State v. Delcambre

480 So. 2d 294
Supreme Court of Louisiana·Decided December 2, 1985·No. 85-K-0853·Published·Cited by 18 cases

Opinion

480 So.2d 294 (1985)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Rickey DELCAMBRE.

No. 85-K-0853.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

December 2, 1985.

*295 Theodore M. Haik, Jr., New Iberia, Michael Baham, Haik & Minvielle, New Iberia, for defendant-applicant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Bernard E. Boudreaux, Jr., Dist. Atty., Edward M. Leonard, Jr., Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-respondent.

CALOGERO, Justice.

This is one of eight cases in which writs were granted simultaneously and oral arguments consolidated.[1] Each of them include related problems concerning the application of La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 14:95.2 and La.Code Crim.Pro. art. 893.1, two firearm enhancement statutes.[1]

In State v. (David) Jackson, 480 So.2d 263 (La. 1985), rendered this day, we decided that La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 14:95.2,[2] which imposes an additional penalty for possession of a firearm in the commission of each of ten enumerated felonies, may *296 not be used to enhance a defendant's sentence unless he has been charged in the bill of information or indictment with firearm use, or with violating § 14:95.2. On the other hand, we held that La.Code Crim.Pro. art. 893.1,[3] which mandates a minimum sentence (and negates parole, probation, or suspension of sentence) to be imposed when the court makes a finding that a firearm was used in the commission of a felony, simply requires written notice by the prosecution prior to trial of the intended application of this limitation on the judge's sentencing discretion. Our ruling with regard to § 14:95.2 was given limited retroactive application, while our decision with regard to art. 893.1 is to be afforded only prospective application unless particular prejudice can be shown to the defendant. In this case, we find such prejudice and therefore apply the impact of our holding in Jackson retrospectively in an unusual guilty plea situation.

Rickey Delcambre was indicted for manslaughter, a violation of La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 14:31, arising out of the shooting death of a drinking companion.[4] This charge was consolidated with an earlier charge of driving while intoxicated, fourth offense, and Delcambre pled guilty to both.[5] For a fourth conviction DWI, the offender must be sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor for not less than ten nor more than thirty years.[6] Delcambre received the statutory minimum ten years, which the judge ordered would be served concurrently with the penalty he imposed for the manslaughter. Under La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 14:31, the court sentenced Delcambre to serve fifteen years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. In discussing his reasons for the sentence, the judge pointed out that La.Code Crim. Pro. art. 893.1 required a sentence of at least five years and that the sentence must be without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension when the court makes a finding that a firearm was used in the commission of a felony. The defendant appealed, complaining that the sentence was excessive. Rather than finding the sentence excessive, the First Circuit, 464 So.2d 473, noted as an error patent on the face of the record that the trial judge had imposed an illegally lenient sentence. Under the authority of La.Code Crim.Pro. art. 882, the Court of Appeal "correct[ed] the sentence to impose the mandated additional sentence of two years at hard labor, without benefit of parole, probation, suspension of sentence or credit for good time, and to run consecutively to the sentence imposed by the trial court for the violation of La.R.S. 14:31." That correction by the Court of Appeal was prompted by the existence of La.Rev.Stat. § 14:95.2.

In his application to this Court, appellant assigns as lower court error (1) the unconstitutionally *297 excessive sentence and (2) the Court of Appeal's imposition of the additional two years. With regard to the action of the Court of Appeal, the defendant complains of the chilling effect on his right to appeal, the constitutional violation of his right to be fully informed of the nature and cause of the accusations against him, and the in tandem application of the two firearm enhancement statutes, La.Code Crim. Pro. art. 893.1 and La.Rev.Stat. § 14:95.2.

As noted earlier, our decision in State v. Jackson requires that the imposition of La. Rev.Stat.Ann. § 14:95.2 be preceded by an appropriate charge in the bill of information or indictment. This holding, we decided, would be applicable to all cases which are still subject to direct review by this Court, as is this case which we now consider.

The district attorney's failure to charge Rickey Delcambre bars the judge from enhancing the manslaughter penalty under the provisions of § 14:95.2. Defendant was not charged in the indictment with regard to the possession of a firearm in the commission of the manslaughter. The additional two year penalty imposed by the Court of Appeal is therefore illegal.[7]

Although the defendant did not specifically assign as error the district attorney's failure to provide notice of his intent to seek the application of art. 893.1, that issue is properly before us. His complaints of an excessive sentence fairly encompass that omission. The sentence is arguably impermissibly excessive, at least in part because of the district attorney's failure to provide notice of his intent to invoke this enhancement provision.

With regard to the trial court's imposition of art. 893.1's minimum penalty for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, with restrictions concerning probation, parole, and suspension, for the underlying offense,[8] we have enunciated in State v. Jackson, decided this day, a requirement for pre-trial, written notice by the prosecution. This requirement, however, is to be given prospective application. State v. Jackson, 480 So.2d 263, 271 (La.1985). Exceptions to this prospective application were anticipated only where the lack of knowledge of firearm use or impending application of art. 893.1 resulted in particular prejudice to the defendant.

The guilty plea situation in this case well illustrates the importance of notice to the defendant of the intended application of the firearm enhancement statutes. In this case, Delcambre entered a guilty plea to charges of the crimes of manslaughter and fourth offense DWI. Before accepting the plea, the judge interrogated the defendant as to the voluntariness of the plea and his understanding of the nature of the charges. As part of this plea process, the judge read to defendant the various definitions of manslaughter and explained the possible sentencing exposure as follows:

The penalties are these, Mr. Delcambre. Whoever commits the crime of manslaughte

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