State Of Louisiana v. BJ McElveen

• Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
• Decided: December 30, 2024
• Docket: 2023KA0939
• Status: Unknown

Opinion

Zv F- 11 I will a

L COURT OF APPEAL

I J FIRST CIRCUIT

2023 KA 0939 f STATE OF LOUISIANA

VERSUS

BJ MCELVEEN

DEC 3 0 Judgment Rendered. 201A

19" Judicial District Court In and for the Parish of East Baton Rouge State of Louisiana Suit No. 09- 18- 0487, Section 7

The Honorable Louise Hines, Judge Presiding

Hillar C. Moore, III Counsel for Appellee District Attorney State of Louisiana Cristopher J.M. Casler Assistant District Attorney Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Jane C. Hogan Counsel for Defendant/Appellant Louisiana Appellate Project BJ McElveen Hammond, Louisiana

BEFORE: McCLENDON, WELCH, AND LANIER, JJ. LANIER, J.

The defendant, BJ McElveen, was charged by bill of information with two

counts of armed robbery using a firearm, violations of La. R.S. 14: 64 and La. R.S.

14: 64. 3, and pled not guilty.' After a trial by jury, he was found guilty as charged

on both counts. The defendant filed two written pro se motions for new trial, and

made an oral and written motion for post -verdict judgment of acquittal, all of

which the trial court denied. The trial court sentenced the defendant to twenty-five

years imprisonment at hard labor on each count, to be served concurrently, and an

additional five years on each count, to be served consecutive to the twenty -five-

year sentences. 2

The defendant now appeals, assigning error to the following: ( 1) the

sufficiency of the evidence; ( 2) the admission of DNA evidence and expert

testimony; ( 3) the jury instructions; ( 4) the effectiveness of trial counsel; ( 5) the

denial of his motion for new trial without a hearing; ( 6) the lack of a twenty- four

hour delay between the denial of post -trial motions and sentencing; ( 7) and the

imposition of excessive sentences. For the following reasons, we affirm the

convictions, vacate the sentences, and remand for resentencing.

1 According to the record and the defendant' s brief on appeal, the defendant' s full first name is BJ.

2 While the minutes indicate the sentences were imposed without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, the sentencing transcript shows the trial court did not restrict benefits or state the additional five-year sentences are to be served at hard labor, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, as statutorily mandated. See La. R.S. 14: 64( B) and La. R.S. 14: 64. 3( A). Where there is a conflict between the transcript and the minutes, the transcript prevails. See State v. Lynch, 441 So. 2d 732, 734 ( La. 1983); State v. Parker, 2023- 0941 ( La. App. 1 st Cir. 6/ 27/ 24), 392 So. 3d 652, 655, n. 1. Nonetheless, when a trial court does not mention the statutory restriction of benefits, such conditions are self -activating pursuant to La. R.S. 15: 301. 1( A). Further, because an appellate court may correct an illegal sentence at any time and no discretion is involved regarding the requirement that the additional five-year penalty on each count be served at hard labor, this court may correct this error instead of remanding for resentencing. See La. Code Crim. P. art. 882; see also Parker, 392 So. 3d at 662. However, as discussed in patent error review section, infra, the sentences must be vacated due to other trial error.

W STATEMENT OF FACTS

On July 23, 2018, at about 9: 00 a.m., officers of the Baton Rouge Police

Department ( BRPD) and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office ( EBRPSO)

were dispatched to a Capital One Bank, located at 12211 Coursey Boulevard, the

scene of an armed robbery. Before the robbery, Erika Ellie -Jackson, the teller who

opened the bank that day, entered and disarmed the building. Cometta

Washington, the other teller, waited in the parking lot until Ms. Jackson gave her

the signal to enter. As Ms. Washington entered, two masked men abruptly came

inside and told her and Ms. Jackson to get on the floor. One of the assailants

pushed Ms. Washington down while the other dragged Ms. Jackson to the cash

vaults. As ordered at gunpoint, Ms. Jackson and Ms. Washington opened the cash

vaults. After taking over $ 100, 000, the assailants ran across the street and then

through a field. Ms. Jackson immediately pressed the alarm button and called 911.

Deputies arrived at the scene, searched the field, and recovered a camouflage

backpack used in the robbery, containing wads of cash wrapped in Capital One

wrappers and a loaded handgun. The backpack was sent to the Louisiana State

Police Crime Lab ( LSPCL) where it was processed for DNA, and presumptive

DNA test results led to the identification of the defendant as a suspect. Later, after

an anonymous Crime Stoppers tipster identified " BF as one of the robbers, the

defendant was taken into custody, and his reference DNA samples were sent to the

lab. Supplemental DNA testing showed the defendant' s DNA was on the straps,

zipper, and zipper pulls of the backpack.

In assignment of error number one, the defendant contends the evidence,

when viewed in the light most favorable to the State, was insufficient to support

the convictions. He argues the DNA evidence only shows he and two other

individuals touched a backpack used in the robbery. The defendant further

3 contends there was no corroboration of the tip naming him as a suspect or any

other identifying evidence.

A conviction based on insufficient evidence cannot stand, as it violates due

process. See U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1, La. Const. art. I, § 2. The standard of

review for sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction is whether or not,

viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational

trier of fact could conclude the State proved the essential elements of the crime,

and the defendant' s identity as the perpetrator of that crime, beyond a reasonable

doubt. See La. Code Crim. P. art. 821( B); Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319,

99 S. Ct. 27811 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560, 573 ( 1979); State v. Currie, 2020- 0467 ( La.

App. 1st Cir. 2/ 22/ 21), 321 So. 3d 978, 982. When the identity of the perpetrator is

at issue, the State is required to negate any reasonable probability of

misidentification. A positive identification by only one witness is sufficient to

support a conviction. State v. Bessie, 2021- 1117 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 4/ 8/ 22), 342

So. 3d 17, 23, writ denied, 2022- 00846 ( La. 9/ 20/ 22), 346 So. 3d 802.

When a conviction is based on both direct and circumstantial evidence, the

reviewing court must resolve any conflict in the direct evidence by viewing that

evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution. When the direct evidence

is thus viewed, the facts established by the direct evidence and the facts reasonably

inferred from the circumstantial evidence must be sufficient for a rational juror to

conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty of every

essential element of the crime. Currie, 321 So. 3d at 982. When analyzing

circumstantial evidence, La. R.S. 15: 438 provides that the factfinder must be

satisfied the overall evidence excludes every reasonable hypothesis of innocence.

