State v. Gobert

24 So. 3d 1013, 9 La.App. 3 Cir. 607, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 2057, 2009 WL 4639338
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 9, 2009
Docket09-607, 09-608
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 24 So. 3d 1013 (State v. Gobert) 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. Gobert, 24 So. 3d 1013, 9 La.App. 3 Cir. 607, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 2057, 2009 WL 4639338 (La. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

GENOVESE, Judge.

|; Subsequent to habitual offender adjudication, the Defendant, Carl Anthony Go-bert, appeals his habitual offender sentence of twenty years at hard labor. For the following reasons, we affirm his conviction.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The Defendant was charged by bill of information in trial court docket number 104183 with second degree battery, in violation of La. R.S. 14:34.1. The Defendant entered a plea of not guilty on December *1014 5, 2006. Pursuant to trial by jury, the Defendant was found guilty as charged and was sentenced to serve five years at hard labor and to pay a fine of $2,000. An oral motion for appeal was subsequently made. Thereafter, the Defendant was charged as an habitual offender in trial court docket number 119176. He denied the charge and was then adjudicated a fourth offender under La. R.S. 15:529.1. His previous sentence was vacated, and he was sentenced, as an habitual offender, to twenty years at hard labor.

A Motion for Appeal, Consolidation with Original Appeal and Designation of Record was filed on December 23, 2008, and subsequently granted. The Defendant is now before this court asserting one assignment of error. He contends that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction.

FACTS

On July 12, 2004, Vial Thibodeaux, Jr., worked at Wal-Mart. While breaking down merchandise shipments, he was approached by the Defendant and Flora Thomas and asked if the merchandise he was handling was clearance merchandise. Mr. Thibodeaux indicated that it was not, and the two then left.

Mr. Thibodeaux later heard the alarm at the door go off and saw Ms. Thomas |2go through the doors with a buggy filled with merchandise. Mr. Thibodeaux approached Ms. Thomas and asked her for a receipt. Ms. Thomas stated that she had paid for the merchandise in the back of the store and left her receipt there. Ms. Thomas continued walking outside, and Mr. Thibo-deaux grabbed the buggy. Once outside, Mr. Thibodeaux was hit from behind. Mr. Thibodeaux stated that as a result of being struck, he was rendered unconscious for a few minutes, and, when he awoke, he was “full of blood.” Mr. Thibodeaux attempted to return to the store, but was hit from behind again. He was knocked down, stomped, and kicked in the neck, shoulders, and back.

ERRORS PATENT

In accordance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 920, all appeals are reviewed for errors patent on the face of the record. After reviewing the record, we note one error patent concerning the Defendant’s habitual offender proceeding.

The record in this case does not indicate that the Defendant was advised of his right to remain silent, his right to a hearing, and his right to have the State prove its case against him. 1 In State v. Coleman, 96-525, pp. 12-13 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/7/98), 720 So.2d 381, 387, this court explained in pertinent part:

Although the right to remain silent is not specifically set forth in La. R.S. 15:529.1, in State v. Johnson, 432 So.2d 815 (La.1983), writ granted on other grounds, 438 So.2d 1113 (La.1983); appeal after remand, 457 So.2d 1251 (La.App. 1 Cir.1984), appeal after remand, 471 So.2d 1041 (La.App. 1 Cir.1985), the Louisiana Supreme Court held this statute clearly recognizes the defendant has the right to remain silent, and the statute implicitly provided defendant should be advised by the court of his right to remain silent. The court in Johnson, relying on State v. Martin, 427 So.2d 1182 (La.1983), further stated La. R.S. 15:529.1(D) specifically provides defen *1015 dant shall be advised of his right to a formal hearing and to demand that the state prove its case.

This court has found that the failure to advise a defendant of the right to remain silent and to have the State prove its case against him is harmless when the defendant is adjudicated a habitual offender after a full hearing, and the defendant does not testify or acknowledge his status as a habitual offender. See State v. Alexander, 05-276, 05-277 (La.App. 8 Cir. 11/2/05), 916 So.2d 303. However, in the present case, defense counsel stipulated as to the Defendant’s identity for the prior convictions.

In State v. Harris, 95-900, pp. 1-2 (La.5/19/95), 654 So.2d 680, the supreme court, reviewing the grant of an application for post-conviction relief, stated:

Admissions of identity at a multiple offender hearing implicate the defendant’s Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. State v. Johnson, 432 So.2d 815 (La.1983). Nevertheless, multiple offender proceedings “simply should not be equated (at least for purposes of determining the validity of an admission) to trials of guilt or innocence.” State v. Martin, 427 So.2d 1182, 1185 (La.1983). This Court has therefore declined to adopt as a constitutional prerequisite to a valid admission of identity at a multiple offender proceeding a procedure analogous to the Boykin colloquy which must accompany a valid plea of guilty. Id., 427 So.2d at 1185, n. 7. In the absence of any allegation or showing that the admission was involuntary, compare State v. Johnson, supra, the availability of post-conviction relief turns on whether the proceedings as a whole accorded the petitioner fundamental fairness and due process of law. See, Holloway v. Lynaugh, 838 F.2d 792 (5th Cir.), [cert. denied ], 488 U.S. 838, 109 S.Ct. 104, 102 L.Ed.2d 80 (1988); State v. Firmin, 522 So.2d 1181 (La.App. 4th Cir.), [writ denied ], 532 So.2d 759 (La.1988).
In this case, the prosecution introduced and filed into evidence a sworn affidavit from the Department of Corrections to prove that petitioner, Roy Harris, was the same person who was previously convicted of the predicate felonies which led to the multiple bill. Defense counsel made his stipulation in open court and in the presence of the petitioner. A complete review of the transcript reveals that the petitioner was given a fundamentally fair hearing wherein the state proved the prior felony convictions.

|4In State v. Samuel, 08-100 (La.App. 3 Cir. 5/28/08), 984 So.2d 256, writ denied, 08-1419 (La.2/20/09), 1 So.3d 493, writ denied, 08-1487 (La.2/20/09), 1 So.3d 495, this court dealt with an issue similar to that presented in this case. At defendant Samuel’s habitual offender hearing, he testified, acknowledging his prior convictions, without being advised of his right to remain silent. This court found that the defendant’s testimony was voluntary, the defendant was represented by counsel, and a full habitual offender hearing was held. Accordingly, it held that the trial court’s failure to advise the defendant of his right to remain silent was harmless and that the defendant was afforded a fair hearing.

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Bluebook (online)
24 So. 3d 1013, 9 La.App. 3 Cir. 607, 2009 La. App. LEXIS 2057, 2009 WL 4639338, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gobert-lactapp-2009.