State v. Dufrene

461 So. 2d 1263
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 28, 1984
DocketKA 84 0520
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 461 So. 2d 1263 (State v. Dufrene) 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. Dufrene, 461 So. 2d 1263 (La. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

461 So.2d 1263 (1984)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Lester DUFRENE and Michelle Dufrene.

No. KA 84 0520.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

December 28, 1984.

*1265 Richard A. Swatz and Margaret A. Coon, Asst. Dist. Attys., Covington, for appellee.

David J. Knight, Covington, for appellants.

Before GROVER L. COVINGTON, C.J., and LOTTINGER and JOHN S. COVINGTON[*], JJ.

GROVER L. COVINGTON, Chief Judge.

Defendants, Lester and Michelle Dufrene, were charged by indictment with cruelty to a juvenile, a violation of La.R.S. 14:93. Defendants pled not guilty and, after a trial by jury, were found guilty. The trial judge sentenced each defendant to serve five years at hard labor and to pay a fine in the amount of $750.00. Defendants *1266 appeal their convictions and sentences, assigning eleven errors.

On Friday, July 16, 1982, defendants left their four month old daughter, Denise, in the care of Mrs. Dufrene's mother, step-father, and sister. On Sunday, July 18, 1982, between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., Dufrene picked up the child and brought her back to their trailer. During the afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Lester O'Brien, friends of the Dufrenes, and their infant daughter visited with defendants. The O'Briens left at approximately 6:00 p.m. At 7:20 p.m., that same evening, defendants took Denise to the emergency room at Slidell Memorial Hospital. At the emergency room, Denise was examined by her pediatrician, Dr. Harri Ann Watson.

Dr. Watson testified that in examining the child she found a large hematoma on the left side of the child's head. X-rays revealed a fracture of the right femur, which according to Dr. Watson was approximately one week old. In addition, the child had a loose tooth and multiple bruises of varying age and severity over her entire body, including her neck. In concluding her testimony, Dr. Watson was of the opinion that beyond any doubt Denise was a victim of child abuse.

Mrs. Dufrene's step-father, Kenneth Comeaux, testified that Denise spent the weekend with him and his wife. He stated that Friday night when the child arrived at his home she had several bruises on her body. He was then shown photographs of Denise that had been taken at the hospital and depicted the hematoma on her head. Comeaux testified that the child did not have the head injury when she left his house that Sunday afternoon.

Deanna Comeaux, Michelle Dufrene's sister, testified that she noticed bruises on the child from time to time. Ms. Comeaux stated that each time this occurred defendants would explain the bruises by saying that the child had fallen, or rolled over a rattle, or rubbed her face on a sheet. On one occasion, when the infant had a bloody nose, Lester Dufrene told Deanna that he had put on brakes and the child had fallen forward (sustaining the injury).

Mrs. O'Brien testified that she, her husband and their daughter visited defendants Sunday, July 18th from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. During that time, Denise was awake and Mrs. O'Brien played with her. Mrs. O'Brien testified that the baby did not have a bruise on her head or bruises on her neck.

The defendants each gave a different version of how the child became battered and bruised. The jury accepted the evidence presented by the state as showing that the defendants had intentionally battered the infant over a considerable period of time, causing unjustifiable pain and suffering.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER 1:

In this assignment of error, defendants argue that the trial judge erred in excusing juror Kevin L. Bourda for cause.

On voir dire examination, Bourda stated that he and defendant Lester Dufrene had attended school together and that they were "pretty good friends." In response to a series of questions, Bourda stated that it would be "pretty difficult" for him to be impartial, that his past association with Dufrene would color his decision, and that, if Dufrene testified, he would tend to believe him "because I know him." Upon motion of the state, the trial judge excused Bourda for cause.

The state or the defendant may challenge a juror for cause on the ground that the relationship, whether by blood, marriage, employment, friendship, or enmity between the juror and the defendant is such that it is reasonable to conclude that it would influence the juror in arriving at a verdict. La.C.Cr.P. art. 797(3).

A trial judge is vested with broad discretion in ruling on a challenge for cause and his ruling will not be disturbed on appeal absent a showing of abuse of that discretion. State v. Sugar, 408 So.2d 1329 (La.1982).

*1267 Based on the answers given by Bourda, the trial judge found that Bourda's prior relationship with Dufrene would prevent Bourda from being a fair and impartial juror. State v. Albert, 381 So.2d 424 (La.1980). A review of the voir dire examination convinces us that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in excusing Bourda.

In any event, the record indicates that the state did not exercise all of its peremptory challenges. Therefore, even if the trial judge's ruling on this challenge for cause were erroneous, it did not have the effect of granting the state more peremptory challenges than entitled by law. La.C. Cr.P. art. 800; State v. Jones, 408 So.2d 1285 (La.1982).

We find no merit in this assignment of error.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER 2:

Defendants argue that the trial judge erred in failing to excuse prospective juror Carmen A. Quirk for cause.

In reviewing Quirk's examination on voir dire, we note that she originally expressed some difficulty in applying the legal principle of presumption of innocence. The following exchange occurred between defense counsel and Mrs. Quirk:

Q. Would you conclude that they must be guilty of something because of the sole fact that they were arrested?
A. Something, yes.
Q. You would conclude that they were guilty of something solely because they were arrested?
A. I think so.
The trial judge then questioned Mrs. Quirk as follows:
BY THE COURT: The court is going to ask Mrs. Quirk some more questions. Mrs. Quirk, can you separate in your mind the concept of the state proving someone guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and the concept that the law enforcement people may or may not have probable cause just to make an arrest. In other words, a police officer may come in here right now and arrest you. He may have probable cause to arrest you and he may not have probable cause to arrest you. It doesn't matter. In either event, if you were to be put to trial for that crime, for whatever you were arrested, it would be incumbent upon the state to prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and until the state proves you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, you are innocent.
A. I understand.
BY THE COURT: Now can you separate those two concepts and can you accept the proposition as a matter of law if the state does not prove each and every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, and the burden is much greater than proving probable cause, and if they don't meet that burden of proof, it is the duty of the jury to acquit the defendants, or the defendant, as the case may be. Can you accept that and could you apply that standard according to the instructions that I give you at the conclusion of the trial?
A. Yes, I think I can.

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Bluebook (online)
461 So. 2d 1263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dufrene-lactapp-1984.