NOT FOR PUBLICATION
STATE OF LOUISIANA
COURT OF APPEAL
FIRST CIRCUIT
2020KA0679
VERSUS
TONY JOHNSON
Judgment Rendered: fAPR 2 8 2021'
Appealed from the Twenty-first Judicial District Court In and for the Parish of Tangipahoa State of Louisiana Docket Number 1701099
Honorable Robert Morrison, III, Judge Presiding
*************
Scott M. Perilloux Counsel for Appellee, Zachary Daniels State of Louisiana Amite, LA
Mary E. Roper Counsel for Defendant/Appellant, Baton Rouge, LA Tony Johnson
Jane L. Beebe Addis, LA
BEFORE: WHIPPLE, C.J., WELCH, AND CHUTZ, JJ. WHIPPLE, C.J.
Defendant, Tony Johnson, was charged by grand jury indictment with
second degree murder, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:30. l. He pied not guilty. After
a trial by jury, defendant was unanimously found guilty as charged. The trial court
imposed a sentence of life imprisonment. Defendant now appeals. For the
following reasons, we affirm the defendant's conviction and sentence as amended
and remand with instructions.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
On August 19, 2016, Jeanette Scott, sister of victim Christopher Franklin,
Jr., arrived home from work around midnight. She lived in a Ponchatoula,
Louisiana apartment with her brother and her boyfriend. She saw that the window
screen was on the ground, the window was open, and the door was partially ajar.
She called out to her brother through the partially open door, but did not receive a
response. She had never before arrived home to find the door or window in that
condition. She called her step-father, who told her to go to a nearby Walmart and
await his arrival. Lyntrell Hemphill, Scott's step-father, entered the house along
with her boyfriend, Don Tolbert. Upon entering, they observed the apartment to be
in disarray. In Franklin's bedroom, Hemphill observed Franklin's body on the
bedroom floor, behind a door with a hole in it. He was unable to open the door
more than a small crack, due to Franklin's body blocking it. Hemphill
immediately left the house and told Scott to call 911, which she did. Scott testified
that the last communication from Franklin was a Facebook post made at 9:24 p.m.
on August 18th, 2016.
Ponchatoula Police Department ("PPD") Sergeant Carol Wilson responded
to the 911 call. After entering the apartment and looking into Franklin's room
through the doorway, she saw Franklin's body on the ground with a gunshot
wound to the left side of his head. Sgt. Wilson observed "[t]he majority of his
2 skull and brain was gone." It appeared to her that he had been dead for some time.
On the outside of the house, Sgt. Wilson saw the open window with the window
screen detached. She secured the crime scene, assisted by PPD Sergeant Damieon
Tanner. Sgt. Tanner and Detective Randy Hills recorded the names of everyone
entering or leaving the crime scene. Det. Hills also collected voluntary DNA
swabs from Scott and Tolbert, as both lived at the address. Detective Jeffery
Miller of the PPD was initially the lead detective and assisted in collecting
fingerprints from Hemphill, Scott, and Tolbert in order to eliminate them as
contributors of other fingerprints found within the house. Det. Miller worked on
the case for about five months before handing it off to the Louisiana Attorney
General's Office, Bureau of Investigations.
State crime scene technicians took photographs and collected fingerprints,
DNA samples, and other evidence from the apartment. Finger and palm prints, in
addition to DNA samples, were recovered from the window. Defendant was later
determined to be the person who left the finger and palm prints, in addition to
DNA found on the window. Stephanie Hemphill, the victim's mother, explained
that Franklin knew defendant from school, and was dating Sandrina Jones, the
cousin of co-defendants Dkerian Thompson and Jeremiah Ray.
Forensic testimony revealed that the hole in Franklin's bedroom door was
consistent with a single 12-gauge shotgun blast, and the position of Franklin's
body, brain matter, and blood indicated the left side of Franklin's head was close to
the door where the shot passed through. Based on the blood spatter, location of the
hole, and position of the body, Franklin apparently was bracing himself against the
door in an attempt to prevent someone from making entry into the bedroom when
he was shot. There was no indication anyone had entered the room before
Franklin's body was recovered by investigators.
