State v. Eskano

779 So. 2d 148, 2001 WL 79196
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 30, 2001
Docket00-KA-101
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 779 So. 2d 148 (State v. Eskano) 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. Eskano, 779 So. 2d 148, 2001 WL 79196 (La. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

779 So.2d 148 (2001)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Anthony ESKANO.

No. 00-KA-101.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

January 30, 2001.

*149 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Alison Wallis, Gregory Kennedy, Assistant District Attorneys, *150 Gretna, LA, Attorneys for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Margaret S. Sollars, Louisiana Appellate Project, Thibodaux, LA, Attorney for Defendant/Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges GOTHARD, CANNELLA and McMANUS.

SOL GOTHARD, Judge.

The defendant, Anthony Eskano, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, to wit: marijuana, in violation of LSA-R.S. 40:966A. After trial by a twelve person jury, defendant was found guilty of the lesser offense of attempted possession with intent to distribute marijuana. After the trial court denied the defendant's motions for new trial and post-verdict judgment of acquittal, defendant was sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor for a term of eight years. Thereafter, pursuant to a multiple offender bill of information, the defendant's original sentence was vacated, and the court sentenced defendant to imprisonment at hard labor for eight years without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence pursuant to LSA-R.S. 15:529.1. This appeal followed.

At the trial of this matter, the state presented evidence to show that, on April 15, 1998, defendant, Anthony Eskano, along with Jimmy Franklin, sold marijuana to two subjects while standing on a footbridge located between Airline Drive and Mistletoe Street, an area well known for narcotics activity. The defense presented evidence to show that defendant did not sell nor intend to sell marijuana on the date in question.

Deputy Donald Clogher testified for the state that, in his three years with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Street Crimes Unit, he had been involved in approximately 500 narcotics investigations. The incident involving the defendant occurred on April 15, 1998 on a footbridge between Airline Drive and Mistletoe Street, which is located in one of the highest crime areas in Jefferson Parish. In the past, Clogher and other deputies have observed narcotics activity on the footbridge and arrested people in connection therewith.

On April 15, 1998, between 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., Clogher and other officers conducted a surveillance operation in the area of the Mistletoe footbridge. About 15 minutes to one-half hour before defendant's arrest, the officers positioned themselves so they could observe the activity on the bridge without the subjects being able to see them. Clogher and his partner, Heather Gorman, were in a vehicle on the Mistletoe Street side. Doyle and his partner, Randall Fernandez, were in a vehicle on the Airline Drive side. Clogher and Gorman were about four blocks from the footbridge, and Clogher used binoculars to see the activity in the area. Although Clogher did not have the best view among the four officers, he observed two black females approach the bridge on separate occasions, a few minutes apart. Defendant and Franklin were standing together in the middle of the footbridge. It appeared that defendant handed something to Franklin, and then Franklin approached the female and handed her a small object. The female handed Franklin what appeared to be currency. It appeared that Franklin then walked back to defendant and handed him what appeared to be the currency the female had just handed to Franklin. He observed the same series of transactions with a second female. The officers did not want to drive their cars into that area, because the investigation would have been compromised, i.e., Franklin and defendant would have seen the officers. Officers Clogher and Gorman approached the bridge to investigate the two subjects.

The other police unit approached from Airline Drive. Franklin and Eskano focused very intently on that unit, and they turned toward Mistletoe Street to leave the bridge. The two subjects appeared nervous. Clogher and Gorman then approached from Mistletoe. The two subjects *151 realized that there were two police vehicles coming toward them, one from each side of the bridge. Defendant took what appeared to be numerous objects out of his pocket and handed them to Franklin. Franklin and defendant began walking in different directions, and then Franklin ran. Defendant was unable to flee because Clogher's vehicle stopped right in front of him. Clogher apprehended defendant, who did not fight with Clogher or try to run when he was arrested. Clogher found $191.00 in currency on Eskano, but he did not find any narcotics.

Deputy Heather Gorman also testified at trial, and her testimony largely corroborated that of Clogher. Gorman testified for the state that, on April 15, 1998, she participated in an investigation that resulted in the arrest of Franklin and Eskano. Officer Doyle and his partner went to investigate first because they were coming from Airline Drive. After the two subjects saw Doyle, they started walking quickly toward Mistletoe. As they were walking toward Mistletoe, Gorman and Clogher got about a block and a half away from them, and Gorman saw defendant hand Franklin something. As the subjects walked off the footbridge, they were looking back at Airline Drive and did not see Gorman and Clogher approaching. Gorman and Clogher pulled up, and Franklin started running. Gorman chased Franklin but was unable to catch him, so she called Doyle and Fernandez on the radio to assist her. Doyle and Fernandez eventually caught Franklin in an empty lot. While Gorman did not observe the actual arrest of Franklin, she saw marijuana lying on the ground in the empty lot where Franklin was apprehended.

Deputy John Doyle, III also testified at trial, and his testimony largely corroborated that of Deputies Clogher and Gorman. Doyle testified for the state that he was working as a deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Street Crimes Unit on April 15, 1998. Doyle was driving an unmarked police car eastbound on Airline Drive when he first saw defendant on the footbridge between Mistletoe Street and Airline Drive. Doyle and his partner saw the two subjects standing on the bridge, and they set up surveillance about 50 yards or one block from the footbridge during the surveillance.

Doyle observed a female pedestrian approach from the Mistletoe neighborhood, and speak with Franklin, who then walked over to defendant. Defendant reached into his pocket and gave Franklin an object. Franklin then walked back over to the female and engaged in a hand-to-hand transaction. Doyle saw the female exchanging currency for the object. Doyle testified that those actions were consistent with narcotics transactions. The female walked off, and Franklin returned to defendant and gave him the currency. Doyle could not see what the object exchanged was, but he could see the cash, because the subjects were counting it. Doyle also observed a transaction with another female that occurred in the same manner.

At that point, Doyle moved in from Airline Drive and told Clogher to maintain his position. Once the two subjects saw Doyle, they started walking quickly toward Mistletoe. As they were walking, they both were looking back at Doyle who slowed his vehicle down so he could maintain visual contact on them. Doyle told Clogher that the subjects were watching him (Doyle) and not Mistletoe. Clogher managed to pull up almost next to the subjects before they realized that Clogher was there. Once they realized he was there, Franklin ran and Clogher detained defendant. Doyle received a call for assistance from Gorman on the radio.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
779 So. 2d 148, 2001 WL 79196, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-eskano-lactapp-2001.