State v. Horne

88 So. 3d 562, 11 La.App. 5 Cir. 204, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 151, 2012 WL 469890
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 14, 2012
DocketNos. 11-KA-204, 11-KA-205
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 88 So. 3d 562 (State v. Horne) 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. Horne, 88 So. 3d 562, 11 La.App. 5 Cir. 204, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 151, 2012 WL 469890 (La. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

FREDERICKA HOMBERG WICKER, Judge.

|Jn this criminal proceeding, defendant/appellant, Andrew E. Horne, appeals his convictions and sentences. A 12-per-son jury found Mr. Horne guilty as charged of two-counts of the four-count bill of information: armed robbery and felon in possession of a firearm. The trial judge imposed respective 30-year and 10-year concurrent sentences. Thereafter, the trial judge found that Mr. Horne was a third-time felony offender and vacated the armed robbery sentence. The trial judge then imposed a 66-year concurrent habitual offender sentence. On appeal, Mr. Horne argues that his 66-year sentence is constitutionally excessive. For the reasons that follow, we affirm and remand with instructions to correct the minute entries/commitments.

Procedural History

The state filed a four-count bill of information with all offenses allegedly having occurred on July 16, 2008. The first count charged Mr. Horne with armed Rrobbery with a firearm in violation of La.R.S. 14:64 and La.R.S. 14:64.3. The bill alleged that Mr. Horne robbed Geraldine Winslow and/or Hancock Bank (count one). The second count charged Mr. Horne with attempted second degree murder of Gary Soileau, in violation of La.R.S. 14:27 and La.R.S. 14:30.1 (count two). The third count charged Mr. Horne with possession of stolen property valued at over $500 (a Chevrolet Tahoe belonging to Geraldine Alexander, in violation of La.R.S. 14:69 [565]*565(count three). The fourth count charged Mr. Horne with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of La.R.S. 14:95.1 (count four).1

Thereafter on the date of trial, March 9, 2010, the state amended the armed robbery count (count one) of the bill of information taking out the reference to La.R.S. 14:64.3 and adding “AND/OR LATOYA LEWIS” as a victim. Two days later, a 12-person jury found Mr. Horne guilty as charged of armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (counts one and four), and not guilty as to attempted second degree murder and possession of stolen property valued at over $500 (counts two and three). On March 24, 2010, the trial judge sentenced Mr. Horne to 30 years imprisonment with the Department of Corrections to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence for armed robbery (count one) and 10 years imprisonment with the Department of Corrections to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (count four). The sentences were ordered to run concurrently with each other.

Also, on that date with Mr. Horne present and represented by counsel, the state informed the court that it was filing a habitual offender bill of information as to the armed robbery conviction (count one). The bill, which was filed that day, alleged that Mr. Horne was a third felony offender. Defense counsel stated that he Previewed his copy of the bill. Counsel informed the court that he would waive the reading of the bill, enter a plea of “not guilty,” and requested a hearing date. Later, defense counsel filed a request for discovery and objections to the bill.

The matter was heard on April 28, 2010. Mr. Horne did not testify. After considering the evidence, the trial judge found Mr. Horne to be a third felony offender. About a month later, the trial judge vacated Mr. Horne’s original armed robbery sentence and imposed an enhanced sentence of 66 years imprisonment with the Department of Corrections. After recognizing that the armed robbery conviction was on count one, the trial judge ordered the sentence on count one to run concurrent with “all of the other sentences.” This timely appeal followed.

Facts

At approximately 10:00 AM on July 16, 2008, the Hancock Bank at 4041 Williams Boulevard in Kenner, Jefferson Parish, was robbed by two men: a gunman and an accomplice who retrieved the money. The gunman wore a bandana that covered most of his face. At trial, two bank eyewitnesses identified Mr. Horne as one of the robbers. They testified that the gunman threatened to kill them if they moved. Mr. Horne gave a statement to the police admitting he robbed the bank.

One of the eyewitnesses, Latoya Lewis, who was working on the day of the robbery as the drive-up teller, had close eye contact with the gunman. She identified Mr. Horne as the gunman by his eyes. Ms. Lewis testified that she previously identified Mr. Horne shortly after the robbery by his hair, tattoos, and shorts. Ms. Lewis stated that the gunman had distinctive features: twisted hair and visible tattoos that showed through his white shirt. At trial, the state asked Mr. Horne to show his chest. After that, Ms. Lewis stated that these were the tattoos she was referring to.

[566]*566| ¿Another eyewitness, Daniel Drolla, was the sole customer inside the bank during the robbery. After the incident, he spoke with the police and described the robbers. Shortly after the incident, he identified both of the robbers. He recognized the shorts that the gunman was wearing during the robbery. He stated that he had taken a good look at the gunman in the bank. At trial, he identified Mr. Horne as the gunman.

Another bank teller witness, Geraldine Winslow, did not identify Mr. Horne as the gunman. Similarly, Jennifer Snowden, the on-duty manager of the bank, who was inside of her office at the time of the robbery, testified that she did not get a good look at the gunman.

Ms. Winslow testified to events that occurred just before and during the robbery. Before the robbery, she had received a large deposit of approximately $25,000. She stood at the end of the counter, counting the money and “banding it.”2 After she counted the money, she put it next to her keyboard. She then heard a loud noise and observed feet on the counter in front of her face. She screamed and jumped back to avoid being knocked down.

Ms. Winslow stated that the robber/non-gunman then took the money on the counter that she had banded and he placed it on the side. The subject then jumped to the floor, combed the drawers, and took money from her drawer. He tried to get back over the counter, but stumbled and hit the lamp. Money fell on the floor. The robber/non-gunman went to the floor to pick up the money that was dropped. Ms. Winslow testified she was scared, and feared for her life.

After the robbery, an eyewitness observed the two men flee the scene in a dark gray/black Tahoe SUV. The bank customer witness, Gary Soileau, who had previously been in law enforcement, was at the drive-through window and |Bwitnessed the robbery. He called 9-1-1 and moved his truck forward. Upon doing so, he observed another subject, who was wearing a white shirt and long shorts, in the parking lot standing by an SUV. After Mr. Soileau made eye contact with him, the subject began blowing the horn.

Mr. Soileau was on the phone with 9-1-1 and saw the SUV pull out of the driveway. He observed red smoke coming out of the passenger window, which indicated to him a “dye pack” had exploded in the vehicle. He followed the SUV in his truck. He explained that the suspect in the passenger seat, who was wearing a white shirt and long, dark shorts, was sticking his body and head out of the window. The subjects knew that Mr. Soileau was following them. Suddenly Mr. Soileau heard a bullet fly past his vehicle. He believed that they were shooting at him and he decided to slow down. He then observed the SUV crash into a cab. Mr. Soileau told the dispatcher that the subjects left the SUV and were running.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
88 So. 3d 562, 11 La.App. 5 Cir. 204, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 151, 2012 WL 469890, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-horne-lactapp-2012.