When a case involves circumstantial evidence and the jury reasonably rejects the

hypothesis of innocence presented by the defense, that hypothesis falls, and the

defendant is guilty unless there is another hypothesis which raises a reasonable

M doubt. State v. Southall, 2022- 0746 ( La. App. lst Cir. 6/ 2/ 23), 369 So. 3d 925,

930, writ denied, 2023- 00875 ( La. 2/ 6/ 24), 378 So. 3d 750.

Armed robbery is defined by La. R.S. 14: 64( A) as " the taking of anything of

value belonging to another from the person of another or that is in the immediate

control of another, by use of force or intimidation, while armed with a dangerous

weapon." Furthermore, La. R.S. 14: 64. 3( B) provides for additional punishment if

the dangerous weapon used in the commission of the armed robbery is a firearm.

The defendant does not dispute that an armed robbery with a firearm occurred. He

argues, however, that the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions

because the State did not sufficiently prove that he was one of the armed robbers in

this case.

At trial, the State presented surveillance footage, collected by Captain Justin

Payer of the EBRPSO, from Capital One and United Community Bank ( UCB),

located across the street from Capital One. A UCB camera facing Capital One

captured two blurred figures in the distance, as they emerged from trees and bushes

next to Capital One. Capital One' s interior surveillance footage shows the

assailants then enter the bank and commit the robbery.

The first assailant to enter was wearing a dark or navy blue hoodie, had a

gun in one hand, the camouflage backpack in the other, and at one point, is shown

pointing the gun at Ms. Jackson' s back and head. He appeared to be wearing

gloves on both hands. The second assailant was wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt,

a dark hooded shirt underneath, and a red and black glove on one hand. The

footage shows the assailants' backs as they grabbed money from the safe and

loaded it into the backpack and a white bag. After it was loaded with money, the

assailant in the gray shirt touched the backpack with both of his hands, one bare

and one gloved, as he grabbed it from the other assailant and put it on his back.

They then exited the bank.

R Timestamped just a few minutes after the initial UCB video from the camera

facing Capital One, another UCB video from the same camera shows the assailants

fleeing after the robbery. They ran across the street from the Capital One to the

UCB side parking lot. A third video, facing the UCB rear parking lot, captured the

assailants then running from the UCB side parking lot to its rear parking lot, with

the assailant wearing a gray long- sleeved shirt still carrying the camouflage

backpack on his back. The individuals' faces are not visible on any of the video

footage.

Both victims, Ms. Jackson and Ms. Washington, testified they were unable

to see the assailants' faces. However, they each testified the assailants spoke with

a New Orleans accent. Specifically, Ms. Washington noted, when the safe did not

initially open, one assailant said, " Open the vault, stop playing." One of them also

said, " baby, you going to be okay," using what Ms. Washington referred to as New

Orleans slang. After opening the main vault, Ms. Jackson and Ms. Washington

were then instructed to open the inner vault. Once the assailants loaded the cash

and exited the bank, Ms. Jackson alerted the police, as Ms. Washington stood in

the door to see the direction in which the assailants fled, which was to the UCB

parking lot.

Deputy Steven Gallo, one of the officers dispatched to the robbery,

interviewed John Bass, a bystander who reported seeing two black males as they

ran through the UCB parking lot and toward a fence line surrounding the field used

to cut through a trail from Coursey Boulevard to the Southpark area. Bass

indicated that one of the males had a backpack on and the other had a bunch of

cash in his hands, which Bass thought looked suspicious. Bass photographed the

individuals, showing their backs, as they fled on foot.

Deputy Michelle Partenheimer of the EBRPSO arrived at the scene about

thirty minutes after the dispatch, received a photo of the suspects running across

Rol the field, and searched the area on foot. Within view of the bank, Deputy

Partenheimer and another deputy found a camouflage backpack under a truck bed

cover. Within the vicinity, they also found a red and black glove, a bundle of

wrapped cash, loose bills hidden in some tires leaning against a row house in the

area, a black t -shirt, a dark blue hoodie, and a pair of camouflage gloves.' Of the

approximate $ 123, 600 that was stolen from the bank, nearly all of it, except an

approximate $ 1400, was recovered.

Sergeant Jason Fitzpatrick of the EBRPSO Crime Scene Division

photographed and collected the evidence. As shown in the photographs, the

backpack contained stacks of cash, carbon receipts, and a Glock . 40 caliber

handgun with an extended magazine. He processed several items for fingerprints

and/ or DNA, including the money wrappers, handgun, camouflage gloves, black t -

shirt, and blue hoodie, and areas at Capital One, including the door, safe handles,

and the floor of the safe. He further submitted the backpack, red and black glove,

and several swabs to the LSPCL.

Lieutenant Chuck Foster of the EBRPSO armed robbery and burglary

division was also dispatched to the scene. He confirmed the recovered camouflage

backpack matched the one in surveillance footage. He further noted the defendant

is depicted touching the backpack during the robbery, and, while putting the

backpack on his back as they exited the bank, was only wearing one glove.

Four days after the robbery, Lieutenant Foster received the presumptive

LSPCL test results on the backpack. Lieutenant Foster and Zachary Shawhan, a

DNA Forensic Supervisor at the LSPCL and expert witness in DNA forensics,

testified at trial regarding the DNA results. Preliminary testing, completed July 31,

2018, yielded a DNA profile from the straps, zipper, and zipper pulls of the

backpack, which was consistent with being a mixture of DNA from more than

3 The red and black glove is also referenced in the record as red and gray. Additional cash was found in the UCB parking lot.

7 three contributors, with a major mixture of two contributors. The results were

inconclusive as to any minor contributor, due to the limited nature of the

contribution. The DNA profile generated from the major mixture was searched in

the Combined DNA Index System ( CODIS), and the defendant was identified as a

suspect .4

While attempting to determine the defendant' s whereabouts, Lieutenant

Foster received a Crime Stoppers tip identifying the assailants. Lieutenant Foster

testified the tip provided specific details of the robbery, not shared with the public

and known only by investigating law enforcement officers and the perpetrators of

the crime. In naming both assailants, the tipster identified the assailant shown in

Capital One surveillance footage squatting in front of the vault as Baylon Trim ( in

the dark hoodie), and the other assailant ( in the gray shirt) was known to the tipster

by the first name BJ. At that time, the defendant' s name had not been released

because he was still at large, though Lieutenant Foster already had a warrant for

the defendant' s DNA. As Lieutenant Foster testified, the first name given by the

tipster, BJ, was consistent with the presumptive identification of the DNA profile

from the backpack. Lieutenant Foster further noted that in his twenty-nine years of

working in law enforcement, he had not been aware of many other individuals with

that first name.

