State v. Kennedy

480 So. 2d 299
Supreme Court of Louisiana·Decided December 2, 1985·No. 85-KK-0428·Published·Cited by 15 cases

Opinion

480 So.2d 299 (1985)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Eddie KENNEDY.

No. 85-KK-0428.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

December 2, 1985.

*300 Bobby L. Culpepper, Culpepper, Teat, Caldwell & Avery, Jonesboro, for defendant-applicant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., T.J. Adkins, Dist. Atty., Dan J. Grady, III, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-respondent.

CALOGERO, Justice.

This is one of eight cases in which writs were granted simultaneously and oral arguments consolidated.[1] Each of them include related problems concerning the application of La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 14:95.2 and La.Code Crim.Pro. art. 893.1, two firearm enhancement statutes.[2]

In this case defendant pled guilty to aggravated battery, La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 14:34, a felony which carries a maximum penalty of ten years at hard labor and a fine of not more than $5,000.00. He was sentenced to "two years under Article [sic] 95.2 and five years under art. 893.1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, all without parole, probation or suspension of sentence... the minimum sentence that the court is legally authorized to impose." In seeking writs first to the Court of Appeal, 463 So.2d 808, and now to this Court, defendant complains of 1) an illegal, excessive and unconstitutional sentence, in part because of the in tandem application of § 14:95.2 and art. 893.1, and 2) the trial court's overruling his motion to quash and/or plea of unconstitutionality which protested application of art. 893.1 notwithstanding the absence of pre-trial or pre-plea notice.

Assignment of Error No. 1

Defendant's essential complaint that his sentence of seven years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension is "unconstitutional, excessive and/or illegal" relates to the in tandem application of § 14:95.2 and art. 893.1. He most pointedly protests that 893.1 does not apply to aggravated battery, one of the ten crimes specifically named in § 14:95.2. He points out that art. 893.1, by its terms, applies to a felony conviction when suspension of sentence is not otherwise prohibited, and that § 14:95.2 when applied to a case involving aggravated battery does in fact prohibit suspension of sentence.

We addressed this very argument in State v. Harris, 480 So.2d 281 (La.1985), also rendered this day. In general terms, we noted that

"[t]he two statutes are complementary, not parallel. § 14:95.2 is essentially a crime/penalty statute; art. 893.1 merely limits sentencing discretion of the trial judge. § 14:95.2 imposes a two year sentence in addition to the penalty provided for the particular ten felonies; art. 893.1 establishes a mandatory minimum sentence within the already established statutory range for any felony. It does not increase the maximum sentence already provided for the commission of the particular offense. Absent sound legal reasons, or contrary expression of intent by the Legislature, the two provisions are logically compatible and seem to be applicable simultaneously."

With regard to defendant's position, also advocated by the dissent in State v. Hogan, 454 So.2d 1235, 1237-38 (La.App. 2d Cir. 1984), and which we did not embrace, we explained:

"§ 14:95.2, of course, provides a two year additional term of imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation, or *301 suspension of sentence, or credit for good time. Contrary to the assumption supporting this argument, it is the underlying offense and its statutory penalty to which art. 893.1 applies when it imposes the minimum sentence, and it is the underlying offense and its penalty provision to which reference is made by the language of art. 893.1, "when suspension of sentence is not otherwise prohibited." § 14:95.2's prohibition against suspension of sentence is by the terms of the statute applicable only to the additional two year term of imprisonment, not to the penalty statutorily prescribed for the underlying offense. Thus it cannot be said that for each of the ten crimes specified therein, § 14:95.2 already prohibits parole, probation, or suspension of sentence."

Therefore, we concluded that § 14:95.2 and art. 893.1 may be imposed simultaneously when applicable and that art. 893.1 is applicable to all felonies, including those specially enumerated in § 14:95.2.

Accordingly, defendant's contention that 893.1 is not applicable to aggravated battery is without merit.

Within the defendant's contention that his sentence is "unconstitutional, excessive and/or illegal" because of, among other reasons, the application of both art. 893.1 and § 14:95.2, we find implicit therein, the contention that the imposition of the § 14:95.2 penalty without notice to the defendant of the nature of the cause of the accusation nullifies the enhancement. The absence of such notice is a constitutional infirmity which we choose to address in our discussion of defendant's second assignment of error wherein notice and 893.1 constitute the principal matter under consideration.

Assignment of Error No. 2

In State v. (David) Jackson, 480 So.2d 263 (La.1985), rendered this day, we decided that La.Rev.Stat.Ann. § 14:95.2,[3] which imposes an additional penalty for possession of a firearm in the commission of each of ten enumerated felonies, may not be used to enhance a defendant's sentence unless he has been charged in the bill of information or indictment with firearm use, or with violating § 14:95.2. On the other hand, we held that La.Code Crim.Pro. art. 893.1,[4] which mandates a minimum sentence (and negates parole, probation, or suspension), to be imposed when the court makes a finding that a firearm was used in *302 the commission of a felony, simply requires written notice by the prosecution prior to trial of the intended application of this limitation on the judge's sentencing discretion. Our ruling with regard to § 14:95.2 was given limited retroactive application, while our decision with regard to art. 893.1 is to be afforded only prospective application unless particular prejudice can be shown to the defendant. State v. Jackson, 480 So.2d at 268-271.

In this case defendant was not charged in the bill of information with § 14:95.2 or use of a firearm in commission of the attempted second degree murder.[5] The additional two year penalty imposed by the trial court in this case is therefore illegal.

With regard to the art. 893.1 enhancement, defendant was not notified of the forthcoming application of art. 893.1. Nonetheless, because in Jackson, supra we made our ruling[6] applicable only prospectively, defendant will be entitled to relief only if he can show that he was prejudiced.

For the reasons which follow we find no prejudice to this defendant.[7]

The defendant was originally charged with attempted second degree murder as a result of a December 5, 1983 shooting of one George Johnson. Apparently the shooting came about because the defendant thought that the victim, George Johnson, had broken into his house and taken items which the defendant had recently obtained in a burglary. The defendant accosted Johnson at the West Side Recreation Center in Ruston,

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