State v. Gunnells

619 So. 2d 192, 1993 WL 188986
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 2, 1993
DocketCR92-1338
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 619 So. 2d 192 (State v. Gunnells) 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. Gunnells, 619 So. 2d 192, 1993 WL 188986 (La. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

619 So.2d 192 (1993)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Chad GUNNELLS and Kenneth Gunnells, Defendants-Appellants.

No. CR92-1338.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

June 2, 1993.

*194 Frederick Albert Duhy Jr., Donald Whitehead North, Kathleen Elizabeth Petersen, for State of La.

Timothy Allison Meche, for Chad Gunnells and Kenneth Gunnells.

Before DOMENGEAUX, C.J., and YELVERTON and SAUNDERS, JJ.

SAUNDERS, Judge.

Defendants, Kenneth and Chad Gunnells, were each charged with the November 16, 1991, second degree battery of Officer Clint Lemoine, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:34.1. Following a two day trial, a unanimous six (6) person jury found both defendants guilty as charged. Thereafter, each defendant was sentenced to forty-eight (48) months with the Louisiana Department of Corrections. On appeal, both defendants assert fourteen (14) assignments of error alleging their convictions should be reversed.

FACTS

On November 16, 1991, Detective Clint Lemoine, a detective for the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Department, received injuries while attempting to arrest the defendant, Chad Gunnells, on charges of disturbing the peace and trespassing. Detective Lemoine was first notified in the early evening by telephone that there was a disturbance at the residence of his niece, Melissa Jeansonne, and her fiancee, Jessee Desselle. The caller, Shelly Boudreaux Rabalais, told Detective Lemoine that "Chad [Gunnells] was there cussing and whooping and hollering and saying that he was going to get them; he was on their property." Apparently, this phone call was the end result of a series of altercations throughout the day between Chad Gunnells and Jesse Desselle. This conflict stemmed from the fact that Melissa Jeansonne had been married to Chad Gunnells' older brother who had committed suicide as a result of their soured relationship.

Detective Lemoine, along with Linscom Joseph "Doc" Brouillette, arrived at Melissa Jeansonne's and Jesse Deselle's residence and took Desselle's formal complaint. At that time, Desselle also executed an affidavit and "Doc" Brouillette issued an arrest warrant based on this sworn affidavit. Thereafter, based upon information provided by Desselle that Chad Gunnells was across the street at Pettie Sue Armand's residence, Detective Lemoine and Doc Brouillette went to the Armand residence to arrest Chad. Clint Lemoine knocked on the door of the Armand residence and was eventually met by Ms. Armand who informed him that the defendant was not there. While walking away from the Armand residence, Detective Lemoine met up with Chad. At that time, Detective *195 Lemoine grabbed Chad and attempted to take him to the vehicle in order to arrest him.

Both parties agree that initially Chad attempted to break free from Detective Lemoine and a struggle occurred between the two. While this skirmish was occurring, Kenneth Gunnells, Chad Gunnells' uncle and the co-defendant in the present case, arrived on the scene. Kenneth Gunnells and Detective Lemoine engaged in a physical confrontation which resulted in both parties ending on the ground. Defendant, Kenneth Gunnells, testified that at the time of the skirmish, he did not know that Lemoine was a police detective as he was in an unmarked vehicle and was not wearing a uniform. Kenneth Gunnells testified that he was under the impression that Lemoine was a friend of Desselle's, and was trying to harm Chad. He further testified that had he known that Lemoine was a policeman, he would not have engaged in any sort of physical confrontation.

Contrary to defendants' version, Detective Lemoine, along with several other witnesses for the state, described their version of the events. Detective Lemoine testified that he first located Chad Gunnells in the yard of the Armand residence. He further testified that Chad Gunnells approached him saying, "Here I am, here I am." Lemoine informed Chad Gunnells that he had a warrant for his arrest to which Chad Gunnells responded with profanity and told Lemoine, "... I ain't going nowheres." After a time, Chad Gunnells quit resisting and was being escorted to the car at which time Kenneth Gunnells came up to Detective Lemoine from behind, stating, "If you take him, you're going to have to f___ing take me too because he's not going to go." Detective Lemoine testified that, at that point, he informed Kenneth Gunnells as to why he was arresting Chad Gunnells and "asked him not to interfere." At that time, Detective Lemoine stated that he was jumped by both the defendants. He further testified that he was on the ground receiving blows from all directions and he saw Kenneth Gunnells strike him. As a result of this altercation, Detective Lemoine's nose was broken and a deep laceration in his mouth required fifty to sixty stitches. Detective Lemoine also received numerous bruises and scrapes to his face, upper torso, chest, sides, back and stomach causing him considerable pain. Detective Lemoine testified that he took pain medication for two weeks and missed about one week of work. As a result of this fight, Detective Lemoine will require nasal surgery and will be permanently scarred. Detective Lemoine admitted that he was in plain clothes and was traveling in an unmarked vehicle; however, contrary to Kenneth Gunnells' assertions, Lemoine stated that Kenneth Gunnells was aware that he was a police officer.

DISCUSSION

After a review of the record, we find no errors patent. Additionally, five (5) of the defendants' assignments of error were not briefed and are, therefore, considered abandoned on appeal in accordance with the Uniform Rules—Courts of Appeal, Rule 2-12.4.

MOTION TO QUASH/REQUESTED JURY INSTRUCTION

By their first assignment of error, defendants contend that the Motion to Quash the bill of information charging them with the second degree battery of Detective Lemoine, should have been granted because Chad Gunnells' arrest was illegal. Defendants further argue that the trial court erred when it refused to instruct the jury as to the illegality of Chad Gunnells' arrest.

The motion to quash claimed that the warrant issued by Justice "Doc" Brouillette was invalid because the warrant was not issued by a "neutral and detached" magistrate and therefore, the arrest was illegal and the charge of second degree battery should be quashed. In the alternative, the motion requested that a special jury charge be given instructing the jury that the defendants had a right, under Louisiana law, to resist an illegal arrest provided that the force used was reasonable. *196 The trial court denied the motion to quash and the requested jury charge.

We note that as a general rule, the law requires that arrest warrants be issued by a "neutral and detached" magistrate. However, the neutrality of Justice "Doc" Brouillette is of no moment because the arrest was otherwise valid under LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 213(3), which provides in pertinent part:

A peace officer may, without a warrant, arrest a person when:
. . . .
(3) The peace officer has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed an offense, although not in the presence of the officer; or

First, we note that the defendants have never contended that the initial arrest was illegal based upon a lack of probable cause. Second, we find that the facts of the present case clearly demonstrate that Detective Lemoine had probable cause to arrest Chad Gunnells.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
619 So. 2d 192, 1993 WL 188986, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gunnells-lactapp-1993.