State v. Lecompte

734 So. 2d 83, 1999 WL 216598
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 1, 1999
Docket98 KA 1159
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 734 So. 2d 83 (State v. Lecompte) 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. Lecompte, 734 So. 2d 83, 1999 WL 216598 (La. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

734 So.2d 83 (1999)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Magnus Joseph LeCOMPTE.

No. 98 KA 1159.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

April 1, 1999.

*84 Ellen D. Doskey, Houma, for State-Appellee.

Burton P. Guidry, Cynthia Eyre Guidry, Slaughter, for Defendant-Appellant.

Before: LeBLANC, FOGG, and PARRO, JJ.

FOGG, J.

The defendant, Magnus Joseph LeCompte, was charged by bill of information with molestation of a juvenile (Count 1), in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:81.2(A), oral sexual battery (Count 2), in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:43.3(A), and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile (Counts 3 and 4), in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:81(A). He pled not guilty and, after a jury trial, was found guilty as charged on all four counts. For the molestation of a juvenile and oral sexual battery convictions, he received two sentences of fifteen years at hard labor. For the indecent behavior with a juvenile convictions, he received two sentences of five years at hard labor. Judge Pro Tempore Richard P. Mire ordered all four sentences to run concurrently and suspended them, placing the defendant on supervised probation for five years with numerous special conditions of probation, including an aggregate fine of $15,000.

Thereafter, the state filed a motion to review and correct an illegal sentence. This motion was based upon the allegation that the sentence on Count 1 was illegally lenient because a suspended sentence and probation were not allowed under LSA-R.S. 14:81.2(D). In the alternative, the state requested that the district court reconsider the sentence for excessive leniency. Judge Pro Tempore Remy Chiasson granted the state's motion, vacated the Count 1 sentence, and ordered the matter reallotted with the consent of counsel.

On August 24, 1995, Judge John R. Walker recused himself based upon his previous employment as an assistant district attorney and familiarity with the case. On August 25, 1995, Judge John T. Pettigrew fixed the defendant's post-conviction bond, but apparently took no further action in this case.

The minutes indicate that the case was reallotted to Judge Timothy C. Ellender. On September 15, 1995, Judge Ellender resentenced the defendant on Count 1 under LSA-R.S. 14:81.2(D) to ten years at hard labor, including five years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

On February 18, 1997, the defendant filed a pro se motion to correct an illegal sentence. This motion was based upon the allegation that the resentencing on September 15, 1995, was illegal and requested reinstatement of the original suspended sentence and probation on Count 1. After hearings on April 24 and June 25, 1997, Judge Ellender denied the defendant's pro se motion.

The defendant has appealed, alleging nine distinct assignments of error, as follows:

1. The trial court erred in admitting certain irrelevant and inadmissible evidence.
*85 2. Error occurred when Judge Chiasson, rather than the judge who presided over the trial and initially imposed sentence, decided that the sentence was illegal and granted the state's Motion to Correct Illegal Sentence.
3. Error occurred when Judge Chiasson found that the sentence on Molestation of a Juvenile was illegal, vacated the sentence, and reallotted the case.
4. Error occurred when the case was somehow reallotted to Division "C", where Judge Ellender resentenced the defendant.
5. Error occurred when Judge Ellender denied the defendant's Motion to Correct Illegal Sentence.
6. Error occurred in any and all instances where the judge who presided over the case was not allowed or appointed to remain on the case until such time as the trial court's jurisdiction was divested.
7. Error occurred in any and all instances where the case was transferred, reallotted and the like.
8. Error occurred when Judge Ellender resentenced the defendant under LSA-R.S. 14:81.2(D) rather than under LSA-R.S. 14:81.2(B), when the specific elements of Section D had neither been alleged nor proven.
9. All errors patent on the face of the record.

Assignment of error number one was not briefed on appeal and, therefore, is considered abandoned. See Uniform Rules— Courts of Appeal, Rule 2-12.4.

FACTS

At the time of the instant trial, September 14-16, 1994, S.D., the female victim of Counts 1 and 4, was thirteen years old, and her brother, B.D., the male victim of Counts 2 and 3, was fourteen years old. Their mother, C.B., married the defendant in 1987. In March of 1989, the defendant was arrested on charges of sexual abuse of the victims. However, the district attorney's office dismissed these charges when the victims recanted their allegations against the defendant several months later. On the night of December 5, 1992, C.B. observed the defendant, who was naked, leaving S.D.'s bedroom, which precipitated a series of arguments and eventually led to the defendant's arrest and, ultimately, their divorce.

At the trial, the victims recounted the acts of sexual abuse by the defendant. They explained that the defendant had sexually abused them back in 1989, but the defendant's arrest upset their mother, so they decided to withdraw their allegations against him. B.D. testified that he had performed oral sex upon the defendant and the defendant had performed oral sex upon him. The defendant had forced compliance with threats of beatings and violence against others. B.D. indicated that the abuse occurred when his mother left to go play bingo, which was a frequent occurrence.

S.D. testified that the defendant had touched her chest, placed his fingers in her vagina, and masturbated in her presence. If she refused, the defendant threatened to beat B.D. She indicated that the defendant had engaged in such conduct on a regular basis, about twice a month from late 1989 until about one week before they moved out of the house (after the December 5, 1992, incident). She testified that the abuse usually occurred after the defendant had been drinking.

Their mother, C.B., testified about her emotional problems, her relationship with the defendant, and their ultimate divorce. The defendant denied any sexual abuse of the victims and indicated that he did not know why they were making these false claims against him.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NUMBERS TWO, THREE, FOUR, SIX, AND SEVEN

All five of these assignments of error relate to a single issue, the involvement *86 of various judges in this case. In the second and sixth assignments of error, the defendant contends that error occurred when Judge Chiasson, rather than Judge Mire, granted the state's motion to review and correct an illegal sentence. The defendant argues that, because Judge Mire was the judge who presided over the trial and imposed the original sentence, he was the judge who should have ruled on the state's motion. However, it is clear from the record that Judge Mire's temporary appointment had expired. The Louisiana Supreme Court makes such temporary judicial appointments. This court cannot review the rulings, judicial appointments, or other actions taken by the Louisiana Supreme Court. As Judge Mire's term had expired, and Judge Chiasson was the appointed judge sitting at the time of the state's motion, we can find no error in Judge Chiasson's decision to rule on the state's motion.

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Related

State v. Harris
754 So. 2d 304 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)

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Bluebook (online)
734 So. 2d 83, 1999 WL 216598, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lecompte-lactapp-1999.