State v. Franklin

858 So. 2d 68, 2003 WL 22137556
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 16, 2003
Docket03-KA-287
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 858 So. 2d 68 (State v. Franklin) 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. Franklin, 858 So. 2d 68, 2003 WL 22137556 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

858 So.2d 68 (2003)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Prince FRANKLIN.

No. 03-KA-287.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

September 16, 2003.

*69 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Margaret E. Hay, Kenneth Bordelon, Ralph C. Cox, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, LA, for State of Louisiana, Plaintiff/Appellee.

Jane L. Beebe, Gretna, LA, for Prince Franklin, Defendant/Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges JAMES L. CANNELLA, WALTER J. ROTHSCHILD and EMILE R. ST. PIERRE, Pro Tempore.

WALTER J. ROTHSCHILD, Judge.

Defendant, Prince Franklin, was indicted by a grand jury on June 14, 2001 and charged with second degree murder in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:30.1. He pled not guilty and filed motions to suppress his statements, identification and evidence. The motions were denied after a hearing on December 13, 2001. Defendant proceeded to trial on June 18, 2002. After a three-day trial, the jury found defendant guilty as charged. Defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

FACTS

At approximately 8:20 p.m. on May 6, 2001, Officer Oliver Silvey was dispatched to the Villa D'Ames apartment complex in Marrero. When he arrived, he saw a white female, later identified as Deena Wilty, lying face up in the parking lot with a pool of blood around her. He called for an ambulance and secured the scene. The victim was transported to West Jefferson Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed she died of a single gunshot wound to the head, or specifically the right cheek.

During the investigation, the police discovered an eyewitness to the shooting, Lakayana Dennis. Ms. Dennis, who lived in an apartment in the Villa D'Ames complex, stated she was standing on her porch when she saw the victim get out of a burgundy-colored mini-van taxi cab. The victim was immediately approached by three black males selling drugs. Seconds later, Ms. Dennis saw defendant, whom she identified as "Pedie," run up to the *70 victim and shoot her in the head. Ms. Dennis called 911.

Based on the information obtained from Ms. Dennis later that night, the police prepared a photographic lineup. Ms. Dennis was shown the lineup and identified defendant as the person who shot the victim. The photographic lineup was also shown to another eyewitness, Lynn Nelson, who identified defendant as the person she saw running away from the scene. Ms. Nelson, who also lived at the Villa D'Ames apartment complex, testified that she heard a gunshot and saw defendant running away from the scene.

Defendant was arrested on the night of the murder at 1:00 a.m. He was advised of his rights, and he subsequently gave three separate statements. He initially denied any involvement or knowledge of the shooting but later admitted he shot the victim. Defendant explained that he shot the victim because she had robbed him of approximately $1,000-$1,400 one to two months earlier. Defendant then assisted the police in locating the gun used in the murder. The gun, a Taurus .357 magnum, was found and seized. Ballistic tests confirmed the gun matched the fragments removed from the victim.

DISCUSSION

Defendant argues the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress his three statements because they were not knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily made. Defendant alleges he was coerced into making the statements because of the tactics used by the police. He contends he was deprived of food, cigarettes and sleep during the seven-hour period that he gave the three statements. He also points out that the police refused to let him leave after he gave his first statement denying any involvement or knowledge in the murder. Defendant maintains the continued interrogation that ultimately led to his confession was threatening and coercive in nature and, thus, he did not voluntarily waive his rights. He further suggests he was threatened with the charge of first-degree murder if he did not confess.

Before an inculpatory statement made during a custodial interrogation may be introduced into evidence, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was first advised of his Miranda[1] rights, that he voluntarily and intelligently waived his Miranda rights, and that the statement was made freely and voluntarily and not under the influence of fear, intimidation, menaces, threats, inducement or promises. LSA-R.S. 15:451; State v. Comeaux, 93-2729 (La.7/1/97), 699 So.2d 16, 29, cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1150, 118 S.Ct. 1169, 140 L.Ed.2d 179 (1998); State v. Quest, 00-205 (La.App. 5 Cir. 10/18/00), 772 So.2d 772, 780, writ denied, 00-3137 (La.11/2/01), 800 So.2d 866; State v. Smith, 95-734 (La.App. 5 Cir. 1/20/96), 668 So.2d 1260, 1267. A determination of voluntariness is made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the totality of the facts and circumstances of each situation. State v. Quest, supra at 780.

The admissibility of a confession or statement is a determination for the trial judge and his conclusions on the credibility and weight of the testimony relating to the voluntary nature of the confession or statement are entitled to great weight and will not be overturned unless unsupported by the evidence. Id. In reviewing the trial court's ruling, the evidence presented at trial may be considered in addition to the evidence presented at the hearing on the motion to suppress. State v. Fisher, 97-1133 (La.9/9/98), 720 So.2d 1179, 1182.

*71 At the hearing on the motion to suppress the statements, Detective Donald Meunier testified that defendant gave three statements. According to Detective Meunier, defendant was first advised of his Miranda rights when he was arrested at his residence at approximately 1:00 a.m. on the night of the murder. He was again advised of his rights at 1:25 a.m. through a rights of arrestee form after he was transported to the Detective Bureau and before he gave any statement. Defendant initialed each right on the form and signed the bottom of the form twice indicating he had been read his rights and that he wished to waive his rights. At trial, Detective Meunier testified that defendant had completed tenth grade and understood his rights.

Defendant gave his first statement at 2:00 a.m. At the beginning of the statement, Detective Meunier reviewed each of defendant's rights. Defendant indicated he understood his rights. Defendant also acknowledged that no promises or threats had been made to him and no pressure or coercion had been used against him. In his first statement, defendant admitted being at the Villa D'Ames apartments earlier that night between 8:00-8:30 p.m. but denied any involvement in the murder. He stated he and three friends were going to the movies for an 8:30 p.m. show when he heard a gunshot and saw a white lady lying in the parking lot. He explained he ran away from the area, got into his friend's car and went to the movies. The statement ended at 2:14 a.m.

Defendant gave a second statement at 5:29 a.m. In the three hours between the first and second statement, Detective Meunier stated he continued to talk to defendant in the interview room. Detective Meunier confronted defendant with facts and evidence, including the eyewitness, that suggested defendant committed the murder.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
858 So. 2d 68, 2003 WL 22137556, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-franklin-lactapp-2003.