State of Louisiana Versus Oneil Gilbert, III

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 8, 2023
Docket23-KA-121
StatusUnknown

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

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.

23-KA-121 1 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.

23-KA-121 2 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.

23-KA-121 3 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,

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