With FBI assistance, Lieutenant Foster discovered the defendant had left the

state and was located in Texas. After FBI communications with members of the

defendant' s family, the defendant turned himself in on or about August 2, 2018.

At that point, Lieutenant Foster executed the warrant for the defendant' s DNA and

sent two reference samples to the LSPCL for comparison to the DNA samples

taken from backpack. Lieutenant Foster also obtained and executed a DNA search

4 Swabs taken from the red and black glove and handgun were inconclusive, due to the complex nature of the profile. warrant for Mr. Trim, who was incarcerated at the time, and submitted his DNA to

the crime lab.

Supplemental DNA testing, completed on August 9, 2018, after reference

samples for Mr. Trim and the defendant were submitted to the crime lab,

confirmed the defendant' s DNA was on the backpack.' However, Mr. Trim was

excluded as a major contributor to the DNA profile. In that regard, Lieutenant

Foster noted one of the assailants, wearing the dark or navy blue hoodie, had

gloves on both hands. Consistent with the DNA results, the assailant wearing the

gray shirt, believed to be the defendant, only had on one glove and was shown in

video footage handling the backpack with his ungloved hand. Lieutenant Foster

further testified he learned during the investigation the defendant was from the

New Orleans area.

The defendant did not testify at trial. On appeal, he argues there was no

direct evidence to prove he committed the robbery. He notes neither his

fingerprints nor DNA were found at the scene. He further contends there were no

details or evidence to corroborate the anonymous tip.

The trier of fact is free to accept or reject, in whole or in part, the testimony

of any witness. State v. Williams, 2001- 0944 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 12/ 28/ 01), 804

So. 2d 932, 939, writ denied, 2002- 0399 ( La. 2/ 14/ 03), 836 So. 2d 135. The

reviewing court does not determine whether another possible hypothesis has been

suggested by the defendant which could explain the events in an exculpatory

fashion; rather, the reviewing court evaluates the evidence in the light most

favorable to the prosecution and determines whether the alternative hypothesis is

5 In accordance with the final DNA results, the defendant cannot be excluded as a major contributor to the DNA profile obtained from the straps, zipper, and zipper pulls of the backpack. Assuming two contributors, the deduced DNA profile was 2. 69 billion times more likely to be observed if it had originated from a mixture of DNA from the defendant and an unknown contributor than if it had originated from two unrelated, random individuals. Mr. Shawhan testified that the DNA results consisted of a statistical DNA " inclusionary" match of the

defendant' s DNA to the samples taken from the backpack. sufficiently reasonable that a rational factfinder could not have found proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Jones, 2016- 1502 ( La. 1/ 30/ 18), 318 So. 3d

678, 682 (per curiam).

In the instant case, presumptive test results showed the defendant' s DNA

was on the backpack used in the robbery, found abandoned in the field across the Consistent street from Capital One, where the assailants fled after the robbery.

with the presumptive DNA match, the police received a tip naming the assailant

who only had a glove on one of his hands but handled the bag with both hands as BJ, the defendant' s first name. The final DNA testing of the backpack confirmed

the defendant' s DNA was on the backpack. While there was no other evidence to

connect Mr. Trim to this case, he was identified as the assailant who had gloves on

both hands Additionally, we note the tellers testified the assailants had distinct

accents indicating they were from the New Orleans area, and Lieutenant Foster testified he learned the defendant was in fact from New Orleans.'

Furthermore, there was testimony the defendant fled the state after the

robbery. Flight and attempt to avoid apprehension indicate consciousness of guilt,

and therefore, are circumstances from which a juror may infer guilt. Southall, 369

So. 3d at 933. Thus, under the facts and circumstances presented in this case, we

cannot say that the jury was irrational in determining the defendant was one of the perpetrators in this case. See State v. Ordodi, 2006- 0207 ( La. 11/ 29/ 06), 946

So. 2d 654, 660- 662.

An appellate court errs by substituting its appreciation of the evidence and

credibility of witnesses for that of the factfinder and thereby overturning a verdict

6 Consistent with video footage and testimony indicating one of the assailants was fully gloved while the other only wore one red glove during the offense, we reiterate the police recovered a pair of camouflage gloves and one red and black glove in the area where the assailants fled.

I On appeal, the defendant concedes in his brief he was born in New Orleans but states he moved to Baton Rouge at eight years of age. However, there was no evidence or testimony presented at trial to show he moved from New Orleans.

10 on the basis of an exculpatory hypothesis presented to, and rationally rejected by,

the jury. See State v. Calloway, 2007- 2306 ( La. 1/ 21/ 09), 1 So. 3d 417, 418 ( per

curiam). We find the jury could have rationally inferred the evidence presented by

the State negated any reasonable probability of misidentification in this case.

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, a rational trier

of fact could have found the evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and to

the exclusion of every reasonable hypothesis of innocence, the elements of both

counts of armed robbery with a firearm and the defendant' s identity as the

perpetrator of the offenses. Accordingly, we find no merit in assignment of error

number one.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER TWO

In assignment of error number two, the defendant argues the trial court

violated his right to confrontation in allowing Mr. Shawhan to testify about the

supplemental DNA results, though he was not the DNA analyst who performed the

testing.' The defendant claims the DNA report was the only evidence that

implicated him and argues its introduction was not harmless. He concedes this

court resolved this issue in a mid -trial writ, but argues the instant case is

distinguishable from the relied upon cases. 9

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to be

confronted with the witnesses against him. U.S. Const. amend. VI. The

confrontation clause bars " admission of testimonial statements of a witness who

did not appear at trial unless he was unavailable to testify, and the defendant had

8 The defendant concedes the initial report did not violate his right of confrontation as it did not name him as a suspect or DNA match.

