State v. Battaglia

861 So. 2d 704, 2003 WL 22799807
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 25, 2003
Docket03-KA-692
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 861 So. 2d 704 (State v. Battaglia) 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. Battaglia, 861 So. 2d 704, 2003 WL 22799807 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

861 So.2d 704 (2003)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Johnny P. BATTAGLIA.

No. 03-KA-692.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

November 25, 2003.

*706 Holli Herrle-Castillo, Marrero, LA, for Appellant.

Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, 24th Judicial District, Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, Terry M. Boudreaux, Appellate Counsel, Andrea F. Long, Counsel of Record on Appeal, Gregory M. Kennedy, Trial Counsel, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, LA, for Appellee.

Panel composed of Judges SOL GOTHARD, JAMES L. CANNELLA and CLARENCE E. McMANUS.

JAMES L. CANNELLA, Judge.

The Defendant, Johnny Battaglia, appeals from his conviction of indecent behavior with a juvenile and his enhanced sentence, as a second felony offender, to 10 years imprisonment, without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. For the reasons which follow, we affirm the conviction, amend the sentence, and as amended affirm it, and remand.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

On June 2, 2000, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a bill of information charging the Defendant with indecent behavior with a juvenile in violation of La. R.S. 14:81, which allegedly occurred on or about August 17, 1999. The Defendant was arraigned on June 14, 2000 and pled not guilty. The Defendant was found competent to stand trial on February 1, 2001 in a sanity hearing.

On April 30, 2002, the morning of trial, the trial court considered the Defendant's motion in limine to exclude photographs and granted it in part and denied it in part. On April 30 and May 1, 2002, the case was tried before a six person jury which unanimously found the Defendant guilty as charged. On May 21, 2002, the Defendant filed a motion for post-verdict judgment of acquittal and a motion for new trial that were denied on that same date.

On May 21, 2002, the trial court sentenced the Defendant to imprisonment at hard labor for six years. The Defendant objected to the sentence and notified the trial court of his intent to file a motion for appeal. On June 20, 2002, the Defendant filed a written motion for appeal that was granted.[1]

*707 On August 30, 2002, the State filed a habitual offender bill of information against the Defendant, charging him as a second felony offender. On October 15, 2002, the Defendant denied the allegations of the habitual offender bill of information. On December 4, 2002, the Defendant admitted the allegations of the habitual offender bill of information. The trial court vacated the original sentence and sentenced the Defendant to imprisonment at hard labor for ten years, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

FACTS

At trial the State introduced evidence, primarily through the victim's testimony, that on August 17, 1999, at approximately 10:30 or 11:00 pm., at the Flower Gate Apartments in Metairie, the Defendant pulled A.C.,[2] age 16 at the time, into his apartment, locked the door, and grabbed her breast, buttocks, and between her legs. The State also introduced evidence to show that the Defendant offered A.C. $400 to have sex with him and $40 to allow him to take a photograph of her, either with or without her clothes on. A.C. refused to do either and managed to escape.

The State introduced into evidence several items found in the Defendant's apartment after the Defendant voluntarily consented to having it searched: four photographs of nude women (State's Exhibit 19—one Polaroid photograph and three 35 mm photographs); a photograph of items on the counter in the Defendant's apartment, including the photographs contained in State's Exhibit 19, Yellow Pages, and a box of film (State's Exhibit 15); a Polaroid camera, and film.

The Defendant testified that A.C. voluntarily came into his apartment to adjust the volume on his stereo, that she stayed a few minutes, and then left. He denied touching her, or offering her money for sex or to pose for a picture. The Defendant testified that he had used an escort service in the past, that the Polaroid photographs found in his apartment were taken by the women from the escort service of each other for his birthday, that he did not take the Polaroid photographs, and that he and his friends found the 35 mm photographs. The Defendant admitted to having a prior conviction in 1991 for carnal knowledge of a juvenile. He also stated that he was 48 years old at the time of the alleged offense. On appeal, the Defendant assigns three errors.

Assignment of error number two will be addressed first because the Defendant asserts issues on appeal that relate to both the sufficiency of evidence and one or more trial errors, including an error regarding the erroneous admission of evidence. When that is the case, the reviewing court should first determine the sufficiency of evidence by considering all of the evidence, including evidence the trial court may have erroneously admitted. State v. Hearold, 603 So.2d 731, 734 (La. 1992); State v. Mayeux, 94-105 (La.App. 5th Cir.6/28/94), 639 So.2d 828, 834. If the appellate court determines that the evidence was insufficient, then the Defendant is entitled to an acquittal, and no further inquiry as to trial errors is necessary. However, if the appellate court finds that the totality of the evidence was sufficient to support the Defendant's conviction, it must then determine whether the trial court erred in admitting the *708 questioned evidence and, if so, whether the trial court's error requires a reversal of the conviction or was harmless. State v. Alexis, 98-1145 (La.App. 5th Cir.6/1/99), 738 So.2d 57, 64, writ denied, 99-1937 (La.10/13/00), 770 So.2d 339.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER TWO

The Defendant contends that the evidence was insufficient to support the conviction of indecent behavior with a juvenile, because the only evidence against him was the testimony of the victim and there was no physical evidence to corroborate her story. The Defendant asserts further that the fact that the victim did not want to call the police, and that he cooperated with the police, supports his position that the evidence did not establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The State argues to the contrary that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction.

The standard for appellate review of the sufficiency of evidence is "whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560, 573 (1979). Under Jackson, a review of a criminal conviction record for sufficiency of evidence does not require a court to ask whether it believes that the evidence at the trial established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Lapell, 00-1056 (La.App. 5th Cir.12/13/00), 777 So.2d 541, 545, writs denied, 00-3546 (La.9/14/01), 796 So.2d 675, 01-0439 (La.1/4/02), 805 So.2d 1192. A reviewing court is required to consider the whole record and determine whether a rational trier of fact would have found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Id.

The Defendant was convicted of a violation of La. R.S. 14:81, which provides in pertinent part:

A.

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Bluebook (online)
861 So. 2d 704, 2003 WL 22799807, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-battaglia-lactapp-2003.