State v. Copeland

631 So. 2d 1223, 1994 WL 17982
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 25, 1994
Docket93-KA-544
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 631 So. 2d 1223 (State v. Copeland) 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. Copeland, 631 So. 2d 1223, 1994 WL 17982 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

631 So.2d 1223 (1994)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Karen COPELAND.

No. 93-KA-544.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

January 25, 1994.

*1224 Philip E. O'Neill, Gretna, for defendant/appellant Karen Copeland.

John M. Mamoulides, Dist. Atty., John Molaison, Dorothy A. Pendergast, Asst. Dist. Attys., Gretna, for appellee State of La.

Before BOWES, CANNELLA, JJ., and JOHN C. BOUTALL, J. Pro Tem.

CANNELLA, Judge.

Defendant, Karen M. Copeland, appeals from her conviction of second degree murder (La.R.S. 14:30.1) and sentence to life imprisonment at hard labor, without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. For the reasons which follow, we find no error in the lower court proceedings and affirm the conviction and sentence.

On October 20, 1990 residents of apartment 101 of the Sunwood One Apartments in Metairie, Louisiana, reported that they heard gunshots. The assistant manager then contacted Deputy Vincent Bosco of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office to advise him of the reported gunshots. Deputy Bosco resided in and provided security for the complex. Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt but armed with his revolver and radio, he proceeded to apartment 101 to investigate. The occupants of apartment 101 informed him that they had heard gunshots which they believed came from the apartment directly above them, apartment 201. Deputy Bosco radioed for backup, proceeded upstairs to apartment 201 and knocked on the door. After waiting for a few minutes with no answer, he began to walk away. Thereupon the door opened and defendant exited the apartment crying. He informed defendant that he had received complaints of gunshots and asked her if everything was alright. She responded that "she had just shot and killed her friend, Tanya, and that Tanya was laying on the sofa dead." Deputy Bosco entered the apartment and proceeded down a hallway to the rear room where he found a female lying on the "sofa-bed combination." He checked for a pulse but felt none. He observed a two year old child playing in the room, apparently unaware of the homicide. He observed a rifle on the counter that separated that rear room from the kitchen. He picked up the rifle to prevent any danger to the child and left the apartment with defendant and the rifle. For one or two minutes Deputy Bosco remained outside of the apartment, preventing any ingress or egress, until the backup officers arrived. The backup officers entered the apartment and "processed the scene," collecting evidence, including seven spent casings. Defendant was later transported to *1225 the Sheriff's Office where she gave a statement to Detective English, confessing the killing of Tanya Glapion. An autopsy revealed that the victim suffered seven gunshot wounds.

Defendant was indicted on November 8, 1990 for second degree murder, a violation of La.R.S. 14:30.1. She entered a plea of not guilty and the case proceeded to trial on January 14, 1992. At the conclusion of a four day trial, the jury found defendant guilty as charged. On February 14, 1992, the trial court sentenced defendant to life imprisonment at hard labor, without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence, with credit for time served. Defendant appealed.

Defendant assigns four errors on appeal. First, defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying her objection and motion for a mistrial when the district attorney, in his rebuttal argument to the jury, made prejudicial, disparaging personal remarks about defense counsel which directly influenced the jury in reaching its verdict. La.C.Cr.P. art. 774. Therefore, defendant argues that the verdict should be set aside.

The state does not dispute that the remark was improper for rebuttal argument, but argues that it does not constitute reversible error and was properly handled by the trial court admonition. We agree.

During rebuttal argument by the district attorney, the following remark was made:

There are two words that Mr. O'Neill used repeatedly throughout his closing argument, one's deception and about—there's only one thing that I agree with that he says—when it comes to the word "deception", he's the king of it. And he's trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

Defense counsel objected to the remarks. Argument ensued outside of the jury's presence and the court ruled that it was not going to declare a mistrial but would admonish the jury. Defense counsel noted his objection. When the jury returned, the court instructed them:

Ladies and gentlemen, the purpose of the closing argument is simply to go over the facts with you and suggest what those facts have been proven (sic) or what they believe that they've proven and if proven, what reasonable conclusions you can reach from those. It is not a discussion as to the methodologies of either attorney in this particular case.
Confine your arguments solely to the facts presented in this case, Mr. Molaison.
La.C.Cr.P. art. 774 provides:
The argument shall be confined to evidence admitted, to lack of evidence, to conclusions of fact that the state or defendant may draw therefrom, and to the law applicable to the case.
The argument shall not appeal to prejudice.
The state's rebuttal shall be confined to answering the argument of the defendant.

The official revision comment to this article states that no sanctions are provided in the article for violation. Argument beyond the scope of the article falls within the ambit of La.C.Cr.P. arts. 770 and 771. Those articles cover prejudicial remarks and when mistrial or admonition is necessary. La.C.Cr.P. art. 770 provides:

Upon motion of the defendant, a mistrial shall be ordered when a remark or comment, made within the hearing of the jury by the judge, district attorney, or a court official, during the trial or in argument, refers directly or indirectly to:
(1) Race, religion, color or national origin, if the remark or comment is not material and relevant and might create prejudice against the defendant in the mind of the jury;
(2) Another crime committed or alleged to have been committed by the defendant as to which evidence is not admissible;
(3) The failure of the defendant to testify in his own defense; or
(4) The refusal of the judge to direct a verdict.
An admonition to the jury to disregard the remark or comment shall not be sufficient to prevent a mistrial. If the defendant, however, requests that only an admonition be given, the court shall admonish *1226 the jury to disregard the remark or comment but shall not declare a mistrial.

La.C.Cr.P. art. 771, pertaining to when an admonition is appropriate, provides:

In the following cases, upon the request of the defendant or the state, the court shall promptly admonish the jury to disregard a remark or comment made during the trial, or in argument within the hearing of the jury, when the remark is irrelevant or immaterial and of such a nature that it might create prejudice against the defendant, or the state, in the mind of the jury:
(1) When the remark or comment is made by the judge, the district attorney, or a court official, and the remark is not within the scope of Article 770; or

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
631 So. 2d 1223, 1994 WL 17982, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-copeland-lactapp-1994.