9 See State v. McElveen, App. 1st Cir. 9/ 29/ 22), 2022 WL 4546008 2022- 1066 ( La. unpublished). Although a pretrial determination does not absolutely preclude a different decision on appeal, judicial efficiency demands that this court accord great deference to its pretrial decisions unless it is apparent, in light of a subsequent trial record, that the determination was patently erroneous and produced an unjust result. State v. Ard, 2022- 0230 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 12/ 22/ 22), 361 So. 3d 473, 480 n. 2, writ denied, 2023- 00281 ( La. 9/ 26/ 23), 370 So. 3d 471. Nonetheless, we elect to discuss the merits of the defendant' s argument.

11 had a prior opportunity for cross- examination." Crawford v. Washington, 541

U.S. 36, 53- 54, 124 S. Ct. 1354, 1365, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 ( 2004); State v. McIntosh,

2018- 0768 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 2/ 28/ 19), 275 So. 3d 1, 6, writ denied, 2019- 00734

La. 10/ 21/ 19), 280 So. 3d 1175.

The Crawford Court drew a distinction between testimonial and

nontestimonial statements and confined its holding to testimonial evidence.

McIntosh, 275 So. 3d at 6 ( citing Crawford, 541 U.S. at 61- 68, 124 S. Ct. at 1370-

74). Testimonial statements, while not fully defined by the court, include those

made under circumstances which would lead an objective witness reasonably to

believe that the statement would be available for use at a later trial[.]" Crawford,

541 U.S. at 52, 124 S. Ct. at 1364.

In Melendez -Diaz v. Massachusetts, 557 U.S. 305, 129 S. Ct. 2527, 174

L.Ed.2d 314 ( 2009), the United States Supreme Court considered whether sworn

drug analysis certificates attesting that material seized by the police from the

defendant contained cocaine were testimonial in nature, thus rendering the

certificates' affiants " witnesses" subject to the defendant' s right of confrontation.

Finding that the certificates were affidavits made under circumstances that would

lead an objective witness reasonably to believe that the statement would be

available for use at a later trial, the Court held that the lab certificates were

testimonial in nature. Accordingly, absent a showing that the analysts were

unavailable to testify at trial and that the defendant had a prior opportunity to

cross- examine them, the affidavits were not admissible in evidence against the

defendant. Id., 557 U.S. at 311, 129 S. Ct. at 2532. The Court stated,

c] onfrontation is designed to weed out not only the fraudulent analyst, but the

incompetent one as well." Id., 557 U.S. at 319, 129 S. Ct. at 2537. The Court

further stated, " there is little reason to believe that confrontation will be useless in

testing analysts' honesty, proficiency, and methodology— the features that are

12 commonly the focus in the cross- examination of experts." Id., 557 U.S. at 321,

129 S. Ct. at 2538.

In Bullcoming v. New Mexico, 564 U.S. 647, 131 S. Ct. 2705, 180 L.Ed.2d

610 ( 2011), the defendant was arrested for driving while intoxicated ( DWI). The

principal evidence against him was a forensic laboratory report certifying that his

blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) was well above the threshold for an aggravated

DWI offense. At trial, the prosecution did not call as a witness the analyst who

completed and signed the " certificate of analyst" of the report and had been

assigned to test the defendant' s blood sample. Further, the prosecution did not call

as a witness the examiner who reviewed the analysis and certified that the analyst

who tested the sample was qualified to conduct the BAC test, and that the

established procedure" for handling and analyzing the defendant' s sample " had

been followed." Id., 564 U.S. at 653, 131 S. Ct. at 2710- 11. Instead, the State

introduced the analyst' s finding as a " business record" during the testimony of

another analyst who was familiar with the laboratory' s testing procedures, but ha[ d] " neither observed nor reviewed [ the analyst' s] analysis." Id., 564 U.S. at

6551 131 S. Ct. at 2712.

The New Mexico Supreme Court held that, although the blood-alcohol

analysis was testimonial, the Confrontation Clause did not require the certifying

analyst' s in -court testimony, finding that the live testimony of the other analyst had

satisfied the constitutional requirements. On review, in reversing the lower

decision, the United States Supreme Court' s holding was set forth as follows:

The question presented is whether the Confrontation Clause permits the prosecution to introduce a forensic laboratory report containing a testimonial certification— made for the purpose of proving a particular fact— through the in -court testimony of a scientist who did not sign the certification or perform or observe the test reported in the certification. We hold that surrogate testimony of that order does not meet the constitutional requirement. The accused' s right is to be confronted with the analyst who made the certification, unless that

13 analyst is unavailable at trial, and the accused had an opportunity, pretrial, to cross- examine that particular scientist." ( Emphasis added).

Id., 564 U.S. at 652, 131 S. Ct. at 2710. 14

In Williams v. Illinois, 567 U. S. 50, 132 S. Ct. 2221, 183 L.Ed.2d 89 ( 2012)

plurality opinion), abrogated by Smith v. Arizona, 602 U.S. 779, 144 S. Ct. 1785,

219 L.Ed.2d 420 ( 2024), the United States Supreme Court found no violation of

the Confrontation Clause where an expert witness testified that a DNA profile

produced by a private laboratory, Cellmark, from swabs taken from a rape victim

matched the DNA profile produced by a state forensic analyst from a blood sample

drawn from the defendant. The expert witness in Williams did not conduct or

observe the DNA testing, but testified that based on her own comparison of the two

DNA profiles, she concluded the defendant could not be excluded as a source of

the semen identified in the vaginal swabs. The Cellmark report itself was neither

admitted into evidence nor shown to the factfinder. The expert witness did not

quote or read from the report; nor did she identify it as the source of any of the

opinions she expressed. Id., 567 U.S. at 61- 62, 132 S. Ct. at 2230.

The Court in Williams gave two independent reasons for finding that the

testimony was properly admitted. First, the expert' s reliance on the report was not

offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted11 because the results of the DNA

test were relayed by the expert solely for the purpose of explaining the assumptions

on which her opinion rested. Id., 567 U.S. at 56- 59, 132 S. Ct. at 2227- 28.

Second, the DNA profile was produced before the defendant was identified as the

assailant or targeted as a suspect. Id., 567 U.S. at 57- 59, 132 S. Ct. at 2228.

