State of Louisiana Versus Oneil Gilbert, III

Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided November 8, 2023·No. 23-KA-121·Unknown

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 23-KA-121 VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT ONEIL GILBERT, III COURT OF APPEAL STATE OF LOUISIANA

ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 22-1212, DIVISION "E"

HONORABLE FRANK A. BRINDISI, JUDGE PRESIDING

November 08, 2023

SCOTT U. SCHLEGEL

JUDGE

Panel composed of Judges Robert A. Chaisson, John J. Molaison, Jr., and Scott U. Schlegel

CONVICTIONS AFFIRMED; SENTENCE ON COUNT ONE AFFIRMED; SENTENCE ON COUNT TWO VACATED AND REMANDED FOR RESENTENCING; REMANDED ON COUNT ONE FOR CORRECTION OF THE COMMITMENT SUS RAC JJM

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

Thomas J. Butler Anne M. Wallis Kristen Landrieu Carolyn Chkautovich

COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT, ONEIL GILBERT, III Katherine M. Franks

SCHLEGEL, J.

Defendant, Oneil Gilbert, III, appeals his convictions and sentences for one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of cocaine in an amount under two grams. We affirm defendant’s convictions and sentences. However, we remand the matter for correction of errors patent.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On March 22, 2022, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a bill of information charging defendant, Oneil Gilbert, III, with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of La. R.S. 14:95.1 (count one), and possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, cocaine weighing less than 28 grams, in violation of La. R.S. 40:967(A) (count two). Defendant was arraigned and pled not guilty on March 25, 2022. Various pleadings were filed, including an omnibus motion containing motions to suppress statement and evidence. Following a hearing on July 13, 2023, the trial court denied the motions to suppress the evidence and statement.

On October 19, 2022, the State amended count two of the bill of information to charge defendant with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, cocaine weighing less than 2 grams, in violation of La. R.S. 40:967(C). During a jury trial held the same day, a twelve-person jury unanimously found defendant guilty as charged on both counts.

On October 24, 2022, defendant was sentenced to 20 years on count one, and 2 years on count two.1 The sentences were ordered to run concurrent with each other.

The State subsequently filed a multiple offender bill of information on November 10, 2022, as to count one (possession of a firearm by a convicted felon),

1 As discussed below under errors patent, the trial court did not state at the sentencing hearing whether the sentences were to be served with or without benefit of probation, parole or suspension or with or without hard labor.

and alleged that defendant previously pled guilty to obscenity in Case No. 20-2252 in violation of La. R.S. 14:106 on October 13, 2021, and pled guilty to simple burglary in Case No. 10-2480 in violation of La. R.S. 14:62 on January 17, 2012. An amended multiple offender’s bill was also filed on November 10, 2022, in which the State alleged that defendant had pled guilty to obscenity in Case No. 20- 2253 in violation of La. R.S. 14:106 on October 13, 2021. The charge of simple burglary under Case No. 10-2480 was removed from the multiple bill.

At the multiple offender bill hearing on January 20, 2023, the trial court adjudicated defendant as a second-felony offender on count one, vacated the original sentence on count one, and sentenced defendant to “40 years” to run “concurrent with the other crimes”.2 Defendant now appeals and asserts, as his sole assignment of error, that the trial court erred in denying the motions to suppress evidence and statement.

FACTS

On March 6, 2022, Deputy Michael Morrison, a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy of almost seventeen years with nearly twenty years of military experience, responded to a dispatch by the 911 operator, who had received a suspicious person call. The caller relayed via 911 that he had seen a black male break off a piece of crack cocaine, put it in a baggy, and sell it to somebody near a Honda truck (Ridgeline) in the Fast Stop store parking lot at 3220 Jefferson Highway. The initial report was made by someone named “Brian,” but “Brian” was never located or interviewed. Deputy Morrison was not initially given a description, but when he asked the dispatcher for a better description, he was told that it was a bald, black man wearing black pants and a black shirt.

When Deputy Morrison arrived on the scene, he did not see anyone matching the description, but was able to speak with someone in the parking lot

2 See errors patent discussion below.

about who owned the truck. The person was not able to provide Deputy Morrison with a name but stated that the owner of the subject truck was a bald, black male wearing a blue shirt and black pants. Deputy Morrison also spoke with a clerk inside the store, who stated that the Honda pick-up truck belonged to a bald, black male wearing black pants and a blue shirt.3 The clerk further noted that the person driving the subject truck told him that he would be right back because he had lost his key and was going back to his house to get a spare. The clerk last saw this person walking southbound on Shrewsbury Court.

As Deputy Morrison was speaking with the clerk, Deputy Justin McCubbins, arrived on the scene to assist with the investigation.4 Deputy Morrison provided Deputy McCubbins with a description of the subject soon thereafter, whereupon Deputy McCubbins relayed that he had just seen a black male who matched the description exiting the corner of the parking lot, heading southbound, down Shrewsbury Court on foot. More specifically, Deputy McCubbins testified that as he walked out of the store, he saw defendant walking towards them but the defendant turned around and started walking extremely fast in the opposite direction when he saw the deputies. As a result, Deputy Morrison pursued on foot while Deputy McCubbins entered his unit and drove southbound.

Deputy McCubbins drove past defendant, pulled in front of him on Shrewsbury Court and exited his vehicle as Deputy Morrison was still walking down the road towards them. Deputy McCubbins instructed defendant to stop and drop the two yellow bags that he was carrying. Defendant refused, so Deputy McCubbins grabbed the yellow bags and placed them on the ground. When he grabbed the bags, he could immediately tell by the weight that one of the bags was

3 At the suppression hearing, Deputy Morrison testified that the clerk told him the suspect was wearing a red shirt with blue pants. 4 Deputy McCubbins had been working for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for approximately two months at the time and had previously worked at the New Orleans Police Department for six years.

heavier than the other. In his experience this suggested that the bag contained a firearm. Deputy McCubbins advised defendant of his Miranda rights as Deputy Morrison approached. Defendant was then brought over to the vehicle to be handcuffed and searched for officer safety, at which point he began to resist. The deputies were able to gain control and get handcuffs on defendant. Defendant was then brought to the other side of the car and patted down by Deputy McCubbins, who felt what he believed to be narcotics packaging in defendant’s right pocket.

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State of Louisiana Versus Oneil Gilbert, III, (La. Ct. App. 2023).

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