State v. Bedou

985 So. 2d 821, 2008 WL 2080750
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 14, 2008
Docket2007-KA-1395
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 985 So. 2d 821 (State v. Bedou) 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. Bedou, 985 So. 2d 821, 2008 WL 2080750 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

985 So.2d 821 (2008)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Andrew BEDOU.

No. 2007-KA-1395.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 14, 2008.

Keva Landrum-Johnson, District Attorney, Alyson Graugnard, Assistant District Attorney, New Orleans, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Laura M. Pavy, Louisiana Appellate Project, New Orleans, LA, for Defendant/Appellant.

(Court composed of Chief Judge JOAN BERNARD ARMSTRONG, Judge PATRICIA RIVET MURRAY, Judge MAX N. TOBIAS, JR.)

Judge MAX N. TOBIAS, JR.

On 12 October 2004, in case number 452-609 "L" on the docket of the Orleans *822 Parish Criminal District Court, the defendant, Andrew Bedou ("Bedou"), was charged with four counts of armed robbery (counts 2, 3, 4 and 6), violations of La. R.S. 14:64; one count of armed robbery with a firearm (count 1), a violation of La. R.S. 14:64.3; and one count of attempted armed robbery (count 5), a violation of La. R.S. 14:27 and 14:64. On 14 October 2004, he entered a plea of not guilty to all counts. On 16 December 16, 2004, his counsel filed motions to suppress the identification and for a preliminary hearing. The hearing was continued to 6 January 2005; his counsel filed motions to suppress the evidence, the statement, the identification, and for a preliminary hearing. The hearing was continued to 3 February 2005 when his counsel filed a motion to suppress the identification as to count 6 (armed robbery). The trial court denied the motion to suppress the identification.[1]

Bedou was tried on 20 and 24 June 2005. The jury could not reach a verdict on counts 2 and 3, and a mistrial was declared. Bedou was acquitted on count 4. On 3 August 2005, the state nolle prosequied counts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.

On 3 August 2005, Bedou was again charged by bill of information with two of the armed robbery counts that were nolle prosequied on 3 August 2005 involving victims Arthur Brown and Earl Milton. On 16 August 2005, Bedou was arraigned and entered a plea of not guilty to both counts. On 24 and 25 October 2006, he was tried and found guilty as charged on both counts. On 25 September 2007, Bedou's counsel filed a motion for a bond setting, a motion for a new trial, and a motion for an appeal bond. Ultimately, the trial court denied the motion for a new trial and an appeal bond, but set the return date for the appeal for 7 December 2007. On 25 September 2007, Bedou was sentenced to serve ten years at hard labor on each count with credit for time served but without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently with each other.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

Earl Milton ("Milton") testified that on 6 August 2004 he was residing at 4206 Alford Street, New Orleans, located on the corner of Alford Street and Harrison Avenue. He stated that around 9:00 p.m. he was in his front yard inside his fence preparing for a fishing trip and talking to his neighbor, Lynnette Adams ("Adams"), when he noticed a man riding down the street on a bicycle. He thought it was a neighborhood kid. The man stopped in front of Milton, pointed a gun at him, and asked, "Ya'll all going to give me money. Do I have to shoot you?" Milton replied that he would give him the money in his wallet. The man then told Milton to give him the wallet. Milton complied and threw the wallet over the fence. At this point, Adams realized what was happening and ran into her house to call the police. The man picked up the wallet, removed about $40.00 in cash and rode away. Milton then ran into his house and called 9-1-1 to report the robbery. A few minutes later his wife made a second call. Within twenty-five to thirty minutes the police arrived at the scene. Milton told the officers that the man was riding an "old" model bike but that he could not describe the man's face because he was focused on *823 the gun and believed that he would be shot. He did remember that the man was wearing a light blue cap with a white face on the bill.

On cross-examination, Milton testified that the robbery occurred before it was completely dark, saying that it was "kinda dark like" near his house. He stated that a streetlight was present at the corner of Harrison Avenue and Alford Street, but acknowledged that because of a tree on the median, "it don't really shine ... like to make no extra light there." He did not remember previously testifying that there were no streetlights in the area. However, after reading his prior testimony he admitted that he had testified to that effect.

Adams testified that on 6 August 2004 she resided at 4200 Alford Street which is located facing Harrison Avenue on the corner of Alford and Harrison. She stated that around 9:00 p.m. she went outside to get her cigarettes from her car and began a conversation with her next door neighbor, Milton. While conversing she observed a man riding a silver colored bicycle from Paris Avenue towards St. Bernard Avenue. The man turned right onto Alford Street, passed Milton's home and then made a U-turn back towards Milton's home. She described the street as a "dead-end". She testified that the man said something to Milton, and Milton threw his wallet over the fence towards the man. It was then that she realized Milton was being robbed and saw the man holding a gun. She ran into her home and called 9-1-1 to report the robbery. She described the robber as wearing a light colored shirt, dark pants and a hat. She stated that she could see hair twists protruding from under the hat, which was pulled down right over his eyebrows as if he was trying to cover his face. She described the man as having a dark complexion, thin build, and hollow-like eyes. She testified that the man drew her attention because she knows the residents of her neighborhood and strangers are generally not seen riding down the dead-end street. She stated that she got a good look at the robber's face. After arriving on the scene, the investigating officers transported Adams to the St. Bernard Housing Development at the corner of Milton and Gibson Streets to look at a person of interest who had been detained. The person was shorter, younger, and had a lighter complexion. She told the police that he was not the robber. Adams testified that a few days after the robbery she was shown a six photograph line-up. Adams selected Bedou's photograph (the sixth photograph) and signed the back of it. She positively identified Bedou in the line-up and at trial as the person who robbed Milton. She stated that she was positive of her identification because of Bedou's distinctive features which she described as an elongated face, thick eyebrows, and hollow-like eyes.

On cross-examination, Adams testified that the perpetrator was holding a dark colored gun. She stated that when the officers showed her the photographic line-up she was not aware that they had a suspect. She stated that she took her time before making an identification because she wanted her identification to be correct. She did not remember if the perpetrator had facial hair.

Arthur Brown ("Brown") testified that on 6 August 2004 he was residing at 4136½ Duplessis Street in New Orleans. He stated that at around 9:15 p.m. he was sitting in a lounge chair in the rear of his home facing Harrison Avenue and talking to his neighbor, Joseph Francis ("Francis"), who was sitting on the hood of Brown's car. Brown observed a man coming from the direction of Paris Avenue. The man rode up on a late model dark *824 colored mountain bicycle with chrome gooseneck handlebars, dismounted the bicycle, and laid it down on the ground.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
985 So. 2d 821, 2008 WL 2080750, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bedou-lactapp-2008.