State v. Dave

994 So. 2d 50, 2008 WL 3851827
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 19, 2008
Docket08-KA-150
StatusPublished

This text of 994 So. 2d 50 (State v. Dave) 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. Dave, 994 So. 2d 50, 2008 WL 3851827 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

994 So.2d 50 (2008)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Gerard E. DAVE.

No. 08-KA-150.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

August 19, 2008.

*51 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Thomas J. Butler, Laura Schneidau, Assistant District Attorneys, Twenty-Fourth Judicial District, Parish of Jefferson, Gretna, Louisiana, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Bruce G. Whittaker, Louisiana Appellate Project, New Orleans, LA, for Defendant/Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges FREDERICKA HOMBERG WICKER, GREG G. GUIDRY, and ROBERT L. LOBRANO.

ROBERT L. LOBRANO, Judge Pro Tempore.

Defendant, Gerard E. Dave, appeals his conviction for possession of hydrocodone in violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967 C. On appeal, he argues that the trial court erred in denying his Motion to Suppress Evidence. After thorough consideration of the law and evidence, we find no error, and affirm defendant's conviction.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a Bill of Information charging defendant, Gerard E. Dave, with possession of MDMA[1] in violation of LSA-R.S. 40:966 C (Count 1), and possession of hydrocodone in violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967 C (Count 2). Defendant was arraigned and pled not guilty. The trial court later denied defendant's Motion to Suppress Evidence and Statement.

On December 11, 12, and 13, 2006, the case was tried before a 12-person jury, which found defendant not guilty on Count 1 and guilty as charged on Count 2. The trial court sentenced defendant on January 8, 2007 to imprisonment at hard labor for three years and four months. On that same date, the State filed a multiple bill alleging defendant to be a third felony offender, and defendant admitted those allegations. The trial court vacated the original sentence and resentenced defendant to imprisonment at hard labor for three years and four months without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. This timely appeal follows.[2]

*52 FACTS

Officer Brandon LeBouef of the Gretna Police Department testified at trial that, on February 25, 2006, at approximately 7:00 p.m., he was working a paid security detail at 62 Westbank Expressway, which was the parking lot for Big Lots, Home Depot, and the Finish Line. While he was patrolling the parking lot, he noticed a truck parked in a "handicap spot" directly in front of the door to Big Lots. Officer LeBouef pulled his police vehicle behind the truck and, while sitting in his vehicle, wrote a parking citation.

As Officer LeBouef approached the truck to place the citation on the windshield, he noticed that it was occupied by two passengers: Defendant, who was sitting in the front seat closest to the passenger side door, and a female, later identified as Charla Bell, who was sitting in the middle of the front seat. Officer LeBouef placed the ticket underneath the windshield wiper on the driver's side. As he started to go back to his vehicle, defendant asked Officer LeBouef what he was doing. Officer LeBouef went to the passenger side door and informed defendant that they were parked in a "handicap spot," and that he had given them a ticket for that violation.

While Officer LeBouef was talking to defendant, another individual, later identified as Steven Adams, approached the truck, got into the driver's side compartment, and pulled out his keys, preparing to drive away. Officer LeBouef walked over to the driver's side door to obtain Adams's information to place onto the ticket. According to Officer LeBouef, Adams became verbally argumentative and abusive, and he initially failed to produce an ID upon request. As soon as Officer LeBouef realized that Adams was being aggressive, he called for additional units to come and assist him.

Defendant initially tried to calm Adams down, but Adams continued getting more aggressive. Adams then "popped" his door open, striking Officer LeBouef in the groin area, and a physical altercation ensued. During the altercation, Officer LeBouef could see defendant turning around like he was going to get out of the truck. The officer yelled at defendant and Bell several times to stay in the truck. Defendant yelled at Officer LeBouef, "`Get off him'" or "`Let him go'" or "something like that," and Bell was screaming incoherently.

Bell got out of the truck and started running toward Officer LeBouef. The officer yelled at her to get back into the truck. Defendant also got out of the truck at some point. Officer LeBouef explained that some individuals standing both inside and outside of Big Lots were watching the interaction. Detective Brian Rico arrived at the scene while Officer LeBouef was still struggling with Adams and while defendant was exiting or attempting to exit the truck. Officer LeBouef told Detective Rico to restrain defendant and Bell, which he did.

Detective Brian Rico of the Gretna Police Department testified at trial that, when he arrived at the scene, he observed Officer LeBouef struggling with Adams inside the doorway of a truck. It appeared to Detective Rico that Officer LeBouef was placing Adams in handcuffs, and that Adams was resisting arrest. Detective Rico exited his vehicle and approached. As soon as he and Officer LeBouef began to detain Adams, defendant and Bell, who were inside the truck, started yelling at them.

*53 Detective Rico grabbed Adams's left arm and pinned it on the door during the struggle. At that moment, defendant exited the passenger side of the truck while yelling profanities and making racial remarks and threats. Once it was obvious that Officer LeBouef had Adams on the ground and was handcuffing him, Detective Rico turned his attention toward defendant.

Detective Rico ordered defendant to get on the ground, but defendant refused. He then went "hands-on" and was able to subdue defendant, place him in handcuffs, and pat him down. Bell also exited the truck while ranting and yelling racial remarks and profanities. Once she was detained, all three subjects were brought toward Officer LeBouef's vehicle.

Officer LeBouef testified that he arrested Adams, defendant, and Bell and advised them of their rights. They were all handcuffed and quickly patted down to ensure that they did not have any obvious weapons. Afterwards, Officer LeBouef searched Adams and found a small amount of marijuana on his person.

Before he searched defendant, Officer LeBouef asked him if he had anything that was going to hurt the officer or that he was not supposed to have. Defendant said he did not have anything. Officer LeBouef then searched defendant and retrieved three Vicodin (also known as hydrocodone) from the front right outer pocket of the large overcoat that defendant was wearing. Officer LeBouef asked defendant what the pills were. Initially defendant said it was something other than Vicodin; however, he eventually admitted to the officer that it was Vicodin.

Officer LeBouef continued to search defendant and found a Ziploc sandwich bag containing 26 pills "packaged in a way typical of drug trafficking" in defendant's left front blue jeans pocket. Initially, defendant did not want to tell Officer LeBouef what it was. Defendant also said he did not know where the pills came from. Officer LeBouef conferred with Detective Rico, telling him that he thought the pills looked like Ecstasy, and Detective Rico agreed. Officer LeBouef approached defendant after the situation calmed down and said, "This is Ecstasy, right?" and defendant answered affirmatively.

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

Related

State v. Weiland
556 So. 2d 175 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1990)
State v. Leger
936 So. 2d 108 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2006)
State v. Adams
973 So. 2d 777 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2007)
State v. Fisher
720 So. 2d 1179 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1998)
State v. Leonard
945 So. 2d 764 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006)
State v. Chauvin
945 So. 2d 752 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006)
State v. Oliveaux
312 So. 2d 337 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1975)
Leger v. Louisiana
127 S. Ct. 1279 (Supreme Court, 2007)
State v. Hardeman
906 So. 2d 616 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
994 So. 2d 50, 2008 WL 3851827, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dave-lactapp-2008.