State v. Haynes

339 So. 2d 328
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 8, 1976
Docket58129
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 339 So. 2d 328 (State v. Haynes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Haynes, 339 So. 2d 328 (La. 1976).

Opinion

339 So.2d 328 (1976)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Alfred HAYNES.

No. 58129

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

November 8, 1976.

*329 Vincent Wilkins, Jr., Appellate Counsel, for defendant-appellant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Ossie B. Brown, Dist. Atty., Ralph L. Roy, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.

SANDERS, Chief Justice.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Grand Jury indicted Alfred Haynes with the murder of Lee Stewart in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:30. After trial, the jury returned a responsive verdict of guilty of manslaughter. On appeal, we reversed defendant's conviction, set aside his sentence and remanded his case for a new trial. State v. Haynes, La., 291 So.2d 771 (1974).

The defendant was then tried for manslaughter. LSA-R.S. 14:31. After the jury found him guilty of manslaughter, the court sentenced him to serve ten years at hard labor. He appeals his conviction and sentence, relying upon eleven assignments of error.

On the evening of September 22, 1971, following an argument with his wife, Alfred Haynes went to his sister-in-law's home to ask his wife, Vivian, to return home with him. Defendant became involved in a fight with his wife, his sister-in-law, and a niece. When the niece called for help, Lee Stewart came out of the house where he was living with defendant's sister-in-law and stabbed defendant in the shoulder *330 with a kitchen knife. Although Stewart went back toward the house, defendant pulled a gun from his belt and shot Stewart in the head, killing him.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

In Assignment of Error No. 1 defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion to enjoin the empanelling of the jury venire. He contends that blacks were excluded from the petit jury venire in violation of his constitutional right to due process.

To support a challenge that blacks were systematically excluded from the jury venire, the defendant must show that the State has not complied with the statutory procedures for composition of a petit jury venire or has systematically excluded blacks from the system. State v. Brown, La., 319 So.2d 409 (1975).

The record discloses that eight of the twenty-seven prospective jurors questioned for jury service were black. The petit jury was selected by a random method in the same manner and from the comprehensive listing of the parish registered voters which was compiled by "color-blind" random procedures. In the instant case there has been no systematic exclusion in the selection of the jury venire shown. State v. Robinson, La., 302 So.2d 270 (1974).

The transcript of the voir dire examination indicates that the eight blacks were peremptorily challenged by the State. It was stipulated in the record that all twelve jurors empanelled were white. Although defendant's assignment of error complained specifically of the petit jury venire, the State's exercise of its peremptory challenges on black prospective jurors, nevertheless, will be treated.

In Swain v. Alabama, 380 U.S. 202, 85 S.Ct. 824, 13 L.Ed.2d 759 (1965), the United States Supreme Court held that the fact that the prosecutor uses his peremptory challenges to strike every qualified member of the defendant's race from the jury panel does not constitute a denial of due process or equal protection, where there is no sufficient showing of a historical pattern of exclusion.

We have frequently held that the motive for the exercise of a peremptory challenge ordinarily is not subject to judicial review, State v. Carter, La., 301 So.2d 612 (1974), at least in the absence of evidence of systematic exclusion of black jurors from the justice system over a period of time. State v. Curry, La., 319 So.2d 917 (1975); State v. Gray, La., 285 So.2d 199 (1973).

The defendant has not shown a historical pattern of exclusion of blacks. We, therefore, find defendant's assignment of error without merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 2

In Assignment of Error No. 2 defendant argues that the trial judge erred in denying his motion to have the jury sequestered.

Although the defendant was originally tried for murder, the trial here is one for manslaughter. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 791 requires mandatory jury sequestration only in capital cases. In all other cases it is within the discretion of the trial judge to sequester the jury prior to its charge.

The manslaughter verdict at the first trial had the effect of acquitting Haynes of murder, the capital offense with which he was charged. LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 598. The subject of the present trial was a non-capital offense. That charge governs sequestration procedures and makes sequestration discretionary.

As there are no special circumstances warranting sequestration, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying defendant's motion for sequestration. State v. Wells, 168 La. 925, 123 So. 621 (1929); State v. Robichaux, 165 La. 497, 115 So. 728 (1928).

Assignment of Error No. 2 is without merit.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NOS. 3, 4, 5, AND 6

In brief, defendant consolidated these assignments of error as they all relate to the *331 prosecutor's alleged improper questioning of witnesses. Defendant specifically complains that the questions were leading, prejudicial and called for the opinions of witnesses.

During the State's examination of Vivian Haynes, defendant's wife, the following colloquy took place:

"Q. To what?
"A. I was holding on to her.
"Q. To your sister?
"A. Uh-huh.
"Q. You were holding on to your sister? Why were you doing that? Were you dizzy, faint, or what? Why were you holding on to your sister?
"A. Because I didn't want to go.
"Q. I know, but—was he pulling on you?
"A. Yeah.
"Q. Is that why you were holding on to your sister?"

In objecting to this line of questioning, defendant argues that the State was coaching its witness and that the leading questions are inadmissible when propounded to one's own witness.

LSA-R.S. 15:277 provides:

"A leading question is one which suggests to the witness the answer he is to deliver, and though framed in the alternative, is inadmissible when propounded to one's own witness, unless such witness be unwilling or hostile."

In State v. Fallon, La., 290 So.2d 273 (1974) we stated:

"Notwithstanding the general rule against leading questions, the matter is largely within the discretion of the trial court, which may allow such questions to be put to a witness when it deems such course necessary or advisable, or refuse to allow such questions where the circumstances do not seem to require such mode of examination; and in the absence of palpable abuse of discretion resulting in prejudice to the accused, reversible error cannot be predicated upon a ruling of the trial court allowing leading questions. State v. Hollingsworth, 160 La. 26, 106 So. 662 (1925). And to warrant consideration on review, an objection to a leading question should point out contemporaneously the harm and prejudice the accused will suffer by permitting the question. State v. Smith, 193 La. 665, 192 So. 92 (1939); State v. Antoine, 189 La. 619, 180 So. 465 (1938); McCormick's Handbook of the Law of Evidence § 6 (2d ed.

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339 So. 2d 328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-haynes-la-1976.