State v. Boyd

999 So. 2d 40, 2008 WL 4890763
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided November 12, 2008·No. 2008-KA-0659·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

999 So.2d 40 (2008)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Clarence BOYD, Jr.

No. 2008-KA-0659.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

November 12, 2008.

*41 Keva Landrum-Johnson, District Attorney, Alyson Graugnard, Assistant District Attorney, New Orleans, LA, for Appellee, State of Louisiana.

Sherry Watters, Louisiana Appellate Project, New Orleans, LA, for Clarence Boyd, Jr.

(Court composed of Judge MICHAEL E. KIRBY, Judge MAX N. TOBIAS, Jr., Judge EDWIN A. LOMBARD).

MAX N. TOBIAS, JR., Judge.

On 10 August 2007, the state charged Clarence Boyd, Jr. ("Boyd") by bill of information with one count of theft of an item valued at $500.00 or more, a violation of La. R.S. 14:67 A. On 20 August 2007, Boyd appeared before the trial court for arraignment and pled not guilty to the charge. On 9 October 2007, the trial court heard Boyd's motion to suppress evidence and held a preliminary hearing. At the close of the hearing, the trial court denied Boyd's motion to suppress and found sufficient probable cause to substantiate a charge of theft of an item valued between $300.00 and $500.00.

On 13 November 2007, the state brought its case to trial. Prior to trial, Boyd elected to have his case tried by the judge. The trial court found Boyd guilty of theft of an item valued between $300.00 and $500.00 and sentenced him on 16 November 2007. Prior to sentencing, the Boyd filed, and the trial court denied, a motion *42 for post-verdict judgment of acquittal. Initially, the trial court sentenced Boyd to one year in Orleans Parish Prison with credit for time served. The state noticed its intent to file a multiple bill of information, which would allege that Boyd was a triple felony offender. Further, on 19 November 2007, Boyd filed, and the trial court denied, a motion to reconsider the denial of his motion for post-verdict judgment of acquittal. On 19 November 2007, Boyd also filed a motion for appeal. On 1 February 2008, the trial court resentenced Boyd to one year in the custody of the Department of Corrections, with credit for time served.

STATEMENT OF FACT

At trial, the state first elicited testimony from Officer Larry Kooken. Officer Kooken testified that on 18 July 2007, while assigned to the Second District of the New Orleans Police Department ("NOPD"), he was involved in the investigation and arrest of Boyd. Officer Kooken affirmatively identified Boyd as the individual he investigated and arrested on 18 July 2007. Specifically, Officer Kooken testified that on the date of the incident he and his partner were riding in their police vehicle when they received a report through the NOPD dispatch regarding a stolen bicycle, description of the bicycle, the perpetrator, and the perpetrator's direction of flight. Officer Kooken and his partner were able to reach the vicinity of the incident in approximately two minutes. As they approached, Officer Kooken observed Boyd traveling near the intersection of Burthe and Broadway Streets in New Orleans. Officer Kooken testified that Boyd's appearance matched the description of the perpetrator: an older black man wearing a dark baseball cap, white t-shirt, and khaki pants. Officer Kooken noted that the bicycle in Boyd's possession matched the description of the stolen bicycle: silver, high-end ten-to-twelve-speed bicycle. Also, Officer Kooken noted that when they stopped Boyd, he was approximately one block from the position of the perpetrator's observed flight direction originally given in the NOPD dispatch.

Officer Kooken testified that after he and his partner stopped Boyd they learned that the stolen bicycle was a Cannondale bicycle. The officer testified that they arrested Boyd because they found him in possession of a Cannondale bicycle. The officers read Boyd his Miranda rights and conducted a search of Boyd's person. The search revealed that Boyd was carrying a small ceramic pipe in his right, front pants pocket. Based upon his experience with narcotics enforcement and the physical characteristics of the pipe, Officer Kooken stated that the pipe was a crack pipe.

Officer Kooken also stated that Boyd was placed in the back of the police vehicle after he was arrested. Boyd stated that he understood the charges and admitted to taking the bicycle and leaving his old bicycle at the original crime scene. Thereafter, Officer Kooken and his partner took Boyd to the original crime scene on Palmer Avenue and observed Boyd's original bicycle on the property along with a blue lunch bag which contained some of Boyd's personal effects. Boyd's bicycle, the blue lunch bag, and the personal effects were identified in court by Officer Kooken and introduced into evidence.

On cross-examination, Officer Kooken admitted that he did not conduct a field test on the pipe. He admitted that he did not observe Boyd using illegal narcotics. He further stated that on the day of the incident he neither observed Boyd take the bicycle nor spoke with the reporting witness.

The state also elicited testimony from Officer Eric Risch, Officer Kooken's partner on the date of the incident. Officer *43 Risch testified that he and his partner were in their police vehicle on 18 July 2007 when they received a call from dispatch at approximately 8:10 a.m., advising them of a report of a bicycle theft. Officer Risch testified that as they approached the intersection of Broadway and Burthe Streets they observed Boyd riding a bicycle, and that Boyd and the bicycle respectively fit the description of the perpetrator and stolen bicycle. Officer Risch stated that he and his partner then stopped Boyd for questioning. While questioning him, the officers were able to get a more detailed description of the stolen bicycle, and Officer Risch stated that this additional information lead them to conclude that Boyd was the perpetrator of the bicycle theft. Officer Risch further testified Boyd admitted that he took the bicycle and offered to lead them to the bicycle's original location.

Officer Risch stated that Boyd then directed them to where he took the bicycle and they found a black, Murray bicycle. Boyd then told the officers that the Murray bicycle was his, and admitted to leaving it at the scene of the crime after he took the Cannondale bicycle. Officer Risch noted that while he was at the scene, he spoke to Mrs. Sally Foreman, who confirmed that she was the owner of the Cannondale bicycle, and to Court Carrere, the initial reporting witness, by cell phone. Boyd's counsel did not cross-examine Officer Risch.

The state next called Court Carrere as a witness. Mr. Carrere testified that on the morning of 18 July 2007, he was driving to work on Palmer Avenue. He stated that he has family who live on Palmer Avenue and that he also lives in the area. Mr. Carrere stated that as he was passing the Foreman's house he noticed a person with two bicycles and a grocery cart. He stated that he observed the person attempting to ride one bicycle while holding onto the grocery cart with a free hand. Additionally, Mr. Carrere stated that the other bicycle was on the ground. He stated that he thought the man looked unusual so he circled the block a few times to better observe him. After watching the person for a few minutes, Mr. Carrere then phoned his mother, who lives on Palmer, and gave her a description of the person. Following this testimony, Mr. Carrere made an in-court identification of Boyd as the man he witnessed on the date of the incident. Mr. Carrere next stated that his mother called the police.

Additionally, Mr. Carrere confirmed that he eventually spoke to the police an

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State v. Boyd, 999 So. 2d 40, 2008 WL 4890763 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

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