3 Six months after Franklin's death, and after officials learned defendant left
fingerprints on the window of Franklin's residence, Special Agent Matthew
Vasquez with the Louisiana Department of Justice began investigating the case.
He first interviewed Mario Tate, Franklin's neighbor. Tate informed Special
Agent Vasquez that he observed two armed African-American men being dropped
off by a pickup truck on the night of the killing. One was armed with a handgun
and the other was armed with a shotgun. He saw the man carrying the shotgun
open the window and enter, bringing the shotgun along with him.
Special Agent Vasquez met with defendant for a custodial interrogation.
Defendant was given a form detailing his Miranda' rights, and defendant waived
his rights and spoke to Vasquez without an attorney present. The interview was
recorded and played for the jury. In this interview, defendant initially denied being
at the apartment building, being involved in a shooting, or ever having used a
shotgun. He also said he did not know Franklin and was not in Ponchatoula during
August 2016. Later in the interview, defendant admitted his fingerprints may have
been at the scene because he may have broken into the apartment at some other
time and stolen things and that he at least "kn[e}w of' Franklin from school. A
DNA sample was taken from defendant pursuant to a search warrant.
Later that day, after Special Agent Vasquez left, defendant indicated he
wanted to speak with him again. Vasquez returned, and defendant was again read
his Miranda rights, and he again waived them. During the second interview,
defendant admitted to entering the apartment through the window and firing the
shotgun, and he detailed the participation of his accomplices. Defendant alleged
he did not intend to shoot anyone, but that he was afraid Franklin would start
shooting. He alleged that he did not know the shotgun was loaded. He expressed
regret that the window was left unlocked, reasoning that the murder would not
1 Miranda v. Arizon;i, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694 (1966).
4 have happened otherwise. The second interview was also recorded and played for
the jury.
In a third statement taken less than an hour after the second interview
concluded, defendant went through his Facebook account to identify other subjects
involved in the robbery and killing. Defendant identified his co-perpetrators by
their Facebook profiles, and they were subsequently arrested and charged. Co-
defendant Shauna Broussard was later located and arrested, and Special Agent
Vasquez testified that in her interview, she confirmed much of defendant's story.
Three days after the third interview, defendant was interviewed for a fourth time
after again waiving his Miranda rights. In that interview, defendant identified his
co-perpetrators from photographs presented to him by law enforcement. The
interview was recorded and played for the jury.
The investigation also revealed that from about 9:58 p.m. to 10:32 p.m. on
August 18, 2016, defendant's cell phone was located in the area near the apartment
in which Franklin's body was found. Furthermore, two jail calls linked to
defendant were played for the jury. In the calls, defendant acknowledged to an
unknown female that somebody saw him and his accomplice at the apartment, and
that he shot and killed the victim when the gun "just went off."
DISCUSSION
Assignment of Error No. One: Insufficient Evidence
In his first assignment of error, defendant contends the State failed to present
sufficient evidence to establish he had the specific intent to commit second degree
murder, but instead only proved that he committed manslaughter or negligent
homicide. Defendant asserts that the evidence shows that he did not know anyone
was home or that the shotgun was loaded, and that he only went to Franklin's
apartment to commit a burglary. Defendant alleges he was surprised to find
5 Franklin home and "went into a fight mode and as a near juvenile himself lacked
the impulse control and reason to avoid compounding his poor decisions made thus
far."
The State argues it proved every element of second degree murder, either by
proving a specific intent to kill or that defendant committed felony murder. The
State reasons that the jury was presented with, and rejected, defendant's theory of
manslaughter or negligent homicide. The State also notes that although much of
the evidence was circumstantial and if presented alone would require the State to
exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence, defendant confessed to the
killing more than once, which is direct evidence of defendant's guilt.
