State of Louisiana v. Clevance Cormier, Jr

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 21, 2018
DocketKA-0017-0854
StatusUnknown

This text of State of Louisiana v. Clevance Cormier, Jr (State of Louisiana v. Clevance Cormier, Jr) 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 v. Clevance Cormier, Jr, (La. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION

STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL, THIRD CIRCUIT

17-854

STATE OF LOUISIANA

VERSUS

CLEVANCE CORMIER, JR

**********

APPEAL FROM THE THIRTY-THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF ALLEN, NO. CR-2015-1751 HONORABLE JOEL GERARD DAVIS, DISTRICT JUDGE

CANDYCE G. PERRET JUDGE

Court composed of Marc T. Amy, Shannon J. Gremillion, and Candyce G. Perret, Judges.

AFFIRMED. Peggy J. Sullivan Louisiana Appellate Project P. O. Box 2806 Monroe, LA 71207 (318) 855-6038 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT: Clevance Cormier, Jr

Herbert Todd Nesom District Attorney, Thirty-Third Judicial District Court John Richardson Assistant District Attorney, Thirty-Third Judicial District Court Joe Green Assistant District Attorney, Thirty-Third Judicial District Court P. O. Box 839 Oberlin, LA 70655 (337) 639-2641 COUNSEL FOR APPELLEE: State of Louisiana PERRET, Judge.

Defendant was convicted on seven different counts for his sexual

involvement with a young boy while the boy was between the ages of thirteen and

fifteen. At the time, Defendant was in his late fifties, early sixties. Defendant

alleges two assignments of error—one as to the sufficiency of the evidence

submitted to prove counts one and three; and one as to the excessiveness of the

sentences imposed on all counts. For the reasons that follow, we affirm

Defendant’s convictions and sentences.

ISSUES FOR REVIEW:

1. Whether the evidence at trial was sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Defendant committed sexual battery or indecent behavior with a juvenile when the child was under the age of thirteen; and

2. Whether the sentence imposed in this case was unconstitutionally harsh and excessive.

FACTUAL/PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND:

The victim, C.M., lived with his grandmother, Armelinda Trejo, after his

mother passed away in 2007, and because his father was not a part of his life.

C.M. and his grandmother moved to the Wingfield apartments in May 2010.

Defendant, Clevance “Junior” Cormier, lived in the Wingfield apartments, first in

apartment number three, and then in the apartment across from Ms. Trejo and C.M.

Defendant befriended C.M. after a garage sale. Defendant started by coming over

and sitting on Ms. Trejo’s porch quite frequently. C.M. began going over to

Defendant’s apartment when he was under the age of thirteen and spent the night at

Defendant’s apartment on several occasions. The first time C.M. spent the night at

Defendant’s apartment, Defendant showed C.M. porn, then pulled down C.M.’s

pants and started to stroke his private area. C.M. testified that while he was still twelve, Defendant touched his private part on at least four occasions. At age

thirteen, C.M. stated the Defendant started sucking C.M.’s private part and began

asking C.M. to take his clothes off then massaging him. At age fourteen,

Defendant continued stroking and sucking C.M.’s private part, watching porn, and

eventually had intercourse by C.M. penetrating Defendant. C.M. testified the

abuse continued even after C.M. and his grandmother moved, and Defendant

moved into a trailer, eventually resulting in intercourse by C.M. penetrating

Defendant on at least three occasions and having C.M. suck Defendant’s penis.

C.M. was friends with Defendant’s nephew, Chris Cormier. C.M. reported

the events to Chris Cormier one day in March of 2015. Chris Cormier told C.M.

he needed to report the events to his grandmother and to the police. Consequently,

C.M., his grandmother, and Chris Cormier went to the Kinder Police Department

and made statements to Detectives Shannon Fontenot and Rocky Fontenot. The

conversation between C.M. and his grandmother while they waited for the

detectives was also recorded.

At trial, Ms. Trejo, Chris Cormier, David Duplechain (who conducted an

interview of C.M. at the Children’s Advocacy Center, “CAC”), Lieutenant

Shannon Fontenot, Detective Rocky Fontenot, and C.M. testified. The jury also

saw photographs taken of C.M. by Defendant, watched the video of the CAC

interview of C.M., heard the recording from the police station, and heard the police

interview of Defendant. The jury found Defendant guilty on all counts.

The trial court sentenced Defendant as follows, the sentences to run

concurrently with one another: Count One, Sexual battery of a victim under

thirteen—fifty (50) years hard labor, without the benefit of probation, parole, or

suspension of sentence; Count Two, Oral Sexual Battery—five (5) years hard

2 labor, without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence; Count

Three, Indecent behavior with a juvenile victim under thirteen—twenty (20) years

hard labor, without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence;

Count Four, Felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile—five (5) years hard labor;

Count Five, Sexual battery of a juvenile—five (5) years hard labor, without the

benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence; Count Six, Obstruction of

justice—ten (10) years hard labor; and Count Seven, Pornography involving a

juvenile—fifteen (15) years hard labor, without the benefit of probation, parole, or

suspension of sentence. Defendant now appeals.

ERRORS PATENT:

In accordance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 920, all appeals are routinely

reviewed for errors patent on the face of the record. After reviewing the record, we

find no errors patent that require correction.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE:

Defendant asserts the evidence was insufficient for two offenses for which

he was convicted—sexual battery of a juvenile under the age of thirteen, and

indecent behavior with a juvenile under the age of thirteen. As to both counts, he

challenges the sufficiency of the State’s evidence that the victim was under the age

of thirteen when the offenses were committed.

In reviewing a sufficiency of the evidence claim, the relevant question to

consider on appeal is “whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most

favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the

essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Ellis, 14-

1511, p. 2 (La. 10/14/15), 179 So.3d 586, 588, cert denied, __ U.S. __, 136 S.Ct.

1462 (2016) (quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789

3 (1979)). “Thus, other than ensuring the sufficiency evaluation standard of

Jackson, ‘the appellate court should not second-guess the credibility determination

of the trier of fact,’ but rather, it should defer to the rational credibility and

evidentiary determinations of the jury.” State v. Lapoint, 16-187, p. 4 (La.App. 3

Cir. 9/28/16), 202 So.3d 593, 597, writ denied, 16-2087 (La. 9/22/17), 227 So.3d

824 (quoting State v. Ryan, 07-504, p. 2 (La.App. 3 Cir. 11/7/07), 969 So.2d 1268,

1270). Additionally, a victim’s testimony alone can be sufficient to support a

verdict in the absence of internal contradiction or irreconcilable conflict with the

physical evidence. State v. Dorsey, 10-216 (La. 9/7/11), 74 So.3d 603, cert.

denied, 566 U.S. 930, 132 S.Ct. 1859 (2012).

Sexual battery under La.R.S. 14:43.1 does not require the victim be under

the age of thirteen, however, when the victim is under thirteen, the sentence is

enhanced.1 Therefore, the jury is required to find that the victim was under the age

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