State v. DERKINS

966 So. 2d 623, 2007 WL 2176989
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 30, 2007
Docket07-KA-151
StatusPublished

This text of 966 So. 2d 623 (State v. DERKINS) 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. DERKINS, 966 So. 2d 623, 2007 WL 2176989 (La. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

966 So.2d 623 (2007)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Herbert R. DERKINS, Jr.

No. 07-KA-151.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

July 30, 2007.

*625 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Anne Wallis, Martin Belanger, Assistant District Attorneys, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Margaret S. Sollars, Attorney At Law, Thibodaux, LA, for Defendant/Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges EDWARD A. DUFRESNE, JR., WALTER J. ROTHSCHILD, and FREDERICKA HOMBERG WICKER.

EDWARD A. DUFRESNE, JR., Chief Judge.

On June 25, 2004, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a bill of information charging defendant, Herbert R. Derkins, Jr., with distribution of cocaine, in violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967(A). Subsequent to pleading not guilty, defendant filed several pre-trial motions, including a motion to suppress identification which was denied. The matter proceeded to trial before a twelve person jury on December 14 and 15, 2004. After considering the evidence presented, the jury found defendant guilty as charged. Defendant filed a motion for new trial, which the trial court denied on March 9, 2005. On the same day, after defendant waived sentencing delays, the trial court sentenced him to ten years at hard labor with credit for time served.

The State subsequently filed a bill of information pursuant to LSA-R.S. 15:529.1, alleging defendant to be a multiple offender. After being advised of his multiple offender rights, defendant stipulated to being a second felony offender. The trial judge vacated defendant's original sentence and sentenced him as a second offender to twenty years at hard labor without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. Defendant now appeals.

FACTS

This case involves a narcotics transaction that took place on January 29, 2004, between defendant and Agent Josh Bell,[1] an undercover officer with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. On that date, Agent Bell proceeded to 6613 Westbank Expressway in Jefferson Parish, an area known for its drug activity. When Officer Bell arrived at that location, he circled the area looking for a person from whom he could buy narcotics. The officer saw an individual, subsequently identified as defendant, and asked him for a "twenty."[2] Defendant originally said "no," but then called the officer back to make the sale. Agent Bell handed defendant a twenty dollar bill in pre-recorded U.S. currency, and in exchange, defendant gave the officer one off-white rock like substance. After driving out of the area, Officer Bell contacted the surveillance team that had been monitoring the transaction. He gave the surveillance team a description of the seller *626 including the fact that he was wearing a Cowboys' starter jacket. Agent Bell also informed them that the seller left in the backseat of a late 80's Grand Marquis that went onto the expressway. Subsequently, Agent Bell gave the videotape of the transaction and the drugs he purchased to Agent Billy Matranga, lead agent in the case and part of the surveillance team. Agent Matranga performed a preliminary field test on the substance which revealed the presence of cocaine. Further scientific analysis confirmed that the substance contained cocaine.

Immediately after the narcotics transaction was complete, Agent Matranga contacted patrol officer Deputy Ed Manix, gave him a description of the suspect, and asked him to get an identification through a field interview. The narcotics unit described the individual that needed to be identified as a black male, wearing grey sweats, and a Dallas Cowboys' football jacket, seated in the back of a beige late 80's Mercury Marquis. In response to the call, Deputy Manix stopped the suspect vehicle about five or six blocks from the transaction as a "suspicious persons stop." The vehicle was occupied by a male driver and two passengers, one male and one female, all of whom were black. Deputy Manix asked the occupants for identification, did a pat down for weapons, and ran a main check on N.C.I.C. for outstanding warrants and attachments. The N.C.I.C. check revealed an outstanding attachment on defendant involving a traffic violation and resisting arrest. After Deputy Manix arrested defendant on the outstanding attachment, he viewed the videotape of the drug buy and recognized defendant as the person that he stopped. Deputy Manix also identified defendant in court as the person he stopped on the date of the incident.

Approximately five weeks after the drug buy, on March 5, 2004, Agent Matranga compiled a photographic lineup for Agent Bell that included a picture of defendant. Agent Bell viewed the videotape of the drug transaction to refresh his memory before he viewed the photographic lineup. Thereafter, he identified defendant both in the photographic lineup and in court as the individual from whom he purchased the narcotics.

At trial, after the state rested, defense counsel called Sergeant Robert Harrison, a communications supervisor for 911, and Norman Donald, an alibi witness. Sergeant Harrison testified that the initial call from Deputy Manix, the officer who stopped defendant, was received at 3:09 p.m. Sergeant Harrison testified that he is confident that the times in the radio log are accurately kept.

Norman Donald testified that on January 29, 2004, he was driving his girlfriend and defendant to a restaurant when two Jefferson Parish police officers stopped him for a traffic violation. According to Donald, defendant was with him for about an hour before the traffic stop. He testified that defendant had not been selling cocaine prior to the stop, and he had not seen defendant with any cocaine that day. Further, although Donald could not remember what defendant was wearing at the time of the stop, he testified that defendant was not wearing a starter jacket with the hood up.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

In his first assignment of error, defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence used to convict him of distribution of cocaine. He specifically argues that the evidence presented at trial regarding his identification was tainted and, therefore, insufficient to prove his identity, which was *627 necessary to convict him of distribution of cocaine.

The standard of review for determining the sufficiency of evidence is whether, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, a rational trier of fact could conclude the State proved the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). In addition to proving the statutory elements of the charged offense at trial, the State is required to prove defendant's identity as the perpetrator. Where the key issue is identification, the State must negate any reasonable probability of misidentification to carry its burden of proof. State v. Cobb, 02-967 (La.App. 5 Cir. 1/28/03), 839 So.2d 235, 238, writ denied, 03-747 (La.10/17/03), 855 So.2d 758.

The credibility of witnesses presenting conflicting testimony on factual matters is within the sound discretion of the trier of fact. The trier of fact can accept or reject the testimony of any witness. State v. Johnson, 03-903 (La.App. 5 Cir. 12/9/03), 864 So.2d 645, 650. An appellate court does not evaluate the credibility of witnesses, nor should it overturn the trial court on its factual determination of guilt. State v. Jackson, 00-1014 (La. App. 5 Cir. 12/13/00), 778 So.2d 23, 30, writ denied,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
966 So. 2d 623, 2007 WL 2176989, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-derkins-lactapp-2007.