State v. Bates

397 So. 2d 1331
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedApril 6, 1981
Docket80-KA-2298
StatusPublished
Cited by50 cases

This text of 397 So. 2d 1331 (State v. Bates) 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. Bates, 397 So. 2d 1331 (La. 1981).

Opinion

397 So.2d 1331 (1981)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Jerry L. BATES and James L. Washington.

No. 80-KA-2298.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

April 6, 1981.
Rehearings Denied May 18, 1981.

*1332 William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Paul Carmouche, Dist. Atty., Sonia D. Peters & Jim McMichaels, Asst. Dist. Attys., for plaintiff-appellee.

Jeanette G. Garrett, John T. Cox, Leon Emanuel, Howard M. Fish, Shreveport, Office of Public Defender, for defendants-appellants.

BARRY, Justice Ad Hoc.[*]

Defendants Jerry L. Bates and James L. Washington were charged and found guilty of simple burglary, a violation of La.R.S. 14:62; Bates was sentenced to six years and Washington to eleven years at hard labor. A third defendant, James Douglas, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three and one-half years at hard labor and testified for the State. On this appeal Bates presents five assignments of error and Washington six assignments of error.

Police in Shreveport were alerted by a silent alarm in a Montgomery Ward warehouse which had been closed several hours earlier. The officers entered the warehouse, conducted a search, and found the three men hiding inside the building. The record shows that a number of television sets and clock radios had been removed from their normal storage location and placed near an exit. Douglas admitted his participation in the burglary with Bates and Washington. He testified that the three men had entered the building and began collecting the merchandise with the intent of removing it from the warehouse when police arrived. Bates and Washington presented no evidence or witnesses and did not testify.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1—Bates

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 3—Washington

Defendants contend that the trial judge erred in denying their challenge for cause of a prospective juror.

The record reveals that Bates had exhausted his six peremptory challenges, whereas Washington had used only five of his peremptory challenges. A defendant cannot complain of a ruling refusing to sustain a challenge for cause made by him unless his peremptory challenges have been exhausted before completion of the panel. State v. Lewis, 391 So.2d 1156 (La.1980); La.C.Cr.P. Art. 800. Accordingly, Bates is entitled to appeal the trial judge's ruling but Washington's assignment of error is without basis for consideration.

Bates relies upon La.C.Cr.P. Art. 797(2) as his basis to challenge the juror for cause:

(2) The juror is not impartial, whatever the cause of his partiality. An opinion or impression as to the guilt or *1333 innocence of the defendant shall not of itself be sufficient ground of challenge to a juror, if he declares, and the court is satisfied, that he can render an impartial verdict according to the law and the evidence;

During voir dire the juror was questioned about her understanding of a defendant's right to remain silent. After initially stating she would not presume there was a reason for a defendant's failure to testify on his own behalf, she later stated she felt that an accused should testify; however, as a result of counsel's explanation the juror said she realized it was a defendant's constitutional right to remain silent and she would not hold that silence against the defendant.

During the State's examination of the juror the following exchange occurred involving the defendant's right to remain silent:

State: Ms. Corbett, you indicated earlier that the defendant, if he did not put on any evidence or any testimony, would you have some problems with that?

Juror: Briefly I did, just temporarily.

State: Can you explain what problems you were having with that?

Juror: Well, I just couldn't understand why he wouldn't get up and take the stand, why he wouldn't want, a person who, either one of these gentlemen. I thought, you know, I just felt like that they should get up and testify.

State: Well, do you—
Juror: They don't have to, though, is what you explained.
State: Well, you have to understand the law.
Juror: Right.

State: And as we all understand our constitutional rights is the right to remain silent.

Juror: Okay.

State: And so doing, if the State makes an allegation against the person, that person is not in a position or does not, is not obligated to explain himself.

Juror: Well, I really didn't know that.

State: Do you have any problem or personal problems that accepting a—

Juror: No, I'll accept it. I'm sure I can.

These answers require no explanation and we are satisfied that this juror did accept the defendant's constitutional right to remain silent.

This same juror stated that she understood all the elements which constitute a burglary and if each element was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, it was her duty to vote not guilty. She reiterated that understanding when examined by the defense. The following exchange then occurred with defense counsel:

Q That if the State only proves by evidence that there was unauthorized entry, that does not mean that the other two elements have been proven.

A Okay.
Q Can you accept that proposition?
A Yes.
Q You have any problems with that?
A A little.
Q Could you explain, articulate?

A Well, they wouldn't be there if they weren't there to steal something.

The juror showed her comprehension that unauthorized entry, standing alone, was not sufficient to prove intent, but raised doubt as to her understanding of the element of intent. At this point the trial judge questioned the juror and determined to the court's satisfaction that she would accept the law as provided by the court.

Court: All right, sir. Ms. Corbett, can you accept the law as given to you by the court? In other words, what I will explain to you the law is?

Juror: Yes, I can.

Court: Do you understand that the fifth amendment of the constitution states that a man cannot be made to testify against himself?

Juror: Yes.

Court: Which means he can't be put on a witness and required to testify.

Juror: Okay. Uh-huh.

*1334 Court: Do you feel that you could render an impartial verdict according to the law as I give you the law and the evidence as heard from the witness stand?

Juror: Yes, I can.

Court: All right. The court will not challenge Ms. Corbett for cause.

A trial court is vested with broad discretion in ruling on a challenge for cause and that ruling will not be disturbed on appeal absent a showing of an abuse of that discretion. State v. Lewis, supra; State v. Drew, 360 So.2d 500 (La.1978). A review of the entire voir dire is essential to determine if the trial court's discretion has been arbitrary or unreasonable and resulted in prejudice to the accused. State v. McIntyre, 381 So.2d 408 (La.1980); State v. Dickinson, 370 So.2d 557 (La.1979).

The ideal juror would be a person free of any bias, who could fully comprehend the law as provided by the court, and would be capable of assimilating and weighing all of the facts and applying the law in an intelligent and impartial manner.

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Bluebook (online)
397 So. 2d 1331, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bates-la-1981.