State v. Clesi

959 So. 2d 957, 2007 WL 466531
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 14, 2007
Docket2006 KA 1250
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 959 So. 2d 957 (State v. Clesi) 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. Clesi, 959 So. 2d 957, 2007 WL 466531 (La. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

959 So.2d 957 (2007)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Ronald O. CLESI.

No. 2006 KA 1250.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

February 14, 2007.

*959 Walter P. Reed, District Attorney, Covington, Kathryn Landry, Special Appeals Counsel, Baton Rouge, Counsel for Appellee State of Louisiana.

Frank Sloan, Louisiana Appellate Project, Mandeville, Counsel for Defendant/Appellant Ronald O. Clesi.

Ronald O. Clesi, Angola, Pro Se.

Before: PETTIGREW, DOWNING, and HUGHES, JJ.

HUGHES, J.

The defendant, Ronald O. Clesi, was charged by bill of information with possession of a schedule II controlled dangerous substance (cocaine), a violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967(C). The defendant pled not guilty. Following a jury trial, the defendant was found guilty as charged. The defendant was sentenced to five (5) years imprisonment at hard labor. The State filed a multiple offender bill of information. Following a multiple offender hearing, the trial court found the defendant to be a fourth felony offender. The defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor pursuant to LSA-R.S. 15:529.1(A)(1)(c)(i),[1] and the five-year sentence for the possession of cocaine conviction was vacated. The defendant objected to the sentence as being excessive. The defendant now appeals, asserting three counseled assignments of error and three pro se assignments of error. We affirm the conviction. However, we reverse the adjudication of the defendant as a fourth or subsequent felony habitual offender, vacate the enhanced sentence, and remand for further proceedings.

FACTS

On December 12, 2001, at about 11:00 p.m., based on an anonymous citizen's complaint about narcotics at the defendant's residence in Slidell, Detective Kevin Swan of the Slidell Police Department, along with three other police officers, including Sergeant Danny Fonte of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, went to the Chamale Condominiums where the defendant lived. Prior to going to defendant's residence, the police officers determined the defendant had an outstanding warrant for *960 his arrest. Detective Swan knocked on the defendant's door, identified himself and, after a period of time, the defendant opened the door and invited the officers inside. Two females were also in the defendant's residence. Detective Swan informed the defendant about the narcotics complaint and about the warrant for his arrest. Detective Swan found a kitchen knife in the small of the defendant's back. The defendant explained that he had armed himself because he was worried about being robbed by drug dealers. The defendant was patted down for weapons and no other weapons were found.

Detective Swan produced a consent to search form. After going over the form with the defendant, the defendant signed the form. The defendant also gave verbal consent to search his residence. Following the consent of the defendant, all three occupants of the residence were advised of their Miranda rights.[2] Sergeant Fonte found rocks of crack cocaine in the garbage disposal of the kitchen sink.[3] Detective Swan found $3,944.00 in the defendant's bedroom closet. The defendant told Detective Swan that he had purchased $1,000.00 worth of crack cocaine and that they had been ingesting it. He also told Detective Swan that when the police knocked on the door, July Driebe, one of the female occupants, ran to the kitchen and placed crack cocaine in the kitchen sink. The defendant was arrested and, before being placed into a police unit, was patted down thoroughly. A bag containing small rocks of crack cocaine was found in the defendant's right front pocket.[4]

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

In his first assignment of error, the defendant argues that his sentence imposed is illegal. Specifically, the defendant contends that the trial court failed to specify that the sentence is not subject to probation or suspension of sentence, as required by LSA-R.S. 15:529.1(G).[5]

The trial court should have imposed the sentence without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. However, no corrective action is necessary, as LSA-R.S. 15:301.1(A) makes the statutory restrictions self-activating. State v. Joseph, XXXX-XXXX, p. 14 (La.App. 5 Cir. 4/26/05), 901 So.2d 590, 599, writ denied, XXXX-XXXX (La.2/3/06), 922 So.2d 1176, citing State v. Esteen, 2001-879, pp. 29-30 (La.App. 5 Cir. 5/15/02), 821 So.2d 60, 78-79, writ denied, XXXX-XXXX (La.12/13/02), 831 So.2d 983.

This assignment of error is without merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER TWO AND PRO SE ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

In these assignments of error, the defendant argues that the sentence imposed is excessive. Because we must reverse the habitual offender adjudication and vacate the sentence, we do not reach the merits of these assignments of error.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER THREE

In his third assignment of error, the defendant argues the trial court failed *961 to inform him of the delays for filing for postconviction relief.

The trial court did not advise the defendant of the time limits for filing for postconviction relief pursuant to LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 930.8. Upon resentencing, the trial court is directed to give the defendant notice of the prescriptive period for applying for postconviction relief.

PRO SE ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER TWO

In his second pro se assignment of error, the defendant argues that the evidence presented at the multiple offender hearing was insufficient to prove that the defendant was a fourth felony offender. Specifically, the defendant contends that the State failed to prove the identity of the defendant as the same person convicted of the previous convictions.

In order to obtain a multiple offender conviction, the State is required to establish both the prior felony conviction and that the defendant is the same person convicted of that felony. In attempting to do so, the State may present: (1) testimony from witnesses; (2) expert opinion regarding the fingerprints of the defendant when compared with those in the prior record; (3) photographs in the duly authenticated record; or (4) evidence of identical driver's license number, sex, race, and date of birth. State v. Payton, 2000-2899, p. 6 (La.3/15/02), 810 So.2d 1127, 1130-1131.

At the habitual offender hearing, the State submitted into evidence exhibits and testimony that established five prior felony convictions of the defendant. The five prior convictions, all by guilty pleas, are as follows: (1) 1975 conviction for possession of preludin, a violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967, Criminal District Court, Parish of Orleans, docket number 247635; (2) 1982 conviction for forgery (four counts), a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:72, Criminal District Court, Parish of Orleans, docket number; (3) 1982 conviction for theft of property valued over $500.00, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:67, 34th Judicial District Court, Parish of St. Bernard, docket number 69543; (4) 1992 conviction of unlawful touching (of a child under fourteen years of age), a violation of section 97-5-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, Circuit Court, Hancock County, docket number 7584; and (5) 1998 conviction for attempted possession of cocaine, a violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967(C) and 40:979, 22nd Judicial District Court, Parish of St. Tammany, docket number 270430.

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

Related

State v. Clesi
967 So. 2d 488 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
959 So. 2d 957, 2007 WL 466531, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-clesi-lactapp-2007.