State v. Kendrick

699 So. 2d 424, 1997 WL 346489
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 25, 1997
DocketCR96-1636
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 699 So. 2d 424 (State v. Kendrick) 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. Kendrick, 699 So. 2d 424, 1997 WL 346489 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

699 So.2d 424 (1997)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Paul Jason KENDRICK.

No. CR96-1636.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

June 25, 1997.

*426 Robert Richard Bryant, Jr., Susan K. Roche, Lake Charles, for State.

Edward K. Bauman, Lake Charles, for Paul Jason Kendrick.

Paul Jason Kendrick, pro se.

Before SAUNDERS, WOODARD and AMY, JJ.

SAUNDERS, Judge.

On October 5, 1993, defendant, Paul Jason Kendrick, was charged by bill of information (Case No. 11884-93) with one (1) count of issuing worthless checks, value exceeding $500, a violation of La.R.S. 14:71. On October 29, 1993, Defendant was charged by bill of information (Case No. 11947-93) with one (1) count of theft, value exceeding $500, a violation of La.R.S. 14:67, and with one (1) count of forgery, a violation of La.R.S. 14:72. On November 17, 1993, the theft charge (Case No. 11947-93) was dismissed by the State. Thereafter, Defendant withdrew all previously entered pleas of not guilty, waived reading of the bills of information on any offenses not subjects of earlier pleas, and entered pleas of guilty to the remaining charges of issuing worthless checks (Case No. 11884-93) and forgery (Case No. 11947-93). A Waiver of Constitutional Rights and Plea of Guilty form was signed and submitted by Defendant. Judge Planchard accepted the joint sentencing recommendation, deferred imposition of sentence, and placed Defendant on five (5) years supervised probation with special conditions for the issuing worthless checks conviction and five (5) years supervised probation with special conditions for the forgery conviction, with each running concurrently.

Subsequently, on August 5, 1994, Defendant, along with three (3) co-defendants, was charged by bill of information (Case No. 14068-94) with one (1) count of theft, value exceeding $500, a violation of La.R.S. 14:67. On July 12, 1995, Defendant was charged by bill of information (Case No. 12586-95) with nine (9) counts of forgery, in violation of La.R.S. 14:72. Defendant initially pled not guilty to the charges. On October 16, 1995, defendant withdrew his pleas of not guilty and tendered pleas of guilty to the charges of theft (Case No. 14068-94) and forgery (Case No. 12586-95). A Waiver of Constitutional Rights and Plea of Guilty form was signed and submitted by Defendant. Thereafter, Judge Godwin accepted Defendant's pleas of guilty and ordered a Pre-Sentence Investigation. On October 24, 1995, the State filed a habitual offender bill (Case No. 16854-95) which charged Defendant as a Second Felony *427 Offender, pursuant to La.R.S. 15:529.1. On December 13, 1995, a sentencing hearing was conducted at which Defendant waived his right to a habitual offender hearing and admitted the allegations contained in the habitual offender bill. Thereafter, Judge Godwin sentenced Defendant to serve eight (8) years at hard labor on each count with sentences running concurrently and with credit for time served, and later amended the minutes to clarify that the counts included were one (1) count of theft (Case No. 14068-94) and nine (9) counts of forgery (Case No. 12586-95).

Prior to the December 13, 1995, sentencing hearing, Defendant had appeared and denied allegations of probation violations with respect to his previous convictions for issuing worthless checks (Case No. 11884-93) and forgery (Case No. 11947-93). After being sentenced on the new charges on December 13, 1995, Defendant waived his right to a probation revocation hearing and was sentenced by Judge Godwin to serve five (5) years at hard labor on each count with credit for time served, with the eight (8) year sentence imposed for the new charges to be served consecutively, for a total of thirteen (13) years. Defense counsel noted an objection "to the imposition of the sentence in a consecutive manner" and stated the defense's intent to "appeal the sentencing of the court."

Defense counsel timely filed a Motion to Reconsider Sentence which was denied by the district court in a hearing held on March 29, 1996. On September 20, 1996, Defendant, proceeding pro se, filed a motion to appeal his sentence. By order of October 15, 1996, the district court granted Defendant an out of time appeal. On appeal, Defendant asserts ten (10) pro se assignments of error; appellate counsel further asserts excessiveness of sentence.[1]

FACTS

The October 5, 1993, charge against Defendant for issuing worthless checks (Case No. 11884-93) involved twenty-two (22) checks totaling $3,341.71 issued between the dates of April 19, 1993, and August 29, 1993. The October 29, 1993, charges against Defendant (Case No. 11947-93) involved the theft and forgery of a $3,500.00 check, which occurred on or about May 28, 1993.

The August 5, 1994, charge of theft (Case No. 14068-94) resulted after approximately $1,684.04 in cash and an amount in traveler's checks were stolen from the Days Inn Motel, Defendant's place of employment, on June 26, 1994. Defendant initially reported the incident as a robbery, but later admitted that he was involved in a plot with his co-defendants to steal the money.

The July 12, 1995, charge of forgery (Case No. 12586-95) involved nine (9) checks which were stolen from four (4) different sources, forged, and transferred. These events took place on or about May 6, 1994, February 9, 1995, March 22, 1995, and May 23, 1995. The total amount of the checks exceeded $4,000.00.

ERRORS PATENT

In accordance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 920, all appeals are reviewed by this court for errors patent on the face of the record. Errors patent were discovered involving the trial court's sentencing on Defendant's probation violation. In 1993, Defendant was charged with issuing worthless checks (Case No. 11884-93), theft and forgery (Case No. 11947-93). Pursuant to a plea agreement, the state dismissed the theft charge contained in Case No. 11947-93. Judge Planchard deferred imposition of sentence on the convictions for issuing worthless checks and forgery (the "old charges") and placed Defendant on five (5) years probation.

In 1995, with Judge Godwin presiding, Defendant was convicted on new charges of theft (Case No. 14068-94) and forgery (Case *428 No. 12586-95). At the sentencing hearing after Defendant was sentenced on the "new charges," the State requested that Judge Godwin dispose of the matter of the probation violation "under 11947-93, on prior charges of issuing worthless checks and forgery;" however, the State neglected to call out Case No. 11884-93, the proper docket number for the issuing worthless checks charge. After Defendant waived a formal probation violation hearing, Judge Godwin imposed a sentence on the old charges of:

5 years on each count of the one count of forgery and one count of theft, under those docket numbers, at hard labor ... and the sentence on your—the new charges that I just imposed, will be consecutive to this present sentence. (Emphasis added).

The minutes reflect that Defendant was sentenced:

[a]s to # 11947-93 ... to serve five (5) years ... at hard labor on each count consecutive to 12586-95 for a total of thirteen (13) years ...

As the theft charge under Case No. 11947-93 was previously dismissed by the State, sentence should have been imposed on one count of forgery (Case No. 11947-93) and one count of issuing worthless checks (Case No. 11884-93). Because the sentence imposed on the dismissed theft count was not based on a valid and sufficient verdict, judgment, or guilty plea, the sentence imposed on the count of theft was illegal.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
699 So. 2d 424, 1997 WL 346489, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kendrick-lactapp-1997.