State v. Evans

998 So. 2d 197, 2008 WL 4762291
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 31, 2008
Docket2008 KA 0417
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 998 So. 2d 197 (State v. Evans) 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. Evans, 998 So. 2d 197, 2008 WL 4762291 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

998 So.2d 197 (2008)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Cedric EVANS.

No. 2008 KA 0417.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

October 31, 2008.

*198 Walter P. Reed, District Attorney, Kathryn Landry, Baton Rouge, LA, for Appellee.

*199 Frank Sloan, Louisiana Appellate Project, Mandeville, LA, for Defendant/Appellant Cedric Evans.

Cedric Evans, Angola, LA, Pro Se.

Before: KUHN, GUIDRY, and GAIDRY, JJ.

GUIDRY, J.

The defendant, Cedric E. Evans, was charged by bill of information with one count of possession of 28 grams or more, but less than 200 grams of cocaine, a violation of La. R.S. 40:967 F(1)(a), and pled not guilty. Following a jury trial, he was found guilty as charged. Thereafter, the State filed a habitual offender bill of information against the defendant, alleging he was a second-felony habitual offender. Following a hearing, he was adjudged a second-felony habitual offender, and was sentenced to forty years at hard labor, with ten years without benefit of parole. On appeal, this court vacated the conviction and sentence and remanded for a new trial. State v. Evans, 99-2208 (La.App. 1st Cir.9/22/00), 771 So.2d 322 (unpublished opinion). Following a new trial, he was found guilty as charged. Thereafter, the State filed a habitual offender bill of information against the defendant, alleging he was a fourth-felony habitual offender.[1] Prior to the habitual offender hearing, he was sentenced to forty years at hard labor, ten years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Following a hearing, he was adjudged a third-felony habitual offender and sentenced to be imprisoned for the remainder of his natural life without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. He now appeals, designating four counseled assignments of error and one pro se assignment of error.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Counseled

1. The trial judge erred in denying the defense motion to quash.

2. The trial court erred in adjudicating the defendant to be a third-felony habitual offender.

3. The trial court erred in sentencing the defendant to life imprisonment as a third-felony habitual offender.

4. The trial court erred in failing to vacate the defendant's original sentence before sentencing him as a multiple offender.

Pro se

1. The prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to support the adjudication of the defendant as a habitual offender.

For the following reasons, we affirm the conviction, the habitual offender adjudication, and the sentence.

FACTS

On December 30, 1996, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Louisiana State Police Trooper Kurt Vorhoff observed a vehicle veering off the roadway as it traveled on Interstate 12 between Hammond and Covington. Trooper Vorhoff activated his blue lights and siren, and the vehicle pulled over. Carolyn Travis was driving the vehicle and the defendant was a passenger.

*200 While speaking to Travis, Trooper Vorhoff noticed that the defendant was making rapid movements in the vehicle, including repeatedly turning around to look behind him, reaching forward, and reaching under his seat. Travis indicated she was traveling with her boyfriend from Texas to the casino boats in Mississippi and they planned to stay there a couple of days before returning. She also indicated that a rental contract for the car was in the glove compartment.

The defendant was still moving around in the car as Trooper Vorhoff approached the vehicle and asked him to retrieve the rental contract from the glove compartment. The defendant's hands shook as he retrieved the rental contract, and he did not make eye contact with Trooper Vorhoff. The defendant indicated that Travis was his wife and they were travelling from Texas to the casino boats in Biloxi and would be staying for about a week before possibly continuing to Hattiesburg.

Another Trooper arrived on the scene and Trooper Vorhoff returned to Travis and issued her a warning citation. In response to Trooper Vorhoff s inquiry, Travis stated she did not have anything illegal and did not know of anything illegal in the car. She also gave Trooper Vorhoff permission to search the vehicle.

Trooper Vorhoff approached the vehicle again, explained to the defendant that Travis had given him consent to search the vehicle, and asked the defendant to step out of the car while it was being searched. As the defendant stepped out of the car, he dropped a clear, plastic object with his left hand. Trooper Vorhoff also noticed that the defendant had a large, abnormal bulge at his midsection. Trooper Vorhoff was concerned that the defendant might have a weapon and instructed him to put his hands on top of his head. While performing an outer-clothing pat down of the defendant, Trooper Vorhoff observed a medium-sized, clear, plastic bag containing a white substance, which Trooper Vorhoff suspected was cocaine.

Trooper Vorhoff told the defendant to put his hands on the car. The defendant briefly complied, but then spun around, struck Trooper Vorhoff, and attempted to flee. Trooper Vorhoff grabbed the defendant's arm, but the defendant struggled loose and began running away. During the ensuing chase, the defendant threw down several packages of suspected cocaine before being tackled by Trooper Vorhoff. Trooper Vorhoff subsequently recovered nine bags, containing a total net weight of 139 grams of cocaine, and one bag containing approximately 11 grams of marijuana. The bags were located either where Trooper Vorhoff had seen the defendant throw them down or directly along the path that Trooper Vorhoff had chased the defendant.

The defendant was advised of his Miranda[2] rights and stated that "the dope" belonged to him, and Travis did not have anything to do with the drugs. After signing an advice of rights/waiver form at the narcotics office, he also stated that he had been carrying approximately eight ounces of crack on his person, had purchased the drugs in Houston for $3500, and had planned to sell the drugs in Hattiesburg.

UNTIMELY PROSECUTION

In counseled assignment of error number 1, the defendant argues the State failed to prosecute him within one year from the reversal of his conviction by this court, and thus, the motion to quash should have been granted.

*201 When a defendant obtains a new trial, the State must commence the second trial within one year from the date the new trial is granted or within the period established by La. C. Cr. P. art. 578, whichever is longer. La. C. Cr. P. art. 582. The period of limitation established by Article 582 shall be interrupted by any of the causes stated in La. C. Cr. P. art. 579. Where such interruption occurs, the State must commence the new trial within one year from the date the cause of interruption no longer exists. La. C. Cr. P. art. 583.

The period of limitation established by Article 578 shall be interrupted if the defendant fails to appear at any proceeding pursuant to actual notice, proof of which appears of record. La. C. Cr. P. art. 579(A)(3). The burden under La. C. Cr. P. art. 579(A)(3) is not on the State to show that the defendant placed himself outside of its control to secure his presence at trial, but on the defendant and his sureties to avoid the consequences of his failure to appear in court after receiving notice. Since 1984, one of those consequences is the interruption of the time limits placed on trial. State v. Romar, 07-2140, pp. 7-8 (La.7/1/08), 985 So.2d 722, 727 (per curiam).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
998 So. 2d 197, 2008 WL 4762291, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-evans-lactapp-2008.