State v. Moliere

931 So. 2d 1100, 2006 La. App. LEXIS 1234, 2006 WL 1382204
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 5, 2006
DocketNo. 2005-KA-0430
StatusPublished

This text of 931 So. 2d 1100 (State v. Moliere) 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. Moliere, 931 So. 2d 1100, 2006 La. App. LEXIS 1234, 2006 WL 1382204 (La. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinions

ROLAND L. BELSOME, Judge.

^STATEMENT OF CASE

On August 21, 2003 Raymond Moliere was indicted by the Orleans Parish Grand Jury on two charges: 1) the first degree murder of Brandon Davis, a violation of [1101]*1101La. R.S. 14:30; and 2) the armed robbery of James Jones, a violation of La. R.S. 14:64. Moliere pled not guilty to both counts at his arraignment on August 28, 2003.

Trial of the State’s charges against Moliere occurred on October 12 and 13, 2004. On October 12, 2004, the State amended count one of the indictment to charge Moliere with the second degree murder of Brandon Davis, a violation of La. R.S. 14:30.1. Simultaneously, the State also amended count two of the indictment to charge Moliere with the attempted second degree murder of James Jones, a violation of La. R.S. 14:(27)30.1. The indictment contains a hand written notation from Shannon Swaim, assistant district attorney, whereby she amended count 2 of the indictment to attempted second degree murder of James Jones. Further, Ms. Swaim signed and dated the amendment October 12, 2004. Additionally, the record also contains a minute entry made on October 13, 2004 that states: “On the first day of trial, the State amended the Bill of Information. The State amended 12count 1 of the Bill of Information to read RS 14:30.1 second degree murder. The State amended count 2 of the Bill of Information to read RS 14(27)30.1 ATT 2nd degree murder.”

On October 13, 2004, a twelve-person jury found Moliere guilty on both amended counts. The trial court sentenced Moliere on October 20, 2004. On count one the trial court sentenced Moliere to life imprisonment. On count two the trial court sentenced Moliere to fifty years imprisonment. The trial court ordered these sentences to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence and that they be served concurrently. On October 26, 2004 Moliere filed a motion for appeal, and the trial court appointed the Louisiana Appellate Project to represent Moliere. The record was lodged in this court on March 18, 2005. Moliere filed his brief on May 31, 2005. On June 25, 2005 this court denied the State’s motion to supplement the record and interrupt the briefing schedule. The State filed its brief on July 5, 2005. We note that Moliere does not appeal his conviction for the second degree murder of Brandon Davis.

STATEMENT OF FACT

This case concerns the conviction of Raymond Moliere for the second degree murder of Brandon Davis and the attempted second degree murder of James Jones. Early in the morning of June 26, 2003, Davis and Jones were leaving a nightclub called The Showcase, in New Orleans East. Felicia Hughes, who worked at The Showcase and who knew both Davis and Jones, asked them to give her a ride to Chalmette, Louisiana, where she was staying at the time. They agreed to give her a ride.

On the way to the car, Raymond Moliere also asked Davis and Jones for a ride to a residence on Skyview Drive in New Orleans East. Once again, Davis and |aJones agreed. Davis and Jones knew Moliere, and a month before Davis and Moliere had been in an altercation. Hughes also knew Moliere. They had previously been involved in a sexual relationship, but Hughes had broken it off when she suspected Moliere of stealing from her.

Once they arrived in front of Moliere’s destination on Skyview Drive, Davis asked Moliere to get out of the car so he could take Hughes home. Moliere pulled out a gun and began shooting. Jones testified that he was shot in the neck, and then he hopped out of the back seat and attempted to run to the corner. Moliere continued shooting, and a bullet landed in Jones’ left leg. Moliere then stood over Jones and fired another shot that hit Jones in the arm. Jones testified that he observed [1102]*1102Davis lying across from him near the curb. Hughes testified that she exited the car and ran down the street, and that Moliere chased her, but eventually he turned around and got back in the car.

Based on interviews with Jones while he was in the hospital, police identified Moliere and issued a warrant for his arrest. Moliere was eventually arrested on June 28, 2003, after an officer from the Seventh District observed him in the vicinity of Esplanade and North Robertson.

On October 13, 2004, a jury convicted Moliere of the second degree murder of Brandon Davis and the attempted second degree murder of James Jones. His appeal is now before us.

DISCUSSION

Defendant contends that his conviction for attempted second degree murder is an error patent because he was not properly indicted on that charge. Specifically, count two of the indictment originally charged defendant with armed robbery but defendant contends that it was improperly amended to charge him with ^attempted second degree murder. Defendant’s argument is twofold. First, defendant contends that the State had no authority to amend count two, armed robbery, to the nonresponsive crime of attempted second degree murder. Second, defendant argues that his conviction for attempted second degree murder should be reversed because the record does not establish when the State amended the bill of information.

Defendant’s first contention is without merit. The Louisiana Supreme Court has held that a prosecutor may make substantive amendments to a grand jury indictment before trial begins. State v. Neslo, 433 So.2d 73 (La.1983). Where the defense can show prejudice as a result of the amendment, the court should grant a motion for a continuance. La.C.Cr.P. art. 489. Presently, the record shows that defendant neither objected to the State’s amendment of count two of the indictment nor asked the trial court for a continuance pursuant to La.C.Cr.P. art. 489. Moreover, the record does not show that defendant objected to the trial court’s jury instructions regarding second degree murder or attempted second degree murder.

Further, it is difficult to see how the state’s amendment of count two prejudiced Moliere. It became apparent at the suppression hearing, held over seven months before trial, that Moliere’s shooting of Jones would support an attempted second degree murder indictment. Specifically, defendant’s conviction for the attempted second degree murder of Jones was based, aside from the ballistics evidence, on the eye-witness testimony of Jones. Jones’ testimony at the suppression hearing effectively mirrored his testimony at trial. Further, counsel at the hearing was the same counsel at trial. Thus, Moliere suffered no prejudice from the State’s amendment of count two on the day of trial.

| ¡¡Defendant next contends that his conviction for attempted second degree murder 'should be reversed because the record does not establish when the State amended the bill of information. Specifically, the record does establish that the State amended count two of the indictment on the day of trial. To reiterate, on August 21, 2003 Raymond Moliere was indicted by the Orleans Parish Grand Jury on two charges: 1) the first degree murder of Brandon Davis, a violation of La. R.S. 14:30; and 2) the armed robbery of James Jones, a violation of La. R.S. 14:64. Moliere pled not guilty to both counts at his arraignment on August 28, 2003.

On October 12, 2004 the State amended count two of the indictment to charge Moliere with the attempted second degree [1103]*1103murder of James Jones, a violation of La. R.S. 14:(27)30.1.

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Related

State v. Johnson
637 So. 2d 1033 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1994)
State v. Wheeler
665 So. 2d 1286 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
State v. Neslo
433 So. 2d 73 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)

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Bluebook (online)
931 So. 2d 1100, 2006 La. App. LEXIS 1234, 2006 WL 1382204, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-moliere-lactapp-2006.