State v. Guzman

665 So. 2d 512, 1995 WL 676342
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 15, 1995
Docket95-KA-444
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 665 So. 2d 512 (State v. Guzman) 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. Guzman, 665 So. 2d 512, 1995 WL 676342 (La. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

665 So.2d 512 (1995)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Monica Lynn GUZMAN.

No. 95-KA-444.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

November 15, 1995.
Writ Denied February 28, 1996.

*513 Linda Davis-Short, Gretna, for defendant/appellant.

John M. Mamoulides, District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Assistant District Attorney, Gretna (Louise Korns, of counsel), for plaintiff/appellee.

Before BOWES and WICKER, JJ., and BURNS, J. Pro Tem.

WICKER, Judge.

Monica Lynn Guzman, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the death of her seven-month-old son, appeals following imposition of the maximum sentence of 40 years at hard labor. She contends her sentence was excessive and seeks to withdraw her guilty plea. We affirm her conviction and sentence, but remand for correction of a patent error.

*514 On May 5, 1994 Guzman was charged by grand jury indictment with manslaughter, a violation of La.R.S. 14:31. At her arraignment on July 8, 1994 she entered a plea of not guilty. On November 9, 1994, the defendant withdrew her former plea of not guilty and entered a plea of guilty as charged. The trial court ordered a presentence investigation report. Prior to the imposition of sentence on March 10, 1995, defense counsel made oral motions for withdrawal of the guilty plea and for a continuance so that a sentencing hearing could be held. The trial court denied both motions. The court then sentenced the defendant to the maximum sentence of 40 years at hard labor and ordered that the defendant be given credit for time served. On March 14, 1995, the defendant filed a motion to reconsider sentence, but the trial court denied the motion without a hearing. The defendant filed her motion for appeal that same date.

FACTS

Because of the defendant's guilty plea, the facts were obtained from the presentence investigation (PSI) report. According to the PSI report Guzman's seven-month-old son died from injuries sustained while in the custody of the defendant and her live-in boyfriend, Christopher May. Guzman brought the baby to a hospital emergency room several days after he sustained the injuries. The infant died in the hospital. The autopsy report indicated the baby had bruises on his face and back, a separated spine, both legs broken, fluid in his chest, and kidneys in shock. Guzman gave conflicting versions of how the injuries were inflicted, initially saying they had occurred accidentally when she was trying to burp the infant, but later saying the baby was injured when May attacked her while she was holding the child.[1]

The PSI report related that although Guzman has a juvenile record, the instant offense is her only arrest as an adult. Guzman has been "on the streets" since age 13. She was 19 years old at the time of this offense. She gave birth to two children prior to Courtney, but both children were placed in state custody following neglect investigations and have been adopted by third parties. She denied ever being employed or receiving any training for employment.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

The defendant contends the trial court imposed an excessive sentence, in that the court grossly deviated from the sentencing guidelines and disregarded mitigating factors.

The maximum sentence for manslaughter is imprisonment for not more than 40 years at hard labor. La.R.S. 14:31. Where the victim was killed as a result of receiving a battery and was under the age of ten years, the statute imposes a minimum sentence. In March 1994, when the offense here was committed, the minimum sentence was two years at hard labor without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. The "without benefit" clause in La.R.S. 14:31 does not prohibit parole.[2]

The defendant was sentenced pursuant to the Felony Sentencing Guidelines, La.Admin.Code 22:101 et seq., which were then in effect. The sentencing guidelines as they existed at the time of trial recommended a sentence of imprisonment from 72 months (6 years) to 102 months (8½ years), which is the sentencing range recommended in the PSI report.

The sentencing guidelines were repealed, however, while this case was pending on appeal. By Acts 1995, No. 942, effective August 15, 1995, the legislature repealed the sentencing guidelines and amended La.Code Crim.P. art. 894.1 to delete reference to those guidelines and to provide the sentencing guidelines now in effect. (The full text of Article 894.1, as amended, follows this opinion as an appendix.)

Under Art. 894.1(C), the court must state for the record the considerations taken into *515 account and the factual basis therefor in imposing sentence. In addition, the revision amended La.Code Crim.P. art. 881.4 to state, "The appellate court shall not set aside a sentence for excessiveness if the record supports the sentence imposed."

In imposing the maximum sentence of 40 years, the trial court made the following statement:

Ms. Guzman, in contemplating the sentencing, the Court has considered the sentencing guidelines and is deviating from them for the following reasons:
There is an undue risk that during a period of suspended sentence or probation that you will commit another crime. You are in need of correctional treatment in a custodial environment that can be provided most effectively by a commitment to a penal institution. And anything less than the maximum sentence would deprecate the seriousness of your crime.
The Court takes notice of the fact that the victim in this case, an infant, died as a result of abuse and neglect. His injuries included two bruises to the facial area, two fractured femur bones, a complete separation of the spine, bruises to the shoulder blade, fluid in the lungs and kidneys, which showed signs of shock.
Due to the heinous and cruel nature of this offense and the fact that the victim was a seven month old baby who was senselessly killed, I hereby sentence you, Monica Guzman, to 40 years at hard labor with credit for time served.
A further consideration of the Court in preparing for this sentencing is the fact that as the law exists presently in Louisiana, a sentence of 40 years, which is the maximum for manslaughter, means realistically that you will only serve 13 years.
The Court feels that even this time is insufficient for the crime committed.

In State v. Smith, 93-0402 (La. 7/5/94), 639 So.2d 237, 240, the Louisiana Supreme Court stated:

(1) [W]hile a trial judge must consider the Guidelines, he has complete discretion to reject the Guidelines and impose any sentence which is not constitutionally excessive, [footnote omitted] but is within the statutory sentencing range for the crime of which a defendant has been convicted, so long as he states for the record the considerations taken into account and the factual basis for his imposition of that sentence, La.Code Cr.P. art. 894.1; and (2) where the trial judge has considered the Guidelines and imposed a sentence, adequately stating for the record the considerations taken into account and the factual basis for imposition of that sentence, an appellate court is limited to a review of the sentence imposed for constitutional excessiveness, without regard as to whether the trial judge either employed or deviated from the Guidelines. [Emphasis in source.]

In the instant case the trial judge's statement that he had considered the guidelines and that he would deviate from the guidelines presupposes consideration of the guidelines.

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Bluebook (online)
665 So. 2d 512, 1995 WL 676342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-guzman-lactapp-1995.