A conviction based on insufficient evidence cannot stand, as it violates Due
Process. See U.S. Const. amend. XIV; La. Const. art. I, § 2. The standard of
review for the sufficiency of the evidence to uphold a conviction is whether,
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. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S. Ct. 2781, 2789, 61
L. Ed. 2d 560 (1979). See LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 82l(B); State v. Ordodi, 2006-0207
(La. 11/29/06), 946 So. 2d 654, 660; State v. Mussall, 523 So. 2d 1305, 1308-09
(La. 1988).
The Jackson standard of review, incorporated in LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 821, is an
objective standard for testing the overall evidence, both direct and circumstantial,
for reasonable doubt. When analyzing circumstantial evidence, LSA-R.S. 15:438
provides that in order to convict, the factfinder must be satisfied the overall
evidence excludes every reasonable hypothesis of innocence. See State v. Patomo,
2001-2585 (La. App. !st Cir. 6/21102), 822 So. 2d 141, 144. 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
6 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. State v. Wright, 98-0601 (La. App. 1st Cir. 2119/99), 730 So. 2d 485, 487,
writs denied, 99-0802 (La. 10/29/99), 748 So. 2d 1157 & 2000-0895 (La.
11117/00), 773 So. 2d 732.
An appellate court is constitutionally precluded from acting as a "thirteenth
juror" in assessing what weight to give evidence in criminal cases; that
determination rests solely on the sound discretion of the trier of fact. State v.
Thomas, 2005-2210 (La. App. 1st Cir. 6/9/06), 938 So. 2d 168, 175, writ denied,
2006-2403 (La. 4/27/07), 955 So. 2d 683. The trier of fact is free to accept or
reject, in whole or in part, the testimony of any witness, including an expert. State
v. Leger, 2017-0461 (La. App. 1st Cir. 11/15/17), 236 So. 3d 577, 585, vacated on
other grounds, 2017-2084 (La. 6/26/19), 284 So 3d 609.
Second degree murder is the killing of a human being when the offender has
a specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm. See LSA-R.S.
14:30.l(A)(l). Specific intent is that state of mind which exists when the
circumstances indicate that the offender actively desired the prescribed criminal
consequences to follow his act or failure to act. LSA-R.S. 14:10(1). Though intent
is a question of fact, it need not be proven as a fact. It may be inferred from the
circumstances of the transaction. Specific intent may be proven by direct
evidence, such as statements by a defendant, or by inference from circumstantial
evidence, such as a defendant's actions or facts depicting the circumstances.
Specific intent is an ultimate legal conclusion to be resolved by the factfinder.
Specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm may be inferred from the extent
and severity of the victim's injuries. Conversely, a defendant's confession is direct
7 evidence, for it is an acknowledgment of guilt for which no inference need be
drawn. State v. Landry, 2019-0486 (La. App. 1st Cir. 2/21/20), 297 So. 3d 8, 15.
Whether a defendant possessed the requisite intent in a criminal case is a question
for the trier of fact, and a review of the correctness of this determination is guided
by the Jackson standard. State v. Williams, 2019-0362 (La. App. I st Cir. 2126120)
(unpublished), 2020 WL 913674, at *6, writ denied, 2020-00555 (La. 10/6/20),
302 So. 3d 527.
As an initial matter, m addition to defendant's confession that he shot
Franklin in the head at close range with a shotgun, his palm prints and DNA left at
the scene provided substantial circumstantial evidence of his presence in the
apartment. Also, the victim's neighbor observed a black man, matching
defendant's general description, enter the apartment through the window carrying a
shotgun. Defendant's cell phone was mapped as being in the area of the apartment
around the time the shooting likely took place. Further, a co-conspirator confirmed
defendant's recounting of events.
In any case, although defendant claims to have not known Franklin was
home at the time he broke into the apartment, the forensic testimony indicated
Franklin was attempting to seek refuge in his bedroom when defendant fired the
shotgun through the door, striking Franklin in the head at close range. Defendant
then fled the scene without leaving any sign of an attempt to render aid or notify
the authorities. There was no evidence that Franklin was armed or posed any
danger to defendant, even assuming arguendo that defendant was somehow legally
in Franklin's home. Testimony at trial established that defendant intentionally
fired a shotgun through the door of a bedroom defendant knew to be occupied.
