State v. Jones

203 So. 3d 344, 2016 La.App. 4 Cir. 0122, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 1809
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided October 5, 2016·No. NO. 2016-KA-0122·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Judge Daniel L. Dysart

_JjTimothy T. Jones was charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm (La. R.S. 14:95.1) arising out of his arrest on February 11, 2014. In the same bill of information, he also was charged with one count of attempted second degree murder (La. R.S. 14(27)30.1) and another count of felon in possession of a firearm, resulting from a shooting on February 17, 2014. Following a jury trial, Jones was found guilty as charged on all counts.

The trial court initially imposed original sentences of twenty years for each felon in possession of a firearm conviction, and fifty years for the attempted second degree murder conviction, to be served concurrently and without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. The State filed a multiple bill of information as to the attempted second degree murder, alleging Jones to be a second multiple felony offender. The trial court adjudicated Jones a second felony offender, vacated the fifty-year sentence for the attempted second degree murder, and imposed a sentence of one hundred years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, to be served concurrently with the other three sentences.

On appeal, Jones challenges the sufficiency of the evidence as. to the conviction for the attempted second degree murder. He further argues that the trial court erred in not severing the February 11, [347]*3472014 charges from the February 17, 2014 charges.

| ¿For the reasons that follow, we affirm the convictions, and the sentence imposed as to the attempted second degree murder, and remand for the imposition of fines as to the firearm charges, as discussed below.

BACKGROUND:

On February 11, 2014, a multi-agency task force had assembled at a local hotel1 to execute an arrest warrant for- Christopher Williams. Detective Jason Samuel of the New Orleans Police Department’s Special Operations Division, was working with the United States Marshall Service Fugitive Task Force. Detective waited outside the hotel room, while U.S. Marshalls entered to apprehend Williams. A marshall told Detective Samuel that there was a handgun in plain view in one of the bedrooms. Based on the discovery of the handgun and what Detective Samuel perceived as the odor of marijuana coming from the room, he instructed the marshalls to secure the premises, so that a search warrant could be obtained. After obtaining the warrant, Detective Samuel entered the suite, and saw the handgun in the open drawer of a nightstand. He also found a duffle bag containing an assault-type rifle, two bottles of prescription pills bearing the name “Timothy Jones,” and Jones’ Tennessee identification card.

Detective Samuel testified that he did not speak to any of the suite occupants, but was informed by a marshall that Jones was a convicted felon. Four people were in the suite: Williams, Jones, Craig Weary and Kenya Coleman. The latter two were released. Williams was arrested based on his outstanding warrants, and Jones was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Detective Samuel learned that the suite was rented by Kenya Coleman.

IsLater that same day, Kenya Coleman reported a theft to the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”). ■ NOPD Officer Jeremy Simoneaux testified that he responded to the call during which Coleman told him that approximately $3,700 worth of clothing and shoes had been stolen. During his investigation, Officer Simo-neaux learned that the clothes belonged to Jones, and Craig Weary was the alleged thief. Officer Simoneaux obtained a warrant to arrest Weary.2

Jailhouse recordings of phone conversations Jones had with unidentified parties on February 12 and 13, 2014, were introduced at. trial. In the February 12, 2014 conversation, Jones was told by an unidentified woman that “Cash” stole his clothes and his Jordan® shoes. Jones stated that he would take care of Weary, In the February 13, 2014 conversation, an unidentified woman asked Jones to kill Weary.

Jones, was released from prison on February 14, 2014. Craig Weary was shot on February 17, 2Q14.

NOPD Detective Johnny Carter testified that when he arrived at the scene of the shooting, Weary was on the ground, lying in the arms of his girlfriend, Tia Alonzo. All Weary said was, “He shot me.” Detective Carter spoke to the owners of a nearby house as well as Alonzo, and learned that the shooter’s nickname was “Loochie,” a/k/a Timothy Jones. Detective Carter attempted to interview Weary, but he refused. With the assistance of the Louisiana State Police, a photographic lineup [348]*348was compiled and shown to' Weary, who identified Jones. Thereafter, | ¿Detective Carter obtained a warrant for Jones’ arrest, and he was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee.

Tia Alonzo testified that on February 17, 2014, she picked up Weary from a friend’s house. She saw Jones, or “Loochie,” approach Weary, but as the two men were behind another car, she could not see them. Approximately five minutes later, Alonzo heard two shots. She saw Weary lying on the ground and called 911.

Ashley Williams testified that she worked as a prostitute for Christopher Williams, and had been staying at the Residence Inn for three or four days with Jones, Williams, and another woman. On February 11, 2014, she was stopped by law enforcement officers outside the hotel, and told them that Williams was in the suite. Ashley Williams testified that Jones occupied one of the bedrooms in the suite, and that she saw him with weapons. She also admitted speaking to Jones while he was incarcerated.

Ashley Williams also testified that she saw Jones shoot Weary on February 17, 2014. She was picking up some clothes from a friend’s house that day, and encountered Weary waiting for Alonzo on the porch. Ashley Williams returned to her car, preparing to. leave when Alonzo arrived. Jones approached and asked Weary to speak to him. Although Ashley Williams could not hear the two men’s conversation from her car, she could see them. She saw Jones hit Weary, and Jones’ gun “flew” from his waistband. Jones retrieved the gun, and as Weary began to walk away, Jones shot him twice in the back.

Morgan Preston, an Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office investigator, testified that she spoke to Christopher Williams while he was incarcerated in St. Tammany Parish. Williams told her that the assault weapon found in Jones’ room in the hotel suite — an AK 47 — belonged to Jones.

| [¡Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Amanda Smith was involved with the investigation of Jones from the time of the Residence Inn Hotel arrests. During the investigation, she obtained a search warrant for Jones’ cell phone. At trial, the State introduced three copies of photographs taken from Jones’ cell phone, which showed Jones with handguns. Agent Smith also obtained a search warrant for Jones’ Facebook account. This search also produced photos of Jones in possession of guns.

ERRORS PATENT

The record reveals one error patent in sentencing. The trial court issued illegal sentences for the firearm charges when it neglected to impose fines; the sentences are otherwise legal. La. R.S. 14:95(B) mandates a fine of “not less than one thousand dollars and not more than five thousand dollars” be imposed on those convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Accordingly, this case is remanded for the trial court to impose fines for counts 1, 2, and 4. See State v. Patin, 14-0510 (La.App. 4 Cir.

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State v. Jones, 203 So. 3d 344, 2016 La.App. 4 Cir. 0122, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 1809 (La. Ct. App. 2016).

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