State v. Boyd

503 So. 2d 747
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 4, 1987
DocketCR86-699
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 503 So. 2d 747 (State v. Boyd) 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. Boyd, 503 So. 2d 747 (La. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

503 So.2d 747 (1987)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
John L. BOYD, Sr.

No. CR86-699.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

March 4, 1987.

*748 Richard A. Morton, Nichols & Morton, De Ridder, for defendant-appellant.

William C. Pegues, III, Dist. Atty., De Ridder, for plaintiff-appellee.

Before GUIDRY, STOKER and LABORDE, JJ.

GUIDRY, Judge.

Appellant, John L. Boyd, Sr., was charged by bill of information with attempted second degree murder, a violation of La.R.S. 14:27 and 14:30.1. The case was tried to a jury of twelve persons on September 18 and 19, 1984, with the defendant being found guilty of attempted manslaughter. On December 11, 1984, defendant was sentenced to seven years imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Defendant-appellant's sentence was imposed, not only under the provisions of the statutes under which he stood convicted, *749 but also in compliance with the terms of La.R.S. 14:95.2[1] and La.C.Cr.P. art. 893.1.[2] Boyd had not been charged with violating R.S. 14:95.2, nor had he been notified prior to trial that the State intended to seek enhancement of his sentence under La.C. Cr.P. art. 893.1.

On February 4, 1986, defendant filed a motion for an out-of-time appeal. Defendant's motion was denied by the district court. Defendant filed application for a writ of certiorari with this court seeking review of the ruling on his motion. The Third Circuit Court of Appeal ordered the district court to grant defendant an out-of-time appeal. On May 20, 1986, defendant was granted an out-of-time appeal by the Thirty-Sixth Judicial District Court.

On appeal, defendant urges the following errors:

1. Trial court erred in applying the enhanced penalty provisions of La.R.S. 14:95.2, since the defendant was not charged with a violation of said statute in any bill of information.
2. Trial court erred in applying the sentencing provisions of La.Code of Criminal Procedure Article 893.1 since the defendant received no pre-trial written notice from the district attorney indicating the State's intent to invoke said law.
3. Trial court erred in its instructions to the jury by failing to instruct or list "Guilty of Aggravated Battery" as a responsive verdict.
4. Trial court erred in that defendant was denied his constitutional right to effective assistance and representation by legal counsel, in violation of the United States and Louisiana constitutions.

FACTS

On March 28, 1984, at about 2:30 p.m., defendant was driving his automobile north on Louisiana Highway 27. For reasons in dispute at trial, a high speed chase and duel ensued between defendant and Robert Wayne Foster, the driver of a Ford pick-up truck. During the course of chase, defendant fired at least two shots from a shotgun at the occupants of the Ford truck. Shortly thereafter, Boyd lost control of his vehicle and drove off the road. Defendant abandoned his vehicle where it came to rest and fled the scene. The car was subsequently searched by the police who discovered a 20 gauge shotgun along with some fired shells on the front seat. Defendant surrendered to a DeQuincy police officer and was arrested by Beauregard Parish deputies later that day.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

Appellant claims, in his first assignment of error, that the trial court erred in sentencing him under the provisions of La. *750 R.S. 14:95.2, since the defendant was not charged with a violation of said statute in any bill of information. Appellant argues that, under State v. Jackson, 480 So.2d 263 (La.1985), he could not be sentenced under the provisions of La.R.S. 14:95.2 unless he was charged with a violation of the statute by bill of information. The State argues that Jackson should not apply because the instant case became final when defendant failed to timely meet delays for appeal.

In Jackson, supra, the court held that if the State sought to have a defendant sentenced under the provisions of La.R.S. 14:95.2, then it must charge the defendant with a violation of the statute by a bill of information. In Jackson, supra, the court reversed the defendant's sentence under 14:95.2 because he was not charged by bill of information with a violation of that statute. The court held that this new rule would apply to "all cases which are still subject to direct review by this Court, that is, convictions which have not become final upon first appellate review." 480 So.2d at 268-69.

Defendant, John L. Boyd, Sr., was convicted on September 19, 1984. He was sentenced on December 11, 1984, and was granted an out-of-time appeal on May 20, 1986. The issue, therefore, is whether or not the Jackson rule should apply to this out-of-time appeal.

In State v. Counterman, 475 So.2d 336 (La.1985), the Louisiana Supreme Court clarified the procedure for out-of-time appeals stating that when a defendant fails to make a timely motion for appeal as provided in La.C.Cr.P. art. 914, he loses his right to obtain an appeal simply by filing a motion because his conviction and sentence have become final when he failed to appeal timely.

"After the time for appealing has elapsed, the conviction and sentence are no longer subject to review under the ordinary appellate process, unless the defendant obtains the reinstatement of his right to appeal." 475 So.2d at 338.

The court concluded the proper procedural vehicle for obtaining an out-of-time appeal was by motion for post-conviction relief. The Louisiana Supreme Court recognized the inherent authority of the trial court to grant the limited relief of an out-of-time appeal when the defendant had lost his constitutional right to appeal without fault on his part.

Since the Supreme Court used the phrase "reinstatement of the right to appeal," we conclude that the court intended to treat an out-of-time appeal as if it had been timely filed, especially since the trial court is not required to grant an out-of-time appeal. Thus, as this appeal is treated as timely filed and since this is the first appellate review of defendant's conviction, Jackson, supra, applies and appellant is entitled to relief from that portion of his sentence improperly imposed under La.R.S. 14:95.2.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 2

In his second assignment of error, appellant claims the trial court erred by applying the sentencing provisions of La.C. Cr.P. Art. 893.1 since the defendant received no pre-trial notice from the district attorney indicating the State's intent to seek enhancement under said article. He argues the ruling in Jackson, supra, that such notice is required, should apply to this case.

In Jackson, supra, the court held that the sentencing provisions of La.C.Cr.P. art. 893.1 are not self-operative, but must be chosen to be applied by the district attorney. Consequently, pre-trial notice must be given to the defendant if the district attorney wishes the court to apply the provisions of that article. Nevertheless, the court found this to be only a procedural rule and, as the rule was not mandated by the Sixth Amendment, held that this ruling would apply prospectively only to cases tried after the date of the opinion, unless a defendant could show he suffered actual prejudice from the lack of notice.

Late last year, in State v. Allen, 496 So.2d 301 (La.1986), the Louisiana Supreme Court re-evaluated this holding. The court, in modifying the Jackson decision, stated:

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Bluebook (online)
503 So. 2d 747, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-boyd-lactapp-1987.