State v. Harris

761 So. 2d 662, 2000 WL 739409
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided May 3, 2000·No. 98-KA-2932·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

761 So.2d 662 (2000)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Edward J. HARRIS.

No. 98-KA-2932.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 3, 2000.

*664 Harry F. Connick, District Attorney of Orleans Parish, Susan Erlanger Talbot, Assistant District Attorney, New Orleans, LA, Counsel for Plaintiff.

Pamela S. Moran, Louisiana Appellate Project, New Orleans, LA, Counsel for Defendant.

(Court composed of Judge MIRIAM G. WALTZER, Judge DENNIS R. BAGNERIS, Sr. and Judge ROBERT A. KATZ).

WALTZER, Judge.[1]

STATEMENT OF CASE

Defendant, Edward J. Harris, was charged by bill of information with distribution of cocaine in violation of La. R.S. 40:967 and possession of a firearm while distributing a controlled dangerous substance, cocaine, in violation of La. R.S. 14:95. The defendant pled not guilty to both counts at his arraignment. At a motion hearing the trial court found probable cause and denied defendant's motion to suppress evidence. After a jury trial, the defendant was found guilty as charged on both counts. The State filed a multiple bill of information to which the defendant pled not guilty. A sentencing and multiple offender hearing was held on 2 April 1998, at which the defendant was adjudicated a second felony offender. On the same date, the defendant filed a motion for new trial, a motion for post verdict judgment of acquittal, and a motion for appeal. The trial court denied defendant's motion for new trial and motion for post verdict judgment of acquittal. The trial court then sentenced defendant under the multiple bill. The trial court sentenced defendant on the distribution of cocaine charge to twenty-five years at hard labor.[2] The trial court imposed a sentence of ten years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on the possession of firearm charge. The trial court ordered that the sentences were to be served consecutively. The defendant filed a motion to reconsider sentence that was denied by the trial court. Defendant's motion for appeal was granted.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

On 29 September 1997, Sgt. Patrick Burns was supervising a "buy-bust" operation. Det. Adam Henry was the undercover agent. Sgt. Brown supplied Det. Henry with one hundred dollars in marked currency. Henry was dressed in plain clothes and drove a nontraditional unmarked police vehicle equipped with audio and video recorders and a transmitter. At approximately 10:30 p.m., Sgt. Brown and Det. Paul Toye positioned their vehicle at the intersection of Clara Street and Jackson Avenue. Shortly thereafter, Det. Henry drove into the area. As Det. Henry turned onto Clara Street, the defendant, who was standing in the 2100 block of Clara Street, made contact with Det. Henry. Sgt. Brown heard through his transmitter Det. Henry ask defendant to sell him two pieces of crack cocaine. Once the transaction was completed, Henry drove out of the area and provided Sgt. Brown and Det. Toye with a description of the defendant. Sgt. Brown observed the defendant wearing a white tee shirt with "French Quarter" written across the chest *665 and blue jean cutoff shorts. Sgt. Brown then transmitted the defendant's description to the takedown units in the area and ordered the takedown units to apprehend and arrest the defendant. When the defendant saw marked police vehicles turning onto Clara Street, he ran down an alleyway. Officer Travis McCabe and Det. Paul Toye pursued the defendant on foot. McCabe apprehended and arrested the defendant. Toye retrieved a weapon that the defendant had discarded during the pursuit. The defendant was then arrested for possession of the weapon. A Polaroid photograph of the defendant was taken and shown to Det. Henry. Henry identified the defendant as the person who sold him the crack cocaine. The defendant was then arrested for distribution of cocaine and transported to Central Lockup.

Detective Adam Henry testified that he participated in a "buy-bust" operation as an undercover agent. He was dressed in plain clothes and drove an undercover vehicle equipped with electronic recording and transmitting equipment. Det. Henry stated that as he turned onto Clara Street, the defendant flagged him down. The officer asked the defendant for "two dimes." The defendant and the officer then exchanged money for two pieces of cocaine. After the purchase was completed, Henry left the area and gave the other officers a description of the defendant. After the other officers apprehended the defendant, Sgt. Brown met Henry away from the scene. Brown showed him a Polaroid photograph. Henry identified the defendant in the photograph as the person who sold him the crack cocaine.

Officer Travis McCabe testified that after having received a description of the defendant, he proceeded to the 2100 block of Clara Street and observed the defendant standing on the right side of the street. When the defendant saw the police vehicle, he fled down a driveway. Officer McCabe exited his vehicle and pursued the defendant on foot. McCabe saw the defendant take the weapon from his waistband and throw it on the ground. Officer McCabe apprehended the defendant in the rear yard of a residence on Clara Street. Det. Toye assisted in the defendant's apprehension and retrieved the fully loaded weapon while McCabe arrested the defendant.

Det. Toye testified that he saw the defendant throw a gun to the ground during the pursuit. Det. Toye retrieved the weapon, which was a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver and searched the defendant after his arrest, finding marked currency (a twenty dollar bill) and an additional seven dollars.

The parties stipulated at trial that the two rocks sold by the defendant to Det. Henry tested positive for cocaine.

The defendant, Edward Harris, denied selling cocaine to Det. Henry. Harris testified that he was walking from an all night liquor store with a friend, Herman Harris, when the police stopped them. The defendant stated that the police pushed him to the ground and asked him the location of a "bag of rocks." The defendant denied having a "bag of rocks" or knowing the location of the "bag of rocks." A sergeant then came over and told the officers to search the whole area for the cocaine. An officer found a gun in the area. The defendant denied ownership of the gun. The defendant claimed that he did not run from the police officers. He stated that he was beaten and kicked by the officers.

On rebuttal, Sgt. Brown testified that he did not see any officers kick and/or beat the defendant. He stated that the defendant did not have any injuries and was not taken to the hospital after his arrest.

ERRORS PATENT REVIEW

A review of the record for errors patent reveals several errors. The record shows that the trial court sentenced defendant immediately after having denied defendant's motions for new trial and post verdict judgment of acquittal. There is no indication in the record that the defendant waived his rights to all legal *666 delays prior to sentencing. Under La. C.Cr.P. art. 873, the defendant is entitled to a twenty-four hour delay between the rulings on his post trial motions and sentencing. In State v. Augustine, 555 So.2d 1331 (La.1990), the Louisiana Supreme Court held that failure to waive the twenty-four hour delay voided the defendant' sentence if the defendant attacks his sentence, even though the defendant fails to specifically allege this failure as an error on appeal. As the defendant challenges his sentences on appeal, his sentences under the multiple bill must be vacated and the matter remanded for resentencing.

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State v. Harris, 761 So. 2d 662, 2000 WL 739409 (La. Ct. App. 2000).

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