State v. Mollette

2 So. 3d 461, 8 La.App. 5 Cir. 138, 2008 La. App. LEXIS 1539, 2008 WL 5000158
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 25, 2008
Docket08-KA-138
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 2 So. 3d 461 (State v. Mollette) 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. Mollette, 2 So. 3d 461, 8 La.App. 5 Cir. 138, 2008 La. App. LEXIS 1539, 2008 WL 5000158 (La. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

SUSAN M. CHEHARDY, Judge.

| .¡Michael L. Mollette appeals Ms conviction of second-degree murder. We affirm, for the reasons that follow.

On October 7, 2004 Michael L. Mollette was indicted for second degree murder, a violation of La.R.S. 14:30.1. At arraignment the defendant pleaded not guilty. The defense filed an application for a sanity commission. After a hearing on March 2, 2005, the defendant was found competent to stand trial.

The defense filed motions to suppress identification and to suppress statements, which were denied after a hearing on October 6, 2006. Jury selection commenced on November 13, 2006 and the trial took place the next day. On November 14, 2006 the twelve-member jury found the defendant guilty as charged. On December 5, 2006, the defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. The defendant now takes this timely appeal.

FACTS

Gail Gilmore testified that in the early morning hours of August 14, 2004, the defendant came to her home looMng for her brother, Harold Gilmore. She told the defendant she did not know Harold’s whereabouts.

| ¡¡Rosetta Rousell, who is Harold Gilmore’s aunt, and Jeremiah Peterson, who is Harold’s uncle, were residents of the house in which Harold Gilmore was living. Both testified that after they went to sleep on August 14, 2004, they were awakened by a knock at the door. Both Rousell and Peterson said the person at the door identified himself as “Mike.” Rousell identified the defendant in court as the person at the door. She said he asked if Harold was there.

Both Rousell and Peterson testified the defendant said that the victim owed him money. The defendant walked past Rou-sell and Peterson to the doorway of the bedroom in which Harold was sleeping. Rousell and Peterson each heard gunshots and saw muzzle flashes from a gun. Peterson testified he saw the defendant shoot in Harold’s direction.

Earline Gilmore testified she was Harold Gilmore’s grandmother. She was asleep in the same bedroom as her daughter, Dorothy Gilmore, 1 and Harold, when she heard the defendant come in. Harold was sleeping on the floor. She saw the defendant stand in the middle of the bedroom door and shoot Harold “right down on the floor,” killing him.

Rousell, Peterson, and Earline Gilmore testified that neither the victim nor the defendant said anything to each other before or during the shooting. Peterson also testified there was no physical interaction between the defendant and the victim before the shots were fired. After the defendant fired the shots, he left.

Officer Jimmy Mendez with the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office (JPSO) testified that after taking separate statements from the witnesses, he learned the shooter was a black man named Michael.

Detective Donald Clogher, formerly with the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office (hereafter “JPSO”) Homicide Section, testified he later learned from the | ¿witnesses that the perpetrator possibly had the last name of Mollette. According to Rousell, Dorothy Gilmore told the police the defendant’s *464 last name. Later, both Gail Gilmore and Rousell positively identified the defendant in a photograph. Peterson testified he was unable to identify the person pictured in the two photographs he was shown. After both Rousell and Gail Gilmore identified the defendant, Detective Clogher obtained an arrest warrant. However, the defendant turned himself in before he was located by police.

Detective Clogher testified the defendant was advised of his rights as part of the JPSO Rights of Arrestee or Suspects form. According to Detective Clogher, the defendant never made him aware that he was illiterate.

Detective Clogher took three statements from the defendant. 2 The jury listened to the recordings of all three statements, and also read transcripts of the statements.

In his first statement the defendant claimed he did not go to the victim’s house, he did not commit the murder, and he was not familiar with the incident.

In the second statement, the defendant claimed the victim shot himself during a struggle.

In the third statement, the defendant claimed he went in the bedroom to talk to the victim about stealing his car and the items in it. He said a scuffle ensued and the victim pulled out a gun, which went off when the victim tripped the defendant. The defendant stated the gun was fired at least twice. He claimed that the gun fired each time because the defendant’s hand hit the trigger. The defendant claimed he was not trying to kill the victim.

| .ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

The defendant’s only assignment of error is that the trial court erred in denying the Motion to Suppress the Statements. 3 The defendant argues his confession was obtained through coercion because there were threats of arrest made against his family and because one of the officers held a gun pointed towards him.

At the hearing on the motion to suppress, Detective Clogher testified that as part of Jefferson Parish procedure, he advised the defendant of his rights using the rights of arrestee or suspect form. According to Clogher, he completed the form with the defendant. Clogher testified the defendant signed the correct section of the form indicating that he read his rights, after initially signing in the wrong place. 4 Clogher said he read the defendant his rights aloud, and then he signed the appropriate section of the form indicating the same. The defendant indicated verbally that he understood his rights. The defendant also indicated that he understood his rights by initialing by each one of them on the form. In addition, the defendant verbally and in writing on the form indicated that he wished to waive his rights and give a statement. Detective Clogher said it appeared to him that the defendant clearly understood and acknowledged his rights. 5

*465 The defendant gave three tape-recorded statements. Detective Clogher testified that Detective Rodrigue was present throughout the interview process, which included the taking of the defendant’s three statements. Detective Clogher testified the defendant was advised of his rights in detail before he gave his first | ^statement and again before he gave his second statement. Clogher also believed the defendant was re-advised of his rights before he gave a third statement. 6

According to Detective Clogher, the defendant never invoked his right to an attorney, never indicated that he did not understand the process or did not want to give a statement, and never stated that he wanted to stop being asked questions. When asked if the defendant freely and voluntarily continued to speak with him between the tape-recorded statements, Detective Clogher responded affirmatively. Detective Clogher testified that the defendant was not offered or promised anything in order to obtain his three statements.

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Bluebook (online)
2 So. 3d 461, 8 La.App. 5 Cir. 138, 2008 La. App. LEXIS 1539, 2008 WL 5000158, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mollette-lactapp-2008.