State v. Lacoste

237 So. 2d 871, 256 La. 697, 1970 La. LEXIS 3529
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJune 29, 1970
Docket50307
StatusPublished
Cited by81 cases

This text of 237 So. 2d 871 (State v. Lacoste) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Lacoste, 237 So. 2d 871, 256 La. 697, 1970 La. LEXIS 3529 (La. 1970).

Opinions

HAMLIN, Justice:

Defendant appeals from his conviction of the crime of Armed Robbery, LSA-R.S. 14:64, and his sentence to serve fifty years at hard labor in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. He presents eighteen bills of exceptions for our consideration.

BILL OF EXCEPTIONS NO. 1

(In appellant’s brief it is stated that this Bill is submitted without argument.)

Bill of Exceptions No. 1 was reserved when the trial court overruled defense counsel’s objection to a remark made by the Assistant District Attorney during the voir dire examination of the petit jurors.

Addressing the twelve selected petit jurors collectively, the Assistant District Attorney said:

“ * * * Now, Article 24 of the Louisiana Criminal Code1 defines those persons who may be guilty of any particular crime, and specifically in this case, it is the crime of armed robbery. Now, Article 24 defines those persons as principals * *

Objection was made because defendant was not charged as a principal or accessory. Counsel argued that because defendant was merely charged with armed robbery and Article 24 is a separate and distinct statute from Article 64, no mention should have been made of Article 24 without a [705]*705bill of information charging its violation having been filed.

Defendant was jointly charged with Newt Henderson Martin with the crime of armed robbery. Martin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve twenty-five years at hard labor in the penitentiary. Defendant was tried separately. The Assistant District Attorney was therefore merely stating the law and making clear to the jurors that defendant was charged as a principal. Under such circumstances, no error was committed.

Bill of Exceptions No. 1 is without merit.

BILL OF EXCEPTIONS NO. 2

(In appellant’s brief it is stated that this Bill is submitted without argument.)

Bill of Exceptions No. 2 was reserved when the trial judge sustained the State’s objection to defense counsel’s informing a prospective juror as to the penalty assessed for armed robbery.2

This bill was reserved under the circumstances that during the course of the voir dire examination, one prospective juror volunteered that he could not give the State a fair trial because he felt that the penalty for armed robbery was too severe. Defense counsel later attempted to inform another prospective juror of the possible penalty in this case. The State objected because it had not opened the door for questioning as to penalty in its challenges, and because the expression from the prior prospective juror was merely a voluntary statement.

We find that defendant suffered no prejudice from the trial judge’s ruling. The real function of the jury is to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused; it must decide whether or not the State proved all the essential elements of the crime charged beyond a reasonable doubt. “A sentence is the penalty imposed by the court on a defendant upon a plea of guilty, upon a verdict of guilty, or upon a judgment of guilty.” LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 871.

Bill of Exceptions No. 2 is without merit.

BILL OF EXCEPTIONS NO. 3

(In appellant’s brief it is stated that this Bill is submitted without argument.)

Bill of Exceptions No. 3 was reserved when the trial judge overruled defendant’s motion for a mistrial.

After the jury panel was completed, the jury duly sworn, and the State ready to proceed, the trial judge directed the Minute Clerk to read the bill of information. [707]*707The bill charged both Paul J. Lacoste and Newt Henderson Martin as defendants, and the names of both were read as defendants. Defense counsel moved for a mistrial, stating:

“Now, if it please the Court, I would like to move for a mistrial on the grounds that the name of a defendant or a person was read out, who is not present in Court and is not on trial today, has nothing to do with this case as far as being the accused. That is the name of Newt Martin.”

The trial judge overruled the motion for a mistrial. His reasons, which we find correct, are stated in the following per curiam:

* * *
“Martin had previously pleaded guilty, and he was called as a witness in this case and he testified that he was involved in the armed robbery, and refused to answer the question when asked if the defendant, Paul Lacoste, was with him. He was later cited for contempt of court for this act.
“Article 765 of the Code of Criminal Procedure requires that the bill of indictment or information be read to the jury immediately after the selection and swearing of the jury. This was done. The bill of information was read exactly as it was written when same was filed.”

Bill of Exceptions No. 3 is without merit.

BILL OF EXCEPTIONS NO. 4

(In appellant’s brief it is stated that this Bill is submitted without argument.)

Bill of Exceptions No. 4 was reserved when the trial judge overruled defense counsel’s objection to the consistent referral to Newt Martin and Kenny Roberts in the opening statement of the Assistant District Attorney.

The armed robbery was that of the National Bank of Commerce, 3201 South Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, La., on July 27, 1967, at approximately 1:50 P. M. In his opening statement, the Assistant District Attorney said that the State would prove that Paul J. Lacoste and Newt Martin entered the bank about ten minutes before closing time, and that thereafter Lacoste pointed a shotgun at patrons and employees, telling them it was a hold-up, while Newt Martin went behind the tellers’ windows and removed currency; that Newt Martin was covered with a sheer stocking type of mask over his head, through which part of him could be seen, and that Paul Lacoste was covered in a darker, heavier type of black mask, sunglasses being over part of his eyes, which ífór the most part concealed his face; that Paul Lacoste, upon leaving the bank with Newt Martin, drove his car around the block, proceeded down the street, and then [709]*709threw the money to Ken Roberts, who was waiting at a certain place for that purpose.

Article 766 of the Code of Criminal Procedure provides that the opening statement of the State shall explain the nature of the charge, and set forth, in general terms, the nature of the evidence by which the State expects to prove the charge.

Herein, the Assistant District Attorney in his opening statement was describing the parts allegedly played by Kenny Roberts (charged in a separate bill of information at a later date), Paul J. Lacoste, and Newt Martin in the commission of the armed robbery. He was reciting what he intended to prove during trial. All of this formed a part of the res gestae. LSA-R. S. 15:447-448.

We do not find that the Assistant District Attorney’s remarks were improper, nor do we find that defendant was prejudiced by said references. In his per curiam to this bill, the trial judge states that the State proved all of the allegations set out in the opening statement beyond a reasonable doubt. Under such circumstances, we find that defense counsel’s objection was properly overruled.

Bill of Exceptions No. 4 is without merit.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
237 So. 2d 871, 256 La. 697, 1970 La. LEXIS 3529, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lacoste-la-1970.