State v. James

545 So. 2d 560, 1989 WL 47953
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 9, 1989
Docket88-KA-0031
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 545 So. 2d 560 (State v. James) 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. James, 545 So. 2d 560, 1989 WL 47953 (La. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

545 So.2d 560 (1989)

STATE of Louisiana.
v.
Darren JAMES and Chris Woods.

No. 88-KA-0031.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 9, 1989.

*562 Dwight Doskey, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for appellants.

Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty. and Sandra Pettle, Asst. Dist. Atty., New Orleans, for appellee.

Before SCHOTT, C.J., and LOBRANO and ARMSTRONG, JJ.

LOBRANO, Judge.

Defendants, Darren James and Chris Woods were charged with the December 11, 1986 armed robbery of Lucedia Ledoux and the January 2, 1987 armed robbery of Mark Serpas. Both were convicted of the armed robbery of Ledoux, and were acquitted of the robbery of Mark Serpas. On September 8, 1987, James was sentenced to 99 years at hard labor to be served consecutively with a life sentence received in another matter. Woods was sentenced on September 16, 1987 to five (5) years at hard labor.

Both defendants perfect this appeal. However, Woods neither specifies nor briefs any assignments of error. His appeal, therefore, is limited to an errors patent review. This Court finds no errors patent and therefore his conviction and sentence are affirmed. All further discussions in the remainder of this opinion refer to defendant Darren James only.

FACTS:

On December 11, 1986, Lucedia Ledoux drove to Franklin Avenue to visit her friend, Keith Carlson. Before exiting her vehicle she observed two men standing in front of a building about a block away. No one else was in the area. As she exited her vehicle she heard the pounding of approaching footsteps and a voice shouted, "Stop! I have a gun! I want your money!" The taller of the two men held an automatic handgun pointed at Ledoux. She recognized the pair as the two men she observed standing in front of the building. She handed over her wallet containing fifty-one dollars ($51.00) in cash and several credit cards. The gunman then ordered her to turn around. She complied with her hands up. He then asked, "Do you have anything else? Neck chain? Watch? Rings? Any other jewelry?" He then reached down and patted her from the neck down to the waist. She was ordered to lay down on the sidewalk. The shorter of the two men pushed down on her shoulder ordering, "lay down, lay down!" It was at that moment that her friend, Keith Carlson, opened his front door and called her name. The two men turned and fled. The police were summoned and arrived within minutes. Ledoux told the officers that she could identify the robbers. They took her in the police car and drove around the neighborhood looking for the two men. The search was unsuccessful.

On February 17, 1987, Ledoux attended a physical line-up at police headquarters. She identified defendant as the taller of the two men who carried the gun and demanded her money. On February 23, 1987, she identified co-defendant, Chris Woods from a photo line-up as the shorter of the two men who robbed her.

Defendant appeals his conviction and sentence asserting the first two assignments through his appellate counsel and the last four, pro se.

1) This Court erred in reversing the trial court's granting of defendant's motion to suppress the identification for failure to provide counsel;
2) The trial court erred in imposing an excessive sentence;
3) The state failed to establish jurisdiction and venue;
4) The state violated defendant's constitutional right to compulsory process resulting in defendant's inability to present favorable evidence;
5) The prosecutor made improper statements during closing argument and rebuttal which prejudiced the jury;
6) There was not sufficient evidence to support defendant's conviction.

*563 ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR 1:

Defendant asserts this Court erred in reversing the trial court's granting of his motion to suppress identification. This issue has already been decided via supervisory writs by this court and as such will not be considered again.[1]

This assignment of error is without merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR 2:

The Louisiana Constitution prohibits the imposition of excessive punishment. Art. I, Sec. 20. The imposition of a sentence, although within the statutory limit, may violate a defendant's constitutional right against excessive punishment that is enforceable by this Court on appellate review. State v. Cann, 471 So.2d 701 (La. 1985); State v. Thomas, 447 So.2d 1053 (La.1984); State v. Francosi, 511 So.2d 1181 (La.App. 4th Cir.1987); State v. Brumfield, 496 So.2d 425 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1986), writ den. 503 So.2d 13.

A sentence which appears to be severe is considered excessive and unconstitutional if it is "grossly out of proportion to the severity of the crime" or "is nothing more than the purposeless and needless imposition of pain and suffering." State v. Brogdon, 457 So.2d 616 (La.1984), cert. den. Brogdon v. Louisiana, 471 U.S. 1111, 105 S.Ct. 2345, 85 L.Ed.2d 862 (1985); State v. Telsee, 425 So.2d 1251 (La.1983).

The trial judge must articulate reasons for an apparently severe sentence tailoring it to the individual offender and the particular offense. State v. Tilley, 400 So.2d 1363 (La.1981); State v. Francosi, supra. Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 894.1 sets forth the criteria to be used by the trial court in its determination. The trial court need not articulate every circumstance cited, but it must indicate that it considered the 894.1 guidelines in tailoring a particular sentence to a particular defendant convicted of a particular crime. State v. Guiden, 399 So.2d 194 (La.1981). Not only the aggravating circumstances, but the mitigating circumstances as well must be considered, State v. Franks, 373 So.2d 1307 (La.1979) and the court must state the factual basis underlying its conclusion. State v. Saunders, 393 So.2d 1278 (La. 1981). Accordingly, the sentencing record must reflect that the trial judge considered the personal history of the defendant in addition to the seriousness of the crime and the post criminal history of the defendant. State v. Quebedeaux, 424 So.2d 1009 (La. 1982), affirmed on remand, 446 So.2d 1210 (La.1984); State v. Jones, 398 So.2d 1049 (La.1981); State v. Molinet, 393 So.2d 721 (La.1981).

Although not unbridled, the trial court is given great discretion in sentencing within statutory limits. State v. Trahan, 425 So.2d 1222 (La.1983); State v. Bradley, 414 So.2d 724 (La.1982); State v. Washington, 414 So.2d 313 (La.1982).

Once adequate compliance with Art. 894.1 is found, the reviewing court must look to the facts and sentences of other cases to determine whether the sentence imposed is too severe in light of the particular circumstances of defendant's case, *564 keeping in mind that the maximum sentences should be reserved for the most egregious of offenders. State v. Cann, supra; State v. Brogdon, supra; State v. Francosi, supra; State v. Davis, 485 So.2d 981 (La.App. 4th Cir.1986), writ den. 488 So.2d 1019.

Insofar as the length of the sentence, claims of excessive sentences by defendants who were sentenced to ninety-nine years for armed robbery have been evaluated and affirmed by this court and our Supreme Court.

In State v. Douglas, 389 So.2d 1263 (La. 1980), our Supreme Court upheld a ninety-nine year sentence for armed robbery. The victim was not injured.

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Bluebook (online)
545 So. 2d 560, 1989 WL 47953, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-james-lactapp-1989.