State v. Gatewood

103 So. 3d 627, 12 La.App. 5 Cir. 281, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1353, 2012 WL 5344983
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 30, 2012
DocketNo. 12-KA-281
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 103 So. 3d 627 (State v. Gatewood) 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. Gatewood, 103 So. 3d 627, 12 La.App. 5 Cir. 281, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1353, 2012 WL 5344983 (La. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

SUSAN M. CHEHARDY, Judge.

hOn appeal, defendant challenges his conviction and sentence for third-offense domestic abuse battery. For the following reasons, we affirm his conviction and sentence.

[630]*630 Procedural history

On April 26, 2011, the St. Charles Parish District Attorney filed a bill of information charging defendant, William Gatewood, with third-offense domestic abuse battery, in violation of La. R.S. 14:35.3. On August 23, 2011, trial commenced, after which the six-person jury unanimously found defendant guilty as charged.

On November 17, 2011, after his motion for new trial was denied, defendant waived sentencing delays. Immediately thereafter, the trial judge sentenced defendant to five years in the Department of Corrections and imposed a $2,000.00 fine, which was suspended as long as defendant, his family, and his agents or assigns avoid contact with the victim or any member of her family. Defendant moved for an appeal, which was granted. laFacts

On June 19, 2010, at approximately 11:00 p.m., Tanya Gilliland and her boyfriend, defendant herein, left a party in her vehicle to pick up Ms. Gilliland’s daughter. As Ms. Gilliland drove, defendant rode in the passenger seat and began a discussion about Ms. Gilliland’s mother. When Ms. Gilliland exited Interstate 310 near the Hahnville Bridge, defendant shifted the car into “Neutral” and removed the keys from the vehicle’s ignition. Ms. Gilliland struggled to control the vehicle. At that point, the argument escalated, and when Ms. Gilliland turned to look at defendant, he struck her in the mouth with his hand.

At her first opportunity, Ms. Gilliland pulled her vehicle to the side of the road and stopped. When she exited the vehicle, defendant threw her entire set of keys into a nearby field. The couple argued on the side of the road for a few minutes. Ms. Gilliland then found a spare key in her purse, returned to her vehicle, and drove to a nearby bar called McGuire’s Pub.

When Ms. Gilliland entered McGuire’s, the bartender noticed that Ms. Gilliland was crying hysterically and very upset and stopped her to inquire about her situation. The bartender, Amanda Hughes, called the police.

Deputy Christopher Baird arrived at the bar at approximately 11:22 p.m. Deputy Baird observed that Ms. Gilliland, who was very upset and crying, had a split and swollen lip. Ms. Gilliland told him that she had been in an altercation with her boyfriend. Ms. Gilliland refused medical assistance at the scene. Deputy Baird did not smell alcohol on Ms. Gilliland’s breath or observe any signs that she was under the influence that night.

After Deputy Baird spoke to Ms. Gilli-land, deputies searched and found Ms. Gil-liland’s keys in a grassy area on the side of River Road. The deputies did not find defendant during their search.

4At trial, Ms. Gilliland testified that she and defendant had been in a “volatile” relationship for “a couple” of years, and she had lived with him during 2009. She admitted that she was afraid of defendant.

She testified regarding the incident in question that, while she and defendant were arguing, it was dark in the car. Further, she could not see if defendant hit her with his open hand or a closed fist, but she did know that she “did get hit” and defendant was very angry. Furthermore, she did not consent to defendant hitting her. With regard to the injuries she sustained on the night in question, Ms. Gilliland stated that her teeth, gums, sinuses, face, and head hurt. Finally, she testified that she did not go to work for a week and a half because of her “busted lip and abused face.”

At trial, the State and the defense stipulated that defendant was previously convicted of two separate domestic battery [631]*631offenses in St. Tammany Parish. After hearing the testimony and considering the evidence, the jury found defendant guilty as charged. This appeal follows.

Law and argument

On appeal, defendant raises five assignments of error and three pro se assignments of error. In his third pro se assignment of error, defendant argues that the trial judge erred by denying his motion for new trial. Specifically, he contends that the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict because the State failed to prove that the alleged crime he committed was an intentional act. Defendant notes that Ms. Gilliland was not sure how the incident occurred and did not testify that the act was intentional.

When the issues on appeal relate to both the sufficiency of evidence and one or more trial errors, the reviewing court should first determine the sufficiency of the evidence by considering the entirety of the evidence. State v. Hearold, 603 So.2d 731, 734 (La.1992). If the reviewing court determines that the evidence was insufficient, then the defendant is entitled to an acquittal, and no further inquiry as to trial errors is necessary. Id. Alternatively, when the entirety of the evidence, both admissible and inadmissible, is sufficient to support the conviction, the defendant is not entitled to an acquittal, and the reviewing court must consider the assignments of trial error to determine whether the accused is entitled to a new trial. Id. Therefore, we will address the sufficiency of the evidence at the outset.

In reviewing the sufficiency of evidence, an appellate court must determine that the evidence, whether direct or circumstantial, or a mixture of both, viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, was sufficient to convince a rational trier of fact that all of the elements of the crime have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Neal, 00-0674, p. 9 (La.6/29/01), 796 So.2d 649, 657, cert. denied, 535 U.S. 940, 122 S.Ct. 1323, 152 L.Ed.2d 231 (2002).

In cases involving circumstantial evidence, the trial court must instruct the jury that, “assuming every fact to be proved that the evidence tends to prove, in order to convict, it must exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence.” La. R.S. 15:438. The reviewing court is not required to determine whether another possible hypothesis of innocence suggested by the defendant offers an exculpatory explanation of events. Rather, the reviewing court must determine whether the possible alternative hypothesis is sufficiently reasonable that a rational juror could not have found proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Mitchell, 99-3342 (La.10/17/00), 772 So.2d 78, 83; State v. Washington, 03-1135 (La.App. 5 Cir. 1/27/04), 866 So.2d 973, 977.

In this cage, defendant was convicted of domestic abuse battery, third offense, in violation of La. R.S. 14:35.3. “Domestic abuse battery is the intentional | fiuse of force or violence committed by one household member upon the person of another household member.” La. R.S. 14:35.3(A).

On appeal, defendant’s sole contention with regard to sufficiency is that the State failed to prove he intentionally committed the crime. As it is the only issue presented for review, it is the only issue that will be addressed herein.

Criminal intent may be specific or general. La. R.S. 14:10. The statute in question, La. R.S.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
103 So. 3d 627, 12 La.App. 5 Cir. 281, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1353, 2012 WL 5344983, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gatewood-lactapp-2012.