State v. Gachot

609 So. 2d 269, 1992 WL 319621
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 4, 1992
DocketCr 92-313
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 609 So. 2d 269 (State v. Gachot) 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. Gachot, 609 So. 2d 269, 1992 WL 319621 (La. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

609 So.2d 269 (1992)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Michael J. GACHOT.

No. Cr 92-313.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

November 4, 1992.

*271 Charles Riddle, III, Marksville and Dan McKay, Bunkie, for defendant-appellant.

J. Edward Knoll, Dist. Atty., Marksville, for plaintiff-appellee.

Before GUIDRY, J., and CULPEPPER[*] and SALOOM[*], JJ. Pro Tem.

KALISTE J. SALOOM, Jr., Judge Pro Tem.

The defendant, Michael J. Gachot, was convicted on January 8, 1992, after trial by jury of the murder of his parents, Carl and Lois Gachot. For count one, the murder of Carl Gachot, defendant was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to twenty-one (21) years at hard labor. For count two, the murder of Lois Gachot, defendant was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. These sentences are to be served consecutively. From these convictions and sentences, defendant appeals assigning eighteen (18) errors.

FACTS:

The defendant, Michael Gachot, was fifteen (15) years old at the time of the shootings of his mother and father. On Friday, September 6, 1991, the defendant and his parents left their home on the grounds of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Louisiana, to go to their weekend home in the Dupont community in Avoyelles Parish. Defendant's father was employed as an investigator at the state prison and defendant's mother was employed as a secretary. The Gachots arrived at their trailer in the Dupont community around 8:00 p.m. Defendant unloaded the family's car and van, and began picking up some papers left in the trailer by his half brother, Clay Gachot. Clay Gachot was twenty-three (23) years old and lived at the family's trailer during the week, but left to live with the grandparents when the family arrived on weekends. Clay Gachot was not home at the time of the shootings.

Defendant's parents had been discussing separation and ultimately, divorce. According to defendant, the issue of his custody came down to neither parent wanted him but neither parent wanted the other parent to have him. Defendant was having problems with both parents, but particularly with his father. Defendant testified that his father had accused him of being a homosexual, called him names such as "queer", "faggot", and threatened to kill defendant's mother in front of defendant and then kill defendant, if he ever found out that defendant was indeed homosexual. Prior to departing from Angola, defendant claimed his father told him that he now knew him to be homosexual.

On the night of September 6, 1991, defendant's parents began to argue again about their separation and divorce. Defendant testified he was going to run away on September 6, 1991, because he was so unhappy. Defendant claimed he was told to leave, but he decided to stay and persuade his parents to work out their differences. *272 During the course of the argument, defendant's father again began to verbally attack defendant, and defendant claims he lost awareness of his actions until after he had shot both his father and mother.

Defendant called his brother, Clay, who was at the home of his girlfriend and told him of the shootings. Defendant told Clay his father shot his mother and then tried to shoot defendant, but in a struggle over the gun defendant shot his father. Clay Gachot, who had been employed at the Avoyelles-Bunkie Detention Center as a booking deputy, called Deputy Charles Bryant and then went to the home of Deputy Vincent McGlone. Both deputies were his friends. Deputy McGlone lived close to the Gachot home and after Clay told him what had happened, Deputy McGlone went to the home to render aid and then secure the scene.

Once the coroner, Dr. L.J. Mayeaux, Jr., and the detectives arrived at the scene, their investigation led to physical findings inconsistent with the defendant's version of what occurred. Defendant had been asked to go from his grandparents' home to the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Office in Marksville to give a statement the first of which ended at 12:51 a.m. After defendant gave his second statement which ended at 2:25 a.m., the coroner and a detective confronted him with their findings. Defendant eventually gave a third statement, shortly after 3:00 a.m., confessing to both killings.

Originally indicted for two counts of first-degree murder, the state ultimately amended the charges to two counts of second-degree murder after it realized that Thompson v. Oklahoma, infra, and State v. Stone, 535 So.2d 362 (La.1988), would prevent it from seeking the death penalty for a 15 year old. After trial by jury, defendant was found guilty as charged for the murder of Lois B. Gachot, and guilty of manslaughter for the murder of Carl Gachot.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1:

By his first assignment of error, defendant claims the trial court erred in denying a Motion to Quash the indictment based upon the unconstitutionality of La.R.S. 13:1570, repealed by Acts 1991, No. 235, § 17, effective January 1, 1992. As of January 1, 1992, the new Children's Code became effective, and the substantive provisions of La.R.S. 13:1570 were incorporated into Children's Code article 305. See official comments to Ch. Code Art. 305.

At the time defendant was indicted, La. R.S. 13:1570 (1984) provided:

Except as otherwise provided herein, the court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in proceedings:
A. Concerning any child whose domicile is within the parish or who is found within the parish:
* * * * * *
(5) Who violates any law or ordinance, except a child who, after having become fifteen years of age or older is charged with having committed first degree murder, second degree murder, manslaughter, aggravated rape, or a person who, after becoming sixteen years of age or older, is charged with having committed armed robbery, aggravated burglary, or aggravated kidnapping. Once such a child has been charged with having committed any offense listed in this Paragraph, the district court shall retain jurisdiction over his case, even though the child pleads guilty to, or is convicted of, a lesser included offense, and a plea to, or conviction of, a lesser included offense shall not revest the court exercising juvenile jurisdiction of such a child.

Defendant argues that the failure of the statute to provide a transfer hearing and a rebuttable presumption in favor of the juvenile remaining under juvenile court jurisdiction renders the applicable statute unconstitutional. Defendant cites Thompson v. Oklahoma, 487 U.S. 815, 108 S.Ct. 2687, 101 L.Ed.2d 702 (1988), for the proposition that a transfer hearing is constitutionally mandated and the failure to so provide renders the Louisiana scheme unconstitutional. A reading of the opinion in Thompson reveals that the Supreme Court held that the imposition of the death penalty upon criminals who were under sixteen (16) years of age at the time of the crime was unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment. Nowhere in the Thompson opinion does the Supreme Court discuss the validity of the court procedures used in the case.

*273 In State v. Perique, 439 So.2d 1060 (La. 1983), the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that La.R.S. 13:1570 was constitutional. None of the cases cited by defendant support his claim that La.R.S.

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Bluebook (online)
609 So. 2d 269, 1992 WL 319621, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gachot-lactapp-1992.