State of Louisiana v. Kenny Roy Young

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 1, 2019
DocketKA-0018-0790
StatusUnknown

This text of State of Louisiana v. Kenny Roy Young (State of Louisiana v. Kenny Roy Young) 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. Kenny Roy Young, (La. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL, THIRD CIRCUIT

18-790

STATE OF LOUISIANA

VERSUS

KENNY ROY YOUNG

**********

APPEAL FROM THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF VERMILION, NO. 61768 HONORABLE LAURIE A. HULIN, DISTRICT JUDGE

D. KENT SAVOIE JUDGE

Court composed of D. Kent Savoie, Candyce G. Perret, and Jonathan W. Perry, Judges.

AFFIRMED. Annette Roach Louisiana Appellate Project P. O. Box 1747 Lake Charles, LA 70602-1747 (337) 436-2900 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT: Kenny Roy Young

Hon. Keith A. Stutes Lafayette Parish DA P. O. Box 3306 Lafayette, LA 70502-3306 (337) 232-5170 COUNSEL FOR APPELLEE: State of Louisiana

Ted L. Ayo Assistant District Attorney 100 North State Street, Ste. 215 Abbeville, LA 70510 (337) 898-4320 COUNSEL FOR APPELLEE: State of Louisiana SAVOIE, Judge.

On May 9, 2017, a Vermilion Parish Grand Jury charged Defendant, Kenny

Roy Young, by bill of indictment with five counts of oral sexual battery, in

violation of La.R.S. 14:43.3, and five counts of felony carnal knowledge of a

juvenile, in violation of La.R.S. 14:80. All ten charges were alleged to have

occurred between December 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016, and involved the

same juvenile victim, K.V.1, whose date of birth is July 8, 2002.

On March 22, 2018, Defendant pled guilty as charged to three counts of oral

sexual battery and three counts of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The

remaining four counts of the indictment were dismissed. No sentencing

recommendation was made, and a Pre-Sentence Investigation (PSI) was ordered.

On May 25, 2018, the trial court had a sentencing hearing for Defendant,

wherein the only witness to testify was Cindy Abshire, who is K.V.’s mother and

Defendant’s former girlfriend. At that time, the State recommended a minimum

sentence of twenty years, while defense counsel requested that the sentence be less

than the maximum for any count, with all sentences to run concurrently, and that

Defendant receive sex offender treatment while incarcerated. Furthermore,

defense counsel had previously filed a sentencing memorandum, which asked for

“a sentence of two years at hard labor and that he be recommended for sex

offender treatment while in Department of Corrections[’] custody.”

The trial court expressed that it was “quite disturbed by the facts presented

in th[e] pre-sentence investigation[,]” noting Defendant groomed the victim and

that K.V. would “feel this effect for the rest of her life[.]” The trial court noted the

1 In accordance with La.R.S. 46:1844(W), the victim will be referred to by her initials, given that she is both a juvenile and the victim of a sex offense. abuse was ongoing for about a year. The trial court then sentenced Defendant to

seven years at hard labor without benefits on each count of oral sexual battery,

with those sentences to run concurrently to each other. Defendant was also

sentenced to five years at hard labor for each count of felony carnal knowledge of a

juvenile, with those sentences to run concurrently to each other and consecutively

to the oral sexual battery sentences. Thus, Defendant received a total sentence of

twelve years at hard labor, the first seven of which are without benefits. Defendant

is also required to register as a sex offender for twenty-five years after his release.

On June 15, 2018, defense counsel filed a Motion to Reconsider Sentence,

arguing Defendant’s sentences were excessive in light of mitigating factors and

again asking for a two-year sentence. On August 2, 2018, the trial court held a

hearing on the Motion to Reconsider. The trial court denied the motion noting the

following:

The mother of the child testified at the hearing. I said it then and I will say it again today. I think [Defendant] took advantage of the mother as well as the child that was in -- somewhat in his control and was a master of manipulation and used his skills to fulfill his own sexual deviancy and sexual desires, which is illegal, immoral, and disgusting.

And I think that his original sentence handed down on May 25th is appropriate. And the more I think about it, the more I probably should have handed down a much harsher sentence.

