State v. Champ

991 So. 2d 1143, 2008 WL 3892493
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 13, 2008
Docket2007-KA-1281
StatusPublished

This text of 991 So. 2d 1143 (State v. Champ) 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. Champ, 991 So. 2d 1143, 2008 WL 3892493 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

991 So.2d 1143 (2008)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Warren CHAMP.

No. 2007-KA-1281.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

August 13, 2008.

*1144 Keva Landrum-Johnson, District Attorney, David S. Pipes, Jr., Assistant District Attorney, New Orleans, LA, for State of Louisiana.

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

(Court composed of Judge MICHAEL E. KIRBY, Judge MAX N. TOBIAS, JR., Judge DAVID S. GORBATY).

MAX N. TOBIAS, JR., Judge.

On 15 February 2007, the state charged Warren Champ ("Champ") by bill of information with one count of violating La. R.S. 14:62, simple burglary of a building. On 17 April 2007, Champ appeared before the trial court for arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty. On 24 May 2007, the trial court heard his motion to suppress his statement and held a preliminary hearing. At the close of the hearing, the trial court denied the motion to suppress and found sufficient probable cause to substantiate the charge brought.

On 18 July 2007, the state brought the case to trial. Prior to trial, Champ elected to have his case tried before a jury. The state introduced two exhibits and presented testimony from three individuals. Champ introduced one exhibit and presented no testimony. The jury found Champ guilty of simple burglary.

The trial court sentenced Champ on 15 August 2007 to two years at hard labor in the custody of the Department of Corrections with credit for time served. The state then filed a multiple bill of information, alleging Champ to be a three-time felony offender.[1] On 17 August 2007, Champ appealed and the appeal was granted.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Officer Rodney Thomas testified that on 15 February 2007, he was on patrol with his partner when they received a call from the dispatcher notifying them of a report of a suspicious person going in and out of a residence in their vicinity. The report further indicated that the suspect was a black male wearing a brown cap, green and blue jacket, black pants, and riding a purple bicycle. Upon arriving in the 3400 block of South Robertson Street, Officer Thomas observed a man on a bicycle pull up to a building, get off the bicycle, and enter an apartment complex. He and his partner followed the man into the building. Officer Thomas noted that the man was wearing a brown cap, green and blue jacket, *1145 black sweat pants, and riding a purple bicycle. Further, Officer Thomas testified that the building was a vacant, flooded-out building that had been emptied of furniture. Officer Thomas testified that upon entering the building he heard thumping and crashing sounds which he equated to someone busting through sheet rock. He stated that he followed the sound to a back room where he observed the man remove a piece of drywall and reach into the wall with a gray pipe cutter in his right hand. Officer Thomas noted that copper piping was behind the wall. Officer Thomas also made an in court identification of Champ as the man who he witnessed enter the building and reach into the wall with a pipe cutter.

Officer Thomas identified the pipe cutter and a pair of gloves and identified them as those in the possession of Champ at the time of his arrest. Officer Thomas stated that Champ made a statement when he was being escorted out of the building: "He stated that the building was going to be torn down anyway, and he also stated that he worked for the owner."

Officer Thomas further testified that police detectives later came to the crime scene and contacted the owner of the building. Officer Thomas said he spoke to the building's owner by phone, who stated that he did not know the subject, authorize anyone to enter his building, or authorize anyone to take anything out of his building. On cross-examination, Officer Thomas testified that he did not observe Champ carrying the pipe cutter into the building or any copper pipe on Champ's person.

Officer Heather Gore made an in-court identification of Champ as the man she arrested on 15 February 2007. She testified that she first saw Champ in front of the building at 3400 South Robertson Street. She stated that she witnessed Champ park his bicycle and go into the building and that the building at 3400 South Robertson was "abandoned" and in the process of renovation, although the dry wall was still up inside the building. After entering the building, Officer Gore testified that she heard banging and crashing sounds and followed the sounds to a bathroom where she saw Champ with an object in his hand, reaching into a hole in the wall that revealed copper piping. Further, like Officer Thomas, she was able to identify state's exhibits, the pipe cutter and gloves taken from Champ at the time of his arrest. On cross-examination, Officer Gore testified that she did not observe Champ carrying the pipe cutter into the building or any copper pipe on Champ's person.

Lastly, the state called Abner Tritt ("Tritt") to testify. Tritt stated that he owns the property at 3400 South Robertson. He also testified that while he knew Champ, Champ had not worked for him for several years. Additionally, Tritt stated that he never gave Champ permission to be in, or work at, the building at 3400 South Robertson. In fact, Tritt testified that he did not have anyone working at 3400 South Robertson on 15 February 2007, and that he had no plans to tear down the building. On cross-examination, Tritt noted that while he owns dozens of properties throughout the city he does not usually have more than three people working for him at any given time.

Champ put on no witnesses but did introduce one item of evidence, a document from the local assessor's office identifying Tritt as owner of 3500 South Robertson Street.[2] Following this introduction, both *1146 parties rested. The jury returned with a verdict finding Champ guilty of simple burglary.

ERRORS PATENT

The record reveals no errors patent.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER 1

In the only assignment of error urged by counsel, Champ asserts that the trial court abused its discretion when it denied his request, made on the morning of trial, for more time in order to retain new counsel. Champ's counsel first made an appearance on the record for himself and a student practitioner from a law clinic. Next, Champ's counsel requested a bench conference. After the bench conference, Champ's counsel stated on the record that the state had offered Champ a plea bargain of six years as a second offender, that he had notified Champ that, if convicted, he would be charged as a triple offender with a possible sentence of eight to twenty-four years, and that Champ wished to speak with the trial court. The defendant and the trial court then had the following exchange:

Mr. Champ:
I come here today. I'd like to have deficiency of counsel due to the fact that I'm not properly represented. I'd like to have me another attorney present on the trial.
And also I contacted a couple of places for a attorney, and they will get back here. I need to tell you that I feel that I'm not being properly defended at the time.
The Court:
Mr. Champ, I'm not going to do that. You're set for trial today. Mr. Duffy is more than competent. I've had him in court. I've been impressed with him. And let me just tell you what the law is. The law is this:
You are entitled to an attorney. I have appointed an attorney to represent you.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Brady v. Maryland
373 U.S. 83 (Supreme Court, 1963)
United States v. Agurs
427 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Holloway v. Arkansas
435 U.S. 475 (Supreme Court, 1978)
United States v. Bagley
473 U.S. 667 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Kyles v. Whitley
514 U.S. 419 (Supreme Court, 1995)
State v. Leggett
363 So. 2d 434 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1978)
State v. Strickland
683 So. 2d 218 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1996)
State v. Kemp
828 So. 2d 540 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2002)
State v. Bright
875 So. 2d 37 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2004)
State v. Seiss
428 So. 2d 444 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)
State v. Knapper
579 So. 2d 956 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1991)
State v. Harrison
782 So. 2d 86 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
State v. Robinson
818 So. 2d 246 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)
State v. Myers
888 So. 2d 1002 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2004)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
991 So. 2d 1143, 2008 WL 3892493, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-champ-lactapp-2008.