State v. Kittlin

695 So. 2d 1137, 1997 WL 292698
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 4, 1997
DocketCR97-92
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 695 So. 2d 1137 (State v. Kittlin) 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. Kittlin, 695 So. 2d 1137, 1997 WL 292698 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

695 So.2d 1137 (1997)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Jason D. KITTLIN.

No. CR97-92.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

June 4, 1997.

*1138 J. Reed Walters, Dist. Atty., for State.

Paula C. Marx, Lafayette, for Jason D. Kittlin.

Before YELVERTON, SAUNDERS and GREMILLION, JJ.

SAUNDERS, Judge.

On October 23, 1995, the defendant, Jason Kittlin, pled guilty to attempted possession of cocaine and was sentenced to two and one-half years imprisonment at hard labor, to run consecutive with the seven years imposed for his prior offense of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and concurrent with the five years imposed for his prior offense of aggravated battery. On October 3, 1996, the State filed a habitual offender bill against the Defendant, charging the Defendant as a third felony offender under the provisions of La.R.S. 15:529.1.[1] On November 5, 1996, the Defendant pled not guilty to the habitual offender charge. After a hearing held on December 2, 1996, the Defendant was adjudicated a third felony offender. The trial court vacated the Defendant's previous sentence and imposed the following: Five years at hard labor, to run consecutive with the seven years imposed for his prior offense of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and concurrent with the five years imposed for his prior offense of aggravated battery.[2]

Defendant now appeals his habitual offender adjudication and sentence only. For the following reasons, we remand this case to the trial court with instructions.

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. After reviewing the record, we find that there is one error patent and one possible error patent.

The record indicates the trial court did not give the Defendant credit toward service of his sentence for time he spent in actual custody prior to the imposition of the sentence. Thus, we remand this case and order the trial court to give the Defendant credit for time served in accordance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 880.

Additionally, we recognize that the Defendant was not informed of his right to remain silent and have the State prove its case against him at his December 2, 1996, habitual offender hearing. The record contains a minute entry of the Defendant's arraignment as a habitual offender, but the minute entry does not indicate if the Defendant was informed of his rights at that time. However, even if the Defendant is not informed *1139 of his rights at the arraignment, any error resulting from this failure is harmless.

Although the right to remain silent is not specifically set forth in La.R.S. 15:529.1, in State v. Johnson, 432 So.2d 815 (La.1983), writ granted on other grounds, 438 So.2d 1113 (La.1983); appeal after remand, 457 So.2d 1251 (La.App. 1 Cir.1984), appeal after remand, 471 So.2d 1041 (La.App. 1 Cir.1985), the Louisiana Supreme Court held this statute clearly recognizes the defendant has the right to remain silent, and the statute implicitly provides the defendant should be advised by the court of his right to remain silent. The court in Johnson, relying on State v. Martin, 427 So.2d 1182 (La.1983), further stated that La.R.S. 15:529.1(D) specifically provides the defendant be advised of his right to a formal hearing and to have the State prove its case.

A trial court's failure to advise the defendant of his rights will result in harmless error if the defendant remains silent throughout the proceeding and the state presents competent evidence to prove the existence of the defendant's prior conviction as well as his identity as the person previously convicted. State v. Washington, 96-656 (La.App. 3 Cir. 1/15/97); 687 So.2d 575, citing, State v. Hodges, 94-898 (La.App. 3 Cir. 3/1/95); 651 So.2d 487. In the present case, the Defendant neither acknowledged his prior offenses nor admitted the truth of the allegations contained in the habitual offender bill of information. The State introduced documentary evidence as well as testimony concerning the Defendant's prior convictions. To prove the first prior felony, the State introduced the bill of information charging the Defendant with aggravated battery as well as the minute entry and transcript of the Defendant's guilty plea to that charge entered on January 26, 1995. For the second prior felony, the State introduced a bill of information charging the Defendant with conspiracy to commit distribution of cocaine as well as the minute entry showing the Defendant was found guilty of that charge on July 24, 1995. For the third prior felony, the State introduced a bill of information charging the Defendant with possession of cocaine as well as a minute entry and transcript showing the Defendant entered a plea of guilty to attempted possession of cocaine on October 23, 1995.

To prove the Defendant was the same person convicted of the three felonies alleged in the habitual offender bill, the State introduced the testimony of Lavon Coon, a court bailiff with the LaSalle Parish Sheriff's Department. Mr. Coon stated he was in court on January 26, 1995, July 24, 1995, and October 23, 1995, the dates on which the Defendant was either convicted or pled guilty to the three felonies. Mr. Coon also identified the Defendant in court as Jason Kittlin. Additionally, Mr. Coon identified the Defendant as the same person in the photographs on each of the respective bills of information for the prior felonies. Mr. Coon was the person who took the photographs. Thus, we find that the above evidence was sufficient to adjudicate the Defendant as a habitual offender despite the fact the trial court failed to advise the Defendant of his rights. However, in Assignment of Error No. 3 (briefed Assignment of Error No.2), the Defendant claims the evidence presented was insufficient because the Boykin colloquies for two of the convictions were not valid. Specifically, the Defendant claims the guilty pleas entered for aggravated battery and attempted possession of cocaine do not contain a valid waiver of rights. However, the Defendant has not preserved this objection for review. Although he raised other objections to the plea colloquies used, this particular objection was not raised in either the written objections or during the adjudication hearing itself. According to the supreme court, a "defendant remains bound by his failure to raise his present complaint at the time he was adjudicated a multiple offender." State v. Hall, 94-3147 (La.6/2/95); 654 So.2d 1085. Furthermore, La.R.S. 15:529.1(D)(1)(b) states that "[a]ny challenge to a previous conviction or adjudication of delinquency which is not made before sentence is imposed may not thereafter be raised to attack the sentence." Consequently, the Defendant is barred from challenging the validity of his prior guilty pleas on the grounds alleged in his appeal.

*1140 Even had the Defendant preserved this objection for appeal, it is meritless. In the guilty plea colloquy for the aggravated battery conviction, the trial court explained the Boykin rights and specifically asked the Defendant if he understood the rights he was waiving. The Defendant responded, "Yes, sir." In the guilty plea colloquy for the attempted possession of cocaine conviction, the trial court explained the Boykin rights and specifically stated the Defendant was waiving each of those rights by pleading guilty. The trial court then asked the Defendant, "Do you understand that you are waiving all of these particular rights?" The Defendant replied, "Yes, sir."

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
695 So. 2d 1137, 1997 WL 292698, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kittlin-lactapp-1997.