State v. Humphrey

694 So. 2d 1082, 1997 WL 206325
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 29, 1997
Docket96-KA-838
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 694 So. 2d 1082 (State v. Humphrey) 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. Humphrey, 694 So. 2d 1082, 1997 WL 206325 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

694 So.2d 1082 (1997)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Darrell HUMPHREY.

No. 96-KA-838.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

April 29, 1997.

*1083 Laurie A. White, New Orleans, for Appellant Darrell Humphrey.

Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Assistant District Attorney, Research and Appeals, Gretna, for Appellee State.

Before GAUDIN, DUFRESNE and CANNELLA, JJ.

CANNELLA, Judge.

Defendant, Darrell Humphrey, appeals from a jury conviction of manslaughter and sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor as a fourth felony offender. For the reasons which follow, we affirm the conviction, vacate the habitual offender adjudication and sentence and remand.

On May 5, 1995, Schwann Jackson had recently ended a relationship with defendant and was living with her aunt, Juanita Adams. At approximately 8:30 p.m. Schwann Jackson, Juanita Adams and her daughter, Wanda Adams, were sitting on the sofa inside the Adams' residence at 1405 Claiborne Drive in Jefferson, Louisiana. Defendant entered the residence through the kitchen door and asked to speak with Schwann Jackson. She eventually agreed to speak with defendant and they went into one of the bedrooms.

From this point, there are contradictory accounts of what happened next. According to Juanita and Wanda Adams, from Juanita's position on the sofa, she was able to see inside the bedroom. Juanita Adams observed defendant push Schwann Jackson onto the bed and she told defendant to leave her residence. After defendant and Schwann Jackson exited the bedroom, defendant informed Juanita Adams that Schwann Jackson would be leaving with him. However, Schwann Jackson refused to leave with him. Upon entering the kitchen, defendant grabbed a knife from the table and Juanita Adams picked up a hammer. Juanita Adams told defendant to "put the knife back on the table," but he refused. At that time Wanda Adams and Schwann Jackson were both in the kitchen and Wanda Adams was standing in front of Schwann Jackson. When Wanda Adams "stooped down," defendant stabbed Schwann Jackson in the chest, mortally wounding her. Defendant then fled the residence with the knife and said that the next time he would kill Schwann Jackson.

Defendant gave a different account of the nights' events in his statement to the police. He stated that he was upset with Juanita Adams, because earlier she had sent Schwann Jackson to obtain crack cocaine for her. When defendant expressed his objections, Juanita Adams told him to leave. Defendant wanted Schwann Jackson to accompany him, but Juanita Adams stated that Schwann Jackson was not going anywhere. *1084 Defendant grabbed Schwann Jackson by the arm and began pulling her toward the kitchen door. Juanita Adams grabbed a knife and approached defendant. He was able to take the knife away from her. A struggle then ensued between him, Schwann Jackson, Juanita Adams and Wanda Adams, during which everyone "fell down in a pile." It was then that Schwann Jackson was stabbed. Defendant then stated:

I didn't see anybody stab her. I can't remember stabbing her myself. If I was to say I stabbed her I would be, you know, I would be saying what I really don't know. It, it's possible that I could have accidentally stabbed her but I was going down (inaudible) I was trying to protect myself. When I was going down like that(,) them, the weapons, the weapon that I had I took from the auntie.

In a grand jury indictment filed on May 26, 1995, defendant was charged with second degree murder, in violation of La. R.S. 14:30.1. When arraigned on June 28, 1995, he entered a plea of not guilty. On November 2, 1995, the trial court conducted a hearing on defendant's motion to suppress and denied the motion. On February 26, 1996, the State filed a notice of intent to use evidence of other crimes. Defendant proceeded to trial on February 27, 1996, and, after selecting a jury, the trial court conducted a hearing regarding the admissibility of the other crimes evidence. At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court took the matter under advisement and, on the morning of the second day of trial, ruled that evidence of other crimes was admissible. The trial proceeded and the jury returned the responsive verdict of guilty of manslaughter.

On April 4, 1996, the State filed an habitual offender bill of information seeking the enhanced sentencing of defendant as a fourth felony offender in accordance with La. R.S. 15:529.1. On April 10, 1996, the trial court sentenced defendant to forty years imprisonment at hard labor, with credit for time served. Defendant entered a plea of not guilty to the habitual offender bill of information. On September 12, 1996, the trial court conducted a hearing on the habitual offender bill and adjudicated defendant to be a fourth felony offender. The trial court vacated the original sentence of forty years and resentenced defendant, in accordance with La. R.S. 15:529.1(A)(c)(ii)[1], to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence and with credit for time served. Defense counsel made an oral motion to reconsider sentence. The trial court denied the motion. Defendant filed this appeal, assigning six errors, including a request that we review the record for any errors patent.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NUMBERS ONE AND THREE

By these assignments of error defendant argues that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of other crimes and hearsay evidence of other crimes. More particularly, defendant finds error in the trial court admission of four separate statements relating to other crimes committed by him.

In general, evidence of other crimes is inadmissible in the guilt phase of a criminal trial for several reasons. Admission of evidence that defendant may have committed other crimes creates the risk that defendant will be convicted of the present offense simply because he is a "bad person." Juror confusion may occur where collateral issues are introduced. In addition, a defendant may not be prepared to face such attacks. State v. Code, 627 So.2d 1373 (La.1993), cert. denied, 511 U.S. 1100, 114 S.Ct. 1870, 128 L.Ed.2d 491 (1994), rehearing denied, 512 U.S. 1248, 114 S.Ct. 2775, 129 L.Ed.2d 887 (1994).

Statutory and jurisprudential exceptions exist to this rule where the State offers evidence of other crimes for purposes other than to show the character of defendant. State v. Code, supra. La. C.E. art. 404(B)(1) provides such an exception as follows:

Except as provided in Article 412 [not relevant here], evidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show that he acted in conformity therewith. It may, however, be admissible for other purposes, such as proof of motive, *1085 opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake or accident, provided that upon request by the accused, the prosecution in a criminal case shall provide reasonable notice in advance of trial, of the nature of any such evidence it intends to introduce at trial for such purposes, or when it relates to conduct that constitutes an integral part of the act or transaction that is the subject of the present proceedings.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
694 So. 2d 1082, 1997 WL 206325, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-humphrey-lactapp-1997.