The State presented sufficient evidence under the provisions of LSA-R.S
14:30.l(A)(l) to prove defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and this court
finds nothing in defendant's claims sufficient to warrant overturning the jury's
8 determination. See State v. Austin, 49,061 (La. App. 2d Cir. 7/16/14), 146 So. 3d
716, 725-26, writ denied, 2014-2323 (La. 9118115), 178 So. 3d 140 (wherein the
appellate court found the defendant's "use of the sawed-off shotgun with heavy
shot demonstrates the requisite intent to kill. The level of the blast and its location
near the knob indicate that any person in the small bathroom could be killed by the
scattering of shot from the gun.").
Alternatively, second degree murder is "the killing of a human being
[w]hen the offender is engaged in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of ...
aggravated burglary ... even though he has no intent to kill or to inflict great bodily
harm. LSA-R.S. 14:30.l(A)(2).2 This provision of the second degree murder
statute "contains the circumstances under which a defendant can be found guilty
under the felony murder rule, which dispenses with the necessity of proving mens
rea accompanying a homicide-the underlying felony supplies the culpable mental
state." State v. Cogar, 2017-0426 (La. App. 1st Cir. 9/15/17), 2017 WL 4082432,
*3 (unpublished), writ denied. 2017-1740 (La. 9/28/18), 253 So. 3d 143 (citing
State v. Small, 2011-2796 (La. 10/16/12), 100 So. 3d 797, 805); see also State v.
Smith, 2014-0213 (La. App. 4th Cir. 12/17114), 156 So. 3d 1227, 1232, writ
denied, 2015-0094 (La. 11/30/15), 182 So. 3d 43 (under felony murder statute,
rather than proving defendant's specific intent to commit the killing, the
commission of the underlying felony supplies the requisite criminal culpability for
the actions that result in the victim's death). Louisiana jurisprudence interprets the
felony murder rule to require that a direct act of defendant caused the death of the
victim. Small. 100 So. 3d at 806.
Aggravated burglary is the unauthorized entering of any inhabited dwelling
where a person is present, with the intent to commit a felony or any theft therein if
2 The grand jury indictment lists LSA-R.S. 14:30.1 {A)(2) as the provision under which defendant and his co-defendants were charged; however, at trial, the jury was instructed regarding both LSA-R.S. 14:30.I(A)(I) and (A)(2) prior to being released to deliberate.
9 the offender is anned with a dangerous weapon. LSA-R.S. 14:60(A)(l). Here,
defendant admitted to entering Franklin's apartment with the intent to commit a
theft while armed with a shotgun, although he contends he believed it to be
unloaded. The State provided sufficient evidence under the provisions of LSA-
R.S. 14:30. l(A)(2) to sustain the conviction. 3
After a thorough review of the record, we find that the evidence supports the
guilty verdict. Presented with defendant's explanation regarding the shooting, the
jury made a credibility determination and rejected defendant's hypothesis that the
fatal shooting was anything less than intentional. We are convinced that viewing
the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, any rational trier of fact could
have found beyond a reasonable doubt, and to the exclusion of every reasonable
hypothesis of innocence, that defendant was guilty of second degree murder. See
State v. Calloway, 2007-2306 (La. 1/21109), 1 So. 3d 417, 418 (per curiam).
This assignment of error lacks merit.
Assignment of Error No. Two: Excessive Sentence
In his second assignment of error, defendant argues that his life sentence is
excessive. Defendant asserts that a life sentence is excessive because he is a young
offender who committed the offense through "impulsive actions and poor
decisions[,]" and that a life sentence shocks the conscience. Citing State v.
Dorthey, 623 So. 2d 1276 (La. 1993), defendant contends the trial court should
have deviated from the statutory mandatory minimum sentence of life
imprisonment.
