State v. Burbank

811 So. 2d 1112, 2002 WL 334665
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 27, 2002
Docket2001-KA-0831
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 811 So. 2d 1112 (State v. Burbank) 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. Burbank, 811 So. 2d 1112, 2002 WL 334665 (La. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

811 So.2d 1112 (2002)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Tony BURBANK.

No. 2001-KA-0831.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

February 27, 2002.
Rehearing Denied April 16, 2002.

*1114 Harry F. Connick, District Attorney, Juliet Clark, Assistant District Attorney, New Orleans, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Christopher A. Aberle, Louisiana Appellate Project, Mandeville, LA, for Defendant/Appellant.

Court composed of Judge CHARLES R. JONES, Judge MICHAEL E. KIRBY, Judge MAX N. TOBIAS, JR.

MICHAEL E. KIRBY, Judge.

STATEMENT OF CASE

On September 11, 1997, the defendant, Tony Burbank, was indicted for the first degree murders of Larry Welch and Jeffrey Jackson. The defendant entered a plea of not guilty to both counts. A suppression hearing was held on February 17, 1998 after which the trial court denied defendant's motions to suppress evidence and confession. A subsequent suppression hearing was held on June 19, 2001, at which time the trial court denied defendant's motion to suppress identification. After a jury trial on August 15, 2000, the defendant was found guilty as charged on both counts. The penalty phase was conducted on August 17, 2000. The jury recommended life imprisonment at hard labor without benefits on both counts. On September 28, 2000, the trial court denied defendant's motions for new trial and post verdict judgment of acquittal. The trial court then sentenced defendant to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. Defendant's motion for appeal was granted and a return date of December 7, 2000 was set.

STATEMENT OF FACT

Dr. Richard Tracy, a forensic pathologist with the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office, performed the autopsies on the two victims. Dr. Tracy testified that Jeffrey Jackson suffered five gunshot wounds, two *1115 of which were fatal. Dr. Tracy further stated that Larry Welch sustained five gunshot wounds to the back and right buttock, one of which passed through the heart and was immediately fatal.

Officer Kevin Balancier testified that he responded to a call in the 8800 block of Cohn Street at approximately 12:30 a.m. on January 19, 1997. When he arrived on the scene, he observed two black males lying face up on the street near a blue vehicle. The officer requested an emergency medical unit and taped off the scene. The officer assisted in the defendant's arrest a few days later.

Officer John Gahagan, a crime scene technician, processed the crime scene in the 8800 block of Cohn Street. He recovered eleven spent nine-millimeter casings and three bullets.

Sergeant Louis Gaydash assisted in the investigation of the homicides by canvassing the area for potential witnesses. The officer testified that he took a statement from Paula Hess. He stated that Ms. Hess was sober and reluctant to talk.

Detective Gerard Winbush, a firearms examiner, testified that he examined the ammunition and weapon recovered during the homicide investigation. The detective stated that the bullets recovered from Welch's autopsy were nine-millimeter bullets. One nine-millimeter bullet was recovered during Jackson's autopsy. Three nine-millimeter bullets were recovered from the crime scene. All the bullets were fired from the same weapon. The detective also testified that all the casings found on the scene were also from the same weapon.

Paula Hess testified that on January 19, 1997, she went to Larry Welch's house. Larry, Larry's son, Cassandra Scott and another man were at the house. She and several others were drinking and doing drugs. Later that evening, Larry and a friend decided to get something to eat. Larry and his friend were shot outside of Larry's house. She testified that she did not remember anything about the shooting. She and Cassandra were in the front room talking. The next thing she remembered was being outside and seeing Larry and his friend lying dead in the street. She stated that she was intoxicated from the drugs and alcohol. Ms. Hess testified that she did not recall giving a statement to the police. She described the perpetrator as a big guy but not muscular. She was not able to identify the defendant as the perpetrator.

Detective Robert Hoobler was the lead investigator in the homicide investigation. Upon his arrival at the scene, the detective observed a small blue Dodge Colt parked in the street in front of 8816 Cohn Street. The two victims were lying directly behind the vehicle. There were spent casings in the street along with a baseball bat and the victims' clothing.

The detective stated that witnesses to the incident were located inside the residence at 8816 Cohn Street. The witnesses told the detective that the victims were trying to push start the vehicle when the gunman appeared and started shooting. Detective Hoobler interviewed both Paula Hess and Cassandra Scott. He took a statement from Cassandra Scott. Ms. Scott stated that she was looking out of the front window of the apartment when the shooting occurred. Ms. Scott identified the defendant in a photographic lineup as the perpetrator. She knew the defendant by his nickname of "Dogboy."

Detective Hoobler arrested the defendant and searched the defendant's house. *1116 He recovered a Smith & Wesson forty caliber semi-automatic pistol, one metal ammunition magazine, eleven live rounds of forty-caliber ammunition, and one live round of nine-millimeter Luger ammunition from the defendant's house. The detective later learned that the blue car was stolen but had not been reported as stolen because the owner did not realize the vehicle was missing.

Cassandra Scott testified that she was at Larry Welch's house on Cohn Street at approximately 12:30 a.m. on January 19, 1997. She, Larry, Paula Hess and Jeffrey Jackson were using narcotics and drinking beer. Ms. Scott stated that she was hungry and Larry and Jeff decided to go to Church's Fried Chicken. She walked them to the door. By the time she closed the door and walked to the sofa, she heard gunfire. She looked out of the window and saw the defendant with a gun in his hand. After the shooting stopped, Larry called out her name. She went to him and he died in her arms. When the police arrived on the scene, Ms. Scott gave a statement to Detective Hoobler. Ms. Scott told Larry's son to go to his grandmother's house and tell his grandmother that Larry had died.

Ms. Scott admitted that she was incarcerated at the time of trial and had been incarcerated for several months. She stated that while she was in prison, an investigator hired by the defendant's family visited her. He told her that he could help her with her situation if she stated that she did not see the shooting. Ms. Scott then signed a paper that stated that she did not see the shooting. However, Ms. Scott recanted that statement and gave another statement that she did see the shooting. She identified the defendant in a photographic lineup as the perpetrator. She admitted to a prior conviction for crime against nature.

Robert Smith testified that the defendant's family employed him as a private investigator. At the time of trial, he was employed by OIDP as an investigator. Smith stated that he visited Cassandra Scott in jail. He told her that he had been hired by the defendant's family as an investigator and asked her if she would give him a statement. Smith denied making any promises or inducements in exchange for the statement. Ms. Scott asked him for his assistance in getting her children returned to her. Smith stated that he would try to help if he could.

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Related

State v. Quinn
123 So. 3d 320 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013)
State v. Lewis
96 So. 3d 1211 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012)
State v. Burnes
997 So. 2d 906 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2008)
Burbank v. Cain
535 F.3d 350 (Fifth Circuit, 2008)
State v. Burbank
893 So. 2d 109 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2004)
State v. Gibson
867 So. 2d 793 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2004)
State v. Williams
863 So. 2d 652 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
811 So. 2d 1112, 2002 WL 334665, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-burbank-lactapp-2002.