11 As Justice Sotomayor pointed out in her concurrence, Bullcoming was " not a case in which the person testifying [ was] a supervisor, reviewer, or someone else with a personal, albeit limited, connection to the scientific test at issue." Bullcoming, 564 U.S. at 672, 131 S. Ct. at 2722. 11 Subsequently in Smith, discussed infra, the United States Supreme Court found " no

meaningful distinction between disclosing an out-of-court statement" to " explain the basis of an expert' s opinion" and " disclosing that statement for its truth." Smith, 602 U.S. at 795, 144 S. Ct. at 1798 ( quoting Williams, 567 U. S. at 106, 132 S. Ct. 2221 ( Thomas, J., concurring in judgment)).

14 In affirming the trial court' s denial of the defendant' s motion to exclude the

testimony under the Confrontation Clause, the Court in Williams stated:

W] e also conclude that even if the report produced by Cellmark had been admitted into evidence, there would have been no Confrontation Clause violation. The Cellmark report is very different from the sort of extrajudicial statements, such as affidavits, depositions, prior

testimony, and confessions, that the Confrontation Clause was

originally understood to reach. The report was produced before any suspect was identified. The report was sought not for the purpose of obtaining evidence to be used against petitioner, who was not even under suspicion at the time, but for the purpose of finding a rapist who was on the loose. And the profile that Cellmark provided was not inherently inculpatory.

Williams, 567 U.S. at 58, 132 S. Ct. at 2228. The Court specifically noted that the

abuses that prompted the adoption of the Confrontation Clause shared two

characteristics: ( a) they involved out-of-court statements having the primary

purpose of accusing a targeted individual of engaging in criminal conduct; and ( b)

they involved formalized statements such as affidavits, depositions, prior

testimony, or confessions. Id., 567 U.S. at 82, 132 S. Ct. at 2242.

Subsequently, in State v. Bolden, 2011- 2435 ( La. 10/ 26/ 12), 108 So. 3d

1159, 1161- 62 ( per curiam), the Louisiana Supreme Court held that a DNA profile

created prior to the defendant becoming a suspect in the case was non -testimonial

in nature. The Court stated,

No error under the Confrontation Clause occurs when a DNA expert testifies that in his or her opinion the DNA profile developed from a sample taken from defendant matches the DNA profile developed by other, non -testifying technicians from biological samples taken from the victim of a sexual assault if: the tests on the victim' s samples were conducted before the defendant was identified as the assailant or targeted as a suspect[.]

Id., 108 So. 3d at 1161- 62 ( citing Williams, 567 U.S. at 82- 83, 132 S. Ct. at 2242-

43).

In State v. Grimes, 2011- 0984 ( La. App. 4th Cir. 2/ 20/ 13), 109 So. 3d 1007,

writ denied, 2013- 0625 ( La. 10/ 11/ 13), 123 So. 3d 1216, the appellate court

15 considered Bullcoming, Williams, and their progeny. In Grimes the defendant

was convicted of aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, and sexual battery of

two victims that occurred in the years 1993 and 1997. At the time of the attacks,

the perpetrator was unknown. Sexual assault kits were collected and DNA

analyses in 2005 identified the defendant as the perpetrator. On appeal, the

defendant argued he was denied his constitutional rights to confront/cross- examine

the analysts who performed the DNA tests in that case. Thus, the appellate court

considered whether supervisors who had not performed DNA analyses could

testify as to the actual analysts' findings contained in reports. Grimes, 109 So. 3d at 1017- 26.

The appellate court found no merit in the defendant' s argument.

Specifically, the court held DNA evidence generated before the defendant was

identified as a suspect was properly admitted under Williams, stating, " there is no

evidence that the defendant was a suspect or target in the two later cases at the time

the DNA profiles were requested or produced, or that the DNA profiles in those

two cases were ` prepared for the primary purpose of accusing' the defendant."

Grimes, 109 So. 3d at 1025- 1026. Regarding DNA evidence generated after the

defendant became a suspect in the case, the court noted the analyst who testified at

trial was the " certifying" analyst on the reports at issue. Therefore, the court held,

even assuming for the sake of argument that the last two DNA profiles—

generated after defendant was identified as a suspect in the first three cases— were

prepared for the primary purpose of accusing defendant, and thus might have been

considered testimonial statements/ evidence covered by the Confrontation Clause,

they nevertheless would have been admissible under Bullcoming and Melendez– Diaz." Id., 109 So. 3d at 1025- 26. ( Internal quotations omitted).

More recently, in Smith, which abrogated Williams, the United States

Supreme Court held, " If an expert for the prosecution conveys an out- of-court

16 statement in support of his opinion, and the statement supports that opinion only if

true, then the statement has been offered for the truth of what it asserts." Smith,

602 U.S. at 795, 144 S. Ct. at 1798. In Smith, law enforcement officers found the

defendant with what appeared to be drugs. Id., 602 U.S. at 789, 144 S. Ct. at 1795.

The analyst who tested the substances did not testify at the trial. Id., 602 U.S. at

790, 144 S. Ct. at 1795. Instead, a substitute expert reviewed the lab report and the

analyst' s notes, referred to the materials at trial, conveyed what the documents

said, and offered his opinion on the chemical nature of the substances. Id., 602

U.S. at 791, 144 S. Ct. at 1795- 1796. The Court held that the testifying analyst

testified to the truth of the other analyst' s report and remanded for the state court to

determine whether the report was testimonial. Id., 602 U.S. at 796- 802, 144 S. Ct.

at 1798- 1802.

The Court noted its holding in Smith follows from its other holdings about

the Confrontation Clause' s application to forensic evidence. The Court added,

A State may not introduce the testimonial out-of-court statements of a forensic analyst at trial, unless she is unavailable and the defendant has had a prior chance to cross- examine her. See Crawford, 541 U.S., at 68, 124 S. Ct. 1354; Melendez -Diaz, 557 U.S., at 311, 129 S. Ct. 2527. Neither may the State introduce those statements through a surrogate analyst who did not participate in their creation. See Bullcoming, 564 U.S., at 663, 131 S. Ct. 2705. And nothing changes if the surrogate— as in this case— presents the out- of-court statements as the basis for his expert opinion. Those statements, as we have explained, come into evidence for their truth— because only if true can they provide a reason to credit the substitute expert. So a defendant has the right to cross- examine the person who made them. Emphasis added).

