State v. Freeman

409 So. 2d 581
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJanuary 25, 1982
Docket81-KA-1343
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 409 So. 2d 581 (State v. Freeman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Freeman, 409 So. 2d 581 (La. 1982).

Opinion

409 So.2d 581 (1982)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Leroy FREEMAN and Geraldine Miles.

No. 81-KA-1343.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

January 25, 1982.
Rehearing Denied February 19, 1982.

*583 William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Edwin O. Ware, Dist. Atty., T. Gerald Henderson, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.

Kenneth P. Rodenbeck, Thomas K. Brocato, of Gravel, Robertson & Brady, Alexandria, for defendants-appellants.

WATSON, Justice.[*]

Defendants, Leroy Freeman and Geraldine Miles, were charged with cruelty to seventeen-month-old Keith Miles, in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:93.[1] A unanimous six member jury found Miles guilty as charged and Freeman guilty of attempted cruelty to a juvenile. Both defendants were sentenced to five years imprisonment at hard labor. They have appealed, alleging eighteen errors by the trial court.

*584 FACTS

Geraldine's sister, Evelyn Miles, reported that Keith was being abused. She complained that Geraldine and Leroy began mistreating Keith on June 3, 1980, when Leroy moved into Geraldine's home.[2] Geraldine's two sisters moved out of the house on that date. A social worker observed cigarette burns on the child's chest on June 12. Keith Miles was treated at the Huey P. Long hospital in Pineville, Louisiana, on July 11 for a hematoma of the forehead. X-rays revealed that the skull was not fractured. An expert pediatrician, Dr. Alphonso Pacheco, thought it unlikely that the injury had resulted from a fall out of bed as reported by the mother, Geraldine.

Keith was brought to the hospital again on July 23, 1980, in the company of a child protection agency worker and his mother. Dr. Pacheco testified that the child's condition reflected severe abuse inflicted with violent force. The evidence of physical trauma included bruises, lacerations, choking marks on the neck, lesions consistent with human bites, cigarette burns and a fracture of one forearm. The wrist and arm were swollen, tender and obviously in need of treatment. The fracture was approximately a week old. Some injuries were no more than two days old; other wounds had become infected and left scars.

Tira Sibley, a neighbor of Geraldine Miles, observed Keith immobilized in a sheet in July. Leroy Freeman said that it was because the child had been bad. Leroy Freeman then picked up the baby by one wrist and carried him into the kitchen. Geraldine had also been seen handling and throwing Keith by one arm.

Tyron Gable, also a young neighbor, testified that he brought Keith to his home on July 11 because his head was smashed. Geraldine told Tyron that she and Leroy had a fight and Leroy had hit the baby. Tyron's mother and Geraldine took the baby to the hospital. Afterward, Keith stayed at Tyron's home about a week. Geraldine picked him up on Sunday; the child had a swollen hand and arm the next day. Tyron had observed Geraldine beating Keith with a belt because he was crying. When the abuse occurred, Leroy Freeman was twenty-one years of age and Geraldine Miles was seventeen. Geraldine was born June 3, 1963.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

Defendants contend that the bill of information should have been quashed for failure to set forth the essential facts of the offense. Prior to the hearing on the motion, the bill was amended to charge that defendants "Violate R.S. 14:93 by committing cruelty to Keith Miles, a child under the age of seventeen, by the intentional or criminally negligent mistreatment or neglect of said child in such a manner as to cause unjustifiable pain and suffering to said child, being themselves over the age of seventeen years." (Tr. 9)

The trial court correctly held that defendants were informed of the statutory basis of the offense and further details could be obtained in response to a bill of particulars. State v. Gainey, 376 So.2d 1240 (La.,1979).

This assignment of error lacks merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER TWO

This assignment was not argued and is considered abandoned.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NUMBER THREE AND EIGHT

Geraldine Miles contends that the trial court erred in denying two motions for appointment of a Sanity Commission.

At the hearing, there was lay testimony from Leroy Freeman and others that Geraldine Miles had some problems. Her counsel, Ken Rodenbeck, testified that he found her uncooperative and uncommunicative. He had sincere doubts about her capacity to assist in her defense. In rebuttal, the state called Dr. Daniel John Lonowski, a clinical psychologist, who testified as an expert in *585 that field. Dr. Lonowski gave Geraldine Miles the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test (M.M.P.I.). She responded realistically and truthfully to the testing, which revealed an antisocial personality but no mental disease or defect. Dr. Lonowski attributed her inability to communicate with her attorney to temporary depression resulting from the stress of being charged with a crime. This inability to respond during a period of depression is not a general feature of her personality and might be an attempt at manipulation. Despite her personality disorder, Dr. Lonowski stated that Geraldine Miles should be able to participate in her defense.

The trial court concluded that Geraldine Miles' personality disorder does not constitute a mental disease or defect which would prevent her from aiding and assisting her counsel. Since the evidence did not create a reasonable doubt about defendant's sanity, the request for the appointment of a Sanity Commission was denied. Geraldine Miles was allowed to amend her plea to add not guilty by reason of insanity.

These assignments of error lack merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER FOUR

Defendants contend that the trial court erred in requiring defendants to elect either a judge or jury trial at the time of their arraignment.

The minutes reflect that both defendants appeared in court with counsel, waived formal arraignment and pleaded not guilty. Each was separately advised of the right to elect trial by jury or trial by judge. Both preferred trial by jury. Counsel objected to his clients being required to make that election at the time of arraignment. It is argued that a judge might have given this type of crime more impartial and objective treatment, but defendants did not make any effort to waive trial by jury after their arraignment.

When the right to trial by jury has been waived, reinstatement is within the discretion of the trial court. It is an abuse of discretion to deny reinstatement unless there would be adverse consequences to the court, the witnesses, or the prosecution. State v. Catanese, 385 So.2d 235 (La.,1980). Even granting that the right to be tried by a judge is of the same fundamental nature as the right to trial by jury, there is no showing that defendants could not have obtained trial by a judge after their initial election. Defendants did not move for trial by a judge at any time and proceeded without objection to their jury trial.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NUMBER FIVE AND SEVEN

Defendants assign as error the trial court's denial of two motions for discovery. These motions were correctly denied because they were untimely. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 521; LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 729. No reason was given for the failure to file timely, and there is no showing that denial of the motions prejudiced defendants.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER SIX

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Bluebook (online)
409 So. 2d 581, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-freeman-la-1982.