State of Louisiana Versus Jerman Neveaux

Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided November 10, 2023·No. 23-K-477·Unknown

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 23-K-477 VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT JERMAN NEVEAUX COURT OF APPEAL STATE OF LOUISIANA

ON APPLICATION FOR SUPERVISORY REVIEW FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 16-4029, DIVISION "C"

HONORABLE JUNE B. DARENSBURG, JUDGE PRESIDING

November 10, 2023

SUSAN M. CHEHARDY

CHIEF JUDGE

Panel composed of Judges Susan M. Chehardy, Fredericka Homberg Wicker, and Stephen J. Windhorst

WRIT DENIED SMC FHW SJW

COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT, STATE OF LOUISIANA Honorable Paul D. Connick, Jr.

Thomas J. Butler Darren A. Allemand

COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/RELATOR, JERMAN NEVEAUX Christine M. Lehmann Richard J. Bourke Elliott T. Brown

CHEHARDY, C.J.

Defendant, Jerman Neveaux, seeks supervisory review of the district court’s ruling that evidence of other crimes or bad acts would be admissible at trial as integral act evidence. For the reasons that follow, the writ is denied. PROCEDURAL HISTORY On October 13, 2016, defendant, Jerman Neveaux, was indicted for the first degree murder of Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) Detective David Michel in violation of La. R.S. 14:30. The State is seeking the death penalty.

On November 19, 2018, the State filed an Answer to Jackson Demand for Notice of Any Bad Acts that the State May Wish to Use at Either Phase and 404(B) Notice. On June 6, 2019, the State filed State’s Notice of Intent to Use Other Crimes Evidence Pursuant to La. C.E. Article 404(B) and in the Alternative, Admit Evidence of Other Crimes as Res Gestae. The State’s notice of intent identified the following other crimes or bad acts evidence that it seeks to introduce at trial:

1. Defendant’s prior conviction for illegal possession of stolen things, to wit: a firearm;

2. Evidence that defendant possessed the .38 Rossi revolver prior to the murder; and

3. Defendant’s intent to commit an armed robbery on the day of the murder.

The State argued this evidence is admissible under La. C.E. art. 404(B) for two reasons: (1) this evidence formed an integral part of the chain of events and police investigation leading up to defendant’s arrest for first degree murder; and (2) for its independent relevance to show motive, intent, identity, knowledge, system, plan, preparation, and opportunity, and to negate a claim of accident, mistake, or self-defense. In its notice of intent, the State explained that on June 22, 2016, Detective Michel, a member of the JPSO Star Division, notified other

members of the Star Division over the Star radio channel that he was conducting a stop on a black male (defendant) at the intersection of Manhattan Boulevard and Ascot Road. Only moments later, over the same radio channel, Detective Michel shouted, “I’m shot.” The State averred that Detective Michel was actually shot three times in the back and later died. JPSO homicide detectives located and arrested defendant for the first degree murder of Detective Michel. According to the State, during defendant’s arrest, investigators located and recovered a silver .38 Rossi revolver that was concealed on his person.

In its notice of intent, the State maintained that during the course of the investigation, detectives spoke with a witness (W19),1 who stated that, while walking down Manhattan Boulevard during a lunch break, he was concerned about a suspicious person (later identified as defendant) following him. The State further maintained that W19 was on the phone with his girlfriend, W27, while this occurred, and that W19 expressed his concern about the suspicious person to W27. The State asserted that, moments later, Detective Michel observed this suspicious person (defendant) following behind W19, and pulled up to speak to him. According to the State, it was during this interaction with defendant that a physical altercation ensued, after which defendant pulled a firearm from his person and shot Detective Michel three times in the back.

The State also noted in its notice of intent that eight days earlier, defendant had appeared in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court and pled guilty to the reduced charge of illegal possession of stolen things, to wit: a firearm under La. R.S. 14:69, a misdemeanor, for which defendant received a deferred sentence that included inactive probation. The State averred that the original charge was illegal possession of a stolen firearm under La. R.S. 14:69.1, a felony. According to the

1 In its notice of intent, the State referred to each witness by number. The witnesses are also each referred to by number in the police reports and the statements attached to the State’s notice of intent.

State, while on probation, defendant possessed a silver .38 Rossi revolver and was in possession of this revolver at the time he was stopped by Detective Michel on June 22, 2016. The State asserted that during his June 24, 2016 interview with Sergeant Travis Eserman, defendant admitted that he had stolen the .38 Rossi revolver that he used to shoot Detective Michel from an unknown black male in New Orleans. Also during his interview with Sergeant Eserman, defendant explained that he believed Detective Michel was going to handcuff and arrest him, because he thought Detective Michel had seen the gun in his pocket, and defendant knew he already had a gun charge from New Orleans where he received a misdemeanor.

In its notice of intent, the State submitted that investigators spoke with a witness (W29), who knew defendant, knew defendant to carry a firearm, and had observed defendant in possession of a silver revolver just days prior to the homicide.2 The State averred that W29, as well as W33 (see Footnote 2), provided information to investigators regarding verbal statements and text messages by defendant expressing his intent to rob a specific person on the day of the homicide. In particular, the State asserted that defendant verbally told W29 that he was going to rob a person named “Putt,” and that “he” would be walking down Manhattan Boulevard. According to the State, defendant exchanged text messages with W29 on June 21, 2016, and June 22, 2016, wherein defendant discussed his need for a “tool,” and that he knew someone “we could jack out a tool.” The State noted that investigators learned from W29, and also knew from their own experience, that

2 The State identified another witness, W33, now deceased, who also knew defendant and had observed him in possession of a silver revolver two weeks prior to the shooting. The State averred that W33 observed the .38 Rossi revolver that was recovered from defendant’s person displayed during a JPSO press conference, and advised that it was identical to the revolver W33 had previously seen in defendant’s possession. The State contended that defendant had a conversation with W33 on the morning of June 22, 2016, prior to the murder, wherein defendant stated he wanted to rob “Putt” of a .40 caliber firearm. The State acknowledged that it could not use W33’s statement at trial because of W33’s demise.

“tool” meant firearm, and that “jack” meant to rob someone. The State claimed that defendant also sent text messages discussing the person he was going to rob named “Putt,” which indicated that he was going to do it by himself. The State explained that on June 22, 2016, at 12:29 p.m., approximately eight minutes after Detective Michel notified other members of the Star Division that he was conducting a stop on a black male (defendant) at the intersection of Manhattan and Ascot, defendant texted W29 to come and get him. The State averred that W29 sent multiple text messages asking defendant where he was, but received no response. The State explained that defendant’s phone was recovered by JPSO detectives at the time of his arrest.

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