State v. Bouie

598 So. 2d 610, 1992 WL 73782
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 14, 1992
Docket91-K-2627
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 598 So. 2d 610 (State v. Bouie) 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. Bouie, 598 So. 2d 610, 1992 WL 73782 (La. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

598 So.2d 610 (1992)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Eugene BOUIE.

No. 91-K-2627.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

April 14, 1992.

*611 Eugene Bouie, pro se.

Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., New Orleans, for respondent.

Before WARD and ARMSTRONG, JJ., and JAMES C. GULOTTA, J. Pro Tem.

ARMSTRONG, Judge.

Relator was convicted of attempted aggravated rape and was sentenced to forty years at hard labor. On appeal, this court affirmed relator's conviction and sentence. State v. Bouie, 532 So.2d 791 (La.App. 4th Cir.1988).

Relator now requests a review of the trial court's denial of his application for post conviction relief. He makes six claims in support of his application.

Relator's first claim is that he was denied "due process" and "equal protection" because of the State's failure to bring him before a judge or magistrate within 72 hours of his arrest, as mandated by C.Cr.P. article 230.1. Relator alleges that he was "secreted away for 73 days while the prosecution tried to determine if he had in fact violated the law." Relator fails to support this allegation with documentation; however, even if he were to provide such documentation, neither the codal article nor the case law provides relator with relief.

C.Cr.P. article 230.1 mandates that an arrestee be brought before a judge within 72 hours of his arrest for the purpose of appointment of counsel and the review or setting of bond. Section (D) of this article, however, states that "[T]he failure of the sheriff or law enforcement officer to comply with the requirements herein shall have no effect whatsoever upon the validity of the proceedings thereafter against the defendant." And, the prevailing case law maintains that a delay is not grounds for arrest of judgment or a new trial, and that once a defendant has proceeded to a significant judicial event, such as a preliminary hearing where probable cause is found, the defendant waives any rights to release. State v. Wallace, 392 So.2d 410; State v. Guzman, 362 So.2d 744, cert. denied 99 S.Ct. 3103, 443 U.S. 912, 61 L.Ed.2d 876; State v. Calloway, 324 So.2d 801; State v. Brown, 322 So.2d 211, application denied 352 So.2d 705. In State v. Tauzier, the Louisiana Supreme Court held that the defendants were not entitled to relief on the theory that their rights were violated when they were not presented before a judge or magistrate until 40 days after their arrests, since they could show no prejudice attributable to the delay. State v. Tauzier, 397 So.2d 494. In the instant case, relator has shown no evidence of any delay nor any prejudice attributable to the delay. Therefore, this claim is without merit.

Relator's second claim is that he was denied compulsory process because the court failed to recess in order to discover why defense counsel had not investigated *612 the case. Relator argues that his counsel did not locate witnesses and, therefore, the trial court should have investigated counsel's failure to do so. The trial judge addressed this claim in its written judgment: "Second he contends that he was prevented from calling some witnesses at trial. Petitioner admitted on the stand that he did not know the addresses of the witnesses. The Court is not responsible for investigating the locations of the witnesses for either side. Petitioner does not even bother to state the nature of their testimony except that he makes broad and general allegations that are not supported by the record."

The trial court's judgment is correct. Relator fails to support his claim, or even cite any authority which would entitle him to relief. Relator's claim is without merit.

Relator's third claim is that the prosecutor amended the bill of information (from attempted forcible rape to attempted aggravated rape) out of sheer vindictiveness, and that the bill of information was not sufficiently specific, as amended, to inform the defense of the nature and cause of action as required by the U.S. Constitution.

The bill of information was filed on November 7, 1986, and charged relator with attempted forcible rape. The state amended the bill on December 3, 1986, charging relator with attempted aggravated rape. On motion of the defense, the trial, scheduled for that day, was continued until December 9, 1986.

By allowing the continuance, the trial court complied with C.Cr.P. article 489, which addresses amendments of a bill of information, and states that:

If it is shown, on motion of the defendant, that the defendant has been prejudiced in his defense on the merits by the defect, imperfection, omission, uncertainty, or variance, with respect to which an amendment is made, the court shall grant a continuance for a reasonable time. In determining whether the defendant has been prejudiced in his defense upon the merits, the court shall consider all the circumstances of the case and the entire course of the prosecution. If it becomes necessary to discharge the original jury from further consideration of the case, the trial before a new jury will not constitute double jeopardy.

Clearly, the state has the right to amend the bill of information. In this case, the state did so and the trial court granted the defense motion for a continuance. Relator's claim that the state was vindictive is unsubstantiated, and therefore should be denied.

Relator's allegation that the bill was not sufficiently specific to inform him of the charges, is without merit. The test is whether the bill is misleading to the defendant. C.Cr.P. article 464 addresses the nature and contents of the information.[1]

The indictment shall be a plain, concise, and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. It shall state for each count the official or customary citation of the statute which the defendant is alleged to have violated. Error in the citation or its omission shall not be ground for dismissal of the indictment or for reversal of a conviction if the error or omission did not mislead the defendant to his prejudice.

Here, the amended charge was based on the same facts and circumstances as the original charge, thus relator was apprised of the incident. Relator has failed to show any error or omission which, if existed, misled relator to his prejudice. The state simply amended the bill of information, and relator was given a reasonable time to prepare for the amended charge. Consequently, this claim is without merit.

Relator's fourth claim is that the trial court, when charging the jury, omitted two responsive verdicts and the law that supports them. The responsive verdicts to attempted aggravated rape are guilty, guilty of attempted forcible rape, guilty of attempted *613 simple rape, and not guilty. C.Cr.P. article 814. Relator claims that the trial court instructed the jury that there were only two verdicts that they could return: guilty and not guilty. Relator claims that the jury was not charged as to the law applicable to the two responsive verdicts of attempted forcible rape and attempted simple rape.

Relator supplies this court with no documentary evidence to prove his allegation. Therefore, he provides nothing for this Court to review. Further, the trial court in its written judgment stated that the record indicates to the contrary. This claim is without merit.

Relator next claims that the trial judge abused his discretion when imposing the sentence of forty years at hard labor. Relator claims that the trial judge erroneously considered his previous arrests when sentencing relator.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
598 So. 2d 610, 1992 WL 73782, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bouie-lactapp-1992.