State v. Delaughter

703 So. 2d 1364, 1997 WL 757685
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 10, 1997
Docket29974-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 703 So. 2d 1364 (State v. Delaughter) 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. Delaughter, 703 So. 2d 1364, 1997 WL 757685 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

703 So.2d 1364 (1997)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Donny DELAUGHTER, Appellant.

No. 29974-KA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

December 10, 1997.

*1366 Kevin V. Boshea, New Orleans, for Appellant.

Richard Ieyoub, Attorney General, William R. Coenen, Jr., District Attorney, Johnny R. Boothe, Assistant District Attorney, for Appellee.

Before MARVIN, C.J., and NORRIS and GASKINS, JJ.

GASKINS, Judge.

The defendant, Donny Delaughter, entered a plea of guilty to one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of attempted indecent behavior with a juvenile. He was sentenced to serve seven years at hard labor for count one. On count two, the defendant was sentenced to three years at hard labor, with one year to run consecutively and two years to run concurrently with the sentence on count one. In addition, the sentencing court denied the defendant diminution of his sentence for good behavior. The defendant appeals his sentences as excessive and claims that the denial of "good time" violates the ex post facto provisions of the United States and Louisiana Constitutions. For the following reasons, we affirm the defendant's sentences, but amend the sentence to delete that portion denying the defendant diminution of his sentence for good behavior.

FACTS

During the investigation of a complaint received by the Office of Child Protection, the defendant confessed to law enforcement officials that he victimized an eight year old female. The defendant stated that he was in bed asleep with the victim, while babysitting her at his uncle's house in Wisner, Louisiana. He stated that he "woke up about daylight" and "started fingering her and stuff like that.... And she woke up and I tried to get her to kiss my penis." Asked if she kissed it, defendant said "just one time yes sir." He also said he did get his finger inside her for a few seconds. He stopped because she "started hollering for her momma." [1]

The state charged defendant with one count each of aggravated oral sexual battery *1367 and sexual battery on the eight-year-old victim. On June 17, 1996, pursuant to a plea bargain, the defendant pled guilty to amended charges of indecent behavior with a juvenile "by fondling the victim" and attempted indecent behavior with a juvenile "by attempting to have the victim touch his penis."

On January 28, 1997, the trial court sentenced defendant to seven years on the consummated offense and to three years on the inchoate offense, with two years of the latter sentence to be served concurrently with the seven-year sentence. The trial court also directed that the sentences be served without eligibility for diminution of sentence for good behavior, pursuant to La. R.S. 15:537. On January 31, 1997, the defendant timely filed a motion to reconsider sentence which was denied by the trial court that same day. Defendant appeals his sentence as being unconstitutionally excessive, and he urges that the denial of eligibility for good time diminution of sentence constitutes a violation of the ex post facto provisions of the federal and state constitutions.

EXCESSIVE SENTENCE

The test imposed by the reviewing court in determining the excessiveness of a sentence is two-pronged. First, the record must show that the trial court took cognizance of the criteria set forth in La.C.Cr.P. art. 894.1. State v. Smith, 433 So.2d 688 (La.1983); State v. McCray, 28,531 (La. App.2d Cir. 8/21/96), 679 So.2d 543. The trial judge is not required to list every aggravating or mitigating circumstance, but need only state for the record the considerations taken into account and the factual basis for the sentence imposed. State v. Smith, supra; State v. McCray, supra. The articulation of the factual basis for a sentence is the goal of La.C.Cr.P. art. 894.1, not rigid or mechanical compliance with its provisions.

Where the record clearly shows an adequate factual basis for the sentence imposed, remand is unnecessary, even where there has not been full compliance with La. C.Cr.P. art. 894.1. State v. Lanclos, 419 So.2d 475 (La.1982). The important elements which should be considered are the defendant's personal history (age, family ties, marital status, health, employment record), prior criminal record, seriousness of offense and the likelihood of rehabilitation. State v. Jones, 398 So.2d 1049 (La.1981); State v. Hudgins, 519 So.2d 400 (La.App. 2d Cir.), writ denied, 521 So.2d 1143 (1988); State v. Bradford, 29,519 (La.App.2d Cir. 4/2/97), 691 So.2d 864.

Prior to imposing sentence, the court reviewed a presentence investigation report (PSI) and set forth extensive reasons for the sentences imposed. As originally charged, the defendant's sentencing exposure was twenty years for aggravated oral sexual battery and ten years for sexual battery. By virtue of his plea bargain agreement, his maximum sentence exposure was reduced to seven years and three and one-half years. The court noted the reduction in charges through the plea bargain agreement. The court also considered a "confidential" psychological evaluation prepared by Bobby L. Stephenson, Ph.D. He found defendant, who was thirty-four years old at the time of the sentencing, had an IQ of 65, which is classified as mild mental retardation. Defendant exhibits immaturity and functions like a 15-year-old. He has difficulty managing his emotions and dealing with sexual feelings, and has limited social skills. He is able to work as a laborer, but would have much difficulty living independently of his family. He has difficulty understanding the serious nature of the charges. Defendant had not been able to explain why he committed these abusive acts, but said he had been drinking heavily at that time. He said he would never think of doing it again.

The court also noted that the defendant is physically disabled. Due to a birth defect, one side of his body is smaller than the other and one foot was turned backwards. The foot was surgically corrected when the defendant was a child. He dropped out of school after the seventh grade and worked for a while doing farm labor. He then worked for his uncle in a grocery store and a lounge. The defendant never married and had no children.

Regarding the defendant's criminal history, the court noted that the defendant was a first felony offender. He had several traffic violation convictions, including two for DWI and one for driving under revocation.

*1368 As to the present offense, the PSI report reveals that the victim informed her mother that the defendant instructed her not to tell anyone about the incident or he "would have to hurt her." The victim was afraid of the defendant, whom she had seen walking past her house after this incident and the child was undergoing counseling. The court also noted the defendant's admission to "molesting" another child.

The court made findings that there was an undue risk that defendant would commit another offense if granted probation, that he was in need of correctional treatment or a custodial environment, and that a lesser sentence would deprecate the seriousness of the offense. The court noted that the defendant used actual threats during the commission of the offense. The court found no excuse or justification for the offenses, nor did the court believe defendant would respond affirmatively to probationary treatment. Imprisonment would not entail excessive hardship upon him.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
703 So. 2d 1364, 1997 WL 757685, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-delaughter-lactapp-1997.