State v. Jones

855 So. 2d 408, 2003 WL 22092676
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided September 10, 2003·No. 03-0180·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

855 So.2d 408 (2003)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Robert Glenn JONES a/k/a Ernest Hancock.

No. 03-0180.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

September 10, 2003.
Rehearing Denied October 22, 2003.

*409 Earl B. Taylor, District Attorney, 27th Judicial District Court, Alisa Ardoin Gothreaux, Assistant District Attorney, Opelousas, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee: State of Louisiana.

Edward Kelly Bauman, Louisiana Appellate Project, Lake Charles, LA, for Defendant/Appellant Robert Glenn Jones a/k/a Earnest Hancock.

Court composed of ULYSSES GENE THIBODEAUX, JOHN D. SAUNDERS, and BILLY HOWARD EZELL, Judges.

SAUNDERS, Judge.

Defendant, Robert Glenn Jones a/k/a Earnest Hancock,[1] was charged by bill of information on September 27, 2000, with simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, a violation of La.R.S. 14:62.2, conspiracy to commit simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, a violation of La.R.S. 14:26 and La.R.S. 14:62.2, aggravated flight from an officer, a violation of La.R.S. 14:108.1(C), and attempted first degree murder of a peace officer, a violation of La.R.S. 14:27 and La.R.S. 14:30. On April 17, 2001, the Defendant pled guilty to simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, conspiracy to *410 commit simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, and aggravated flight from an officer. Trial by jury proceeded on the charge of attempted first degree murder. The jury returned a verdict of guilty of attempted second degree murder. On October 26, 2001, the Defendant was sentenced as follows:

1) Simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling-ten years at hard labor;
2) Conspiracy to commit simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling—five years at hard labor;
3) Aggravated flight from an officer— two years at hard labor; and
4) Attempted second degree murder— forty years at hard labor.

All sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

The Defendant appeals his conviction of attempted second degree murder on the basis of insufficiency of the evidence. We affirm the Defendant's conviction and sentence.

FACTS

On August 1, 2000, the Defendant, along with another man, burglarized the home of Rocky Edwards, stealing a television, a watch, and various other items. Larry Mire, Mr. Edwards' neighbor, saw the two men enter Mr. Edwards' home and called 911. The men were driving a black truck with a net tailgate.

Deputy Andrew Green, an employee of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Department, was on radar patrol on August 1, 2000, when he heard a radio transmission that police were in pursuit of a black Sonoma truck with a dent in the front quarter and an air gate. The vehicle passed Deputy Green traveling at one hundred ten miles per hour. Deputy Green then began to pursue the vehicle. The vehicle eventually turned onto Robert Bihm Road, a dead end street. The vehicle came to a stop about three to five feet from a large fence located at the end of the street. Deputy Green parked his vehicle on the road, got out of the car with his weapon drawn, and ordered the occupants of the truck to surrender. After a minute or two, the truck engine revved and the vehicle started backing toward Deputy Green at a high rate of speed. Deputy Green tried to run to the rear of his car for cover, but he had to jump on top of the trunk of his car. The truck continued an additional one hundred and fifty yards and attempted to make "some type of Hollywood whip around turn." The truck then flipped over. The Defendant and the other occupant of the truck were then arrested by Deputy Green.

ERRORS PATENT

Reviewing the record, we find two errors patent concerning the Defendant's sentences.

First, the judge sentenced the Defendant to serve forty years at hard labor for attempted second degree murder. A sentence imposed for attempted second degree murder is to be without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. See La.R.S. 14:27(D)(1). Thus, the Defendant's sentence should have been imposed without benefits. Nonetheless, La. R.S. 15:301.1(A) provides:

When a criminal statute requires that all or a portion of a sentence imposed for a violation of that statute be served without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, each sentence which is imposed under the provisions of that statute shall be deemed to contain the provisions relating to the service of that sentence without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. The failure of a sentencing court to specifically state that all or a portion of the *411 sentence is to be served without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence shall not in any way affect the statutory requirement that all or a portion of the sentence be served without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

Thus, there is no need for correction as the Defendant's sentences are deemed to contain this restriction per La.R.S. 15:301.1(A).

Next, one year of the sentence imposed for simple burglary should have been imposed without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. See La.R.S. 14:62.2 and State v. Conley, 411 So.2d 448 (La.1982). However, pursuant to La.R.S. 15:301.1, the sentence is deemed to contain this provision. Therefore, there is also no need for correction of this sentence.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

The Defendant contends the evidence presented at trial, when viewed in a light most favorable to the prosecution, was insufficient to sustain the verdict of guilty of attempted second degree murder.

In State v. Lambert, 97-64, pp. 4-5 (La. App. 3 Cir. 9/30/98), 720 So.2d 724, 726-27, this court held:

When the issue of sufficiency of evidence is raised on appeal, the critical inquiry of the reviewing court is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State ex rel. Graffagnino v. King, 436 So.2d 559 (La.1983); State v. Duncan, 420 So.2d 1105 (La.1982); State v. Moody, 393 So.2d 1212 (La. 1981). It is the role of the fact finder to weigh the respective credibility of the witness [sic]. Therefore, the appellate court should not second guess the credibility determination of the trier of fact beyond the sufficiency evaluations under the Jackson standard of review. See King, 436 So.2d 559, citing State v. Richardson, 425 So.2d 1228 (La.1983).

The Defendant was convicted of attempted second degree murder. Attempt is defined in La.R.S. 14:27(A), which provides:

Any person who, having a specific intent to commit a crime, does or omits an act for the purpose of and tending directly toward the accomplishing of his object is guilty of an attempt to commit the offense intended; and it shall be immaterial whether, under the circumstances, he would have actually accomplished his purpose.

The elements of second degree murder are set forth in La.R.S. 14:30.1, which provides, in part:

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.

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State v. Jones, 855 So. 2d 408, 2003 WL 22092676 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

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