3 Defendant further argues that the evidence presented was only sufficient to convict him
of negligent homicide or manslaughter. Because we conclude, as discussed herein, that the evidence was sufficient to support defendant's conviction of second degree murder, we pretermit consideration of defendant's alternative arguments. See State v. Rosario-Colon, 2019-0406 (La. App. !st Cir. 9127119), 289 So. 3d 126, 132 n.2, writ denied, 2019-01806 (La. 1128/20), 291 So. 3d 1055, cert. denied,_ U.S._, 140 S. Ct. 2727, 206 L. Ed. 2d 859 (2020).
JO The State argues the sentence is not constitutionally excessive, that it is the
legislature that is tasked with making determinations of sentencing
appropriateness, and that second degree murder "has been identified as one of the
most egregious offenses by the Legislature." The State further claims that given
the facts of the case, the trial court was presented with no evidence to support a
downward departure.
The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, § 20,
of the Louisiana Constitution prohibit the imposition of cruel or excessive
punishment. Although a sentence falls within statutory limits, it may be excessive.
State v. Sepulvado, 367 So. 2d 762, 767 (La. 1979). A sentence is considered
constitutionally excessive if it is grossly disproportionate to the seriousness of the
offense or is nothing more than a purposeless and needless infliction of pain and
suffering. A sentence is considered grossly disprop01tionate if, when the crime
and punishment are considered in light of the harm done to society, it shocks the
sense of justice. State v. Livous, 2018-0016 (La. App. 1st Cir. 9/24/18), 259 So.
3d 1036, 1044, writ denied, 2018-1788 (La. 4/15119), 267 So. 3d 1130. The trial
court has great discretion in imposing a sentence within the statutory limits, and
such a sentence will not be set aside as excessive in the absence of a manifest
abuse of discretion. State v. Scott, 2017-0209 (La. App. 1st Cir. 9115117), 228 So.
3d 207, 211, writ denied, 2017-1743 (La. 8/31118), 251 So. 3d 410. Louisiana
Code of Criminal Procedure article 894. l sets forth the factors for the trial court to
consider when imposing sentence. While the entire checklist of Article 894.1 need
not be recited, the record must reflect the trial court adequately considered the
criteria. State v. Brown, 2002-2231 (La. App. l st Cir. 5/9/03), 849 So. 2d 566,
569.
The articulation of the factual basis for a sentence is the goal of Article
894. l, not rigid or mechanical compliance with its provisions. Where the record
11 clearly shows an adequate factual basis for the sentence imposed, remand is
unnecessary even where there has not been full compliance with Article 894.1.
State v. Lanclos, 419 So. 2d 475, 478 (La. 1982); Scott, 228 So. 3d at 211. The
trial court should review the defendant's personal history, his prior criminal record,
the seriousness of the offense, the likelihood that he will commit another crime,
and his potential for rehabilitation through correctional services other than
confinement. State v. Jones, 398 So. 2d 1049, 1051-52 (La. 1981); State v. Spikes,
2017-0087 (La. App. 1st Cir. 9115117), 228 So. 3d 201, 204-05.
Mandatory sentences have been repeatedly upheld as constitutional and
consistent with the federal and state constitutional provisions prohibiting cruel,
unusual, or excessive punishment. Scott, 228 So. 3d at 212. To rebut the
presumption that the mandatory minimum sentence is constitutional, a defendant
must clearly and convincingly show that he is exceptional, which means that
because of unusual circumstances, this defendant is a victim of the legislature's
failure to assign sentences that are meaningfully tailored to the culpability of the
offender, the gravity of the offense, and the circumstances of the case. State v.
Johnson, 97-1906 (La. 3/4/98), 709 So. 2d 672, 676.
Considering the nature of the crime and the mandatory life sentence at issue,
we find no abuse of discretion by the trial court. To the extent defendant is
suggesting his situation is unique, he has not proven by clear and convincing
evidence that he is exceptional such that the sentence would not be meaningfully
tailored to the culpability of the offender, the gravity of the offense, and the
circumstances of the case. See State v. Cawthorne, 2018-155 (La. App. 3d Cir.
10/3/18), 257 So. 3d 717, 724-728, writ denied, 2018-1899 (La. 4/8119), 267 So.
