State v. Arceneaux

983 So. 2d 148, 2008 WL 787727
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 25, 2008
Docket07-KA-692
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 983 So. 2d 148 (State v. Arceneaux) 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. Arceneaux, 983 So. 2d 148, 2008 WL 787727 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

983 So.2d 148 (2008)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Dale J. ARCENEAUX.

No. 07-KA-692.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

March 25, 2008.

*149 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Andrea F. Long, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, Louisiana, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Gwendolyn K. Brown, Attorney at Law, Louisiana Appellate Project, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for Defendant/Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges THOMAS F. DALEY, WALTER J. ROTHSCHILD, and FREDERICKA HOMBERG WICKER.

FREDERICKA HOMBERG WICKER, Judge.

This is a criminal proceeding in which defendant Dale Arceneaux was granted a timely out-of-time appeal.[1] He appealed his conviction of simple burglary, a violation of La.R.S. 14:62, and his six-year habitual offender sentence. We affirm the conviction and sentence. We remand with instructions.

A bench trial was held on May 24, 2006, and the trial judge found Mr. Arceneaux guilty as charged. About a month later on June 26, 2006, the trial judge sentenced defendant to six years at hard labor. He ordered that the sentence run concurrently with defendant's sentence for a related misdemeanor conviction. On the same day, the state filed a second-felony habitual offender bill of information. The trial judge accepted Mr. Arceneaux's admission to the habitual offender bill. He vacated defendant's original sentence and imposed a six-year hard labor habitual offender sentence, without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. The court ordered that the sentence be served concurrently with defendant's misdemeanor sentence.

Jury Trial Waiver/Waiver of Appellate Right

On appeal, Mr. Arceneaux argued that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. Upon review of the record, we detected possible confusion as to whether defendant executed a valid waiver of his right to a jury trial. We noted that the jury trial issue was raised before trial proceeded and again at the time of defendant's admission to the habitual offender bill of information. We asked the parties to brief the issue. In response, defense counsel assigned a supplemental error. She argued that in the event we found the evidence was sufficient, we remand the matter for an evidentiary hearing on the validity of the waiver. The state likewise asked that the matter be remanded. For the following reasons, we find that defendant waived his right to appellate review of the adequacy of the jury trial waiver.

Before trial began, the trial judge allowed defense counsel to speak to defendant. Next, counsel informed the court that defendant would proceed with a judge trial. After other cases were called and a recess ended, trial commenced before the *150 trial judge. The minutes indicate that defendant was present during trial. In addition, the transcript reveals that defendant testified.

A month later at the sentencing hearing,[2] the prosecutor stated that the state agreed to only seek a double bill against Mr. Arceneaux in exchange for defendant giving up any rights he may have to argue he was not properly advised of his jury trial rights before proceeding to trial.

Counsel stated that he discussed with Mr. Arceneaux, who was present in court, any rights he may have to challenge the conviction. In particular, he said that defendant "is well aware of his rights to have had a judge trial or a jury trial." Defendant agreed with counsel's representations that he wanted a judge trial and would have waived a jury trial had he been asked in advance of the trial. Defendant also agreed that he did not intend to contest that issue in any way.

Counsel stated that Mr. Arceneaux wished to enter a guilty plea to a misdemeanor and to stipulate he was a second felony offender. Defendant, counsel, and the trial judge completed a waiver form. The trial judge placed defendant under oath and entered into a colloquy with him. Defendant testified he was 40 years old and attended school until the ninth grade. The trial judge specifically asked defendant if he waived "any issues of this trial as far as post-conviction relief or the fact" that he did not "on the record waive his right to a jury trial." Defendant responded affirmatively. Defendant agreed he waived any right to relief.

During the colloquy, Mr. Arceneaux admitted counsel had advised him of the allegations in the habitual offender bill of information, his right to be tried to establish the truth of the allegations, and his right against self-incrimination. He agreed that he understood by the stipulation he was waiving these rights. The trial judge informed defendant that if he did not understand anything, defendant could ask questions. Defendant testified he understood the sentencing range for the habitual offender sentence was six to 24 years at hard labor and that he would be sentenced to six years at hard labor without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence as a second felony offender.

Defendant denied that anyone forced, intimidated, or coerced him to "plead guilty." He also denied that anyone promised or rewarded him or any member of his family for the purpose of forcing him to "plead guilty." The trial judge informed defendant of his habitual offender rights to a trial by the court, his right to counsel, and his right to remain silent. Defendant testified he understood that by "pleading guilty" he was waving those rights. Defendant stated he had no questions and was satisfied. The trial judge accepted the habitual offender admission. He sentenced defendant in accordance with the negotiated sentence.

There is a constitutional right in Louisiana to an appeal. La. Const. art. 1, § 19. This right can only be waived by the defendant himself. State v. Simmons, 390 So.2d 504, 505 (La.1980) (citation omitted). Any waiver of right to appeal must be an informed one. Id., citing Arrastia v. United States, 455 F.2d 736 (5th Cir.1972); Flanagan v. Henderson, 496 F.2d 1274 (5th Cir.1974).

A majority of jurisdictions have held that allowing a defendant to waive the right to appeal is not inherently illegal or unfair. Leach v. State, 914 So.2d 519, 522 (Fla.App. 4 Dist.2005).

*151 In order to determine whether the waiver of appellate rights was informed, we consider by analogy the validity of the waiver of other constitutional rights in the taking of a guilty plea. Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969) enunciated three constitutional rights, which are waived by a guilty plea: the privilege against self-incrimination, the right to a trial by jury, and the right to confront one's accusers. Boykin requires that in taking a plea of guilty, an express and knowing waiver of these rights must be made, which waiver cannot be presumed from a silent record. 89 S.Ct. at 1712. The validity of a guilty plea turns on whether the defendant was informed of the rights he waived and whether his decision to waive them was knowing and voluntary. State v. Bouie, 00-2934 (La.5/14/02), 817 So.2d 48, 53 (citations omitted).

Although the instant case involves a stipulation to sentencing enhancement rather than a guilty plea, we find Boykin applicable since Boykin

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Bluebook (online)
983 So. 2d 148, 2008 WL 787727, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-arceneaux-lactapp-2008.