State v. Battie

735 So. 2d 844, 1999 WL 314696
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 19, 1999
Docket98-KA-1296
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 735 So. 2d 844 (State v. Battie) 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. Battie, 735 So. 2d 844, 1999 WL 314696 (La. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

735 So.2d 844 (1999)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Tranace BATTIE.

No. 98-KA-1296.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

May 19, 1999.

*847 Ferdinand J. Kleppner, Metairie, LA, Attorney for Defendant/Appellant.

Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Rebecca J. Becker, Terry Boudreaux, Quentin P. Kelly, George C. Wallace, Jr., Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, LA, Attorneys for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Panel composed of Judges SOL GOTHARD, THOMAS F. DALEY and MARION F. EDWARDS.

DALEY, Judge.

Defendant, Tranace Battie, appeals her conviction of simple burglary of a vehicle, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:62. Defendant was found guilty following a jury trial. On appeal, she argues eleven assignments of error in the trial court proceedings. Upon review, this court finds none to be with merit, and affirms defendant's conviction.

Defendant argues the following assignments of error:

1. The Court erred in failing to grant defendant's Motion to Suppress her statement.
2. During the course of the trial, the Court erred in permitting the Assistant District Attorney to refer to other alleged crimes, despite the fact that no "Prieur" hearing had been conducted and in allowing in evidence the taped statement of the defendant which included references by the interrogator to "other crimes."
3. The Court erred in permitting a prosecution complaining witness, Margaret Schmidt, to view a photo line up, despite the fact that defendant's photograph was not in that line up and which had not previously been disclosed to defense counsel.
4. The Court erred in permitting a prosecution witnesses (sic) to testify *848 concerning alleged cashed checks.
5. The Court erred in permitting the introduction into evidence of a photo line-up.
6. The Court erred in admitting into evidence the taped statement of defendant.
7. The Court erred in including an instruction to the jury which advises the jury that it would be permitted to impeach the defendant's sworn testimony on the basis of prior convictions, even though the defendant admitted those convictions.
8. The Court erred in refusing to permit defense counsel to argue to the jury the absence of the co-defendant.
9. The Court erred in refusing to grant defendant's Motion for a New Trial.
10. The Court erred in failing to grant defendant's Motion for a Post Verdict Judgment of Acquittal.
11. The Court erred in sentencing defendant to a period of six year(s) at hard labor, without an adequate investigation of her background and without enunciating or clarifying the consideration of all sentencing factors and guidelines and in refusing to grant defendant's Motion to Reconsider Sentence.

FACTS

Tranace Battie was charged with simple burglary of a vehicle. On June 14, 1997, the victim, 75 year old Margaret Schmidt, testified that she was driving on her street in Metairie. As she turned into her driveway, her vehicle was rearended by the vehicle driven by Gidget White, Battie's co-defendant, and occupied by Battie. Schmidt got out of her car, as did White and Batte. They asked Schmidt if she was hurt. Schmidt testified that the passenger, later determined to be Battie, kept telling her to look under her car to see if everything was all right. Mrs. Schmidt looked, and determined that her car's underside was fine. Schmidt asked for driver's license and insurance information. She testified that the passenger (Battie) looked in the glove compartment, but took so long that Mrs. Schmidt walked over to their car and saw her own purse in the back seat. When Mrs. Schmidt said, "What is my purse doing there?", the two women drove off, taking Mrs. Schmidt's purse.

Mrs. Schmidt testified that the incident happened around 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon. She also said that one of the perpetrators (the passenger, defendant Battie) gave her a false name and phone number. It was also the passenger who was insistent that Schmidt look under her car, she said. She watched the car speed off towards I-10 and get on the service road. Mrs. Schmidt said she did not observe the women fighting in the car as they drove off. After the car drove off, Mrs. Schmidt testified that she never saw her purse or belongings again. Later, she was able to identify the driver, Gidget White, in a photo lineup provided by Det. Lataxes of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.

Mrs. Schmidt testified that she lost cash, cosmetics, checks, and credit cards. She stated that, following the theft, unauthorized charges of over $500.00 were made on her K & B credit card, most within several days following the incident. She also testified that checks were cashed on her checking account that she did not write.

On cross examination, Mrs. Schmidt testified that the passenger stood with her near the rear of her car, while the driver paced back and forth. Mrs. Schmidt said that the passenger went to their car to search for the insurance information. The passenger told her that they did not have driver's license or insurance information, but gave her the name of an agent. When the driver went to get back in the car, *849 Mrs. Schmidt noticed her purse on the floor behind the front seat.

Lashonda Sterges testified that she was working as a cashier at Schwegmann's grocery store on Airline in June and July of 1997. She stated that she had known Gidget White and Tranace Battie for many years. Sterges was fired from Schwegmann's for cashing stolen checks, for which she was prosecuted and was on probation. She testified that in June or July of 1997, White and Battie purchased groceries from her at Schwegmann's using a check that did not belong to either of them. Sterges did not remember whose name was on the check. She testified that Battie filled it out. On cross, she stated that White also cashed some of the checks. She also admitted that she did not know if the checks were stolen, but she knew they did not have White's or Battie's name on them.

Detective Keith Lataxes testified that he investigated the burglary of Mrs. Schmidt's car. His investigation developed the names of Gidget Bazile White and Tranace Battie as suspects. He presented a photo lineup, containing White's picture, to Mrs. Schmidt, who identified White as the driver.

Detective Lataxes left a message at Battie's home, upon which she came to the detective bureau to answer questions. Detective Lataxes testified that he advised her of her constitutional rights and that she was a suspect in a burglary. He stated that she indicated she understood her rights and waived them to answer his questions. Detective Lataxes took a voluntary taped statement from Battie. The detective identified both the tape itself and the transcript. The tape was played for the jury. Defendant's statement admits her presence in White's car that afternoon, and that an accident happened with Mrs. Schmidt, but denies that Battie had any knowledge that White planned to steal Mrs. Schmidt's purse.

On cross examination, Detective Lataxes confirmed that he spoke with Battie one more time, but did not tape that interview as she did not provide any new information. He acknowledged that Mrs. Schmidt's identification of White as the driver was tentative. On re-direct, the detective stated that Battie admitted White was the driver and admitted being in the car that day.

Tranace Battie testified in her own defense.

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

Related

State of Louisiana Versus Adam Littleton
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2019
State v. Smith
227 So. 3d 337 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2017)
State v. McGowan
199 So. 3d 1156 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2016)
State v. Muth
145 So. 3d 495 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2014)
State v. Jackson
926 So. 2d 72 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006)
State v. Crawford
922 So. 2d 666 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006)
State v. Martin
895 So. 2d 55 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005)
State v. Merritt
877 So. 2d 1079 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2004)
State v. Oliver
857 So. 2d 1227 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
State v. Terrick
857 So. 2d 1153 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
State v. Parker
853 So. 2d 67 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
State v. Marshall
841 So. 2d 866 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
State v. Brooks
841 So. 2d 854 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
State v. Stacker
836 So. 2d 601 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Tracy
831 So. 2d 503 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Nelson
822 So. 2d 796 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Richard
807 So. 2d 1129 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Badeaux
802 So. 2d 905 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
State v. Charles
790 So. 2d 705 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
State v. Richardson
790 So. 2d 717 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
735 So. 2d 844, 1999 WL 314696, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-battie-lactapp-1999.