State v. Fontenot

211 So. 3d 1236, 2017 La. App. LEXIS 39
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 11, 2017
DocketNo. 51,072-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 211 So. 3d 1236 (State v. Fontenot) 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. Fontenot, 211 So. 3d 1236, 2017 La. App. LEXIS 39 (La. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

PITMAN, J.

| ^Defendant William Allen Fontenot pled guilty to hit-and-run driving resulting in a death. The trial court sentenced him to nine years at hard labor. Defendant appealed. This court vacated his sentence for noncompliance with La. C. Cr. P. art. 894.1 and remanded for resentencing. The trial court again sentenced Defendant to nine years at hard labor and to 30 days in parish jail in lieu of paying court costs. Defendant appeals, arguing that the sentence is excessive. For the following reasons, we amend Defendant’s sentence to vacate the portion ordering jail time in default of payment of court costs and affirm his sentence as amended.

FACTS

On November 13, 2013, the state filed a bill of information charging Defendant with hit-and-run driving in that, on September 13, 2013, he operated a motor vehicle involved in or causing an accident, when a death was a direct result of the accident. The state alleged that Defendant knew or should have known that death or serious bodily injury had occurred and that he intentionally failed to stop his vehicle at the scene of the accident, to give his identity and to render reasonable aid. On January 15, 2014, Defendant pled guilty to the charge, and the state agreed that it would not file a bill charging him as a habitual offender. On February 10, 2015, the trial court sentenced Defendant to nine years at hard labor and to 30 days in lieu of paying court costs and stated that the sentences were to run concurrently. Défendant appealed, arguing that the sentence was excessive.

On appeal, this court determined that the trial court failed to consider any mitigating and/or contributory factors when determining Defendant’s sentence and, thex-efore, did not comply with La. C. Cr. P. art. 894.1. State v. Fontenot, 49,835 (La.App. 2d Cir. 5/27/15), 166 So. 3d 1215. Accordingly, this court vacated Defendant’s sentence, ordered the trial court to conduct a presentence investigation (“PSI”) and remanded for resentencing. Id.

On July 6, 2015, the trial court ordered a PSI report.

On November 9, 2015, the state filed a supplemental response to Defendant’s motion for discovery. The state included an email to the trial corni from a friend of the victim; a lab report from AIT Laboratories; and a letter to the trial court from Lt. Michael Wayne Gray of the Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office. On December 8, 2015, Defendant filed a motion in limine and argued that the lab report and the letter from Lt. Gray should not be entered as evidence into the record or considered in sentencing.

A sentencing hearing was held on December 8, 2015. Counsel for the state and Defendant provided arguments regarding the motion in limine. Although the trial court did not make a formal ruling on the motion in limine, it noted that it did not [1239]*1239consider the documents Defendant sought to exclude. The trial court noted that it reviewed the PSI report. It considered the factors listed in La. C. Cr. P. art. 894.1 and found that Defendant was in need of correctional treatment and a custodial environment and that a lesser sentence would deprecate the seriousness of the offense. It also noted that Defendant tested positive for THC at the time of the accident and that two other vehicles were able to maneuver around the victim. It considered Defendant’s criminal history and the seriousness of the offense. As a mitigating factor, it stated that the victim was sitting on a dark road and texting or consuming a beer. It sentenced Defendant to nine years at hard labor, to be served concurrently with any other sentence, and also to 30 days in the parish jail in lieu of court costs, to be served concurrently with the | snine-year sentence. It further stated that Defendant was to receive credit for time served.

On January 6, 2016, Defendant filed a motion to reconsider sentence and argued that the sentence imposed is excessive; the trial court denied the motion.

Defendant appeals his sentence.

DISCUSSION

Defendant argues that the trial court erred by imposing the harsh and excessive sentence of nine years at hard labor when the maximum sentence for hit- and-run driving is ten years at hard labor. He contends that the trial court failed to adequately consider the La. C. Cr. P. art. 894.1 factors, specifically the mitigating factor that he expressed remorse and accepted responsibility by pleading guilty. He argues that the trial court did not fully consider his history, including his age, family ties, marital status, health or employment record. He finds fault with the trial court’s focus on his criminal history and that the trial court did not consider his likelihood of rehabilitation. He also argues that the trial court should not have considered the lab report that stated he tested positive for THC because there was no evidence that the influence of THC contributed to the accident.

The state argues that the trial court did not err in sentencing Defendant to nine years at hard labor and that this sentence is not constitutionally excessive. It notes that the trial court complied with the orders of this court when resentencing Defendant by ordering the PSI report and considering any mitigating factors. It also contends that, considering Defendant’s lengthy criminal history, he received a lenient sentence because the state agreed not to file a habitual offender bill in exchange for his guilty plea.

|4When reviewing an excessive sentence claim, the appellate court uses a two-prong test. First, the record must demonstrate that the trial court complied with La. C. Cr. P. art. 894.1. The trial court is not required to list every aggravating and mitigating circumstance, but the record must reflect that the trial court adequately considered the guidelines of La. C. Cr. P. art. 894.1. State v. Smith, 433 So.2d 688 (La. 1983). The trial court should consider the defendant’s personal history and prior criminal record, the seriousness of the offense, the likelihood that the defendant will commit another crime and the defendant’s potential for rehabilitation. State v. Jones, 398 So.2d 1049 (La. 1981). The trial court is not required to assign any particular weight to any specific matters at sentencing. State v. Quiambao, 36,-587 (La.App. 2d Cir. 12/11/02), 833 So.2d 1103, writ denied, 03-0477 (La. 5/16/03), 843 So.2d 1130.

Second, the appellate court must determine if the sentence is constitutionally excessive. A sentence is excessive and violates La. Const. Art. 1, § 20, if it is [1240]*1240grossly out of proportion to the severity of the crime or is nothing more than the purposeless and needless imposition of pain and suffering. State v. Bonanno, 384 So.2d 355 (La. 1980). A sentence is grossly disproportionate if, when the crime and punishment are considered in light of the harm done to society, it shocks the sense of justice. Id.

A trial court has wide discretion in imposing a sentence within the statutory limits, and a sentence should not be set aside absent a showing of abuse of discretion. State v. Square, 433 So.2d 104 (La. 1983); State v. Black, 28,100 (La.App. 2d Cir. 2/28/96), 669 So.2d 667, writ denied, 96-0836 (La. 9/20/96), 679 So.2d 430. On review, an appellate court does not determine whether another sentence may have been more appropriate, Rbut whether the trial court abused its discretion. State v. Williams, 03-3514 (La. 12/13/04), 893 So.2d 7; State v.

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Bluebook (online)
211 So. 3d 1236, 2017 La. App. LEXIS 39, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-fontenot-lactapp-2017.