State v. Dronet

721 So. 2d 1038, 1998 WL 765118
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 4, 1998
DocketCR97-991
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 721 So. 2d 1038 (State v. Dronet) 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. Dronet, 721 So. 2d 1038, 1998 WL 765118 (La. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

721 So.2d 1038 (1998)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Clinton DRONET, Defendant—Appellant.

No. CR97-991.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

November 4, 1998.

*1039 Michael Harson, Lafayette, Edward B. Broussard, Asst. DA, for State.

Edward K. Bauman, Lake Charles, for Clinton Dronet.

Clinton Dronet, pro se.

Before WOODARD, PETERS and GREMILLION, JJ.

WOODARD, Judge.

This is an armed robbery case. On August 14, 1994, Clinton Dronet (the defendant) entered a store in Abbeville, Louisiana and robbed the owner, Mr. Ewell Vincent (Mr. Vincent), of approximately $75.00 and some food stamps. During the robbery, the defendant stabbed Mr. Vincent several times, who recovered from the wounds. The trial court convicted the defendant of armed robbery. He appeals his conviction and sentence. We affirm the conviction and remand to the trial court for resentencing.

FACTS

On August 14, 1994, at about 5:00 p.m., Mr. Vincent was closing his market in Abbeville, Louisiana. As Mr. Vincent was exiting the store, a car sped to a stop in front of the establishment and a young man jumped out and ran toward Mr. Vincent. As the two men began to struggle, the assailant attacked Mr. Vincent with a lock-blade knife. They entered the store, where the fight continued, and the assailant stole a bag containing approximately $75.00 in cash and a quantity of food stamps. The defendant fled and went to Houston, Texas. With the cooperation of Texas officials, the defendant was apprehended and returned to Louisiana for trial.

On January 25, 1995, Clinton Wade Dronet was charged by bill of information with armed robbery, a violation of La.R.S. 14:64. On April 12, 1995, the state moved to amend this bill to reflect the proper date of the offense as August 14, 1994, instead of 1995, as appeared on the original bill filed. Defendant's trial commenced on December 4, 1996. On the same day, a suppression hearing was conducted, but the motion was held over until the defense's key witness could testify. The trial commenced. When the witness became available, the trial was interrupted to continue the hearing on the motion. Ultimately, the motion was denied and reasserted later. Again, it was denied.

Subsequently, the defendant was convicted by an 11-1 jury verdict of armed robbery. On February 28, 1997, he was sentenced to forty years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. He did not file a motion for reconsideration of his sentence, but nonetheless appeals both his conviction and sentence.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Defendant alleges the following assignments of error:

1. The evidence presented at trial, when viewed in a light most favorable to the prosecution, was insufficient to sustain a verdict of guilty as charged.
2. The trial court erred in denying defendant's Motion to Suppress.
3. Defendant's sentence was unconstitutionally excessive, or in the alternative, trial counsel was ineffective for failing to file a Motion to Reconsider Sentence.

LAW

ERRORS PATENT

In accordance with La.Code Crim. P. art. 920, all appeals are reviewed for errors patent on the face of the record. After reviewing the record, there is one error patent.

*1040 A review of the record reveals that the trial court sentenced the defendant immediately after denying his Motion for New Trial. La.Code Crim.P. art. 873 requires that there be a twenty-four hour delay between the denial of a motion for new trial and the imposition of sentence. Subsequent to the denial of the defendant's motion, the following exchange took place:

THE COURT: Okay. So now we're here for sentencing. I'm ready to hear whatever evidence. I have shared the pre-sentence investigation report with defense, and I am prepared to hear any evidence of extenuating circumstances, mitigating circumstances, on this issue.
[Defense Counsel]: Your Honor, will we be expecting a ruling on the Brady issue in the near future?
THE COURT: Well, Brady talks about exculpatory evidence. That is denied as well. Okay.
[Defense Counsel]: Please note my objection for the record.
THE COURT: Your objection is noted for the record. All right. So ordered.
[Defense Counsel]: We're ready.

The trial court then proceeded with resentencing. In State v. Dauzat, 590 So.2d 768 (La.App. 3 Cir.1991), writ denied, 598 So.2d 355 (La.1992), this court stated:

Generally, this error, while patent, is not reversible unless the defendant is prejudiced by the lack of a sentencing delay. However, the Louisiana Supreme Court's most recent pronouncement on this issue has required a strict application of Article 873, particularly where the defendant challenges the penalty imposed. State v. Augustine, 555 So.2d 1331 (La.1990).

Id. at 775 (citations omitted). Although this court could not find any prejudice as a result of the trial court's failure to observe the delay in sentencing, this court remanded for resentencing, since the defendant challenged his sentence on appeal. Id. at 775-76. See also State v. Williams, 96-37 (La.App. 3 Cir. 6/26/96); 677 So.2d 692. Likewise, the defendant in the present case challenged his sentence on appeal. The fact that his defense counsel announced to the court, "We're ready," for sentencing could not constitute a waiver of the provisions of La.Code Crim.P. art. 873. Its provisions must be strictly applied.

Therefore, the sentence is vacated and the case remanded for resentencing. In accordance with the provisions of La.Code Crim.P. art 930.8, the defendant shall be informed that he has three years from the date of his conviction to file an application for postconviction relief.

SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE

By this assignment, the defendant contends that the evidence against him at trial was insufficient to convict him of each element of the crime of armed robbery beyond a reasonable doubt.

La.R.S. 14:64(A) provides in pertinent part:

Armed robbery is the taking of anything of value belonging to another from the person of another or that is in the immediate control of another, by use of force or intimidation, while armed with a dangerous weapon.

In State v. McCartney, 96-58 (La. App. 3 Cir. 10/9/96); 684 So.2d 416, we recently stated:

In order to find defendant was engaged in an armed robbery, the state would need to prove under La.R.S. 14:64 that:
1. Defendant intentionally took something of value belonging to another;
2. The thing was taken from the possession of or immediate control of another;
3. Defendant used force or intimidation in order to accomplish the taking; and
4. Defendant was armed with a dangerous weapon.

Id. at 429. In this case, the testimony supports these elements. Defendant's contention is essentially a matter of credibility. State ex rel. Graffagnino v. King, 436 So.2d 559, 563 (La.1983), held that it "is the role of the fact-finder to weigh the respective credibilities of the witnesses, and this court will not second-guess the credibility determinations of the trier of fact beyond our sufficiency *1041 evaluations under the Jackson

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
721 So. 2d 1038, 1998 WL 765118, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dronet-lactapp-1998.