State v. Francois

134 So. 3d 42, 13 La.App. 5 Cir. 616, 2014 WL 346634, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 207
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 31, 2014
DocketNo. 13-KA-616
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 134 So. 3d 42 (State v. Francois) 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. Francois, 134 So. 3d 42, 13 La.App. 5 Cir. 616, 2014 WL 346634, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 207 (La. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

ROBERT M. MURPHY, Judge.

12Pefendant, Derrick Francois, appeals his convictions and sentences for one count of second degree murder, in violation of La. R.S. 14:30.1, and one count of intimidation of a witness, in violation of La. R.S. 14:129.1. The trial court sentenced Defendant to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence on count one, and to 20 years at hard labor on count two, to be served concurrently with the sentence on count one. For the reasons that follow, we affirm Defendant’s convictions and sentences and remand the matter to the trial court for correction of an error patent as noted herein.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On August 18, 2011, a Jefferson Parish Grand Jury returned an indictment, charging Defendant with one count of second degree murder, for the murder of Chan-drick Harris on August 28, 2011, in violation of La. R.S. 14:30.1, and with one count of intimidation of a witness in violation of La. R.S. 14:129.1. After pleading not guilty, Defendant filed several pre-trial motions, including a July 15, |s2011 motion to suppress identification and a January 7, 2013 motion in limine, which sought to exclude as inadmissible hearsay the testimony of Carolyn Geary. The trial court denied both motions on December 15, 2011 and March 18, 2013, respectively. The matter first proceeded to trial on January 7, 2013, but the trial court subsequently declared a mistrial. Trial commenced anew on March 19, 2013.

At trial, the jury was informed that Defendant’s brother, Delast Francois, was murdered in Gretna, Louisiana on April 27, 2011. Following Delast Francois’ murder, the Gretna Police Department attempted to interview Chandrick Harris, the victim in this case, regarding his knowledge of Delast Francois’ murder, but they were unable to do so. Sergeant Tris Lear testified that he attempted to speak with Harris on the scene, but he “became belligerent,” “very vocal,” “didn’t care to cooperate,” and said “a lot of vulgar and racial things toward the deceased.” During this exchange, Sergeant Lear observed that Delast Francois’ mother and father were nearby and likely overhead Harris.

After speaking with several eyewitnesses, the police determined that Harris and his friend, Makale Thompson, were visiting the residence where Delast Francois’ body was found. During their visit, Delast Francois stopped by the residence, at which point, Delast and Thompson engaged in a verbal altercation which turned physical. After Harris broke up the fight, Thompson left the scene but returned minutes later with a rifle and gunned down Delast Francois. Delast Francois died as a result of his injuries.1

On the following night of April 28, 2011, Lorraine Harris, Harris’ mother, was on the phone at her home with her friend Carolyn Geary. While speaking with Ms. Harris, Ms. Geary heard loud knocking through the phone. Ms. Harris told Ms. Geary: “Somebody is knocking at the door.” Ms. Harris asked Ms. Geary to [47]*4714remain on the phone and she relayed to Ms. Geary what was occurring and what was being said. When Ms. Harris opened the door, she recognized the visitor, whom she had seen “many times” before, as Derrick Francois, Defendant. He asked her if “Smurf’2 was sleeping. After checking on her son and determining that he was awake, Ms. Harris invited Defendant in. He entered, prompting Ms. Harris to say, “You have my condolences for Delast.” Defendant thanked her and proceeded into Harris’ bedroom where he spoke with him.

Ms. Geary testified that she could hear what Ms. Harris was saying, and could hear the other person’s voice, but could not discern what the other person was saying. Ms. Harris told Ms. Geary that the visitor asked to speak to “Smurf.” Ms. Geary asked who the visitor was and Ms. Harris explained that it was the brother of the boy who had been killed the day before. Ms. Harris sat on the sofa from where she could see Defendant standing in her son’s room talking to her son as he was lying on his bed.

Ms. Harris observed Defendant talking calmly, asking what Harris knew about his brother’s death. Then, suddenly, in a raised voice, Defendant asked Harris: “Where that n* * * *r at?” Harris replied: “I don’t know, I don’t know where he is.” Defendant asked: “Is he in Mississippi?” As soon as Harris answered “I don’t know,” Ms. Harris heard a shot. Ms. Geary testified that she heard two shots— “pop pop” — over the phone and that Ms. Harris exclaimed, “He killed Smurf.”

Defendant then walked out of the bedroom, put the gun to Ms. Harris’ head and said, “B* * *h, shut the f* *k up.” Ms. Harris dropped the phone and pleaded for her life, at which point, Defendant put the gun down and quietly walked out of the house. Ms. Harris called 911 and told the operator, “Delast’s brother came Inhere and shot [my son].” She told the operator she thought the perpetrator’s name was Darius.

Shortly thereafter, Sergeant David Heintz of the Gretna Police Department entered Ms. Harris’ apartment to find Harris lying face down on a bed with an apparent gunshot wound to the side of his head. He died as a result of this injury. After speaking with police, both Ms. Harris and Ms. Geary agreed to go to the police station that night, where they each gave a statement.

In Ms. Harris’ statement, she stated that the perpetrator was Delast’s brother. She first referred to the perpetrator as “Derrick,” and then referred to him as “Darius.” As a result, Detective James Compton conducted an investigation of the Francois family for both a Derrick and a Darius Francois. His search did not reveal anyone with the name Darius Francois, but it did reveal a Derrick Francois and a Devin Francois. As a result, the police prepared two photographic lineups to be presented to Ms. Harris, one including Derrick Francois, and the other including Devin Francois. Within hours of Harris’ murder, Ms. Harris identified Devin Francois from the first lineup as Delast’s brother, but not as the person who shot her son. From the second lineup, she immediately identified Defendant as the person who shot her son. Several days later, Ms. Harris informed the police that she misspoke when she stated that the perpetrator’s name was “Darius.” Based upon Ms. Harris’ identification of Defendant, a warrant for his arrest was issued on April 29, 2011. At trial, Ms. Harris again explained that she made a mistake when she said the name Darius to the [48]*48police because she was in a state of shock. She testified that she was one hundred percent certain that Defendant murdered her son.

After the warrant was issued, the police learned that Defendant had been living in Mississippi. At trial, the Stated called Tracy Binion, the corporate human resources director for Signal International, to testify regarding Defendant’s 1^employment records. Ms. Binion testified that Defendant was employed by T.M.M., a subcontractor hired by Signal to work at its facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Ms. Binion testified that on April 27, 2011, the day before Harris’ murder, Defendant reported to work at 6:18 a.m. and clocked out at 4:07 p.m., which was roughly one hour earlier than his normal clock out time at 5:00 p.m. Defendant did not report back to work on April 28, 29, 30, or May 1, 2011. Ms. Binion testified that Defendant did return to work on May 2, 2011, but that he clocked out at 10:32 a.m., and never returned to work thereafter. Defendant turned himself in to the police on May 9, 2011.

The State offered Dr. Nirnala Induiu as an expert in the field of clinical psychiatry at trial.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
134 So. 3d 42, 13 La.App. 5 Cir. 616, 2014 WL 346634, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 207, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-francois-lactapp-2014.