State v. Medford

489 So. 2d 957
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 12, 1986
Docket86-KA-8
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 489 So. 2d 957 (State v. Medford) 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. Medford, 489 So. 2d 957 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

489 So.2d 957 (1986)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Thomas MEDFORD.

No. 86-KA-8.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

May 12, 1986.

Dorothy Pendergast, Asst. Dist. Atty., Gretna, for State.

*958 John Craft, Indigent Defender Bd., Gretna, for defendant/appellant.

Before CHEHARDY, BOWES and WICKER, JJ.

BOWES, Judge.

Thomas Medford and a co-defendant (who remained at large throughout these proceedings) were charged by grand jury indictment with first degree murder. The defendant was arraigned on November 12, 1984, and, through counsel, pled not guilty to the charge. Defendant's motion to suppress identification was heard, submitted and denied on April 23, 1985; all other motions were satisfied as of May 29, 1985.

Trial commenced June 25, 1985 with a jury of twelve, plus one alternate being impaneled. On June 28, 1985, the jury returned a verdict of guilty as charged (which, after polling, was declared legal) and, after a sentencing hearing, unanimously recommended that the defendant be sentenced to life imprisonment. The defendant's motion for a new trial was heard and denied on September 4, 1985, following which he waived all delays and was immediately sentenced to life imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

It is from the above conviction and sentence that the defendant seeks relief on appeal, assigning the following as errors:

Assignment of Error No. 1

The court erred in denying appellant's Motion to Suppress Identification.

Assignment of Error No. 2

The court erred in prohibiting defense counsel from inquiring into pertinent factors affecting the witnesses' ability to perceive and identify the perpetrator during the hearing on the Motion to Suppress Identification.

Assignment of Error No. 3

The court erred in excusing for cause those potential jurors who expressed an inability to return the death penalty at the penalty phase of the trial, thereby created a guilt prone jury.

Assignment of Error No. 4

The court erred in refusing to order disclosure of the identity of the confidential informer.

Assignment of Error No. 5

The court erred in prohibiting testimony from a defense witness who had been present in the courtroom for part of the trial.

Assignment of Error No. 6

The evidence presented was not sufficient to justify the verdict of guilty of first degree murder.

On May 6, 1984, at approximately 9:15 p.m., George Plaisance, Jr., his wife, Arlynn, and his children, George, III, and Ginger, were at home in their house in Gretna. Answering the doorbell, Mr. Plaisance was confronted by two gunmen who pushed their way into the residence. One subject, later identified as Kenneth McCullough, placed a gun to Mr. Plaisance's head and pushed him into the master bedroom where Mrs. Plaisance was watching television. The second subject, later identified as Thomas Medford, held a gun to Mrs. Plaisance's head until motioned by his accomplice to "check out" the house. Leaving McCullough and Mr. Plaisance in the bedroom with Mrs. Plaisance, Medford began searching through the closets in adjoining rooms.

A neighbor, Albert Alonzo, Sr., observed the subjects approach and enter the Plaisance residence and instructed his wife to call and find out if anything was wrong. Mrs. Plaisance answered the phone and was able to convey to Mrs. Alonzo that they needed help. Mrs. Alonzo informed her that "Albert and Marty are on their way over." At that point, Medford returned to the master bedroom and forced Mrs. Plaisance to hang up the phone. Mr. Plaisance, McCullough, Mrs. Plaisance and Medford, in that order, walked out of the bedroom into the hall.

*959 Albert Alonzo, closely followed by his son, Marty, approached the Plaisance home and knocked on the door. George Plaisance, III, who had just left his bedroom and was unaware that his parents were being held at gunpoint, answered the door and, upon inquiry, informed Mr. Alonzo that all was well. Seeking to verify that information, Albert Alonzo walked to the hallway. Observing the situation, he grabbed Medford and threw him towards Marty with instructions to "break him up." Mr. Plaisance told Ginger and George, III, to hide and warned the senior Alonzo that the subjects were armed, whereupon Albert replied "I have a gun also." McCullough then shot Mr. Plaisance in the head; the bullet grazed his skull, tore off a piece of his ear, and rendered him unconscious.

As Mr. Plaisance fell to the floor, Mrs. Plaisance backed out of the hallway and Marty Alonzo continued to wrestle with Medford, pinning his arms to his side in a "bear hug." After Medford fired three shots at Marty Alonzo's legs, Albert Alonzo grabbed Medford by the hair and placed a gun to his neck, pulling the trigger twice. The gun did not fire, as it was not loaded. Medford jerked his arm free of Marty Alonzo's grasp and fired twice at Albert Alonzo, striking him in the forearm and the hip; Mr. Alonzo moaned, but managed to strike Medford twice in the head with his gun, allowing Marty Alonzo to wrestle Medford into a corner. Hearing more gunshots, the junior Alonzo looked up in time to see McCullough shoot his father in the head. McCullough then shot Marty Alonzo in the shoulder and fled the scene with Medford.

After calling the police and emergency units, Mrs. Plaisance went to her husband's aid. After a few moments, Mr. Plaisance regained consciousness and, after trying to aid Albert Alonzo, grabbed Alonzo's gun and gave chase; however, the subjects had escaped. Albert Alonzo, Sr. died as a result of the gunshot wound to his head.

The court erred in denying defendant's Motion to Suppress Identification.

The court erred in prohibiting defense counsel from inquiring into pertinent factors affecting the witnesses' ability to perceive and identify the perpetrator during the hearing on the Motion to Suppress Identification.

As these two assignments involve only one issue and were argued together by the defense, they will be addressed as one assignment of error here.

A motion to suppress photographic identification was heard on April 23, 1985. Detective Robert Mason testified that information supplied by a confidential informant indicated that the defendant was involved in the crime. Detective Mason secured a photograph of the defendant and included it in a five-photo lineup. Mrs. Plaisance and George Plaisance, III, identified the defendant from the lineup; Mr. Plaisance and Ginger Plaisance were unable to make an identification. At a separate showing, Marty Alonzo made a tentative identification.

During cross-examination of Detective Mason, defense counsel sought to learn the descriptions of the perpetrators given by the witnesses on the night of the shooting. The following colloquy occurred:

THE COURT:
What is the pur—This is a motion to suppress the ID. Why does that become important?
MR. LITTLE:
Well, Judge, it of course would be relevant in essence of whether or not they were in fact even capable of making an identification if in fact somebody was in a room and never saw the perpetrators or had no opportunity to see them and then subsequently comes forth and makes an identification, I think that becomes suspect.
And the witness on the stand, I believe, because of time, is not at all clear as to where these people might or might not have been on the night of the offense.

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Bluebook (online)
489 So. 2d 957, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-medford-lactapp-1986.