State v. Cushman

481 So. 2d 1376
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 13, 1986
Docket85-KA-484
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 481 So. 2d 1376 (State v. Cushman) 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. Cushman, 481 So. 2d 1376 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

481 So.2d 1376 (1986)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Stephen B. CUSHMAN.

No. 85-KA-484.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

January 13, 1986.

*1377 John M. Mamoulides, Dist. Atty., Twenty-Fourth Judicial Dist., James Maxwell, Dorothy A. Pendergast, Asst. Dist. Attys. (Louise Korns, of Counsel), Gretna, for appellee.

John H. Craft, Staff Appellate Counsel, Twenty-Fourth Judicial Dist., Indigent Defender Bd., Gretna, for appellant.

Before CHEHARDY, GAUDIN and DUFRESNE, JJ.

CHEHARDY, Judge.

Stephen B. Cushman appeals his conviction of attempted second degree murder, LSA-R.S. 14:27 and 14:30.1, and the sentence of twenty years' imprisonment at hard labor imposed thereon.

The incident occurred on September 10, 1983 at Brothers Auto Parts store on Jefferson Highway in Jefferson, Louisiana. It was approximately 6:00 p.m. and the store had closed for the day. Everett J. Waguespack Jr., owner of the business, was working at his desk in the office when he heard someone come into the room. He looked around and saw that it was Stephen Cushman, one of his employees. Cushman had been working for him for about a month. Waguespack testified he turned back to his desk to continue what he had been doing, when suddenly he was hit on the back of his head. He could not remember anything after that first blow.

Meanwhile, his wife, Shelly Waguespack, had become worried when Mr. Waguespack did not arrive home at 5:30 as expected. After telephoning the store twice without response, she contacted her father-in-law, whom they were to meet for dinner. Mr. Waguespack Sr. also became worried; accordingly, Shelly Waguespack and her father-in-law drove together to the store. After entering and looking around, they found Everett Waguespack Jr. lying face down in a pool of blood between two desks. A photocopying machine had been overturned on his back. Mr. Waguespack Sr. with difficulty lifted the machine off his son and turned him over. His son's face was bloody and so swollen as to be almost unrecognizable. His right eye had been knocked from its socket. He was still alive, however.

When Deputy Salvador Castagnetta arrived on the scene at approximately 7:36 p.m., the fire department and emergency medical personnel from East Jefferson General Hospital were already there assisting the victim. Deputy Castagnetta observed the victim who was lying face up, had massive injuries to the upper right portion of his head; his eye was actually hanging out of the socket and brain matter was protruding from his head. He investigated the scene and noted there were several "little intercom" boxes on the desk and that one of them had had its wire cut. He also saw there were several bank deposit bags that appeared to have been opened and thrown up against the wall, leading him to believe a robbery might be involved. In addition, he noted that the room was "torn up extremely." Deputy Castagnetta then requested backup units to complete the investigation.

Deputy Ted Lococo arrived at the scene in response to the call for backup units. About ten or fifteen minutes later he received another call from headquarters, advising that a telephone call had been received from Stephen Cushman, who said he had been involved in a fight with his boss on Jefferson Highway and thought he had killed him. Deputy Lococo drove to Cushman's house. Cushman was still on the telephone with police headquarters when he arrived. Lococo relayed a message to Cushman through the police radio operator, ordering Cushman to step outside. Cushman *1378 complied, and obeyed the officer's directions to walk out into the street, lie down and stretch his arms out to his sides. Cushman was then searched, handcuffed, advised of his rights and placed in the police car.

Deputy Lococo then conducted a search of the defendant's apartment, with the defendant's written consent. He found various articles of bloodstained and torn clothing and $253 in cash. The money later was determined to have been taken from Waguespack's office. The defendant was then transported to Central Lockup and booked with attempted first degree murder.

Meanwhile, the victim had been taken to the Ochsner Hospital emergency room, where Dr. Richard Coulon examined him and then performed immediate surgery. Dr. Coulon testified that Waguespack had severe head and facial injuries, his eye was almost removed from its orbit, his brain substance was oozing from his scalp wounds, and portions of his temple and facial bones were entirely missing. Immediate surgery was performed to remove blood clots, the eye, and the damaged portions of the brain. Multiple surgeries have been performed at intervals since then in attempts to reconstruct the front part of Waguespack's head and the upper part of his face. Because of the extensive damage these operations have been only partially successful. Dr. Coulon testified that the wounds were caused by multiple lacerations from a heavy object.

The victim and his wife testified that some $500 had been found missing from the cash box following the incident. (As mentioned above, only $238 was recovered.)

Stephen Cushman testified in his own behalf. He admitted that he struck Waguespack with an iron bar, but claimed he did so under provocation from the victim. Cushman stated he had gone into Waguespack's office to inquire about a car allowance he said Waguespack had promised to pay him. According to Cushman, Waguespack became annoyed and threw a book at him. Cushman said he could not remember much after striking the first blow, although he did recall that they scuffled all over the room and that the copy machine fell on Waguespack.

Cushman testified he became frightened after he saw his boss lying on the floor in all the blood, with money scattered around. Although he denied having any intent to kill or rob his employer, he admitted he grabbed about $500 before he fled the scene. As he ran away he realized he was carrying the pipe with which he had beaten Waguespack, so he hid it "in a hole ... near a tree." This pipe, which actually was the handle to a hydraulic bearing press in the victim's shop, was later discovered by another one of Waguespack's employees in a hole in the wall of a motel across the street from the store.

Cushman was charged with attempted first degree murder of Everett J. Waguespack Jr., violation of LSA-R.S. 14:27 and 14:30. He waived a jury and was tried by a judge, who found him guilty of attempted second degree murder. In pronouncing the verdict, the court stated, "The court ... finds that although the defendant, Stephen Cushman, did not as required in the first degree murder statute have specific intent to kill the victim in this case, his actions were volitive [sic] of the second degree murder statute. The court finds him guilty of attempt [sic] second degree murder."

The defendant was sentenced after a presentence investigation had been conducted. At the sentencing hearing, the judge stated,

"I have reviewed the presentence conducted in this matter and the reports of individuals for the victim and for the defendant, which I order attached to the record. Mr. Cushman, you have ruined the lives of many people. You have ruined the victim's life. You have ruined his family's life. You helped ruin your family's life and ultimately you ruined your life. The injuries you inflicted on this victim are beyond comprehension. I believe that lurking in the background is a drug situation. I don't believe there would be any benefit for probation for you and any lesser sentence * * * would *1379 deprecate the seriousness of your offense.

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Bluebook (online)
481 So. 2d 1376, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cushman-lactapp-1986.