State v. Ayres

509 So. 2d 763
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 10, 1987
Docket18600-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 509 So. 2d 763 (State v. Ayres) 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. Ayres, 509 So. 2d 763 (La. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

509 So.2d 763 (1987)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Lonnie D. AYRES, Appellant.

No. 18600-KA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

June 10, 1987.

*765 Herman A. Castete, Winnfield, for appellant.

Charles B. Bice, Dist. Atty., Winnfield, for appellee.

Before HALL, SEXTON and NORRIS, JJ.

NORRIS, Judge.

This appeal arises as a result of defendant's conviction of fourth-offense DWI. Ayres was arrested for DWI in the instant offense on December 14, 1985. He was charged by Bill of Information with fourth offense DWI. The predicate convictions were alleged to be three DWI convictions: one in Winn Parish in January 1981, one in Winn Parish in October 1981, and one in June 1982 in Red River Parish. Ayres was found guilty as charged after a jury trial, and sentenced to eleven years at hard labor. He now appeals with multiple assignments of error.

Defendant's first assignment of error is that at the beginning of the trial the trial judge should not have allowed the Bill of Information to be amended to correct the dates of commission and sentencing of one of the predicate offenses. The bill of information originally read that Ayres had been convicted of DWI in Red River Parish on June 22 and sentenced for that offense on June 23, 1982. The dates were changed to June 23 and August 18, respectively. When the date or time is not an essential element of the offense charged, a mistake respecting the date on which the offense occurred is only a defect of form, which may be corrected at any time with leave of court. State v. Dye, 384 So.2d 420 (La.1980); State v. McCoy, 337 So.2d 192 (La.1976); State v. Frith, 436 So.2d 623 (La.App. 3d Cir.1983), writ denied *766 440 So.2d 731 (La.1983). The date of the prior DWI offense is not essential, nor is the date of the sentencing. It is a defect of form which may be amended at any time. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 487; State v. Hernandez, 410 So.2d 1381 (La.1982).

Defendant next argues that the court erred in refusing to grant the continuance requested by defendant when the Bill of Information was amended as discussed above. The trial court has great discretion in deciding whether to grant a continuance, and his decision will remain unless he arbitrarily or unreasonably abuses that discretion. State v. Davis, 385 So.2d 193 (La.1980). The purpose of a continuance is the prevention of prejudicial surprise to the defendant. State v. Davis, supra. The defense bears the burden of showing in what respect his defense was prejudiced by the amendment before the trial court will grant a continuance. State v. Hammontree, 363 So.2d 1364 (La.1978); State v. Davis, supra; State v. Williams, 383 So.2d 996 (La.1979). The mere allegation by the defendant that his defense would be affected does not constitute such a showing of prejudice as to render the trial judge's refusal of the continuance an abuse of discretion. State v. Hammontree, supra. Here the defense made no showing either at trial or on appeal that he was surprised or prejudiced by the correction. The docket number of the case and all other particulars were correctly given, and considering that the defendant's counsel had sufficient knowledge of the Red River offense to raise several objections thereto, we cannot see that he was unfairly surprised or prejudiced.

The defendant's third assignment of error alleges that the trial court erred in allowing S-3 to be introduced over his counsel's objection. S-3 is the Red River Parish court minutes showing the defendant's 1982 conviction. Appellant argues that the defendant was not properly Boykinized, and his rights against self-incrimination, his right to counsel, and his right to trial were not properly explained or waived. It should be noted that Ayres did in fact have an attorney at that hearing when he pled guilty to DWI, and that the judge informed him of his right to a trial, to have witnesses called and to confront his accusers. However, the defendant is correct in his contention that the judge did not inform Ayres of his right against self-incrimination.[1] The judge asked the defendant's attorney *767 if the attorney had informed defendant of his rights, but that is not compliance with Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969). It is the state's burden to show that the defendant's guilty plea was taken in compliance with Boykin, and that the defendant expressly and knowingly waived his rights. State v. Santiago, 416 So.2d 524 (La.1982). Since the record does not clearly indicate that the defendant was aware of and waived his right against self-incrimination, the DWI offense of June 24, 1982 in Red River Parish cannot be used as a predicate offense.

The defendant also complained that S-5 should not have been introduced, contending that it was irrelevant. S-5 is an abstract from the Department of Motor Vehicles which showed the date of the Red River offense and sentencing, and defendant's driver's license, in an attempt to show the relationship of the prior offender in the Red River offense to Ayres. The assignment of error is moot because we have already decided that the 1982 conviction in Red River Parish cannot be used as a predicate offense.

Ayres next argues that exhibit S-1 should not have been introduced into evidence over his attorney's objection. Exhibit S-1 is the record of a January 1981 DWI conviction in Winn Parish. Ayres contends that it did not contain facts sufficient on its face to show that the defendant knowingly waived his constitutional right to an attorney in the guilty plea, and thus the prior guilty plea cannot be used as a predicate offense to convict him of a fourth offense DWI. The defendant also argues that S-1 should not have been introduced because it was not properly authenticated, and the person allegedly convicted as shown in the exhibit was not identified as the defendant in the instant case. We address only the issue of the sufficiency of defendant's waiver of counsel, because our disposition of that issue renders the defendant's other objections to the introduction of this exhibit moot.

Appellant objected to the introduction of S-1 on the grounds that the defendant had not knowingly and intelligently waived his right to counsel when entering his guilty plea. An uncounseled DWI conviction may not be used to enhance punishment on a subsequent offense, absent a knowing and intelligent waiver of counsel. State v. Wiggins, 399 So.2d 206 (La.1981). The colloquy[2] between defendant and the judge reveals that the judge twice asked the defendant if he wanted an attorney, and defendant replied both times that he did not. The judge also indicated that Ayres had previously been informed of his right to counsel, which the defendant confirmed. However, nothing in the record indicates that Ayres was made aware of the dangers and disadvantages of self-representation. Absent these cautions, the right to an attorney cannot be considered validly waived. State v. Skeetoe, 501 So.2d 931 (La.App. 2d Cir.1987); Faretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806, 95 S.Ct. 2525, 45 L.Ed.2d 562 (1975). Nor did the court attempt to determine the defendant's literacy, competency, understanding and volition, as is required before the court can accept the defendant's waiver of counsel. State v. Skeetoe, supra; State v. Bell, 381 So.2d 393 (La.1980).

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Bluebook (online)
509 So. 2d 763, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ayres-lactapp-1987.