State v. Moore

534 So. 2d 1275, 1988 WL 71829
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 29, 1988
DocketKA-8949
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 534 So. 2d 1275 (State v. Moore) 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. Moore, 534 So. 2d 1275, 1988 WL 71829 (La. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

534 So.2d 1275 (1988)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Thomas MOORE.

No. KA-8949.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

July 12, 1988.
On Rehearing November 29, 1988.

*1276 Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., William A. Marshall, Asst. Dist. Atty., Beryl M. McSmith, Asst. Dist. Atty., New Orleans, for State of La.

Dwight Doskey, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for defendant.

Before SCHOTT, KLEES and PLOTKIN, JJ.

PLOTKIN, Judge.

Defendant Thomas Moore appeals his conviction for forcible rape, alleging that testimony concerning a prior incident involving a different victim was improperly admitted by the trial court. He also alleges that his 40-year maximum sentence is unconstitutionally excessive.

The prosecutrix in this case claims that she was raped twice by the defendant and forced to submit to oral sex sometime in the late night hours of May 13, 1985 and/or early morning hours of May 14, 1985. The defendant was charged with aggravated rape, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:42, and with aggravated crime against nature, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:89.1, by a true bill of indictment on May 30, 1985. He pled not guilty to both charges on June 12, 1985, but was found guilty of forcible rape, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:42.1, and not guilty of aggravated crime against nature by a jury on January 14, 1986. Moore was sentenced to forty years at hard labor with credit for time served on March 4, 1986. We reverse and remand.

The record establishes that the prosecutrix, the defendant and a friend of the prosecutrix spent most of the day May 13 together, after meeting casually at approximately 11:30 a.m. at the Southern University New Orleans (SUNO) university center, where the defendant was showing some pictures he had taken at a pool party two weeks earlier. The three bought lunch at a Wendy's drive-in and ate together at the defendant's home at 832 Sixth Street, then drove around the lakefront area in a jeep owned by Moore's godfather; the prosecutrix did most of the driving. They dropped the prosecutrix's friend off at her uptown home sometime around 8 p.m., then returned to the defendant's house. While they were at defendant's house two of the defendant's friends visited. The prosecutrix left the defendant's house driving the jeep sometime around 9 or 9:30 p.m., but returned later. The alleged rapes occurred after she returned.

The parties who testified at the trial agree on the above general facts; however, they disagree concerning details of the incident. The prosecutrix and her friend say the defendant encouraged her to drive the jeep; the defendant claims the prosecutrix took the keys and started driving without his permission. The prosecutrix claims that she went to the defendant's house after taking her friend home only because he said he needed to pick something up before taking her home to New Orleans East; the defendant claims the prosecutrix took him home because they had agreed *1277 that he would allow her to use the jeep that night if she came back to spend the night with him. The prosecutrix testified that she was frightened of the defendant and that she returned to his house after he let her leave in the jeep alone only because he had threatened to call the police and report the jeep stolen if she didn't come back by midnight; she claims she intended to put the keys on the porch and leave. The defendant claims he was asleep when the prosecutrix returned after midnight, but that she woke him up and they had sex, just as they had planned to do. The prosecutrix stated that the defendant threatened her with his dogs and a sword and gave her a choice between having sex with him or his dog. The defendant admits that he and the prosecutrix had sex one time, but claims that she consented. He denies that he had oral sex with the prosecutrix.

Sometime early May 14, 1985, the prosecutrix's mother became concerned because her daughter had not come home and contacted the police. The prosecutrix's friends then led the police to the defendant's house at about 5:30 a.m., where defendant answered the door, completely nude. The police asked if the prosecutrix was there and the defendant said she was and called her. She came out of the bathroom and initially told the police that she was all right. When a female police officer arrived on the scene, the prosecutrix told her she had been raped.

The defendant makes the following three assignments of error:

1. The trial court erred in denying a mistrial when the prosecutor mentioned a [State v.] Prieur [277 So.2d 126 (La. 1973) ] incident in his opening statement, and told the jury that they would see the similarities between the Prieur incident and the instant offenses, "as Judge Quinlan ruled."
2. The trial court erred in admitting the Prieur evidence when consent was the only issue.
3. The trial court erred in imposing an excessive sentence.

Failure to Declare a Mistrial

The defendant contends that the trial court erred in failing to declare a mistrial when the prosecutor, in opening statement, referred to a prior incident involving a different victim and stated that the jury would note the similarities between that incident and the instant offense "as Judge Quinlan ruled," apparently referring to the fact that the trial judge had decided during pre-trial motions to admit testimony concerning the previous incident.

Mandatory mistrials are governed by La. C.Cr.P. art. 770, which provides as follows:

Upon motion of a defendant, a mistrial shall be ordered when a remark or comment, made within the hearing of the jury by the judge, district attorney, or a court official, during the trial or in argument, refers directly or indirectly to:
(1) Race, religion, color or national origin, if the remark or comment is not material and might create prejudice against the defendant in the mind of the jury;
(2) Another crime committed or alleged to have been committed by the defendant as to which evidence is not admissible;
(3) The failure of the defendant to testify in his own defense; or
(4) The refusal of the judge to direct a verdict.
An admonition to the jury to disregard the remark or comment shall not be sufficient to prevent a mistrial. If the defendant, however, requests that only an admonition be given, the court shall admonish the jury to disregard the remark or comment but shall not declare a mistrial.

The defendant concedes that the comments of which he complains do not fall within the above categories, which require a mistrial, but contends that a mistrial was nevertheless warranted under the court's discretionary power.

To decide whether to declare a mistrial based on comments which do not fall within the mandatory mistrial provisions of the above article, the court must determine whether the remarks contributed to the *1278 jury verdict. State v. Green, 416 So.2d 539 (La.1982). A mistrial is then warranted only when the comments result in substantial prejudice to the defendant which deprives him of a fair trial. State v. Cushenberry, 407 So.2d 700 (La.1981). The defense must show that the remarks influenced the jury and contributed to the verdict. State v. Fluker, 454 So.2d 358 (La. App. 4th Cir. 1984).

The defense has made the required showing. As discussed below, testimony concerning the prior incident was improperly admitted by the trial judge.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
534 So. 2d 1275, 1988 WL 71829, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-moore-lactapp-1988.