State v. McKinnies

119 So. 3d 147, 12 La.App. 5 Cir. 335, 2013 WL 2121353, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 969
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 16, 2013
DocketNo. 12-KA-335
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 119 So. 3d 147 (State v. McKinnies) 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. McKinnies, 119 So. 3d 147, 12 La.App. 5 Cir. 335, 2013 WL 2121353, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 969 (La. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinions

ROBERT M. MURPHY, Judge.

|2The State appeals the trial court’s granting of a new trial. For the reasons that follow, this Court affirms.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On January 26, 2011, the defendant, Quincy McKinnies, Jr., was charged by bill of information with aggravated assault on a peace officer with a firearm, a violation of La. R.S. 14:37.2. On January 28, 2011, defendant was arraigned and pled not guilty. The matter proceeded to trial on October 18, 2011; the jury found defendant guilty as charged.

On November 3, 2011, defendant filed a motion for new trial based on the discovery of new evidence. In defendant’s affidavit in support of his motion for a new trial, defendant argued that a new trial was warranted on the grounds that newly discovered evidence, regarding the credibility of key witness Officer Ryan Mekdes-sie, “would probably have changed the verdict or judgment of guilty.” On |3January 3, 2012, after listening to the arguments of counsel, the trial judge took the motion for a new trial under advisement. On January 5, 2012, the trial judge granted defendant’s motion for a new trial, declaring in both the oral and written judgment that “the ends of justice would best be served by the granting of a new trial,” pursuant to La.C.Cr.P. art. 851(5).

The State thereafter filed a timely writ application with this Court under docket number 12-K-192, seeking review of the trial court’s granting of defendant’s motion for a new trial, arguing among other things that the trial court erred in granting the motion “in the interest of justice without identifying the reasons for the ruling.” On March 1, 2012, this Court directed the district court to issue a per curiam opinion “outlining the reasons why the motion for new trial was granted pursuant to La.C.Cr.P. art. 851(5).”

On March 5, 2012, the trial judge issued a per curiam, stating: “[t]he court after hearing the testimony of witnesses, watching their demeanor while testifying, and considering the evidence presented by all parties, has reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant. Therefore, the court believes that the ends of justice would best be served by granting defendant, Quincy McKinnies a new trial.”

After review by this Court of the per curiam filed by the trial judge, on March 22, 2012, this Court granted the State’s writ for the limited purpose of instructing the trial court to consider the State’s notice of intent to seek writs as a motion for appeal of the lower court’s ruling granting the defendant’s motion for new trial. Thus, pursuant to our Court’s order, the trial court granted the State’s motion for appeal.

Subsequent to the filing of the State’s appeal, defendant filed a motion to remand “this case back to the trial court in order for the appellee to amend his original motion for new trial to include the newly disclosed information as further reasons for the motion being granted.” On June 18, 2012, this Court granted ^defendant’s motion to remand “for further proceedings surrounding appellee’s motion for new trial.” The proceedings in this Court were stayed “until such time that the proceedings in the trial court are concluded.” On October 26, 2012, a hearing was held in the trial court wherein defendant made an oral motion to amend his original motion for a new trial “by adding a witness.” The trial court denied defendant’s motion to amend his original motion for a new trial.

The State now appeals the granting of defendant’s motion for a new trial.

FACTS

At approximately 2:30 a.m. on December 1, 2012, Detective Ashton Gibbs was on [149]*149a foot patrol detail at the Gator Bait Lounge when he observed a parked vehicle illegally blocking a residential driveway. Upon approaching the vehicle, Detective Gibbs observed that the windows were darkly tinted; so, he used his flashlight to look inside the vehicle to determine whether it was occupied. When he peered inside the vehicle, Detective Gibbs saw a handgun in plain view on the floorboard between the passenger and driver seats. Gibbs returned to his police car and conducted a computer inquiry of the illegally parked vehicle’s license plate. The search revealed that the vehicle was registered to a woman by the name of Aisha Blakely. Because the search revealed that Blakely was not a convicted felon, Detective Gibbs testified that “the gun became of no concern.”

While filling out the parking citation for the illegally parked vehicle, defendant exited the Gator Bait Lounge and proceeded to walk towards the vehicle. Defendant then retrieved a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the vehicle with his remote. Believing defendant to be the driver of the vehicle, the officer attempted to approach defendant to issue him a parking citation. Defendant disregarded the officer, entered the vehicle, and drove off at a high rate of speed despite warnings by the officer to stop. Detective Gibbs testified that he observed defendant neglect to stop at two stop signs as he fled from the Gator Bait Lounge.

| .¡Detective Gibbs testified that Officer Ryan Mekdessie, who was also on the scene, was aware of the situation leading up to defendant’s flight. Accordingly, Officer Mekdessie activated the emergency lights and sirens on his police vehicle, and gave chase in an attempt to stop defendant. Detective Gibbs testified that he then returned to his own police car and drove to the dispatched location where defendant had abandoned his vehicle.

After setting up a perimeter around defendant’s abandoned vehicle with various other reporting officers, defendant was spotted and pursued by Officer Mekdessie. Detective Gibbs testified that while stationed at his perimeter position, he heard Officer Mekdessie repeatedly shouting, “[l]et me see your hands. Show me you [sic] hands.” After hearing that phrase shouted, Detective Gibbs heard two gunshots, again followed by Officer Mekdes-sie’s warning and followed by three more gunshots. When Detective Gibbs arrived at the area where the shots had been fired, he observed Officer Mekdessie, Officer Newby, Officer Arabie, and Officer Benet near defendant who had sustained a gunshot wound and was lying on the ground.

Upon arrest, it was noted that defendant suffered from a graze wound to his abdomen and hip, and Officer Mekdessie’s K-9 had also suffered from a gunshot wound. Defendant was transported to the hospital for treatment. Defendant’s gun was never recovered despite search efforts made by various officers.

Sergeant Tris Lear testified that he assisted in setting up the perimeter around defendant’s abandoned vehicle. While positioned with Detective Gibbs and Sergeant Heintz behind a wooded area, Sergeant Lear testified that he heard Officer Mekdessie shout the warning again, followed by three more gunshots.

Officer Mekdessie testified that he is a patrol officer and K-9 handler for the Gretna Police Department. While on patrol, Officer Mekdessie testified that Detective Gibbs informed him of his intention to issue a parking citation for a | ¡¡vehicle in which a handgun was observed on the floorboard. Thus, when defendant attempted to flee in the subject vehicle, Officer Mekdessie testified that he activated [150]*150his lights and sirens and gave chase in his marked patrol unit. When defendant finally stopped his vehicle after fleeing for a “couple of blocks,” he got out and began to flee on foot. Officer Mekdessie testified that he was a few feet away from defendant who pointed a gun at him before he fled on foot.

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Related

State of Louisiana v. Quincy McKinnies, Jr.
171 So. 3d 861 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2014)
State v. Marzett
123 So. 3d 831 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
119 So. 3d 147, 12 La.App. 5 Cir. 335, 2013 WL 2121353, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 969, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mckinnies-lactapp-2013.