State v. Anderson

706 So. 2d 598, 1998 WL 18026
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 21, 1998
Docket30306-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 706 So. 2d 598 (State v. Anderson) 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. Anderson, 706 So. 2d 598, 1998 WL 18026 (La. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

706 So.2d 598 (1998)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Torey ANDERSON, Appellant.

No. 30306-KA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

January 21, 1998.

*599 Amy C. Ellender, Mer Rouge, James M. Stephens, Winnsboro, Daryl Blue, Monroe, for Appellant.

Richard Ieyoub, Attorney General, William R. Coenen, Jr., District Attorney, John M. Lancaster, Assistant District Attorney, for Appellee.

*600 Before MARVIN, C.J., and GASKINS and PEATROSS, JJ.

MARVIN, Chief Judge.

Having been convicted by a jury of distribution of cocaine [La. R.S. 40:967(A)(1)] and sentenced to ten years at hard labor, Torey Anderson appeals his conviction and sentence, contending that the evidence was insufficient to convict, that a mistrial should have been granted because of improper statements made before the jury, and that his sentence is excessive.

We affirm.

FACTS

On the night of July 27, 1995, Anderson sold crack cocaine to an undercover police officer who worked with an informant that was an inmate in the West Carroll Parish jail. The inmate had told Deputy Lewis Russell that he could purchase drugs from one or more persons in the parish. The inmate answered yes to Russell's inquiry whether the inmate could buy drugs from Anderson. Russell then agreed to help the inmate to reduce his bond in return for the inmate's serving as a confidential informant. Russell then contacted Bastrop detective Mike Tubbs for assistance in the operation. Tubbs assigned two officers, Rodney Jackson and John Smith, two cars and transmitting equipment to be used in the operation.

In one car, Jackson wore a transmitting device disguised as a pager and had a police radio. The informant rode with Jackson, but did not wear a transmitter. In another car monitoring the transmission were Russell, Tubbs, and Smith. In a third vehicle was West Carroll deputy Kenneth Green.

Jackson and the informant drove around Oak Grove looking for Anderson. The informant eventually directed Jackson to the home of defendant's girlfriend, parking his vehicle in the driveway of the home. The confidential informant entered the house and then returned to the car. Anderson then came to the car and exchanged names with Jackson, telling Jackson his name was "Torey."

Jackson guessed the time to be around 10:50 p.m. He told defendant he needed to make money to defray the cost of a bus ticket to Shreveport by re-selling drugs that he wanted to buy from Anderson. Anderson leaned through the open passenger-side window and directly handed Jackson in the driver's seat 10-12 rocks of cocaine in exchange for $110. Jackson estimated Anderson was in his presence for about eight to ten minutes.

The other officers could not see the transaction. Russell heard the radio transmission of the sale, saying he believed he recognized Anderson's voice because he had conversed with Anderson several times for four to five years.

Once the buy was completed and Jackson had dropped off the informant, Jackson reunited with the other officers, giving them the purchased cocaine. Jackson recognized a photograph of Anderson shown to him by Russell as the individual from whom he purchased the cocaine.

Anderson was arrested in early January of 1996, and was later tried and convicted.

Sufficiency of Evidence

While conceding that the testimony at trial clearly established the essential elements of the crime, Anderson contends he was wrongly identified as the person who sold the crack cocaine to Jackson on the night in question.

The issue of sufficiency of evidence may be raised either in the trial court by a motion for post-verdict judgment of acquittal [La.C.Cr.P. art. 821], or in the appellate court as an assignment of error [La. C.Cr.P. art. 920]. This court is obligated to resolve the issue when raised in either court. State v. Green, 28,994 (La.App.2d Cir. 2/26/97), 691 So.2d 1273, J. Hightower concurring in part.

When the sufficiency issue is raised, we are required to determine, after review of the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, whether a rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979), State v. Bellamy, 599 So.2d 326 (La.App. 2d Cir. 1992), writ denied, 605 So.2d 1089 (La.1992).

*601 The Jackson standard, a due-process review, is not a vehicle for an appellate court to substitute its appreciation of the evidence for that of the factfinder. State v. Robertson, 96-1048 (La.10/4/96), 680 So.2d 1165; State v. Anderson, 29,282 (La.App.2d Cir. 6/18/97), 697 So.2d 651. The appellate court does not assess credibility or reweigh evidence. State v. Cummings, 95-1377 (La.2/28/96), 668 So.2d 1132. The jury has the prerogative to accept or reject the testimony of witnesses in whole or in part. State v. Carey, et al., 628 So.2d 27 (La.App. 2d Cir.1993), writ denied, 94-0018 (La.3/25/94), 635 So.2d 236.

When an accused asserts that he is not the person who committed the crime, the Jackson rationale requires the state to negate any reasonable probability of misidentification in order to carry its burden of proof. State v. Long, 408 So.2d 1221 (La.1982); State v. Powell, 27,959 (La.App.2d Cir. 4/12/96) (on rehearing), 677 So.2d 1008, writ denied, 96-1807 (La.2/21/97), 688 So.2d 520.

Jackson testified that he was certain Anderson was the person who sold him the cocaine. As we have summarized, Jackson remembered that defendant told him that his name was "Torey." He also identified Anderson in court as the person who sold him the cocaine. In the absence of internal contradiction or irreconcilable conflict with physical evidence, the testimony of one witness, if believed by the trier of fact, is sufficient support for a requisite factual conclusion. State v. Ford, 28,724 (La.App.2d Cir. 10/30/96), 682 So.2d 847. The testimony of a single undercover police officer is also sufficient to convict. State v. Harris, 28,517 (La.App.2d Cir. 8/21/96), 679 So.2d 549.

When Jackson met the other officers after the buy, he identified a single photograph of Anderson as the person who had sold him the crack cocaine. Anderson maintains that this method of identification was suggestive and legally improper. We have addressed the reliability of single photograph identifications in the context of a motion to suppress. While single photographic identifications should be viewed with general suspicion, their suggestive nature does not per se preclude admissibility unless found to be untrustworthy under the total circumstances. State v. Harris, supra.

In evaluating whether a suggestive identification presents a substantial likelihood of misidentification, a court considers several factors: (1) the opportunity of the witness to view the criminal at the time of the crime; (2) the witness's degree of attention; (3) the accuracy of his prior description of the criminal; (4) the level of certainty demonstrated at the confrontation; and (5) the time between the crime and the confrontation. State v. Harper, 93-2682 (La.11/30/94), 646 So.2d 338.

Although the sale occurred at night, Jackson testified that a nearby street light provided illumination into his car parked in the driveway about 15 feet from the street light.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Johnson
182 So. 3d 1039 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2015)
State v. Crossley
117 So. 3d 585 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013)
State of Louisiana v. Fred Ballard
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2010
State v. Cox
26 So. 3d 929 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009)
State v. Bernard
26 So. 3d 181 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009)
State v. Robinson
22 So. 3d 1064 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009)
State v. Lewis
1 So. 3d 665 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2008)
State v. Adams
997 So. 2d 681 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2008)
State v. Alexander
916 So. 2d 303 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005)
State of Louisiana v. Marlon Alexander
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005
State v. Kelley
836 So. 2d 1243 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
State v. Goldston
804 So. 2d 141 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
State v. Barber
749 So. 2d 917 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Bradford
745 So. 2d 800 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Caldwell
742 So. 2d 91 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1999)
State v. Taylor
714 So. 2d 143 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
706 So. 2d 598, 1998 WL 18026, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-anderson-lactapp-1998.