State v. Algere

780 So. 2d 1131, 2000 La.App. 4 Cir. 0033, 2001 La. App. LEXIS 318, 2001 WL 171185
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 14, 2001
DocketNo. 2000-KA-0033
StatusPublished

This text of 780 So. 2d 1131 (State v. Algere) 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 v. Algere, 780 So. 2d 1131, 2000 La.App. 4 Cir. 0033, 2001 La. App. LEXIS 318, 2001 WL 171185 (La. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

11 LOVE, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE:

On October 23, 1997, the defendant was charged by bill of information with two counts of armed robbery and one count of attempted second degree murder. La. R.S 14:64; La. R.S. 14:27(30.1). On three separate occasions, he was found competent to proceed to trial. (April 21, 1998; October 19, 1999; November 4, 1999). On November 4, 1999, a twelve member jury found the defendant guilty as charged on two counts of armed robbery and guilty of the lesser included offense of attempted manslaughter. On November 18, 1999, he was sentenced to twenty years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence on each of the armed robbery convictions and ten years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence on the count of attempted manslaughter. The court ordered that the sentences be served concurrently.

[1133]*1133 ERRORS PATENT:

The defendant was sentenced without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence on the attempted manslaughter. The denial of those benefits under the manslaughter statute is available only where the victim was killed as a result of a battery and was under ten years old.

| ¡¿Since those facts are not present in this case, then the denial of those benefits is deleted.

FACTS:

Wayne Squire, a White Fleet cabdriver, said he picked up the defendant on August 21, 1997, in the 2700 block of Second Street. The defendant instructed him to drive to 2501 Orleans Avenue. The defendant asked Squire if he was interested in some jewelry and then showed him some women’s jewelry. Then, the defendant told him to stop on Tonti Street. He put a gun to Squire’s head and demanded his money and jewelry. Squire heard a click, and then the defendant got out of the car. Then, Squire opened the door of the cab, armed with a gun he carried for protection, and found himself facing the defendant. The men exchanged fire and then the defendant ran away.

Officers in the area responded to the sound of gunfire. The defendant was found bleeding, under a house in the neighborhood. His gun, the money and the jewelry were recovered. Later, Squire identified the defendant.

Darlene Nash testified that earlier on the night of August 21, 1997, she was leaving the circus with her two young children. The defendant approached her and asked her how to catch the Freret street bus. She told him, then went into a nearby hotel so that one of her children could use the bathroom. When she came out, she saw the defendant standing on the wrong corner. She corrected him and then took the bus home. As she was getting off near the C.J. Peete Housing Project, the defendant came up behind her, pulled a gun, and demanded her money with the threat that he would kill her children. Then, he pulled her into the project and asked if she had anything of value. She told him that she had jewelry and then gave him her jewelry and money. He kissed her and told her that if she had been [¡¡white, he would have raped and killed her. Her husband heard the news of the cab driver robbery on the television news report that evening and thought that crime might have been committed by the same man.

Officer Gary Dupart compiled a photographic lineup, containing a picture of the defendant, who had been arrested in the cab robbery. Nash identified him and some of the recovered jewelry as her own.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

The defendant argues the trial court erred in finding him competent to proceed to trial.

At a hearing April 21,1999, Dr. Kenneth Ritter said he had examined the defendant that morning, and found the defendant “competent to proceed.” He said he had examined the defendant on previous occasions in July 1984 and in February 1985 and thought that he might be malingering. Dr. Ritter and Dr. Cox recommended that the defendant be sent to Feliciana Forensic Facility to assure that the determination that he was malingering was correct. After several months, the doctor found no mental illness. He said the defendant had a borderline IQ. The parties stipulated that Dr. Rafael Salcedo would give the same testimony.

On October 19, 1999, Dr. Salcedo said that he had re-examined the defendant and stood by his original diagnosis. Dr. Richard Richeaux said he agreed with Dr. Sal-cedo.

On November 4, 1999, prior to the start of trial, Dr. Salcedo specifically testified as to the defendant’s ability to tell the difference between right and wrong at the time of the commission of the offense. He specifically said, “[A]s I’ve testified earlier with regard to the issue of competency to [1134]*1134proceed, I fail to find any evidence of a mental illness, of mental disease or defect which would compromise 14this individual’s ability to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the alleged offense.” The parties stipulated that Richeaux would agree.

In State v. Silva, 96-0407 (La.App. 4 Cir. 9/3/97), 699 So.2d 487, 490-491, this court stated:

Mental incapacity to proceed exists when, as a result of mental disease or defect, a defendant presently lacks the capacity to understand the proceedings against him or to assist in his defense. LSA C.Cr.P. art. 641. The two-fold test of capacity to stand trial under this article is whether the accused 1) understands the consequences of the proceedings, and 2) has the ability to assist in his defense by consultation with counsel. Drope v. Missouri, 420 U.S. 162, 95 S.Ct. 896, 43 L.Ed.2d 103 (1975); State v. Bennett, 345 So.2d 1129 (La.1977). Mental retardation or sub-normal intelligence is not in itself proof of incapacity. State v. Lawrence, 368 So.2d 699 (La.1979). The decision as to a defendant’s capacity to proceed should not turn solely on whether he suffers from mental disease or defect, but must be grounded in the nature of the charge, the complexity of the case and the seriousness of the decisions he faces. State v. Narcisse, 426 So.2d 118 (La.1983), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 865, 104 S.Ct. 202, 78 L.Ed.2d 176 (1983).
Because Louisiana law presumes a person sane and responsible for his actions, the defendant bears the burden of proving he is incapable of standing trial because of mental disease or defect. State v. Bennett, supra.

In Cooper v. Oklahoma, 517 U.S. 348, 116 S.Ct. 1373, 134 L.Ed.2d 498 (1996), the United State Supreme Court held that the states may not require defendants to prove their capacity to proceed by a standard greater than a preponderance of evidence.

Here, the defendant argues the trial court erred by confusing the issue of whether the defendant was competent to proceed to trial with whether the defendant knew the difference between right and wrong when he committed the offenses. This is incorrect. All of the doctors who testified concluded that the defendant was not suffering from any mental illness and that he was competent to stand trial. In addition, one-of the physicians, Dr. Salcedo, concluded that the defendant was not suffering from any mental illness that would have prohibited | Bhim from distinguishing between right and wrong.

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Related

Drope v. Missouri
420 U.S. 162 (Supreme Court, 1975)
Cooper v. Oklahoma
517 U.S. 348 (Supreme Court, 1996)
State v. Major
708 So. 2d 813 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)
State v. Cook
674 So. 2d 957 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1996)
State v. Webster
775 So. 2d 661 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)
State v. Ross
743 So. 2d 757 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Johnson
709 So. 2d 672 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1998)
State v. Narcisse
426 So. 2d 118 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)
State v. Baxley
656 So. 2d 973 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1995)
State v. Humphrey
445 So. 2d 1155 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1984)
State v. Ryans
513 So. 2d 386 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
State v. Silva
699 So. 2d 487 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1997)
State v. Sepulvado
367 So. 2d 762 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1979)
State v. Soraparu
703 So. 2d 608 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1997)
State v. Wimberly
414 So. 2d 666 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1982)
State v. Francis
715 So. 2d 457 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)
State v. Robinson
744 So. 2d 119 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Trepagnier
744 So. 2d 181 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Lawrence
368 So. 2d 699 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1979)
State v. Brady
727 So. 2d 1264 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
780 So. 2d 1131, 2000 La.App. 4 Cir. 0033, 2001 La. App. LEXIS 318, 2001 WL 171185, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-algere-lactapp-2001.