State v. Moody

38 So. 3d 451, 2009 La.App. 4 Cir. 1394, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 568, 2010 WL 1611019
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 21, 2010
Docket2009-KA-1394
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 38 So. 3d 451 (State v. Moody) 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. Moody, 38 So. 3d 451, 2009 La.App. 4 Cir. 1394, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 568, 2010 WL 1611019 (La. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

ROLAND L. BELSOME, Judge.

liThe defendant, Frank Moody, was charged by bill of information with one count of aggravated burglary of an inhabited dwelling in violation of La. R.S. 14:60. The defendant pled not guilty at his arraignment. Subsequently, the trial court heard pre-trial motions and found probable cause and denied the defendant’s Motion to Suppress the Identification.

On May 12, 2009, a twelve-member jury found the defendant guilty as charged. Following a multiple bill hearing on July 23, 2009, the trial court adjudged the defendant a triple offender and sentenced him pursuant to La. R.S. 15:529.1 to sixty years at hard labor, with credit for time served, sentence is to run consecutive with any other sentence imposed. That same day, the defense filed a Motion to Reconsider Sentence, which the court denied.

On December 3, 2008, NOPD Detective Anthony Edenfield and his partner investigated the aggravated burglary of a dwelling in the 800 block of St. Ann Street. When Detective Edenfield arrived on the scene, he noticed that the front door to the residence showed signs of forced entry. Detective Edenfield spoke Uwith the vie-tim/resident of the house, Ms. Ann Harrington, and learned that a man, had broken into her house, demanded money, and stole her flat screen television and her laptop computer. Ms. Harrington said she got a good look at the defendant when he came toward her in her bedroom. She described her assailant to the police as *454 wearing a white T-shirt, black pants with a cargo pocket on one side and white sneakers. He had black facial hair and a widow’s peak hairline.

A description of the assailant provided by the victim was broadcast on the police radio. The victim was transported to a show-up lineup. Approximately thirty to forty-five minutes after the incident, police transported her to North Rampart Street where she identified a man stopped by the police as the man who broke into her house, threatened her and stole her property. Ms. Harrington identified her belongings in a box which was sitting in the rear of the police car.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER 1

In the first assignment of error, the defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying his Motion to Suppress the Identification because the show-up lineup created a substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification because he was the only suspect in the show-up.

A defendant who challenges the identification procedure must prove both that the identification itself was suggestive and that a likelihood of misidentification existed as a result of the identification procedure. State v. Valentine, 570 So.2d 533, 535 (La.App. 4 Cir.1990), citing Manson v. Brathwaite, 432 U.S. 98, 97 S.Ct. 2243, 53 L.Ed.2d 140 (1977). Moreover, even if the identification could be considered suggestive, it is the likelihood of | smisidentification that violates due process, not merely the suggestive identification procedure. See, e.g., State v. Thibodeaux, 98-1673, p. 21 (La.9/8/99), 750 So.2d 916, 932. Fairness is the standard of review for identification procedures, and reliability is the linchpin in determining the admissibility of identification testimony. Manson v. Brathwaite, 432 U.S. 98, 97 S.Ct. 2243, 2253, 53 L.Ed.2d 140 (1977).

Generally, one-on-one identifications are not favored but are permissible when justified by the circumstances. State v. Woodberry, 95-2402, p. 5 (La.App. 4 Cir. 12/27/96), 686 So.2d 984, 988. This is particularly true when the accused is apprehended within a short time after the occurrence and is returned to the crime scene. Id. Even a suggestive, out-of-court identification will be admissible if it is found reliable under the totality of circumstances. State v. Guy, 95-0899 (La.App. 4 Cir. 1/31/96), 669 So.2d 517. If a suggestive identification procedure has been proven, a reviewing court must look to several factors to determine, from the totality of the circumstances, whether the suggestive identification presents a substantial likelihood of misidentification at trial. State v. Martin, 595 So.2d 592, 595 (La.1992).

In order to determine whether the identification presents a substantial likelihood of misidentification, courts look to the totality of circumstances, and consider the following “Manson factors” set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court: (1) the opportunity of the witness to view the assailant at the time of the crime; (2) the witness’s degree of attention; (3) the accuracy of the witness’s prior description of the assailant; (4) the level of certainty demonstrated by the witness; and (5) the | ¿length of time between the crime and the confrontation. Manson, 432 U.S. 98, 97 S.Ct. 2243, 2253. The corrupting effect of the suggestive identification itself must be weighed against these factors. Martin, 595 So.2d at 595.

A trial court’s determination on the admissibility of identification evidence is entitled to great weight and will not be disturbed on appeal in the absence of an abuse of discretion. State v. Offray, 2000-0959 (La.App. 4 Cir. 9/26/01), 797 So.2d 764.

*455 Applying the Mamón factors to this case supports the admissibility of the identification. The victim testified that within thirty to forty-five minutes of the incident she was transported a short distance from her residence where she viewed the defendant as he stood on the street with police. The victim was unequivocable in her identification. Moreover, the victim stated that the police did not tell her they had a “suspect” for her to identify. It was not until after the victim identified the defendant that she was told property fitting the description of the property taken from her residence had been retrieved.

Additionally, the victim testified that she looked directly at her assailant for several moments as he stood in the doorway to her bedroom from a distance of approximately ten feet. She noted that the assailant had tattoos on his hands and provided the police with a detailed physical description of the assailant — black male, wearing a white T-shirt, black pants with a cargo pocket on one side and white sneakers. She further stated that the assailant had black facial hair and widow’s peak hairline.

| ¡Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying the Motion to Suppress the Identification.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER 2

By this assignment, the defendant argues that the non-unanimous jury conviction is unconstitutional.

Louisiana Constitution Article I, § 17(A) and La.C.Cr.P. art. 782(A) provide that in cases where punishment is necessarily at hard labor, the case shall be tried by a jury composed of twelve jurors, ten of whom must concur to render a verdict.

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Related

State v. Lewis
95 So. 3d 533 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012)

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Bluebook (online)
38 So. 3d 451, 2009 La.App. 4 Cir. 1394, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 568, 2010 WL 1611019, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-moody-lactapp-2010.