Id., 602 U.S. at 802- 803, 144 S. Ct. at 1802; see also United States v. Turner, 709

F. 3d 1187, 1191- 94 ( 7th Cir. 2013) ( holding any error was harmless, but stating

that a surrogate expert' s testimony concerning analysis of a test for cocaine " put

the actual analyst' s] out-of-court statements before the jury" and " allowed [ the

surrogate] to vouch for the reliability of [the analyst' s] work[.]").

17 In this case, the State attempted to introduce the DNA reports into evidence

during the direct examination of Mr. Shawhan, a DNA forensic supervisor at the

LSPCL, after the trial court ruled him an expert in DNA forensics.' z The trial

court ruled the reports and testimony by Mr. Shawhan regarding the reports

inadmissible, as a different analyst, who no longer worked at the LSPCL,

performed the testing in this case. In granting the State' s application for

supervisory review and reversing the trial court' s ruling, this court, in part, cited

Bolden, Grimes, and Williams in finding that the expert testimony and DNA

reports at issue are admissible. McElveen, 2022 WL 4546008 at * 1.

Prior to Mr. Shawhan' s testimony, Lieutenant Foster testified, without

objection, the presumptive DNA testing of the backpack led to the identification of

the defendant. The backpack was recovered and collected in the normal course of

business prior to the defendant being identified as a suspect. The primary purpose

of the collection and subsequent testing was to catch the criminals who had

committed the offenses, not to target the defendant. The defendant concedes the

presumptive test results, generated before the defendant was identified as the

assailant or targeted as a suspect, were properly admitted in this case. As

Lieutenant Foster also testified, without objection, he collected DNA reference

samples from the defendant after his arrest and sent the samples to the lab. Finally,

Lieutenant Foster testified, again without objection, that the subsequent lab report

confirmed the presumptive match, specifically showing the defendant' s DNA was

on the backpack.

Mr. Shawhan likewise testified regarding the presumptive match generated

before the defendant became a suspect in this case. As to his testimony regarding

the final test results, generated after the defendant was developed as a suspect and

arrested in this case, we note Mr. Shawhan testified he participated in the 2018

12 We note the trial court prompted its own ruling on the evidence. The defense attorney later noted he was in agreement with the trial court and objected for the record.

18 technical review process for the DNA analyses in this case. Specifically, he served

as the technical reviewer whose role was to verify and confirm all of the policies

and procedures "[ a] t every step of the process[.]" As a LSPCL DNA forensic

supervisor, Mr. Shawhan evaluated the analysis process in this case and verified

that it upheld the lab' s policies and procedures. Mr. Shawhan testified the steps of

technical review included " putting on the analyzer ... and the results that go into a

report." Mr. Shawhan also stated his verification included, " screening, extraction,

quantification, amplification, genetic analyzer, and interpretation."

Based on our review of the jurisprudence and the record in its entirety, we

are convinced that our pretrial determination in this matter was not patently

erroneous and did not produce an unjust result. The defendant was not a suspect or

target when the presumptive test results were generated. Thus, the report and

testimony by both Lieutenant Foster and Mr. Shawhan regarding the evidence

recovered, submitted, and tested, and the results of presumptive analysis were

properly admitted under Williams13 and Bolden. Regarding the supplemental

DNA results generated after defendant was identified as a suspect in this case, Mr.

Shawhan reviewed every step of the process to verify that the established

procedure for handling and analyzing the defendant' s sample had been followed.

Assuming the supplemental results generated after the defendant was identified as

a suspect in this case were testimonial, the State was properly allowed to introduce

them through Mr. Shawhan, a participant in the process. Thus, the supplemental

report and related testimony were properly admitted under Smith, Bullcoming, 14 and Melendez—Diaz. See also State v. Chisolm, 49, 043 ( La. App. 2d Cir.

13 The United States Supreme Court was silent in Smith regarding the second reason the Williams court gave for finding no violation of the Confrontation Clause in that case, that the DNA profile was produced before the defendant was identified as the assailant or targeted as a suspect, relied on in Bolden and Grimes.

We note the defendant may have waived his right of confrontation by failing to timely file a written demand for the analyst who performed the tests to testify, pursuant to La. R.S. 15: 501( 13).

WE 5/ 14/ 14), 139 So. 3d 1091, 1102, writ denied, 2014- 1203 ( La. 3/ 13/ 15), 176 So. 3d

1031 ( court found no error where expert witness performed a technical review of

analyst' s work and confirmed proper protocols were used, examined the data, and

testified regarding her own conclusions); State v. Welch, 2012- 1531 ( La. App. 1 st

Cir. 3/ 22/ 13), 115 So. 3d 490, 498 ( considering his credentials and explanation of

the test results, this court found no confrontation clause violation in allowing a

forensic toxicologist to testify on the basis of the report by his fellow toxicologist).

Moreover, even if we were to find, in light of Smith, that the admission of

testimonial statements through a surrogate analyst violated the Confrontation

Clause, confrontation errors are subject to a harmless error analysis. See

Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 680- 81, 106 S. Ct. 14311 1436, 89

L.Ed.2d 674 ( 1986); State v. Patton, 2010- 1841 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 6/ 10/ 11), 68

So. 3d 1209, 1218. Factors to be considered by the reviewing court include: the

importance of the testimony in the prosecution' s case; whether the testimony was

cumulative; the presence or absence of evidence corroborating or contradicting the

testimony of the witness on material points; the extent of cross- examination

otherwise permitted; and the overall strength of the prosecution' s case. Van

Arsdall, 475 U.S. at 684, 106 S. Ct. at 1438; State v. Wille, 559 So. 2d 1321, 1332

La. 1990), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 880, 113 S. Ct. 231, 121 L.Ed.2d 167 ( 1992).

The verdict may stand if the reviewing court determines that the guilty verdict

rendered in the particular trial is surely unattributable to the error. Sullivan v.

Louisiana, 508 U.S. 275, 279, 113 S. Ct. 2078, 2081, 124 L.Ed.2d 182 ( 1993).

See La. R.S. 15: 499, et seq. ( Louisiana' s statutory scheme which requires a defendant to exercise his Confrontation Clause rights prior to trial); State v. Simmons, 2011- 1280 ( La. 1/ 20/ 12), 78 So. 3d 743, 746- 47 ( per curiam). Although the record does not reflect the State filed formal notice, pursuant to La. R. S. 15: 501( A), of its intent to introduce the crime lab reports. According to the record, it appears the State' s production of discovery included copies of the lab reports as attachments. See State v. Young, 552 So.2d 669, 672 ( La. App. 2d Cir. 1989). However, rather than merely offering the reports as proof, the State elected to call Mr. Shawhan as a witness to testify as an expert in DNA forensics.

