State v. Caples

938 So. 2d 147, 2006 WL 1575444
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 9, 2006
Docket2005 KA 2517
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 938 So. 2d 147 (State v. Caples) 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. Caples, 938 So. 2d 147, 2006 WL 1575444 (La. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

938 So.2d 147 (2006)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Daniel A. CAPLES.

No. 2005 KA 2517.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

June 9, 2006.

*150 Walter P. Reed, District Attorney, Covington, Dorothy A. Pendergast, Metairie, Counsel for Appellee State of Louisiana.

Katherine M. Franks, Slidell, Counsel for Defendant/Appellant Daniel A. Caples.

Before: KUHN, GUIDRY, and PETTIGREW, JJ.

KUHN, J.

The defendant, Daniel A. Caples, was charged by bill of information with one count of first degree robbery, a violation of La. R.S. 14:64.1, and pled not guilty. He moved to suppress his identification by the victim, his statement, and the evidence, but after a hearing, these motions were denied. Following a jury trial, he was found guilty as charged. He moved for a new trial and for a post verdict judgment of acquittal, but the motions were denied. He was sentenced to seven years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of execution of sentence. He moved for reconsideration of sentence, but the motion was denied. He now appeals, designating five assignments of error. We affirm the conviction and sentence.

FACTS

The victim, Todd Reynolds, testified at trial and gave the following account of the offense. On December 9, 2004, he had a 7:00 a.m. meeting with United States Representative Tim Burns at the Holiday Inn at I-12 in Slidell, Louisiana. The victim arrived for the meeting at approximately 6:50 a.m. and waited in his car, reading some papers. Approximately five minutes later, he exited his vehicle, leaving his wallet in the vehicle, but taking two twenty-dollar bills from the wallet with which to pay for breakfast. As he stepped out of his vehicle, the defendant confronted him. The defendant said, "Give me your money." The victim replied, "What," and the defendant stated, "Give me your money. I have a knife." The defendant's right hand was underneath his sweater. The victim surrendered his two twenty-dollar bills to the defendant because he felt threatened by him. The victim then ran around to the back of his vehicle. The defendant began briskly walking in the direction of a Race Trac gas station and Burger King restaurant. The victim got into his vehicle, dialed 911 on his telephone, and tried to follow the defendant, but lost sight of him after getting stuck in traffic. The defendant was subsequently stopped by police, returned to the crime scene, identified by the victim, and arrested.

The victim indicated he did not fight back because he was afraid the defendant had a knife, thought the defendant might have HIV, and did not want to take the chance of exchanging bodily fluids with the defendant during a fight. The victim believed the defendant had a knife because of the threat he had made and due to a hand motion he had made underneath his sweater.

The defendant also testified at trial. He conceded he had criminal convictions for burglary and theft. He claimed on the day of the offense he was "Getting money for Christmas." He claimed he was approaching people and telling them he needed twenty-two dollars to repair his car at Auto Zone and, if they could help him and his family, he would gladly repay them. He claimed he approached the victim's vehicle and the victim rolled his window down. The defendant claimed he told the victim the story about needing twenty-two dollars, and the victim gave him two twenty-dollar bills. The defendant claimed he thanked the victim and asked if there was anyway he could repay the money, but the victim stated, "No, that's okay. You know, *151 get your car fixed and get home for Christmas and have a Merry Christmas." The defendant claimed he thanked the victim again and walked away. He claimed he then told his story to a man stopped at a red light, and that man gave him ten dollars.

The defendant conceded he lied to the police in his initial statement but claimed he did so because he did not feel he had done anything wrong and was afraid he would be arrested in connection with a misdemeanor theft he had committed at an area Wal-Mart in 1992. He denied robbing the victim, denied ever having a knife, and denied ever saying he had a knife. He conceded, however, he had disposable razors in his pocket when he was arrested, but claimed the razors were left over from a package of razors he had purchased for his wife three days earlier.

SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE

In assignment of error number 5, the defendant contends there was insufficient credible evidence introduced to support the verdict of first degree robbery. He argues that the victim gave him forty dollars and then changed his mind after following him and realizing that he had been swindled.

In reviewing claims challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, this Court must consider "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 beyond a reasonable doubt." Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). See also La.Code Crim. P. art. 821(B); State v. Mussall, 523 So.2d 1305, 1308-09 (La. 1988).

First degree robbery is the taking of anything of value belonging to another from the person of another, or that is in the immediate control of another, by use of force or intimidation, when the offender leads the victim to reasonably believe he is armed with a dangerous weapon. La. R.S. 14:64.1(A).

The first degree robbery statute has objective and subjective components. The State must prove that the offender induced a subjective belief in the victim that he was armed with a dangerous weapon and that the victim's belief was objectively reasonable under the circumstances. The statute thus excludes unreasonable panic reactions by the victim, but otherwise allows the victim's subjective beliefs to determine whether the offender has committed first degree robbery or the lesser offense of simple robbery in violation of La. R.S. 14:65. Direct testimony by the victim that he believed the defendant was armed, or circumstantial inferences arising from the victim's immediate surrender of his personal possessions in response to the defendant's threats, may support a conviction for first degree robbery. State v. Gaines, 633 So.2d 293, 300 (La.App. 1st Cir.1993), writ denied, 93-3164 (La.3/11/94), 634 So.2d 839 (citing State v. Fortune, 608 So.2d 148, 149 (La. 1992) (per curiam) ).

After a thorough review of the record, we are convinced that viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, any rational trier of fact could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty of first degree robbery of the victim. The evidence thus viewed, established that the defendant induced a subjective belief in the victim that the defendant was armed with a dangerous weapon and that the victim's belief was objectively reasonable under the circumstances. This court will not assess the credibility of witnesses or reweigh the evidence to overturn a fact finder's determination *152 of guilt. The testimony of the victim alone is sufficient to prove the elements of the offense. The trier of fact may accept or reject, in whole or in part, the testimony of any witness. Moreover, when there is conflicting testimony about factual matters, the resolution of which depends upon a determination of the credibility of the witnesses, the matter is one of the weight of the evidence, not its sufficiency. State v. Lofton, 96-1429, p.

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Bluebook (online)
938 So. 2d 147, 2006 WL 1575444, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-caples-lactapp-2006.