State of Louisiana Versus Rashaud L. Robinson

CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 23, 2023
Docket23-K-270
StatusUnknown

This text of State of Louisiana Versus Rashaud L. Robinson (State of Louisiana Versus Rashaud L. Robinson) 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 Rashaud L. Robinson, (La. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 23-K-270

VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT

RASHAUD L. ROBINSON 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. 16-5624, DIVISION "L" HONORABLE DONALD A. ROWAN, JR., JUDGE PRESIDING

June 23, 2023

JUDE G. GRAVOIS JUDGE

Panel composed of Judges Fredericka Homberg Wicker, Jude G. Gravois, and Robert A. Chaisson

WRIT DENIED; STAY DENIED JGG FHW RAC COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT, STATE OF LOUISIANA Honorable Paul D. Connick, Jr. Thomas J. Butler Darren A. Allemand

COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/RELATOR, RASHAUD L. ROBINSON Gregory Q. Carter GRAVOIS, J.

Defendant, Rashaud L. Robinson, seeks this Court’s supervisory review of

the trial court’s April 24, 2023 ruling which denied his motion to quash the

indictment. In his writ application, defendant also requests a stay and expedited

consideration of his writ application due to the urgency of the issue at bar. The

State of Louisiana filed an opposition to the writ application. For the following

reasons, we find no error in the trial court’s ruling at issue and accordingly deny

the writ application. We also deny defendant’s request for a stay of this matter.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On May 4, 2017, a Jefferson Parish Grand Jury, in a superseding indictment,

charged defendant, Rashaud L. Robinson, with the second degree murder of

Jeffrey Johnson in violation of La. R.S. 14:30.1 (count one); attempted second

degree murder of a known juvenile, B.S. (DOB 2/8/00) in violation of La. R.S.

14:27 and La. R.S. 14:30.1 (count two); attempted second degree murder of

Chance King in violation of La. R.S. 14:27 and La. R.S. 14:30.1 (count three);

conspiracy to commit second degree murder in violation of La. R.S. 14:26 and La.

R.S. 14:30.1 (count four); and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in

violation of La. R.S. 14:95.1 (count five).

On April 27, 2021, defendant proceeded to trial before a twelve-person jury,

and on April 29, 2021, the jury reported that it was unable to reach a verdict. The

minute entry from that date indicates that after the jury was polled, the trial court

“declared a hung jury” and set the matter for trial on August 30, 2021. On June 29,

2021, defendant filed a “Motion to Quash due to Acquittal,” alleging that he was

lawfully acquitted when ten of the twelve jurors voted not guilty and that any

retrial would constitute double jeopardy. On June 30, 2021, the trial court denied

the motion to quash, and defendant sought supervisory review. On August 23,

2021, this Court denied the writ. State v. Robinson, 21-561 (La. App. 5 Cir.

23-K-270 1 8/23/21) (unpublished writ disposition). The Louisiana Supreme Court also denied

writs. State v. Robinson, 21-1315 (La. 8/27/21), 323 So.3d 381.

On August 30, 2021, the trial court continued the trial to December 6, 2021

due to Hurricane Ida. On January 30, 2023, after several continuances, the trial

was reset for March 13, 2023. On that date, the State moved for a continuance,

which was granted over defendant’s objection, and the matter was reset for April

24, 2023. On April 20, 2023, defendant filed a “Motion to Quash Indictment for

Failure to Commence Trial Within One Year of Mistrial.” On April 24, 2023, the

trial court denied defendant’s motion after a hearing. Defendant timely filed the

instant writ application on May 24, 2023. On June 19, 2023, the State filed an

opposition to the writ application.

In his writ application, defendant argues that the trial court abused its

discretion by denying his motion to quash the indictment for failure to commence

trial within one year of the mistrial. Defendant asserts that from December 6, 2021

to March 13, 2023, his trial was repeatedly set yet continued several times upon the

State’s motion without reason and over defense counsel’s continuous objections.

Defense counsel also asserts that on December 7, 2022, he was unable to attend a

scheduled pretrial conference, as he was in trial in a different parish. He states that

in his absence, the trial court, on ex proprio motu motion, continued the matter

until January 30, 2023; however, he points out that the trial court stated in the

minute entry that defense counsel was not present, but that the continuance was

requested by defense counsel. Defense counsel contends that the trial court erred

in finding that its ex proprio motu continuance, or in other words, its continuance

of a pretrial conference in defense counsel’s absence, caused the time period by

which the State must retry the case against defendant to run anew. Therefore,

defendant requests that this Court find that the State failed to prosecute the matter

23-K-270 2 within the prescriptive period provided by La. C.Cr.P. art. 582, reverse the trial

court’s denial of his motion to quash, and quash the indictment.

The State responds that the trial court did not err in denying defendant’s

motion to quash. It shows that Hurricane Ida interrupted prescription, and

therefore, the State had at a minimum one year from the reset trial date of

December 6, 2021, or until December 6, 2022, to bring this case to trial. The State

asserts that before that period elapsed, on November 7, 2022, the State and the

defense agreed to a reset trial date of March 13, 2023. It also asserts that such an

agreement, as per Louisiana Supreme Court jurisprudence, has the same effect as a

joint continuance that suspends prescription. Therefore, the State maintains that it

has one year from November 7, 2022, or until November 7, 2023, to bring this case

to trial. It further maintains that it now has longer given the instant motion to

quash. Further, the State argues that defendant has not shown that his

constitutional right to a speedy trial has been violated, pointing out that defendant

tellingly has never filed a motion for a speedy trial.

On April 24, 2023, a hearing was held on the motion to quash the

indictment. At that hearing, defense counsel argued that the State did not try

defendant in a timely fashion, and therefore, the indictment should be quashed.

The prosecutor responded that the defense filed a motion to reduce bond on

September 26, 2022, had a “federal habeas” pending in federal court, and took a

writ post-trial. He also argued that a defense continuance was requested on

December 7, 2022, and therefore, it had at a bare minimum until December 7,

2023, to try the instant case.

Defense counsel replied that the bond reduction was not a substantive

matter. He further replied that the writ was in federal court and was not a subject

matter before the trial court that would prevent defendant from going to trial.

Defense counsel maintained that none of those things would interrupt the time

23-K-270 3 period. The prosecutor repeated that defense counsel had requested a continuance

on December 7, 2022, as was reflected in the record. The trial judge said that the

matter was set for a pretrial conference or some type of conference on December 7,

2022, and that defense counsel did not appear, so it was continued.

The trial judge stated that they were evidently going to talk about the case at

that pretrial conference, but they could not do so because defense counsel did not

appear. Defense counsel asserted that the continuance of a pretrial conference did

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