavior

La.R.S. 15:571.3(B) provides as follows:

Every inmate in the custody of the Department of Corrections who has been convicted of a felony and sentenced to imprisonment for a stated number of years or months may earn a diminution of sentence by good behavior and performance of work or self improvement activities or both to be known as "good time." Those inmates serving life sentences will be credited with good time earned which will be applied toward diminution of their sentences at such time as the life sentences might commuted to a specific number of years. The director of corrections shall establish procedures for awarding and recording of good time and shall determine when good time has been earned toward diminution of sentence. The amount of diminution of sentence allowed shall be otherwise provided by law.

This general provision authorizing the awarding of good time for all inmates in the custody of the Department of Corrections was last amended in 1972. Acts 1972, No. 739, § 1.[1]

In 1975, the legislature added a section C to La.R.S. 15:571.3 which stated as follows:

No inmate in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections who has been convicted one or more times under the laws of this state of first or second degree murder, manslaughter, aggravated battery; aggravated, forcible or simple rape; aggravated kidnapping; aggravated *287 or simple burglary; armed or simple robbery; any violation of R.S. 14:67 which is a felony; any violation of R.S. 14:95, R.S. 14:95.1, or R.S. 40:1751 et seq. which is a felony; any violation of the Louisiana Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law which is a felony; or any felony defined as an attempt to commit one of the aforementioned crimes and who has been sentenced as an habitual offender under the Habitual Offender Law as set forth in R.S. 15:529.1 shall be entitled to diminution of sentence for good behavior under this Part, if so ordered by the sentencing court.

Acts 1975, No. 727, § 1 (emphasis added). The provisions of the Act specifically stated that it applied "only to persons convicted under the Habitual Offender Law after September 15, 1975." Acts 1975, No. 727, § 3.

This added provision was amended in 1977 to provide as follows:

(1) No inmate in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections who has been convicted one or more times under the laws of this state of first or second degree murder; manslaughter; aggravated battery; aggravated, forcible or simple rape; aggravated kidnapping; aggravated or simple burglary; armed or simple robbery; any violation of R.S. 14:67 which is a felony; any violation of R.S. 14:95, R.S. 14:95.1, or R.S. 40:1751, et seq. which is a felony; any violation of the Louisiana Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law which is a felony; or any felony defined as an attempt to commit one of the aforementioned crimes and who has been sentenced as a habitual offender under the Habitual Offender Law as set forth in R.S. 15:529.1 prior to or on September 9, 1977, shall be entitled to diminution of sentence for good behavior under this Part, if so ordered by the sentencing court.
(2) No inmate in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections who has been convicted one or more times under the laws of this state of first or second degree murder; manslaughter; aggravated battery; aggravated, forcible or simple rape; aggravated kidnapping; aggravated or simple burglary; armed or simple robbery; any violation of R.S. 14:67 which is a felony; any violation of R.S. 14:95, R.S. 14:95.1, or R.S. 40:1751, et seq. which is a felony; any violation of the Louisiana Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law which is a felony; or any felony defined as an attempt to commit one of the aforementioned crimes and who has been sentenced as a habitual offender under the Habitual Offender Law as set forth in R.S. 15:529.1 after September 9, 1977 shall be entitled to a diminution of sentence for good behavior under this Part.

Acts 1977, No. 633, § 1 (emphasis added).

Under Curtis,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

State Ex Rel. Bickman v. Dees, 367 So. 2d 283 (La. 1978).

367 So. 2d 283 (State Ex Rel. Bickman v. Dees) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Montecino v. La. Dep't of Pub. Safety & Corr.
240 So. 3d 229 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
State ex rel. Square v. State
206 So. 3d 872 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2017)
Buford v. LeBlanc
186 So. 3d 173 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2015)
Paul Massey v. Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections
149 So. 3d 780 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2014)
STATE of Louisiana v. I.C.S.; State of Louisiana v. C.M.S.
145 So. 3d 350 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2014)
Martinez v. Tanner
79 So. 3d 1082 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2011)
Williams v. Creed
978 So. 2d 419 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2007)
State ex rel. B.J.
906 So. 2d 392 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2005)
Geiger v. State Ex Rel Dept. of Health
815 So. 2d 80 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2002)
Opinion Number
Louisiana Attorney General Reports, 2001
State Ex Rel. Olivieri v. State
779 So. 2d 735 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2001)
State v. Hutchinson
764 So. 2d 1139 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)
Lay v. La. Dept. of Correction
734 So. 2d 776 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
Clarke v. Stalder
Fifth Circuit, 1998
LeBreton v. Rabito
714 So. 2d 1226 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1998)
State v. McInnis Bros. Const.
701 So. 2d 937 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1997)
State v. Morgan
686 So. 2d 1048 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1996)
Pappy's Investment Group of Lake Charles, Inc. v. City of Lake Charles
677 So. 2d 1145 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1996)
State Ex Rel. Glover v. State
660 So. 2d 1189 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1995)