State v. Herrington

512 So. 2d 607
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 19, 1987
Docket18705-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 512 So. 2d 607 (State v. Herrington) 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. Herrington, 512 So. 2d 607 (La. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

512 So.2d 607 (1987)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Milton K. HERRINGTON, Appellant.

No. 18705-KA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

August 19, 1987.
Rehearing Denied September 17, 1987.
Writ Denied December 18, 1987.

*608 Blackwell, Chambliss, Hobbs & Henry by James A. Hobbs, West Monroe, for appellant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara B. Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Baton Rouge, James A. Norris, Jr., Dist. Atty., Joseph Mickel, Asst. Dist. Atty., Monroe, for appellee.

Before MARVIN, SEXTON and LINDSAY, JJ.

LINDSAY, Judge.

Milton K. Herrington was convicted after trial by jury of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, in violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967. After a presentence investigation the defendant was sentenced to serve ten years at hard labor. The defendant *609 appeals his conviction and sentence. For the following reasons, we affirm.

BACKGROUND FACTS

The record reveals that Milton Herrington was arrested after the police received a tip from Nita Gaye Walker, a reliable confidential informant and former girlfriend of the defendant, that the defendant was in possession of a quantity of cocaine which he intended to distribute. Nita Gaye Walker had agreed to assist the police, allegedly in return for assistance with a Florida case in which she was charged with possession of cocaine. Ms. Walker informed state police narcotics officers in Monroe, by phone, that the defendant was to supply her with cocaine. The informant advised the officers that the defendant was to drive her from New Orleans to Monroe.

Ms. Walker had contacted the defendant in New Orleans and asked for a ride from New Orleans to Monroe. On October 30, 1985, the defendant picked up Ms. Walker at her brother's apartment in New Orleans and they left for Monroe.

State Trooper Marion Bankson was waiting for the defendant and Ms. Walker to arrive at the Monroe airport pursuant to their prior arrangements. At approximately 6:00 p.m. on October 30, 1985 Trooper Bankson spotted the defendant driving a 1986 Pontiac Grand Am bearing license number 193N008. The defendant left Ms. Walker at the airport and proceeded to the Holidome in Monroe. Trooper Bankston followed.

After being left at the Monroe airport by the defendant, Ms. Walker met Trooper Donald French who was also stationed at the airport to keep the defendant and Ms. Walker under surveillance. Ms. Walker informed Trooper French that she had one ounce of cocaine in her possession which the defendant had given to her during the trip. She also stated that more cocaine was in the defendant's car.

Trooper Bankson was advised of those developments as he followed the defendant to the Holidome. When the defendant went to the registration desk carrying an attaché case and luggage Trooper Bankson took a position where he could watch the car and the defendant at the same time.

Sergeant James Cannon, working undercover, stood beside the defendant as he was registering at the hotel. The defendant registered in the false name of Tom Dangerfield. While the defendant was registering at the hotel, Trooper French arrived and positioned himself where he could watch the defendant's car.

As the defendant proceeded to his room, he was stopped by Sergeant Cannon and Trooper Bankson. The officers identified themselves and read the defendant his Miranda rights.

The officers testified that they took the defendant to the parking lot and put his luggage and attache case in their car and locked it. They transported the defendant to police headquarters in another police car and had his car towed in. The car was not searched at that time.

At approximately 1:05 a.m. on October 31, 1985, Trooper Bankson obtained a search warrant for the car, attacheé case and luggage. During the search of the car a Wendy's hamburger paper sack was located in the glove compartment. In the sack were five ziplock plastic baggies of suspected cocaine. Each plastic baggie contained approximately an ounce of high quality cocaine. Also found in the sack was a quantity of Inositol, a type of sugar used in "cutting" cocaine. During the investigation, the defendant's fingerprints were found on one of the plastic bags.

In addition to the cocaine and Inositol, the officers found a copy of the lease for the vehicle in the name of Carlos Marrero, a copy of the lease to appellant's $1,200 per month lakefront apartment in New Orleans, issued in the name of "Scut" Herrington, and a telephone credit card in the name of "Eddie Echols," bearing the same address shown on the apartment lease.

At police headquarters, Trooper John Fragala, Jr., read defendant his Miranda rights at approximately 8:42 p.m. Trooper Fragala testified that there were no threats or promises made to the defendant. The defendant was formally arrested at approximately *610 1:50 a.m. on October 31, 1985 and at this time Trooper Fragala again read the defendant his Miranda rights and the defendant signed a waiver of rights form. Sergeant James Cannon and Trooper Marion Bankson testified that the defendant, after having been informed of his Miranda rights on at least three occasions that night, confessed to them that he bought the cocaine found in his car from some Cubans in New Orleans at a price of approximately $10,000. He stated that he intended to sell the cocaine while in Monroe. He also named the prospective purchasers.

As he was being booked and fingerprinted, the defendant made additional inculpatory statements to Deputy Lynn Foster. He told Deputy Foster that the officers didn't get his car because he left his Mercedes in New Orleans and had rented another car. He also stated that his normal practice was to hide his cocaine in a culvert upon entering town, later returning to pick it up after being sure that no one was waiting for him at his hotel room. This time he did not follow his usual routine because he was so tired and wanted to get to the hotel and get into a hot tub.

At the trial, the defendant testified in his own defense. He claimed that he had been entrapped. He testified that the cocaine belonged to Ms. Walker and she had "set him up" so the police would recommend leniency in a case pending against her in Florida. He testified that his fingerprints were on one of the bags of cocaine because it had fallen to the floor of the car and he reached over and picked it up. The defendant also testified that he registered in a false name at the motel in order to prevent a girlfriend in Monroe from learning that he was in town.

The defendant also denied many of the statements attributed to him by the officers, although he admitted that he told the officers the cocaine belonged to him. However, he stated he did so to protect Ms. Walker. He assumed she would help get him out of this situation.

Mr. Herrington also testified that Deputy Foster was lying about the statements made to him. Herrington claimed Foster was lying in retaliation for a complaint Herrington had made to Foster's superior, Colonel Alfred Calhoun of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office. Herrington testified that Foster had asked him to "fix Foster up" with Mr. Herrington's girlfriend, who visited Mr. Herrington in jail. Deputy Foster was to take the defendant to a doctor's office and then make arrangements for both men to have time with Herrington's girlfriend. Herrington later informed Colonel Calhoun about the incident and Herrington testified that Foster retaliated by stating he would get even with the defendant.

Deputy Foster testified that he never made such a proposal to the defendant.

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Bluebook (online)
512 So. 2d 607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-herrington-lactapp-1987.