State v. Anderson

254 So. 2d 453, 259 La. 1026, 1971 La. LEXIS 3826
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 8, 1971
DocketNos. 51014, 51287
StatusPublished

This text of 254 So. 2d 453 (State v. Anderson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Anderson, 254 So. 2d 453, 259 La. 1026, 1971 La. LEXIS 3826 (La. 1971).

Opinion

HAMLIN, Justice:

Defendant appeals from his conviction of Attempted Manslaughter and his sentence to serve five years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

Defendant was charged by Bill of Information with the attempted murder of Jacob Tyson, LSA-R.S. 14:27, on November 12, 1969. The Bill was filed on January 6, 1970, and on that date, the accused, present in court, informed the court that he was unable to afford counsel; W. L. Richardson was appointed to represent him. The case was set for trial on April 1, 1970; the accused, having waived formal arraignment and being present in court, January 22, 1970, was notified of the date of trial; counsel, accompanying the accused, was given until March 1, 1970, to file preliminary motions. (The record reflects that no motions were filed.)

On April 1, 1970, trial commenced before Honorable John S. Covington. On April 2, 1970, by a verdict of nine to three, defendant was found guilty of Attempted Manslaughter. The Minutes of Court, April 21, 1970, recite, “ * * * The accused having previously been tried by jury and found guilty of attempted manslaughter, the Court ex proprio motu ordered that notice to appear for sentencing on May 1, 1970 in Section II at 10:00 A.M. be [1029]*1029sent to the accused presently incarcerated in the Parish Jail, to his attorney, Mr. W. L. Richardson, to the District Attorney and to Probation Authorities.” On May 1, 1970, defendant, age 24, was sentenced to five years at hard labor in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, and he, thereafter, began serving his sentence.

Defendant, in proper person, filed a Motion for Appeal in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court, which was received by the Clerk of Court on June 15, 1970. On July 17, 1970, defendant filed a petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the district court, and, having considered the petition, Honorable Elven E. Ponder denied the Writ on July 31, 1970.

On September 17, 1970, application for Writ of Certiorari was made to this Court, in which defendant alleged that he “advised his Court-appointed counsel that he wanted to appeal his case, but said counsel refused to carry forward an appeal; since petitioner was untrained in the science of law and not having been advised of his right to apply for leave to appeal in forma pauperis, no appeal was taken. * * * ” He stated that the questions of law involved were: “(1) Should the trial Judge advise the defendant of his right to appeal and the right of a person who is unable to pay the cost of an appeal to apply for leave to apply in forma pauperis? (2) Is the petitioner entitled to have his case remanded to the District Court for resentencing, in order that he may be informed of his appeal rights and given an opportunity to exercise his absolute and fundamental right to appeal? (3) Does the failure of the Court to advise a defendant of his right to appeal who is unable to pay the cost of an appeal, his right to apply for leave, and his right to appeal in forma pauperis, constitute a denial of the due process and equal protection of the law?” He alleged that the district court erred in denying him a Writ of Habeas Corpus, and that the court erred in failing to advise him of his right to appeal and of his right to apply for leave to appeal in forma pauperis.

On September 22, 1970, this Court, 256 La. 788, 239 So.2d 171, granted Certiorari to the defendant and issued the following order: IT IS ORDERED that the Nineteenth Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge, without undue delay, grant an evidentiary hearing to determine whether relator was denied the right of appeal or the right to counsel on appeal.”

The Minutes of the Nineteenth Judicial District Court, October 1, 1970, recite: “This matter came on for hearing on a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to previous assignment. Present in court: Mr. James R. Mitchell, counsel for the petitioner, and Mr. Cheney Joseph, Assistant District Attorney, representing the State. [On September 25, 1970, Mitchell was appointed as counsel for the defendant.] An [1031]*1031answer to the writ of habeas corpus was filed herein on behalf of the respondent. By consent of counsel the matter was submitted to the court, and the court granted the petitioner an appeal in this matter returnable to the Louisiana Supreme Court on November 30, 1970.” (Emphasis ours.)

On November 24, 1970, counsel for defendant filed in the district court a Motion for Preparation of Transcript and Extension of Return Date. He alleged that no bills of exceptions were reserved during defendant’s trial by his original counsel, and that since defendant had been granted an order of appeal from his conviction, counsel could not effectively bring the appeal for defendant without a complete transcript of the trial proceedings for review. Judge Elmo E. Lear of the Nineteenth Judicial District Court ordered a hearing on the motion on December 2, 1970. The matter was passed on December 2, and reassigned for hearing on December 3, 1970. The Minutes of Court of the latter date recite:

“This matter came before the Court for hearing on a motion to vacate sentence; a motion for new trial; and a motion for preparation of transcript and extension of return date pursuant to previous assignment. The accused was present in court represented by counsel, Mr. James R. Mitchell. For the purpose of filing a motion for new trial the Court ordered that the sentence previously imposed herein on May 1, 1970 he vacated and set aside.
“The motion for new trial was then taken up. Evidence was introduced, the matter argued by counsel and submitted. Whereupon, for oral reasons assigned, the Court denied the motion for new trial. To which ruling of the Court counsel for the accused reserved a bill of exceptions making a part thereof the motion for new trial, the argument of counsel, the ruling of the Court and the entire transcript of the trial of Clyde W. Anderson in No. 74,569.
“At this time the accused was brought before the bar for sentence. Whereupon, the Court sentenced the accused to be confined in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at hard labor for a period of five (5) years; to be given credit for time served.
“On motion of counsel for the accused the Court granted an appeal returnable to the Louisiana Supreme Court on February 1, 1971.” (Emphasis ours.)

The Motion for a New Trial, filed November 25, 1970, alleged: (1) The verdict rendered was contrary to the law and the evidence; (2) Defendant’s trial counsel did not reserve any bills of exception to any rulings of the court during the trial, and present counsel, appointed after verdict was rendered, could not effectively bring an appeal to the Louisiana State Supreme [1033]*1033Court; (3) The ends of justice would be served if defendant were given a new trial.

On December 11, 1970, the district court signed Bill of Exceptions No. 1, which recites :

“ * * * upon the hearing on a motion on this cause on the 3rd day of December, 1970, counsel for the defendant then and there requested that this Court grant defendant’s motion and give defendant a new trial and that the Court denied this motion, to which ruling and decision by this Court the defendant by his counsel then and there excepted, as will' appear more fully from the transcript of the hearing.

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Related

State ex rel. Anderson v. Henderson
239 So. 2d 171 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
254 So. 2d 453, 259 La. 1026, 1971 La. LEXIS 3826, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-anderson-la-1971.