State of Louisiana v. Kendarrious J. Gant

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 11, 2023
Docket54,837-KA
StatusPublished

This text of State of Louisiana v. Kendarrious J. Gant (State of Louisiana v. Kendarrious J. Gant) 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. Kendarrious J. Gant, (La. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

Judgment rendered January 11, 2023. Application for rehearing may be filed within the delay allowed by Art. 922, La. C. Cr. P.

No. 54,837-KA

COURT OF APPEAL SECOND CIRCUIT STATE OF LOUISIANA

*****

STATE OF LOUISIANA Appellee

Versus

KENDARRIOUS J. GANT Appellant

Appealed from the Forty-Second Judicial District Court for the Parish of DeSoto, Louisiana Trial Court No. 21-CR-31759

Honorable Nicholas E. Gasper, Judge

LOUISIANA APPELLATE PROJECT Counsel for Appellant By: Sherry Watters

CHARLES B. ADAMS Counsel for Appellee District Attorney

LEA R. HALL, JR. RHYS E. BURGESS ETHAN P. ARBUCKLE Assistant District Attorneys

Before STONE, STEPHENS, and HUNTER, JJ. STEPHENS, J.

This criminal appeal arises out of the 42nd Judicial District Court,

Parish of DeSoto, State of Louisiana, the Honorable Nicholas E. Gaspar,

Judge, presiding. Defendant Kendarrious J. Gant pled guilty to two counts

of auto burglary and was sentenced by the trial court to consecutive

sentences of 11 years at hard labor on count one and nine years at hard labor

on count two, with five of the nine years’ imprisonment suspended, and with

three years of supervised probation. Gant’s motion to reconsider sentence

was denied. This appeal ensued. For the reasons set forth below, Gant’s

convictions are affirmed, but his sentences are vacated, and the matter is

remanded for resentencing.

FACTS/PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The 19-year-old defendant, Kendarrious Gant, and some underaged

friends (who were charged separately as juveniles) went into two unlocked,

parked vehicles in a neighborhood in Stonewall, Louisiana. They took three

guns from the vehicles—two were recovered, but an heirloom pistol was not.

Gant was arrested at one of the juveniles’ homes on June 21, 2021.

Gant was initially charged by two bills of information, later combined

and amended in one bill, with two counts of auto burglary, violations of La.

R.S. 14:62, and one count of identity theft, a violation of La. R.S.

14:67.16(C)(1)(a). On October 25, 2021, the date set for trial, Gant

withdrew his not guilty pleas and pled guilty to the two auto burglary

charges. The count of identity theft and a misdemeanor count of

contributing to the delinquency of a minor, filed under a separate bill, were

dismissed. A sentence of ten years was “suggested” by the state, but there

was no agreement as to sentence. A presentence investigation was ordered. On December 2, 2021, Gant was sentenced on count one to 11 years

at hard labor and count two to nine years at hard labor. As to count two, five

years were suspended, with three years of supervised probation. The court

ordered that Gant pay $65 per month as a supervision fee for the three years,

a $150 fee for the PSI, and restitution “if due.” Gant objected to the

sentence. On December 9, 2021, Gant filed a motion to reconsider sentence,

which was denied without a hearing on January 19, 2022. Gant has

appealed.

DISCUSSION

Defendant’s assignment of error is that the trial court erred in

sentencing him to a total of at least 15 years’ imprisonment, with an

additional three years of supervision, given that he is a youthful, first felony

offender. According to Gant, the consecutive sentences are excessive and

constitute cruel and unusual punishment under the circumstances of this case

and for these offenses. Furthermore, the trial court:

• incorrectly found there were no mitigating circumstances; • impermissibly used the sentences to ‘send a message’ about crime in the parish; and • did not provide adequate reasons for imposing consecutive sentences.

According to the state, at the sentencing hearing, the trial court

considered that Gant “had been very busy refusing to obey the law,” and had

problems with “the theme here with all of these thefts from Mr. Gant.” The

trial court was also concerned that “at some point while he was out on bond

awaiting sentence on these charges, out on probation, he picked up new

criminal charges.” The state notes that the trial court factored in the fact that

“in a span of seven months [Gant] has been charged with and resolved two

different felony charges and two different misdemeanor charges. And at the 2 same time, he’s incurred two more felony charges that are soon to be

pending.” The court considered Gant to be a “continued threat” and a “risk

to commit crimes.”

Gant made no showing that his claim of excessiveness merits

consideration by the Court, urges the state. It is the state’s position that

Gant’s arguments are without any basis and do not address the actual issues

before this reviewing court, which is whether the trial court abused its

discretion in sentencing the defendant.

Applicable Legal Principles

In reviewing a sentence for excessiveness, an appellate court uses a

two-step process. First, the record must show that the trial court took

cognizance of the criteria set forth in La. C. Cr. P. art. 894.1. The

articulation of a factual basis for a sentence is the goal of article 894.1, not

rigid or mechanical compliance with its provisions. State v. Bell, 53,712

(La. App. 2 Cir. 1/13/21), 310 So. 3d 307; State v. Kelly, 52,731 (La. App. 2

Cir. 6/26/19), 277 So. 3d 855, writ denied, 19-01845 (La. 6/3/20), 296 So.

3d 1071.

The trial court is not required to list every aggravating or mitigating

circumstance so long as the record reflects that it adequately considered the

guidelines of La. C.C. art. 894.1. State v. Smith, 433 So. 2d 688 (La. 1983);

State v. Bell, supra. The important elements which should be considered are

the defendant’s personal history (age, family ties, marital status, health,

employment record), prior criminal record, seriousness of the offense, and

the likelihood of rehabilitation. State v. Jones, 398 So. 2d 1049 (La. 1981);

State v. Bell, supra; State v. Thompson, 50,392 (La. App. 2 Cir. 2/24/16),

189 So. 3d 1139, writ denied, 16-0535 (La. 3/31/17), 217 So. 3d 358. There 3 is no requirement that specific matters be given any particular weight at

sentencing. State v. Bell, supra; State v. Brown, 51,352 (La. App. 2 Cir.

5/2/17), 223 So. 3d 88, writ denied, 17-1154 (La. 5/11/18), 241 So. 3d 1013;

State v. Lathan, 41,855 (La. App. 2 Cir. 2/28/07), 953 So. 2d 890, writ

denied, 07-0805 (La. 3/28/08), 978 So. 2d 297.

Second, the court must determine whether the sentence is

constitutionally excessive. A sentence violates La. Const. art. I, § 20 if it is

grossly out of proportion to the severity of the crime or nothing more than a

purposeless and needless infliction of pain and suffering. State v. Dorthey,

623 So. 2d 1276 (La. 1993); State v. Bell, supra. A sentence is considered

grossly disproportionate if, when the crime and punishment are viewed in

light of the harm done to society, it shocks the sense of justice. State v.

Weaver, 01-0467 (La. 1/15/02), 805 So. 2d 166; State v. Bell, supra. As

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State of Louisiana v. Kendarrious J. Gant, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-louisiana-v-kendarrious-j-gant-lactapp-2023.