However, twelve years is not excessive, considering that this was a repeated offense that happened on different days and this was an ongoing relationship where he took advantage of such a young child who will pay for this for the rest of her life. So motion denied.

Defendant now appeals his sentences, arguing the lengths of the sentences

are excessive and that the trial court erred in running his felony carnal knowledge

of a juvenile sentences consecutively to his oral sexual battery sentences. For the

following reasons, we affirm.

2 FACTS

The State gave the following factual basis for the oral sexual battery

charges:

Your Honor, on Mr. Kenny Young, the State would show, under Docket No. 61768, that between the dates of December 1st of 2015 and December 31st of 2016, on three different counts, he intentionally touched the anus or genitals of K.B. [sic], whose date of birth is 7-8-2002, by using his mouth or tongue or touching the offender with -- and she was not the spouse of the offender, and she was under the age of 15 and was at least three years younger than me [sic]. And this occurred in Vermilion Parish, Your Honor.

With regard to the felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile charges, the State

gave the following: “And Your Honor, he also had three counts of having sexual

intercourse, with consent, with the same victim, whose date of birth is July 8, 2002,

a person who is 13 years of age or older but less than 17. And this also occurred

here in Vermilion Parish.”

ERRORS PATENT

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

errors patent on the face of the record. After reviewing the record, we find that

there is one error patent involving the sentences imposed for felony carnal

knowledge of a juvenile.

The trial court imposed illegally lenient sentences for Defendant’s guilty

pleas to three counts of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The penalty

provision for felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile requires the trial court to order

the seizure and impoundment of any personal property used in the commission of

the offense. La.R.S. 14:80(D)(2). The trial court failed to impose such an order in

the present case. Thus, the sentences imposed for felony carnal knowledge of a

juvenile are illegally lenient. However, because the issue was not raised as an

3 error, we will take no action related to this issue on appeal. See State v. Aguillard,

17-798 (La.App. 3 Cir. 4/11/18), 242 So.3d 765, writ denied, 18-1207 (La. 3/6/19),

--So.3d--; State v. Goodeaux, 17-441 (La.App. 3 Cir. 11/2/17), 231 So.3d 124, writ

denied, 17-2143 (La. 9/14/18), 252 So.3d 488; State v. Celestine, 11-1403

(La.App. 3 Cir. 5/30/12), 91 So.3d 573; and State v. Smith, 10-830 (La.App. 3 Cir.

2/9/11), 58 So.3d 964, writ denied, 11-503 (La. 9/30/11), 71 So.3d 279.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

In his first assignment of error, Defendant contends his sentences are

excessive because “they are nothing more than cruel and unusual punishment.”

Defendant’s argument is based upon a claim that the trial court failed to consider

mitigating factors and concluded, as Defendant believes, that “[l]esser terms of

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

Related

State v. Lewis
430 So. 2d 1286 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1983)
State v. Jacobs
383 So. 2d 342 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1980)
State v. Cox
369 So. 2d 118 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1979)
State v. Coleman
756 So. 2d 1218 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)
State v. Crawford
410 So. 2d 1076 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1982)
State v. Barling
779 So. 2d 1035 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
State v. Telsee
425 So. 2d 1251 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)
State v. Cook
674 So. 2d 957 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1996)
State v. Dempsey
844 So. 2d 1037 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
State v. Jacobs
493 So. 2d 766 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1986)
State v. Adams
493 So. 2d 835 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1986)
State v. Ortego
382 So. 2d 921 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1980)
State v. Sherer
437 So. 2d 276 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)
State v. Lighten
516 So. 2d 1266 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
State v. Everett
530 So. 2d 615 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1988)
State v. Humphrey
445 So. 2d 1155 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1984)
State v. Pittman
604 So. 2d 172 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)
State v. Lisotta
745 So. 2d 1183 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1999)
State v. Anderson
677 So. 2d 480 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1996)
State v. Sepulvado
367 So. 2d 762 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
State of Louisiana v. Kenny Roy Young, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-louisiana-v-kenny-roy-young-lactapp-2019.