State v. Baxley

633 So. 2d 142, 1994 WL 62775
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 28, 1994
Docket93-KA-2159
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 633 So. 2d 142 (State v. Baxley) 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. Baxley, 633 So. 2d 142, 1994 WL 62775 (La. 1994).

Opinion

633 So.2d 142 (1994)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Johnny L. BAXLEY.

No. 93-KA-2159.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

February 28, 1994.
Rehearing Denied April 6, 1994.

Richard P. Ieyoub, Atty. Gen., Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., Mark D. Pethke, Jack Peebles, New Orleans, for applicant.

John D. Rawls, New Orleans, for respondent.

Grover Rees, III, Washington, DC, for Louisiana Counsel Knights of Columbus, Christian Coalition of Louisiana, Louisiana Public Policy (Amicus Curiae).

R. James Kellogg, New Orleans, Evan Wolfson, New York City, for Lambda Legal Defense and Educ. (Amicus Curiae).

Glenn J. Reames, New Orleans, for The John Doe Group (Amicus Curiae).

W. Lloyd Bowers, New Orleans, for Nat. Lesbian and Gay Bar Ass'n (Amicus Curiae).

Marilyn M. Fournet, Baton Rouge, for Louisiana Ass'n Crim. Defense Lawyer (Amicus Curiae).

Denise Leboeuf, New Orleans, for American Civil Liberty Union (Amicus Curiae).

Jeffrey T. Reeder, New Orleans, for Friends for Life, Capital Area Hiv-Aids Service, Philadelphia Center, No Aids Task *143 Force, Inc., United Service Aids Foundation (Amicus Curiae).

F. Clayton Latimer, New Orleans, Counsel for Nat. Ass'n of Social Workers (Amicus Curiae).

Ted L. Luquette, New Orleans, Ruth E. Harlow, William B. Rubenstein, Ralph E. Jones, New York City, for American Friends Service Committee, The Com'n on Social Action of Reform Judaism, Dignity/USA, Office for Church in Soc. of the United Church of Christ, General Bd. of Church and Soc. of the United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist Ass'n, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, First Unitarian Universalist Church, New Orleans, Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Concerns of the First Unitarian Universalist Church New Orleans, Victory Fellowship Metropolitan Community Church, Shreveport, Reverend Deanne B. Aime, Rabbi David Goldstein and Reverend William P. Richardson, Jr. (Amicus Curiae).

Ronald L. Wilson, New Orleans, for Edwin A. Murray, and Arthur A. Morrell (Amicus Curiae).

WATSON, Justice.[1]

This is a direct appeal from a trial court judgment holding the crime against nature statute, LSA-R.S. 14:89, an unconstitutional invasion of a citizen's right to privacy under La. Const. art. I, § 5.

FACTS

Since the trial judge granted a pretrial motion to quash, the only details about the alleged crime are in the police report, the bill of information and the pleadings. According to the state, on June 4, 1992, Johnny Baxley approached an undercover police officer who was sitting on a New Orleans French Quarter stoop and offered to pay the officer $20 if he would allow Baxley to perform fellatio on him. The officer agreed and stood up, which signaled backup officers to arrest Baxley. The undercover officer was not wearing a wire; no money changed hands. Baxley admits discussion of consensual fellatio but denies a monetary offer.

Baxley was charged by bill of information with violating LSA-R.S. 14:89, relative to crime against nature. Baxley filed a motion to quash the information, asserting that the statute was unconstitutional on nineteen grounds. After a hearing, the trial court decided Baxley had standing to challenge the statute's constitutionality and that the statute violated the state constitutional right to privacy. A direct appeal was taken to this Court. La. Const. art. V, § 5(D)(1).

LAW AND ANALYSIS

LSA-R.S. 14:89 provides:

A. Crime against nature is:

(1) The unnatural carnal copulation by a human being with another of the same sex or opposite sex or with an animal, except that anal sexual intercourse between two human beings shall not be deemed as a crime against nature when done under any of the circumstances described in R.S. 14:41, 14:42, 14:42.1 or 14:43. [Rape statutes.] Emission is not necessary; and, when committed by a human being with another, the use of the genital organ of one of the offenders of whatever sex is sufficient to constitute the crime.
(2) The solicitation by a human being of another with the intent to engage in any unnatural carnal copulation for compensation.
B. Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars, or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or both.

Initially, this Court must determine whether Baxley has standing to challenge the statute's constitutionality. "As a general rule a party does not have standing to challenge the constitutionality of a statute unless the application of that statute adversely affects him." State v. Brown, 389 So.2d 48, 50 (La.1980). Accord State v. Rue, 236 La. 451, 107 So.2d 702 (La.1958).

*144 Baxley argues he has standing because he is charged with violating LSA-R.S. 14:89 in its entirety and because subpart (A)(1) cannot be severed from subpart (A)(2). In addition, Baxley contends attempted crime against nature under LSA-R.S. 14:89(A)(1) may be a responsive verdict to a charge under LSA-R.S. 14:89(A)(2). The state counters that the information clearly charges Baxley with a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:89(A)(2) only. The information charged, that on a specified date, Baxley:

did wilfully and unlawfully violate R.S. 14:89, relative to Crime Against Nature, in that the said JOHNNY L. BAXLEY solicited POLICE OFFICER WILCE GILBERT with the intent to engage in unnatural carnal copulation for compensation to wit: ORAL COPULATION in the amount of TWENTY and 00/100 ($20.00) dollars.

The trial court found that subpart (A)(2), which prohibits solicitation of compensated unnatural carnal copulation, must be considered with subpart (A)(1), which simply prohibits unnatural carnal copulation. The trial court found the two subparts were not severable; if one subpart were unconstitutional, the other subpart would fall "of its own weight."

After finding Baxley had standing to contest the statute's unconstitutionality, the trial court held LSA-R.S. 14:89(A)(1) was an unconstitutional invasion of a citizen's right to privacy under La. Const. art. I, § 5. Since the trial court found the two subparts were not severable, the entire statute was held unconstitutional.

Art. I, § 5 provides:

Every person shall be secure in his person, property, communications, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches, seizures, or invasions of privacy. No warrant shall issue without probable cause supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, the persons or things to be seized, and the lawful purpose or reason for the search. Any person adversely affected by a search or seizure conducted in violation of this Section shall have standing to raise its illegality in the appropriate court.

Specifically, the trial court found:

R.S. 14:89 makes it a crime to engage in or perform certain acts with consenting adults, in the privacy of the bedroom.... The performance of the act itself with a consenting adult, in the privacy of one's bedroom is protected by that concept of privacy explicit in our Declaration of Rights.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
633 So. 2d 142, 1994 WL 62775, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-baxley-la-1994.