State v. Kelly

698 So. 2d 993, 96 La.App. 4 Cir. 1949, 1997 La. App. LEXIS 1990, 1997 WL 414575
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 23, 1997
DocketNos. 96-KA-1949, 96-KA-1950
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 698 So. 2d 993 (State v. Kelly) 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. Kelly, 698 So. 2d 993, 96 La.App. 4 Cir. 1949, 1997 La. App. LEXIS 1990, 1997 WL 414575 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

hLANDRIEU, Judge.

This case arises from the trial court granting bail forfeiture judgments against Bankers Insurance Company after Floyd Kelly did not appear in court for proceedings connected with two separate arrests. We affirm.

On September 2, 1994, Bankers issued a $50,000.00 bond as a result of Kelly’s arrest for being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon, CDC No. 373-526. Because the trial court had not yet set an appearance date when the bond was issued, none was recorded on the bond.

On December 12, 1994, Bankers issued a $150,000.00 bond as a result of Kelly’s arrest for being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon, and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, CDC No. 371-507. Again, because the trial court had not yet set an appearance date when the bond was issued, none was recorded on the bond.

Kelly was ordered to appear for arraignment for case 371-507 on January 4, 1995. Because there was no evidence that Kelly had been notified of the arraignment date, it was rescheduled for January 11, 1995, and notice was sent to Kelly at the address recorded on the bond. No copy of this notice is contained in |2the record. He failed to appear and the trial court issued an alias capias for his arrest.

Kelly’s arraignment for case 373-526 was set for February 7,1995, and notice was sent to the address on the bond. There is no copy of this notice in the record. He did not appear and the trial court issued another alias capias for his arrest.

The record indicates that on February 7, 1995, when the arraignment was continued until February 22, the Assistant District Attorney requested that the Clerk of Court subpoena the defendant, the bondsman, and the surety company. The minute entry for February 7, 1995 indicates that the trial court ordered that the defendant, the bondsman, arid the surety company be notified of the February 22 hearing.

The minute entries for February 22, 1995 indicate the trial court reset the bond forfeiture hearing for March 3, 1995, at the request of the surety company. Again the trial court ordered notices of the continuance sent to the defendant and the surety. By certified mail, return receipt requested, the Office of the District Attorney sent notice to Kelly [995]*995and his sureties of the March 3,1995 hearing date and their required appearance.

Kelly did not appear on March 3, 1995, although counsel for his surety did. As a result of Kelly’s non-appearance on March 3, 1995, the trial court granted forfeiture of both bonds. The bond forfeiture stemming from the September 2, 1994 arrest was appealed under No. 96-KA-1950 and the bond forfeiture stemming from the December 12, 1994 arrest was appealed under No. 96-KA-1949.1 The appeals have been consolidated, and the errors assigned in both are identical.

| -¡Bankers argues that the trial court erred (1)by granting the State’s motion to forfeit the bail bond, and (2) by not granting Banker’s motion for a new trial.

DISCUSSION

To obtain a bond forfeiture judgment against a surety, the State must strictly comply with the procedures in La.Rev.Stat. 15:85. State v. Hathaway, 403 So.2d 737 (La.1981). La.Rev.Stat. 15:85(1) dictates the procedure for the forfeiture of a bail bond as follows:

(1) Failure to appear and answer. If at the time fixed for appearance the defendant fails to appear and answer when called, the judge, on motion of the prosecuting attorney, upon hearing of proper evidence including: the bail contract; the power of attorney if any; and the notice to the defendant and the surety as required by Article 344 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, shall immediately and forthwith issue a warrant for the arrest of the person failing to appear and order a judgment decreeing the forfeiture of the bond and against the defendant and his sureties in solido for the full amount of the bond.

La.Code Crim. Proc. art. 344 states:

B. (1) When a bail bond does not fix the appearance date, and the presence is required of a person who has been released on bail, the defendant and his personal surety or the commercial surety or the agent or bondsman who posted the bond for the commercial surety, shall be given written notice of the time, date, and place the principal is required to appear.
(2) The notice may be delivered to the defendant and the personal surety or the commercial surety or the agent or bondsman who posted the bond for the commercial surety by an officer designated by the court, at least two days prior to the day set for the appearance; or this notice may be mailed by United States first class mail to the defendant and his personal surety or the commercial surety or the agent or bondsman who posted the bond for the commercial surety, at least three days pri- or to the date set for the appearance. The notice shall be mailed to the defendant and his personal surety or the commercial surety or the agent or bondsman who posted the bond for the commercial surety to the address designated pursuant to Article 322.
(3) If the defendant appears as ordered and the proceeding is continued to a specific date, the defendant and the personal surety or the commercial surety or the agent or bondsman who posted the bond for the commercial surety need not be given notice of the new appearance date. If the defendant fails to appear as ordered, or the proceeding is not continued to a specific date, the personal surety orjjthe agent or bondsman who posted the bond for the commercial surety shall be given notice of the new appearance date.

Bankers first argues that the State did not present the proper evidence as required by La.Rev.Stat. 15:85 to support a valid judgment of forfeiture based on the non-appearances of Kelly at the January 4, 1995, and February 7,1995 hearings. Specifically, Bankers asserts that no evidence was presented at the March 3, 1995 hearing that the surety and his agent were given proper notice of either the January 4 or February 7 hearing. This argument is unpersuasive because the judgment of bond forfeiture was based on Kelly’s non-appearance at the [996]*996March 3, 1995 hearing as noted in its transcript:

Counsel - If I might perfect the record, Your Honor. It’s my understanding that the Court is saying that you’re forfeiting the bond based upon the missing defendant?
Court - He is not here. There was notice sent today. That’s correct. That’s correct. I could have done it the first time. I gave the insurance company an opportunity to get the defendant here. There was a hearing set that this man wanted me to have that day and I said no, I’ll wait for you, but I could have done it the first time he appeared here. And, I’m doing it today. I gave you more leniency then [sic] the statute requires to get the person here. The bonds are forfeited.
* *****
Counsel - Well, I think I need to take a moment, Your Honor.

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Related

State v. Smith
106 So. 3d 720 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012)
State v. Fuentes
707 So. 2d 53 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
698 So. 2d 993, 96 La.App. 4 Cir. 1949, 1997 La. App. LEXIS 1990, 1997 WL 414575, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kelly-lactapp-1997.