State v. Bertrand

104 So. 3d 796, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 698, 2012 WL 6190879, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1632
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 12, 2012
DocketNo. KA 12-698
StatusPublished

This text of 104 So. 3d 796 (State v. Bertrand) 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. Bertrand, 104 So. 3d 796, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 698, 2012 WL 6190879, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1632 (La. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

EZELL, Judge.

liThe Defendant, James Carol Bertrand, was charged in an indictment filed on June 6, 2011, with the following: 1) extortion, a violation of La.R.S. 14:66; 2) aggravated kidnapping, a violation of La.R.S. 14:44; 3) aggravated kidnapping, a violation of La. R.S. 14:44; 4) false imprisonment with a dangerous weapon, a violation of La.R.S. 14:46.1; and 5) false imprisonment with a dangerous weapon, a violation of La.R.S. 14:46.1. The Defendant entered a plea of not guilty on July 21, 2011. On November 28, 2011, the trial court, on motion of the State, severed counts three and five. Jury selection followed. The jury returned a verdict on November 80, 2011, of not guilty as to count one, not guilty as to count two, and guilty of the responsive verdict of false imprisonment, a violation of La.R.S. 14:46, as to count four.

The Defendant filed a “Motion for New Trial and in Arrest of Judgment.” The trial court denied the motion on February 16, 2012. The Defendant was subsequently sentenced to serve four months in parish jail, with all but ten days of the sentence suspended. The trial court ordered that the Defendant be placed on active supervised probation for one year upon his release from incarceration.

On March 9, 2012, the Defendant filed a motion to appeal. The Defendant is now before this court asserting one assignment of error. Therein, he contends the evidence was not sufficient to support his conviction. After review, we find the Defendant’s conviction should be reversed.

FACTS

Kimberly Campbell was arrested and charged with being a principal to operation of a clandestine laboratory. William Gui-droz, Campbell’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her child, contracted with the Defendant, a bail bondsman, |2for Campbell’s release from jail. Thereafter, Guidroz sought to be released as the indemnitor on Campbell’s bond. The Defendant arrested Campbell on March 25, 2011, and brought her to his office so he could complete the paperwork necessary to surrender her to police. Subsequently, Guidroz spoke with Campbell at the Defendant’s office and attempted to persuade her to sign over custody of their child in return for his remaining the indemnitor on her bond. Campbell refused. The Defendant subsequently attempted to surrender Campbell to police, but the police refused to accept her.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

The Defendant contends there was insufficient evidence upon which to find a bail bondsman guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of falsely imprisoning his principal after placing her under arrest.

The standard of appellate review for a sufficiency of the evidence claim 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 proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Mussall, 523 So.2d 1305 (La.1988). A determination of the weight of evidence is a question of fact, resting solely with the trier of fact who may accept or reject, in whole or in part, the testimony of any witnesses. State v. Silman, 95-0154 (La.11/27/95), 663 So.2d 27, 35. A reviewing court may impinge on the factfinding function of the jury only to the extent necessary to assure the Jackson standard of review. State v. Bordenave, 95-2328 (La.4/26/96), 678 So.2d 19, 20. It is not the function of an appellate court to assess credibility or re-weigh the evidence. Id.

[798]*798State v. Macon, 06-481, pp. 7-8 (La.6/1/07), 957 So.2d 1280, 1285-86.

The Defendant was convicted of false imprisonment, which is “the intentional confinement or detention of another, without his consent and without proper legal authority.” La.R.S. 14:46.

[sThe surrender of an individual by a surety is governed by La.Code Crim.P. art. 345 and La.R.S. 22:1585. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 345(A) provides:

A surety may surrender the defendant or the defendant may surrender himself, in open court or to the officer charged with his detention, at any time prior to forfeiture or within the time allowed by law for setting aside a judgment of forfeiture of the bail bond. For the purpose of surrendering the defendant, the surety may arrest him. Upon surrender of the defendant, the officer shall detain the defendant in his custody as upon the original commitment and shall acknowledge the surrender by a certifícate signed by him and delivered to the surety. The officer shall retain and forward a copy of the certificate to the court. After compliance with the provisions of Paragraph F of this Article, the surety shall be fully and finally discharged and relieved, as provided for in Paragraphs C and D of this Article, of all obligations under the bond.

Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:1585 provides, in relevant part:

A. Before a breach of an undertaking occurs, a surety or bail bond producer may surrender a defendant, or the defendant may surrender himself, to the official to whose custody the defendant was committed at the time the bail was given. The defendant may be surrendered without a return of the premium if he changes addresses without notifying his bail bond producer or surety, conceals himself, leaves the jurisdiction of the court without the permission of his bail bond producer or surety, fails to appear in any court at any time, or if the indemnitor seeks to relieve himself of his obligation on the bond or if the defendant is convicted of a felony but sentence is not yet imposed. A bail bond producer shall not surrender a client for nonpayment of a premium until thirty days after the date the bond is posted.
B. When a bail bond producer or surety surrenders a defendant, the bail bond producer or surety must file written notification and a statement of surrender indicating the lawful reason for the surrender. The statement of surrender must be attached to the surrender or recommit form with a copy provided to the defendant, committing official, and court clerk. The bail bond producer must maintain a correct copy of the statement of surrender form in the defendant’s file.

David Cedillo testified that on March 25, 2011, he owned Cedillo Bonding. At that time, the Defendant worked at the company. Cedillo testified that in certain situations, the law allowed for the surrender of an individual out on bond to any jail or courthouse in the State. Cedillo also testified that the individual would be brought in, |4a twenty-five dollar fee paid, and the bondsman would then leave. Cedillo further testified that a surrender form was usually filled out.

Cedillo was with the Defendant when he went to Rollins Road to pick up Campbell. He indicated the Defendant wore a bail bond badge at that time. Once at the residence on Rollins Road, Cedillo informed Chad Ardoin, Campbell’s boyfriend, who he was. Cedillo testified that Campbell was handcuffed and brought to the vehicle. On the drive back to the bonding office, Cedillo was dropped off at [799]*799his other business. He subsequently met the Defendant and Campbell at the bonding office.

Cedillo testified that he believed Campbell was not taken directly to jail because they were waiting on Chad Ardoin’s mother to get off work to see if Campbell’s bond could be redone.

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Bluebook (online)
104 So. 3d 796, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 698, 2012 WL 6190879, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1632, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bertrand-lactapp-2012.