State v. Cortez

129 So. 2d 792, 241 La. 610, 1961 La. LEXIS 578
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedApril 24, 1961
DocketNo. 45432
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 129 So. 2d 792 (State v. Cortez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Cortez, 129 So. 2d 792, 241 La. 610, 1961 La. LEXIS 578 (La. 1961).

Opinion

SANDERS, Justice.

The defendant, Carlos P. Cortez, was charged and convicted of attempted murder. He was sentenced to a term of fifteen years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. From his conviction and sentence he has appealed, relying upon several bills of exception reserved during the course of the trial.

Defendant reserved Bills of Exception Nos. 1, 3 and 5 to the overruling of a motion for a mistrial, a motion for a new trial, and a motion in arrest of judgment. All of these bills complain of a remark to the jury by the Assistant District Attorney in his closing argument, to-wit: “The modus operandi and the evidence in the case shows that- they are hardened criminals.” The objection is based on the contention that the statement refers to prior convictions and that no evidence of a previous criminal record was adduced since the defendant did not take the stand as a witness in his own behalf. It is the position of the State that the statement does not refer to a prior criminal record and that it constitutes a fair inference drawn from the evidence relating to the actions and conduct of the defendant in the commission of the crime.

In his per curiam the trial judge reviews the evidence at length. The salient portions of his narration are as follows:

The defendant and Alcine Ormsby were charged with the attempted murder of Joseph A. Marino, a pharmacist at Fogarty’s Pharmacy in the City of New Orleans, on February 1, 1960. Prior, thereto on December 7, 1959, Ormsby, in the daylight hours, had committed an armed robbery of the same victim. After searching for narcotics, he forced Marino to open the safe and deliver the contents. While the robbery was in progress, the owner of the pharmacy entered. He was forced . by Ormsby to wait in an adjoining room until the crime was completed. Ormsby was cool, methodical, and unhurried throughout this criminal enterprise.

On the night of the robbery upon which this proceeding is based, Marino had entered his automobile at the premises when Ormsby appeared and said: “Here I am again” or “It’s me again.” Marino recognized Ormsby. He was ordered by Ormsby to get out of the car. Marino seized a loaded revolver from the front seat of his car and fired at Ormsby, one bullet striking him in the abdominal region, and another shattering the butt of his revolver and injuring his fingers. Ormsby fired back into [794]*794the car at Marino, emptying his pistol as he walked along the sidewalk to a car driven by the defendant, Cortez, which was waiting for him on Broadway Avenue about half a block away. The car sped away. On the escape route Cortez was stopped by two police officers for running a stop sign. He was given a traffic ticket. They testified that Cortez was the driver of the car and that Ormsby was seated beside him holding his stomach. One of them asked Cortez what was the matter with his passenger, to which Cortez replied that he was ill. After receiving the ticket, Cortez drove Ormsby to Baptist Hospital and left him. The police were contacted by the hospital personnel.

The trial judge pointed to three situations in the evidence which he asserted sustained the conclusion that the co-defendants, Ormsby and Cortez, were "hardened criminals”:

“First, the situation in which Appellant was seated in the get-a-way car, facing and listening to and witnessing the firing of the shots. Appellant in that situation knew that something had gone amiss in the robbery plans; that if Ormsby killed anyone it would be murder; that if he continued to stand by for Ormsby that he was taking a serious risk of death in the electric chair; that despite the intensity of the pressures of self preservation Appellant persisted in the crime, stood by the ‘wheel man’s’ usual agreement to wait out the return of his companion in crime regardless of the consequences to himself.
“Respectfully, it seems clear enough that under the pressures and in the danger that Appellant found himself at the time, that Appellant conducted himself with all of the loyalty and rugged determination of a truly tough minded professional criminal.
“Secondly, the tense moments wherein Appellant was halted by the traffic officers, in the immediate vicinity of the crime, within minutes of the crime, with the wounded Ormsby in his car, and the calm and controlled demeanor that enabled Appellant to keep the officer, though professionally trained to suspect crime and criminals, from any suspicion.
“Third, while it was no part of the prosecutor’s recital of the evidence at the time he drew the conclusion in question, it was testified to by Ormsby, who was a witness for himself and Appellant, that he, Ormsby, at the time he was a witness, was 27 years of age; that he had been already convicted of four armed robberies and one crime involving a kidnapping and armed robbery; that he was on parole from the penitentiary on December 7, 1959, the day of the armed robbery of Fogarty’s Pharmacy. Further, the evidence in this case was that having robbed this pharmacy on December 7, 1959, he had returned again to rob it on February 1, I960, the date of the within crime.
"Respectfully, it is a fair inference from the evidence in the case, therefore, that an experienced and dangerous criminal, such as Ormsby undoubtedly was, would not put his life into the hands of a ‘wheel man’ in a dangerous undertaking unless he, Ormsby, was satisfied in his own mind that the proposed ‘wheel man’ possessed all of the qualifications necessary and expected for the role, that is to say, such a dedication to crime and such loyalty to his partner or partners in crime that he would sacrifice his own life rather than ‘chicken out’ on his partners or on his obligations as such ‘wheel man’. In other words, unless Ormsby knew Appellant to be exactly what the evidence in this case proved him to be, a hardened criminal.”

From a review of the evidence as stated by the trial judge, we fully agree that the overruling of the motions was not error.

[795]*795LSA-R.S. 15:381 provides:

“Counsel may argue to the jury both the law and the evidence of the case, but must confine themselves to matters as to which evidence has been received, or of which judicial cognizance is taken, and to the law applicable to the evidence; and counsel shall refrain from any appeal to prejudice.”

LSA-R.S. 15:382 further provides:

“Counsel have the right to draw from the evidence received, or from the failure to produce evidence shown to be in the possession of the opposite party, any conclusion which to them may seem fit, but counsel have no right to draw from such evidence or suppression of evidence an incorrect conclusion of law.”

We held in State v. McCullough, 168 La. 161, 121 So. 609, that a remark by the prosecution that the defendants belonged to a class of criminals who were experienced, based on deductions from the evidence, was legitimate argument.

In State v. Robinson, 221 La. 19, 58 So.2d 408, 413, reference to the defendant as “this dope peddler” in closing argument to the jury was held not to be objectionable in a prosecution for unlawful possession of narcotics. This Court said:

“We agree with the trial judge that this characterization was warranted by the evidence, and therefore, admissible under Article 381 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, LSA-R.S.

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

Related

State v. Taylor
665 So. 2d 149 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
State v. Mizell
341 So. 2d 385 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1976)
State v. Curry
263 So. 2d 36 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1972)
State v. Vernon
208 So. 2d 690 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1968)
State v. Sercovich
165 So. 2d 301 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1964)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
129 So. 2d 792, 241 La. 610, 1961 La. LEXIS 578, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cortez-la-1961.