3d 607 (wherein the court rejected the 18-year-old defendant's argument that due
to his youth and lack of criminal history, he should be treated like a juvenile
offender and be granted parole eligibility on his mandatory life sentence for second
12 degree murder); State v. Monceaux, 2017-1052 (La. App. 3d Cir. 5/9118), 2018
WL 2138289, at *3-4 (wherein the court rejected the 19-year-old defendant's claim
of youth and diminished intellectual capacity as grounds for deviating from the
mandatory life sentence for aggravated rape); State v. Little, 50,776 (La. App. 2d
Cir. 8/10116), 200 So. 3d 400, 403-06, writ denied, 2016-1664 (La. 6/16/17), 219
So. 3d 341 (wherein the court rejected the 22-year-old, moderately mentally
retarded defendant's request for a downward departure from the mandatory life
sentence, noting "[t]he callous and utterly senseless murder of the victim
outweighs any argument for leniency for this defendant due to his mental
condition.") Accordingly, the sentence imposed by the trial court is not grossly
disproportionate to the severity of the offense and, therefore, is not
unconstitutionally excessive.
This assignment of error also lacks merit.
PATENT ERROR
This court routinely reviews the record for error under LSA-C.Cr.P. art.
920(2), whether or not such a request is made by a defendant or defense counsel.
Under LSA-C.Cr.P. 920(2), we are limited in our review to errors discoverable by
a mere inspection of the pleadings and proceedings without inspection of the
evidence. After a careful review of the record in these proceedings, we have found
sentencing errors.
For a conviction of second degree murder, the offender shall be imprisoned
at hard labor for life without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of
sentence. LSA-R.S. 14:30.l(B). The minutes indicate defendant was sentenced to
life "in prison" without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
However, the sentencing transcript reveals the court sentenced defendant to "life
13 imprisonment, with or without hard labor, with credit for time served."4 Thus, the
trial court failed to designate whether the sentence was to be served with or
without hard labor and, as such, the sentence is indeterminate.
Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure article 920(2) authorizes
consideration of such an error on appeal. Further, LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 882(A)
authorizes correction by the appellate court. State v. Hamilton, 2019-1206 (La.
App. 1st Cir. 2/21/20), 297 So. 3d 782, 789, writ denied, 2020-0608 (La.
11/10/20), 303 So. 3d 1046. We find that correction of this illegally lenient
sentence does not involve the exercise of sentencing discretion and, as such, there
is no reason why this court should not simply amend the sentence. Accordingly,
since a sentence at hard labor was the only sentence that could be imposed,
we correct the sentence to provide that it be served at hard labor.
The trial court also failed to designate that the sentence was to be served
without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Although the trial
court did not state the sentence was to be served without benefit of parole,
probation, or suspension of sentence, that condition is deemed to be part of the
defendant's sentence pursuant to LSA-R.S. 15:301.1. Nonetheless, because the
sentence must be amended to designate that the sentence is to be served at hard
labor, we will likewise amend the sentence to provide that it is to be served without
benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
CONCLUSION
For the above and foregoing reasons, the defendant's conviction of second
degree murder is affirmed. The trial court's sentence of life imprisonment with or
without hard labor and with credit for time served is amended to provide that the
defendant's sentence shall be served at hard labor and without benefit of parole,
probation, or suspension of sentence, and, as amended, the sentence is affirmed. 4 Where there is a conflict between the transcript and commitment, the transcript prevails. See State v. Collins, 2007-0310 (La. 10/12/07), 966 So. 2d 534, 535 (per curiam).
14 This matter is remanded to the trial court with instructions to correct the
minutes and the commitment order and to transmit the amended record to the
Louisiana Department of Corrections.
CONVICTION AFFIRMED; LIFE SENTENCE AMENDED TO PROVIDE THAT THE SENTENCE BE SERVED AT HARD LABOR AND WITHOUT BENEFIT OF PAROLE, PROBATION, OR SUSPENSION OF SENTENCE AND AFFIRMED AS AMENDED; REMANDED FOR CORRECTION OF THE MINUTES AND COMMITMENT ORDER, AND FOR TRANSMISSION OF THE AMENDED RECORD TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.