N Herein, the supplemental test results merely verified and confirmed the

presumptive CODIS match. The backpack, which was subjected to two DNA

tests, was also seen on the video footage evidence and found near the crime scene.

Therefore, Mr. Shawhan' s testimony on the results of the supplemental DNA

report was cumulative of testimony presented by Lieutenant Foster. Finally, the

defendant was identified as one of the assailants by a tipster. Accordingly, we find

that the verdicts in this case were surely unattributable to any error in the

admission of the supplemental test results and Mr. Shawhan' s related testimony.

Thus, under a harmless error analysis, the defendant fails to show his entitlement to

relief. See State v. West, 2024- 00133 ( La. 11/ 6/ 24), So. 3d , 2024

WL 4688793, * 2. Considering the foregoing, we find no merit in assignment of

error number two.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER THREE

In assignment of error number three, the defendant contends the trial court

erred in including an instruction on flight in pre -deliberation jury instructions. He

argues there was no evidence to support the claim that he fled the jurisdiction. He

further argues the instruction was not harmless considering the evidence in this

case.

The trial court must instruct the jury on the law applicable to the case. La.

Code Crim. P. art. 802( 1). In analyzing jury instructions, the cases caution against

taking certain phrases out of context of the charge as a whole. The test articulated

is whether, taking the instruction as a whole, reasonable persons of ordinary

intelligence would understand the charge. State v. West, 568 So. 2d 1019, 1023

La. 1990); State v. Leger, 2017- 0461 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 5/ 11/ 20), 303 So. 3d 337,

346 ( on remand). As stated by the Louisiana Supreme Court, " a great deal of

credit should be accorded to the good sense and fairmindedness of jurors who have

heard the evidence and who know what was and was not proven." State v. Dupre,

21 408 So. 2d 1229, 1234 ( La. 1982); State v. Brown, 2020- 0150 ( La. App. 1 st Cir.

2/ 19/ 21), 2021 WL 650816, * 14 ( unpublished), writ denied, 2021- 00458 ( La.

6/ 1/ 21), 316 So. 3d 835.

Herein, over the defendant' s objection, the trial court provided the following

instruction to the jury:

If you find that the defendant fled immediately after a crime was committed or after he was accused of a crime, the flight alone is not sufficient to prove that the defendant is guilty. However, flight may be considered along with all other evidence. You must decide whether such flight was due to consciousness of guilt or to other reasons unrelated to guilt. [ Emphasis added]

An instruction on flight is permitted in criminal cases where it is supported

by the evidence. State v. Hollins, 2023- 0785 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 3/ 19/ 24), 387

So. 3d 641, 650.

We find the evidence of flight was sufficient to warrant the above

instruction. Without objection, Lieutenant Foster testified he looked for the

defendant after receiving the presumptive DNA test results and subsequent tip. He

stated the FBI " tirelessly" assisted him in the search and ultimately discovered the

defendant was no longer in Louisiana, but in Texas. Lieutenant Foster further

testified members of the defendant' s family " got" the defendant to turn himself in.

Defense counsel had the opportunity to cross examine Lieutenant Foster on this

testimony. Further, a great deal of credit should be given to the jurors who were

instructed to assess the evidence to determine if the defendant fled in this case.

Considering the foregoing, we find no error in the trial court' s inclusion of an

instruction on flight. Accordingly, we find assignment of error number three lacks

merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER FOUR

In assignment of error number four, the defendant contends his trial counsel

was constitutionally deficient in failing to challenge this court' s decision on the

22 mid -trial writ regarding the admissibility of the DNA evidence. He further notes

his counsel failed to call his mother to testify or give adequate notice to call an

alibi witness to testify. Finally, he argues his counsel rendered ineffective

assistance at sentencing.

A claim of ineffective assistance of counsel is generally relegated to post-

conviction proceedings, unless the record permits definitive resolution on appeal.

State v. McMillan, 2009- 2094 ( La. App. lst Cir. 7/ 1/ 10), 43 So. 3d 297, 302, writ

denied, 2010- 1779 ( La. 2/ 4/ 11), 57 So. 3d 309. A claim of ineffectiveness of

counsel is analyzed under the two-pronged test developed by the United States

Supreme Court in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S. Ct. 2052, 80

L.Ed.2d 674 ( 1984).

In order to establish that his trial attorney was ineffective, the defendant

must first show that the attorney' s performance was deficient, which requires a

showing that counsel made errors so serious that he was not functioning as counsel

guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. Secondly, the defendant must prove that the

deficient performance prejudiced the defense. McMillan, 43 So. 3d at 302. This

element requires a showing that the errors were so serious that the defendant was

deprived of a fair trial; the defendant must prove actual prejudice before relief will

be granted. It is not sufficient for the defendant to show that the error had some

conceivable effect on the outcome of the proceeding. Rather, he must show that,

but for the counsel' s unprofessional errors, there is a reasonable probability the outcome of the trial would have been different. However, it is unnecessary to

address the issues of both counsel' s performance and prejudice to the defendant if

the defendant makes an inadequate showing on one of the components. Id. at 302-

303.

Decisions relating to investigation, preparation, and strategy require an

evidentiary hearing, and therefore, cannot possibly be reviewed on appeal. State

23 v. Bias, 2014- 1588 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 4/ 24/ 15), 167 So. 3d 1012, 1021, writ denied,

2015- 1051 ( La. 5/ 13/ 16), 191 So. 3d 1053. Further, under our adversary system,

once a defendant has the assistance of counsel, the vast array of trial decisions,

strategic and tactical, which must be made before and during trial, rests with an

accused and his attorney. The fact that a particular strategy is unsuccessful does

not establish ineffective assistance of counsel. Furthermore, "[ t]he election to call

or not call a particular witness is a matter of trial strategy and not, per se, evidence

of ineffective counsel." State v. Folse, 623 So.2d 59, 72 ( La. App. 1 st Cir. 1993).

