State v. Ester

490 So. 2d 579
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 11, 1986
Docket15458-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 490 So. 2d 579 (State v. Ester) 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. Ester, 490 So. 2d 579 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

490 So.2d 579 (1986)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Patricia Ann ESTER, Appellant.

No. 15458-KA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

June 11, 1986.

*580 Jack Wright, Jr., Monroe, for appellant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Baton Rouge, James Allan Norris, Jr., Dist. Atty., Michael J. Fontenot, Asst. Dist. Atty., Monroe, for appellee.

Before MARVIN, JASPER E. JONES and LINDSAY, JJ.

JASPER E. JONES, Judge.

The defendant, Patricia Ann Ester, was indicted on six counts of incest and six counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile. This indictment was amended to reflect only the latter offenses, violations of LSA-R.S. 14:81.[1] The defendant was convicted by a jury of violating four of these charges and sentenced to consecutively serve four years at hard labor on each count. She has appealed these convictions asserting and briefing seven assignments of error.

We affirm.

FACTS

On December 25, 1981, the defendant's husband was murdered on a rural road in Ouachita Parish. She was later tried and convicted of first degree murder. While investigating this homicide, the police were informed defendant had engaged in sexual intercourse with her 13 year old son, Dennis Scott Book, on several occasions. She here appeals her convictions and sentences on four of these sexual offenses.

*581 The seven assignments of error raise the following issues:[2]

Assignment of Error # 1

Did the trial court commit reversible error in refusing to require the state to try the defendant for first degree murder before trying on the indecent behavior charges?

Assignment of Error # 2

Did the trial court commit reversible error when it refused to grant the defendant a change of venue?

Assignment of Error # 3

Did the trial court commit reversible error when it refused to grant defendant's motion to sequester the jury venire during the voir dire examination?

Assignment of Error # 4

Did the trial court commit reversible error when it permitted Dennis Scott Book to testify from notes on a calendar over the objection of the defendant?

Assignment of Error # 5

Did the trial court commit reversible error when it denied defendant's counsel the right to fully cross-examine Dennis Scott Book about his sexual conduct with James W. Frye?

Assignment of Error # 6

Did the trial court impose an excessive and severe sentence on the defendant which exceeds constitutional limits?

Assignment of Error # 7

Are there any errors patent upon the face of the record?

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR # 1

Law On District Attorney's Perogatives In Multiple Prosecutions

The district attorney shall have charge of every criminal prosecution by the state in his district. LSA-Const. Art. 5, § 26(B) (1974).[3] He shall determine when and how he will prosecute individuals charged with crimes. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 61.[4]

Should The First Degree Murder Charge Have Been Tried First?

The defendant filed a pre-trial motion asserting that her constitutional rights would be violated if she was tried and convicted of the instant offenses prior to a trial on the first degree murder charge. The trial court denied the motion and we denied her application for writs of certiorari, prohibition, mandamus and a stay order. The defendant made the same argument in the appeal of her murder conviction and it was rejected.

We find no reason to question our earlier decision and conclude that this assignment of error is without merit. See State v. Ester, 458 So.2d 1357 (La.App. 2d Cir.1984), writ den., 464 So.2d 313 (La.1985).

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR # 2

Law On Change of Venue

Every person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty and is entitled to a fair trial. LSA-Const. Art. 1, § 16.[5] When a fair trial cannot be obtained *582 by reason of prejudice in the public mind, undue influence or any other reason, a change of venue shall be granted. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 622.[6]

It is the defendant's burden to establish that it is impossible to obtain a fair trial and this requires a showing of more than mere knowledge by the public of facts surrounding the charged offenses. Some relevant factors that may be taken into consideration are: (1) the nature of pre-trial publicity and the particular degree to which it has circulated in the community; (2) the connection of government officials with the release of publicity; (3) the length of time between the dissemination of the publicity and the trial; (4) the severity and notoriety of the offense; (5) the area from which the jury is drawn; (6) other events occurring in the community which either affect or reflect the attitude of the community or individual jurors toward the defendant, and; (7) any other factors likely to affect the candor and veracity of the prospective jurors on voir dire. Other factors relevant to the inquiry include the degree to which the publicity has circulated in areas to which venue could be changed, the care exercised and the ease encountered in the selection of the jury, and the peremptory challenges and challenges for cause exercised by the defendant in the jury selection process. While a trial judge possesses a broad range of discretion in this area, the reviewing court is required to make an independent evaluation of the circumstances to determine whether the defendant can receive a fair trial. State v. Henry, 446 So.2d 1308 (La.App. 2d Cir.1984); State v. Vaccaro, 411 So.2d 415 (La.1982).

Should The Venue Have Been Changed?

The defendant argues that the pre-trial motion for a change of venue should have been granted due to the media coverage given to the first degree murder charge and the inherently sensitive nature of the instant offenses. In essence, she asserts that she was the target of sensationalized and adversarial radio, television and newspaper reports and that she was unfairly prejudiced in the community mind as her name had become a "household" word.

At the hearing on the motion it was established that the News-Star-World-Publishing Corporation operated the only daily newspaper in Ouachita Parish. Mr. Jerry Pittman, managing editor, testified that thirteen news articles appeared in this publication from December 27, 1981—June 10, 1982. Of these, only six referred primarily to the defendant with the latest article appearing six months prior to the trial on the instant offenses. All of these newspaper articles were factual accounts of the defendant's indictment and arrest on all of the charges and of the facts surrounding the death of her husband.[7] The newspaper articles were not included in the record but the trial court noted that what references there were to the sexual offenses were, in most instances, not greatly emphasized.

Mr. Ken Booth, news director for television station KNOE located in Ouachita Parish, testified that news reports concerning the defendant were broadcast but could not relate when and how many stories were *583 aired nor what was said about the defendant.

We conclude that this assignment of error is meritless.

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Bluebook (online)
490 So. 2d 579, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ester-lactapp-1986.