State of Louisiana in the Interest of T.W.-d.

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 18, 2024
Docket24-KA-136
StatusUnknown

This text of State of Louisiana in the Interest of T.W.-d. (State of Louisiana in the Interest of T.W.-d.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State of Louisiana in the Interest of T.W.-d., (La. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA IN THE INTEREST NO. 24-KA-136 OF T.W.-D. FIFTH CIRCUIT

COURT OF APPEAL

STATE OF LOUISIANA

ON APPEAL FROM THE JEFFERSON PARISH JUVENILE COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 23-JU-190, DIVISION "C" HONORABLE BARRON C. BURMASTER, JUDGE PRESIDING

June 18, 2024

JUDE G. GRAVOIS JUDGE

Panel composed of Judges Susan M. Chehardy, Fredericka Homberg Wicker, and Jude G. Gravois

AFFIRMED; REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS JGG SMC FHW COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT, T.W.-D. Katherine M. Franks

COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLEE, STATE OF LOUISIANA Honorable Paul D. Connick, Jr. Thomas J. Butler Darren A. Allemand Rachel E. Warren GRAVOIS, J.

In this juvenile delinquency matter, T.W.-D. appeals the juvenile court’s adjudication of him as delinquent on two separate charges: simple arson and simple battery. On appeal, the juvenile argues that the court erred in adjudicating him delinquent on the more serious charge of arson with damages under $1,000, when the evidence showed that the actual damages were well under $500, the threshold set by La. R.S. 14:52(C). The juvenile does not appeal his adjudication on the simple battery charge, asking only that this Court perform an errors patent review of the record.

For the following reasons, we find no merit to the juvenile’s assignment of error and therefore affirm the adjudications and dispositions as described below. We find one patent error that requires remand to the Juvenile Court for correction as described below.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On May 3, 2023, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a petition alleging that the juvenile, T.W.-D.,1 violated La. R.S. 14:52 by committing simple arson “with damage amounting to under $1000.00” (Docket No. 23-JU-190, petition “*”). On the same date, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed another petition alleging that the juvenile violated La. R.S. 14:35 by committing simple battery (Docket No. 23-JU-190, petition “A”).2 The juvenile denied the allegations of the petitions on May 8, 2023.3

On November 29, 2023, the adjudication hearings were held on both petitions. The juvenile was adjudicated delinquent for “arson”

1 In order to maintain the confidentiality of the proceedings, as required by La. Ch.C. art. 412, and pursuant to Uniform Rules–Courts of Appeal, Rules 5-1 and 5-2, the initials of the juvenile will be used. See State in Interest of T.L., 17- 579 (La. App. 5 Cir. 2/21/18), 240 So.3d 310, 315 n.1; State in the Interest of C.L., 15-593 (La. App. 5 Cir. 12/23/15), 184 So.3d 187, 188 n.1. 2 Although this second petition is not labeled, it is referred to in the record as the “A” complaint. 3 The adjudication hearings were set for June 7, 2023. On that date, the juvenile court raised the issue of the juvenile’s competency, whereupon the court appointed a competency commission. On September 6, 2023, the court deemed the juvenile competent to proceed.

24-KA-136 1 (petition “*”) and for simple battery (petition “A”). On January 25, 2024, a disposition hearing was held. The juvenile received a one- year disposition for the simple arson adjudication in the Office of Juvenile Justice (“OJJ”), and a six-month disposition for the simple battery adjudication, to run concurrently with each other. The judge suspended the juvenile’s sentences. The juvenile was placed on probation for eighteen months for the simple arson adjudication and for one year for the simple battery adjudication. The judge ordered these probation periods to run concurrently with each other.4 On the same date, the juvenile filed a Motion for Appeal which was granted on January 26, 2024. The instant appeal followed.

FACTS

Simple Arson (Petition “*”)

Kristen Washington, an in-school suspension teacher at Helen Cox High School, testified that on March 29, 2023, she escorted her students to the restroom and they alerted her to a fire in a garbage can in the restroom. She ran into the restroom and found the tissues and napkins inside a garbage can on fire. Initially, the students attempted to extinguish the fire by bringing water to the garbage can. Ms. Washington then removed the bag from the garbage can, placed it in the sink, and ran water over it. Once the fire was extinguished, she gave the garbage bag to her principal. Ms. Washington recalled that only the juvenile T.W.-D came out of the bathroom before her students entered. She denied the presence of any other students exiting the restroom at that time. She discovered a blue plastic lighter inside one of the toilets. She usually escorted her in-school suspension students to the restroom during times when it is usually inaccessible to the general student body. She recounted that T.W.-D told her, “I didn’t do it.”

4 In imposing the disposition, the court initially referenced the juvenile’s adjudication of simple arson. However, after placing the juvenile on one year of probation for simple battery, the judge stated: “On the aggravated arson, it will be an 18-month probation.” The transcript reflects that this is the only time the judge referred to “aggravated arson” in the record. The judge referred to the juvenile’s simple arson adjudication throughout the rest of the disposition hearing.

24-KA-136 2 Ms. Washington confirmed the presence of security cameras at the school and stated her ability to identify events captured in the surveillance footage from that day. During the court proceedings, she described the events depicted in the footage and identified the juvenile T.W.-D in the video. Her narration of the video confirmed her testimony regarding the events of that day. She stated that the footage showed the hallway outside the bathroom, with the time displayed as “9:27”—a time when the restrooms are typically locked. The juvenile was recognized in the video, approaching Ms. Rose at a desk to unlock the restroom door. Ms. Washington and her students were visible in the hallway as she escorted them to the restroom, and she identified herself in the footage. The juvenile was identified as the individual emerging from the restroom as they approached. Ms. Washington recounted entering the restroom after hearing about the fire and denied seeing anyone else enter before her group.5

Simple Battery (Petition “A”)

Leeanne Boudreaux testified regarding the events of April 19, 2023, during which she served as the principal’s secretary at Helen Cox High School. She recounted observing the juvenile T.W.-D in the office, and he rose from a student’s chair and approached the assistant secretary’s desk to make a call. The principal instructed her to hang up the phone as T.W.-D was not permitted to make a call. Upon the principal’s instruction, she walked over to the desk and ended the call. T.W.-D then grabbed her hair as he attempted to dial again. She described that she “felt it pull.” She “batted [her] hair away and told him to get his hands off of [her].” She indicated the juvenile had her hair in his hands for a few seconds. Ms. Boudreaux said she was scared of T.W.-D’s actions and of “how he was fighting and just out of control.” She testified the principal witnessed the juvenile grab her hair.

The juvenile’s mother, T.W., testified that on April 19, 2023, she was contacted by the school’s principal regarding the previous incident of a fire at the school. She stated that T.W.-D has been

5 Ms. Washington identified the surveillance video from that day as State’s Exhibit 1, which was subsequently published and admitted into evidence.

24-KA-136 3 diagnosed with autism and ADHD. She explained the school’s policy of allowing T.W.-D to contact her or his grandmother during crises. T.W.-D frequently called her from the school about similar incidents. T.W.-D had made a phone call to his grandmother that day.

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State of Louisiana in the Interest of T.W.-d., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-louisiana-in-the-interest-of-tw-d-lactapp-2024.