State v. Day

762 So. 2d 264, 2000 WL 694191
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 30, 2000
Docket00-KA-64
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 762 So. 2d 264 (State v. Day) 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. Day, 762 So. 2d 264, 2000 WL 694191 (La. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

762 So.2d 264 (2000)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Napoleon DAY.

No. 00-KA-64.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

May 30, 2000.

*266 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Thomas J. Butler, Deborah A. Villio, Asst. Dist. Attys., Gretna, LA., for Plaintiff-Appellee.

A. Bruce Netterville, Gretna, LA, for Defendant-Appellant.

(Panel composed of Judges EDWARD A. DUFRESNE, Jr., JAMES L. CANNELLA and MARION F. EDWARDS).

DUFRESNE, Judge.

The defendant, Napoleon Day, challenges his conviction and sentence for attempted burglary of an inhabited dwelling. For the reasons set forth herein, we affirm the defendant's conviction and sentence.

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a bill of information charging the defendant with attempted burglary of an inhabited dwelling, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:27:62.2. The matter proceeded to trial before a twelve person jury at the conclusion of which the defendant was found guilty as charged. As a result of this conviction, the trial court sentenced the defendant to six years imprisonment at hard labor to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

The state filed a bill of information seeking to have the defendant adjudicated and sentenced as a multiple offender. After the defendant stipulated to his status as a third felony offender, the trial judge vacated his original sentence and resentenced him to six years at hard labor, without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. The defendant now appeals.

FACTS

This case involves the attempted burglary of a dwelling at 430 Fairmont Street in Harvey on July 30, 1997. On the day of the incident, fourteen year old Jeffrey Simoneaux was at his home located at 434 Fairmont Street. At approximately 2:00 p.m., he was washing dishes when he heard a noise outside. Jeffrey looked outside the kitchen window and saw a man "kicking in" his neighbor's door. He described the man as a tall, thin, black man wearing black "parachute" pants, and a dark blue shirt with designs on it. He testified that the man was wearing a black cap with yellow writing on it, and that he had a beard. Jeffrey's older brother, Carroll, ran outside to his neighbor's house and saw the man halfway into the door. Carroll yelled at the man, and the man turned around, ran, and jumped over the back fence onto Maple Street. Carroll described the man as a six-foot, thin, black man wearing black pants, a dark blue shirt *267 with a design on it, and a black baseball cap with yellow writing on it.

Carroll ran inside and called the police, giving them a description of the perpetrator. Deputy Joseph Ragas responded to the 434 Fairmont address within two minutes of the call, and he broadcasted, over police radio, a description of the suspect. Deputy Hermann of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, who was traveling in the area, heard the description and noticed a man meeting that description speaking on a pay phone at the firehouse on Maple Street, a matter of blocks from the incident. Deputy Hermann detained the man and radioed Deputy Ragas that he had stopped a man matching the description.

Deputy Ragas brought Carroll Simoneaux to the firehouse, where Carroll positively identified the defendant as the man who had tried to break into his neighbor's house. The defendant was then placed under arrest.

Mark Tournier, the owner of the property, testified at trial that a hole had been kicked into his back door. He further stated that the hole was not there in the morning when he left for work, and that he had not given anyone permission to enter his home.

The defendant testified on his own behalf at trial. He denied having committed the offense, stating that he had been at the pay phone for approximately three hours at the time of the crime, speaking to Tawana Riggins. Ms. Riggins testified that she had been on the phone with the defendant and his friend, Dwight, for two to three hours, discussing what to eat for dinner. Rene Dwight Anderson, a friend of the defendant, corroborated this testimony. The defendant also told the jury that he has had sickle cell anemia since birth, that he is often in pain, and would be unable to jump a fence or run.

The defense presented the testimony of Dr. Robert Veith, an expert in internal medicine and hematology. Dr. Veith described sickle cell anemia and osteomyelitis for the jury. He then testified that the defendant had been his patient since 1985, suffered from sickle cell anemia, and had a 1980 episode of osteomyelitis. He testified that the defendant, however, had not been to see him for several years. Dr. Veith told the jury that a sickle cell patient would have weaker bones, and a shorter tolerance for extended physical activity. He also told the jury that a patient, such as the defendant, would, at times, be pain free. Dr. Veith would not speculate if a sickle cell patient would have been able to commit the instant crime. He did say, however, that a person with sickle cell could have run the distance shown, and, if pain free, could have jumped a fence.

Following the presentation of this testimony, the jury found the defendant guilty as charged to attempted burglary of a residence.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

In his first assigned error, the defendant argues that he was prejudiced by being placed in shackles during his trial.

Ordinarily, a defendant before the court should not be shackled or handcuffed or garbed in any manner destructive of the presumption of innocence and of the dignity and impartiality of judicial proceedings. However, exceptional circumstances may require, within the discretion of the trial court, the restraint of the prisoner for reasons of courtroom security or order or where the prisoner's past conduct reasonably justifies apprehension that he may attempt to escape. For a finding of reversible error, the record must show an abuse of the trial court's reasonable discretion resulting in clear prejudice to the accused. State v. Wilkerson, 403 So.2d 652 (La.1981); State v. Hernandez, 98-448 (La.App. 5 Cir.5/19/99), 735 So.2d 888, writ denied, 99-1688 (La.11/12/99), 750 So.2d 194.

*268 We first note that the defendant did not object at trial to being shackled. Furthermore, there is no showing that the use of leg shackles prejudiced the accused. The record contains no indication that the jurors saw the defendant in shackles. In fact, prior to the defendant's trial testimony, the trial court ordered the jury out of the courtroom in order to arrange for the shackles to be removed so that the jury would not see him in shackles when he walked up to the stand. Given these circumstances, we cannot say that the defendant was prejudiced by being shackled. Accordingly, this assignment lacks merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER TWO

In this assigned error, the defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the one-on-one identification.

The record reflects that the defendant filed a motion to suppress confession, identification, and physical evidence. However, that motion was not ruled upon prior to the commencement of trial. This court has held that "motions pending at commencement of trial are waived if defendant proceeds at trial without raising as an issue the fact that the motions were not ruled upon." State v. Scamardo, 97-197 (La.App. 5 Cir. 2/11/98), 708 So.2d 1126, 1129, writ denied, 98-0672 (La.7/2/98), 724 So.2d 204.

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Bluebook (online)
762 So. 2d 264, 2000 WL 694191, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-day-lactapp-2000.