State v. Herron

879 So. 2d 778, 2004 WL 1078130
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 14, 2004
Docket2003 KA 2304
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 879 So. 2d 778 (State v. Herron) 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. Herron, 879 So. 2d 778, 2004 WL 1078130 (La. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

879 So.2d 778 (2004)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Jeremy HERRON.

No. 2003 KA 2304.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

May 14, 2004.

*781 Joseph L. Waitz, Jr., District Attorney, Mark Rhodes, Ellen Daigle Doskey, Assistant District Attorneys, Houma, for State of Louisiana.

Margaret Smith Sollars, Thibodaux, for Defendant-Appellant Jeremy Herron.

Before: PETTIGREW, DOWNING, and McCLENDON, JJ.

PETTIGREW, J.

The defendant, Jeremy Herron, was charged by bill of information with attempted second degree murder, a violation of La. R.S. 14:27 and 14:30.1. He pled not guilty. Following a trial by jury, the defendant was convicted as charged and sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor for twenty-five years, with credit for time served. The defendant filed a motion to reconsider the sentence. On reconsideration, the trial court amended the defendant's sentence to imprisonment at hard labor for fifteen years, with credit for time served. The defendant now appeals, urging the following assignments of error:

1. A mistrial should have been granted when the prosecutor elicited impermissible hearsay evidence and Brady material was withheld from the defense.
2. The evidence was insufficient to support the jury's verdict when the element of specific intent was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

For the following reasons, we set aside the judgment of the trial court and render judgment against the defendant for the lesser included offense of aggravated battery.

FACTS

In the early morning hours of June 22, 2000, pursuant to calculated plans to rob Michael Johnson ("the victim"), an alleged drug dealer, the defendant and Frederick Oatis kicked in the front door of the victim's residence. Armed with handguns, both men entered the residence. During the robbery attempt, a shot was fired, after which the defendant and Oatis fled. The victim sustained a non-fatal gunshot wound to the chest.[1]

SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE

In cases such as this one, where the defendant raises issues on appeal both as to the sufficiency of the evidence and as to one or more trial errors, the reviewing court should preliminarily determine the sufficiency of the evidence before discussing the other issues raised on appeal. State v. Hearold, 603 So.2d 731, 734 (La. 1992). The sufficiency issue must be decided first because a finding of insufficient evidence to support the guilty verdict bars the retrial of a defendant based on the *782 constitutional protection against double jeopardy. Thus, all other issues would be rendered moot. State v. Davis, XXXX-XXXX, pp. 2-3 (La.App. 1 Cir. 6/21/02), 822 So.2d 161, 163. Accordingly, we will first determine whether the evidence was sufficient to support the defendant's conviction for attempted second degree murder.

On appeal, the defendant contends the evidence adduced at trial was insufficient to support his conviction. Specifically, he argues the evidence failed to establish that he possessed the requisite specific intent to kill the victim.

The standard of review for the sufficiency of the evidence to uphold a conviction is whether, when viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, a rational trier of fact could conclude the State proved the essential elements of the crime and the defendant's identity as the perpetrator of that crime beyond a reasonable doubt. See La.Code Crim. P. art. 821; State v. Johnson, 461 So.2d 673, 674 (La.App. 1 Cir.1984). The Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979), standard of review incorporated in La.Code Crim. P. art. 821 is an objective standard for testing the overall evidence, both direct and circumstantial, for reasonable doubt. When analyzing circumstantial evidence, La. R.S. 15:438 provides the fact finder must be satisfied the overall evidence excludes every reasonable hypothesis of innocence. State v. Nevers, 621 So.2d 1108, 1116 (La. App. 1 Cir.), writ denied, 617 So.2d 906 (La.1993); State v. McLean, 525 So.2d 1251, 1255 (La.App. 1 Cir.), writ denied, 532 So.2d 130 (La.1988).

Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:30.1(A) defines second degree murder, in pertinent part, as follows:

A. Second degree murder is the killing of a human being:
(1) When the offender has a specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm; or
(2)(a) When the offender is engaged in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of ... aggravated burglary ... [or] armed robbery ... even though he has no intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm.

Under La. R.S. 14:27(A), a person is guilty of an attempt to commit an offense when he has a specific intent to commit a crime and "does or omits an act for the purpose of and tending directly toward the accomplishing of his object." Specific criminal intent is the state of mind that exists when the circumstances indicate the offender actively desired the prescribed criminal consequences to follow his act or failure to act. La. R.S. 14:10(1). Specific intent may be proved by direct evidence, such as statements by a defendant, or by inference from circumstantial evidence, such as a defendant's actions or facts depicting the circumstances. State v. Cummings, 99-3000, p. 3 (La.App. 1 Cir. 11/3/00), 771 So.2d 874, 876.

Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:24 defines "principals" as "All persons concerned in the commission of a crime, whether present or absent, and whether they directly commit the act constituting the offense, aid and abet in its commission, or directly or indirectly counsel or procure another to commit the crime." While all persons "concerned in the commission of a crime" are principals under La. R.S. 14:24, this rule has important qualifications. All persons concerned in the commission of attempted first or second degree murder must possess the specific intent to kill to be found guilty of the offense. State v. LeBlanc, 94-0282 (La.6/3/94), 637 So.2d 489. An individual may only be convicted as a principal for those crimes for which he personally has the requisite mental state. *783 State v. Bridgewater, XXXX-XXXX, p. 10 (La.1/15/02), 823 So.2d 877, 890, cert. denied, 537 U.S. 1227, 123 S.Ct. 1266, 154 L.Ed.2d 1089 (2003).

The record reflects that during the trial of this matter the State focused its case on two basic theories: 1) the defendant was the shooter and thus specifically intended to kill the victim, or 2) specific intent to kill was not required because the shooting occurred during the commission of an aggravated burglary or armed robbery. Although the State repeatedly argued its attempted felony-murder theory during the trial, it is well settled that, "[a] conviction of attempted second degree murder requires proof of specific intent to kill." State v. Franklin, 95-1876, p. 7 (La.1/14/97), 686 So.2d 38, 42. The crime of attempted second degree murder cannot be based upon an underlying felony. State v. Graham, XXXX-XXXX, p. 7 (La.App. 1 Cir. 2/14/03), 845 So.2d 416, 421. An attempt to commit second degree murder requires that the offender possess the specific intent to kill and commit an overt act tending toward the accomplishment of that goal. La. R.S. 14:27(A) and 14:30.1(A)(1).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
879 So. 2d 778, 2004 WL 1078130, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-herron-lactapp-2004.