State v. Lassere

683 So. 2d 812, 1996 WL 556952
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 1, 1996
Docket95-KA-1009
StatusPublished
Cited by56 cases

This text of 683 So. 2d 812 (State v. Lassere) 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. Lassere, 683 So. 2d 812, 1996 WL 556952 (La. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

683 So.2d 812 (1996)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Norvel LASSERE.

No. 95-KA-1009.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

October 1, 1996.

*815 John M. Crum, Jr., District Attorney and Rodney A. Brignac, Asst. District Attorney, 40th Judicial District, Laplace, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Laurie A. White, New Orleans, for Defendant/Appellant.

Before GRISBAUM, WICKER and GOTHARD, JJ.

GOTHARD, Judge.

Defendant, Norvel Lassere, appeals his conviction and sentence for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. For the following reasons, we affirm and remand.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

On April 20, 1994, the St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney filed a bill of information charging defendant with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, a violation of La.R.S. 40:967 A. Defendant was arraigned the same day and pled not guilty. On August 30, 1994, the state filed a motion to amend the bill of information to charge defendant with possession with intent to distribute more than two hundred and less than four hundred grams of cocaine. The trial judge granted the state's motion the same day.

The trial court's minutes do not show that defendant was arraigned on the amended charge. However, the transcript of the trial proceedings for March 8, 1995 reveals that, upon reading the amended charge to the court, the clerk stated, "The defendant was present with his attorney and he was arraigned and pled not guilty to the charge." The case was tried by a twelve member jury on March 7, 8, and 9, 1995. On March 9, 1995, the jury returned a verdict of guilty as charged. On the same day, defendant orally noticed his intention to appeal.

On March 30, 1995, defendant filed a motion for a new trial. On the same day, he also filed a motion to reconsider his sentence, although he had not yet been sentenced. Subsequently, on June 14, 1995, the state filed a multiple offender bill of information, charging that defendant was a second felony offender.

The court heard and denied the new trial motion on July 12, 1995. On the same day, defendant was arraigned on the multiple bill. He denied the allegations of the bill. After a hearing on the matter, the court found defendant to be a second felony offender and sentenced him to twenty years at hard labor, with credit for time served. Immediately thereafter, defendant reasserted his motion to reconsider the sentence, which was denied by the court. Defendant then again stated his intention to appeal. On July 18, 1995, defendant enrolled appellate counsel and filed a notice of appeal.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

In the early morning hours of April 2, 1994, deputies Richard Dubus and Larry LeBlanc of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office were assigned to a special operations patrol. Their duties included patrolling the streets of public housing projects in Reserve, Garyville and Laplace. The deputies were dressed in uniform and rode in a marked police vehicle.

The officers were riding through the Elm Loop area in Laplace at 1:25 a.m. when they spotted defendant crossing the street in front of their car. The deputies recognized defendant because they had encountered him before in the course of their police duties. In addition, the deputies had received information *816 before going on duty that defendant was wanted in connection with two fugitive warrants in West Monroe. When defendant saw the police car, he began walking quickly toward one of the apartments in the complex, glancing back at the police.

As defendant was attempting to enter the apartment, the officers shined their spotlight on him to confirm his identity. Deputy Dubus then exited the vehicle and approached defendant on foot. The deputy informed defendant that he was wanted on the outstanding warrants. In response, defendant turned and ran around the side of the building. Deputy Dubus gave chase, while Deputy LeBlanc headed toward the other side of the building in a failed attempt to cut defendant off. Deputy Dubus continued the chase, trailing defendant into a nearby wooded area. Meanwhile, Deputy LeBlanc went back to the police car and communicated the officers' location over the radio.

Deputy Dubus apprehended defendant in the wooded area and informed him that he was under arrest. Defendant then struggled with the officer and attempted to take his flashlight. Deputy Dubus sprayed defendant with mace during the melee. Deputy Dubus radioed for backup and deputies Lawrence Sylvan and Nolan Anderson responded to the call.

The three officers forced defendant to the ground and handcuffed him. Defendant was then placed under arrest. The officers seized from defendant a clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance, $3,159.60 in cash, and his driver's license, which had a white powder residue on it. Deputies Sylvan and Anderson transported defendant to the narcotics bureau of the sheriff's office, where he was booked and advised of his Miranda rights. Deputy Dubus turned over the evidence seized from defendant to detective Octavio Gonzales.

Detective Gonzales performed a field test on the white powdery substance which was positive for cocaine. The detective then catalogued the various pieces of evidence, photographed them, and turned them over to Detective Walter Chappel, the evidence custodian. Detective Chappel sent the evidence to the Louisiana State Crime Lab for analysis. Thomas Chin, who works for the crime lab, testified that the substance seized from defendant tested positive for cocaine, as did the residue on the driver's license.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Defendant assigns the following errors: (1) the evidence presented was insufficient to support a guilty verdict, thereby denying defendant due process of law; (2) the court erred in allowing the admission of the evidence seized from defendant because it resulted from an illegal search and seizure; (3) defendant was denied effective assistance of counsel; and (4) defendant's sentence was unconstitutionally excessive. In addition, defendant requests that we review the entire record for errors patent.

DISCUSSION

In his first assignment of error, defendant argues that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine (200-400 grams). Consequently, defendant argues that he was denied due process of law as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 2 of the Louisiana Constitution.

Defendant contends that there was insufficient evidence to prove the requisite intent for the crime he was convicted of committing. The standard for testing the sufficiency of evidence requires that a conviction be based on proof sufficient for any rational trier of fact, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, to find the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Rosiere, 488 So.2d 965 (La. 1986); State v. Honore, 564 So.2d 345 (La. App. 5th Cir.), writ denied, 569 So.2d 968 (La.1990).

The crime of possession with intent to distribute cocaine requires proof that the defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed the drug, and that he did so with the specific intent to distribute it. La.R.S. 40:967 A; State v. Smith, 94-1502 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1/19/95), 649 So.2d 1078. Narcotics *817 offenses involving possession with intent to distribute require proof of specific intent. State v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
683 So. 2d 812, 1996 WL 556952, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lassere-lactapp-1996.