We note the defendant' s first claim of ineffective assistance of counsel fails,

as he cannot show prejudice as a result of the admission of DNA evidence. In

addition to this court finding the DNA evidence admissible in the mid -trial writ

ruling, we further have addressed the issue on appeal, finding no merit in the

assignment of error. Thus, in the absence of prejudice to the defendant, there is no

need to determine whether counsel' s performance was deficient. We further note

the defendant' s argument regarding his counsel' s adequacy at sentencing is

pretermitted due to this court' s finding, discussed infra, on assignment of error

number six. Finally, the other deficiencies alleged by the defendant on appeal

address matters of trial preparation and strategy, which cannot be reviewed on

appeal. Therefore, assignment of error number four is without merit or otherwise

not subject to appellate review.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER FIVE

In assignment of error number five, the defendant argues the trial court erred

in failing to hold a hearing on his pro se motions for new trial. He argues his

motions presented numerous claims that required a hearing.

As the State notes in its brief on appeal, the defendant did not request a

hearing on the motions for new trial below, nor did he object to the trial court' s

ruling or lack of a hearing. An irregularity cannot be availed of after the verdict

24 unless it was objected to at the time of the occurrence. La. Code Crim. P. art.

841( A). The contemporaneous objection rule has two purposes: to put the trial

judge on notice of the alleged irregularity so that he may cure the problem, and to

prevent the defendant from gambling on a favorable verdict and then resorting to

appeal on errors that might easily have been corrected by an objection. State v.

Cockerham, 2017- 0535 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 9/ 21/ 17), 231 So. 3d 698, 708, writ

denied, 2017- 1802 ( La. 6/ 15/ 18), 245 So. 3d 1035. Thus, to preserve an issue for

appellate review, a party must state an objection contemporaneously with the

occurrence of the alleged error, as well as the grounds for the objection. See La.

Code Crim. P. art. 841( A); See also State v. Johnson, 2015- 0513 ( La. App. 1st

Cir. 12/ 23/ 15), 185 So.3d 822, 829, writ denied, 2016- 0174 ( La. 2/ 3/ 17), 215 So. 3d

688. Thus, we find this issue was not preserved for appellate review.

Furthermore, the defendant submitted his motions for new trial without

argument. There was nothing to suggest that he intended to call any witnesses or

submit any evidence in support of his motions, or that he was prevented from

doing so. Accordingly, the trial court did not err or abuse its discretion in ruling on

the motions without a hearing. We find no merit in assignment of error number

five.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER SIX/PATENT ERROR REVIEW

In assignment of error number six, the defendant argues the trial court erred

in failing to observe the statutorily required twenty -four-hour delay, prior to the imposition of the sentences. We agree.

Herein, the defendant filed motions for new trial and post -verdict judgment

of acquittal, and the trial court denied them on the day of sentencing, just prior to

the imposition of the sentences. However, under La. Code Crim. P. art. 873, in

pertinent part, "[ i] f a motion for a new trial, or in arrest of judgment, is filed,

sentence shall not be imposed until at least twenty-four hours after the motion is

25 overruled." There is no indication in the record the defendant waived the delay in this case. Thus, the trial court erred by sentencing the defendant immediately after ruling on the motion for new trial.

In State v. Augustine, 555 So.2d 1331, 1333- 34 ( La. 1990), the Louisiana

Supreme Court noted that a failure to observe the twenty -four-hour delay provided in Article 873 may be considered harmless error where the defendant could not

show that he suffered prejudice from the violation, and sentencing is not raised on appeal. See State v. Stafford, 2020- 0299 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 2/ 22/ 21), 321 So. 3d

9651, 969. Where, however, a defendant does challenge his sentence, failure to

follow the required twenty -four-hour delay renders a sentence void. Augustine,

555 So.2d at 1333 ( citing State v. Mistich, 186 La. 174, 171 So. 841 ( 1937) and

State v. George, 218 La. 18, 48 So.2d 265 ( 1950), cert. denied, 340 U.S. 949, 71

S. Ct. 528, 95 L.Ed. 684 ( 1951)).

In this case, through a claim of excessiveness, the defendant is challenging his sentences, thus meeting the requirements of Augustine for remand. See State

v. Pursell, 2004- 1775 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 5/ 6/ 05), 915 So. 2d 871, 874.

Additionally, as stated, the record does not contain an expressed or even an

implicit waiver of the sentencing delay. While defense counsel did not contest or

object to moving on to sentencing after the rulings on the motions, in State v.

Kisack, 2016- 0797 ( La. 10/ 18/ 17), 236 So. 3d 1201, 1205 ( per curiam), cert.

denied, 583 U.S. 1160, 138 S. Ct. 1175, 200 L.Ed.2d 322 ( 2018), the Louisiana

Supreme Court found the defense counsel' s participation in the sentencing hearing was insufficient to constitute a waiver of the delay required by Article 873. As

further observed by the court, "[ a] n implicit waiver ... runs afoul of the plain

language of Art. 873 that requires that the waiver be expressly made." Id.

Therefore, given the circumstances presented, we must vacate the defendant' s

sentences and remand the case to the trial court for resentencing. See Augustine,

26 555 So. 2d at 1333- 1335; State v. Denham, 2001- 0400 ( La. 1st Cir. App.

12/ 28/ 01), 804 So.2d 929, 932, writ denied, 2002- 0393 ( La. 1/ 24/ 03), 836 So. 2d

37.

Because we find that Augustine requires the reversal of the defendant' s

sentences and remand for resentencing, it is at this time premature to review the

merits of the defendant' s excessiveness claim raised in assignment of error number

seven. See State v. Thompson, 2010- 2254 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 6/ 10/ 11), 2011 WL

34237985 * 1( unpublished). However, we note that, when resentencing the

defendant, the trial court should advise him of the time limitations provided by La. Code Crim. P. art. 930. 8( A) for applying for post -conviction relief. The sentences

are hereby vacated, and the matter is remanded to the trial court for resentencing in accordance with this opinion. We pretermit discussion of the merits of assignment

of error number seven.

CONVICTIONS AFFIRMED; SENTENCES VACATED AND REMANDED FOR RESENTENCING.

27 STATE OF LOUISIANA

FIRST CIRCUIT

2023 KA 0939

STATE OF LOUISIANA

McClendon, J., dissenting.

In light of the United States Supreme Court's opinion in Smith v. Arizona, 602

U. S. 7791 144 S. Ct. 1785, 219 L. Ed. 2d 420 ( 2024), I must respectfully disagree.