State v. Newton

129 So. 3d 1, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 509, 2013 WL 511882, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 229
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 13, 2013
DocketNo. 12-509
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 129 So. 3d 1 (State v. Newton) 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. Newton, 129 So. 3d 1, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 509, 2013 WL 511882, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 229 (La. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

COOKS, Judge.

| .FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Defendant, Sean Bernard Newton, his brother, Brandon Newton, his cousin, Joshua Lambert, and three friends, Andre Broussard, Jarius Watson, and Marlon Kelly, left the Prien Lake Mall on the evening of March 27, 2010, in Defendant’s car and drove to a neighborhood behind the mall called “Brownsville” in anticipation of fighting with another gang of young men. The confrontation began at the mall, but the two groups were sent out of the [3]*3mall by the security guards. Defendant had in his possession a handgun. Meanwhile, the victim, fourteen-year-old Alexus Rankins, and two of her friends were walking through the “Brownsville” neighborhood on their way home from the theater in the mall. Defendant drove around the neighborhood until he and his companions found the group of men they were arguing with at the mall. When the men approached the car, taunting Defendant, he fired a single shot into the group. The bullet struck the victim in the head. She died two days later as result of the gunshot wound.

Defendant, Sean Bernard Newton, was indicted for one count of first degree murder, a violation of La.R.S. 14:30, one count of obstruction of justice, a violation of La. R.S. 14:130.1, and one count of inciting to riot, a violation of La.R.S. 14:329.2. A jury trial commenced on May 16, 2011. On May 24, 2011, the jury returned a guilty verdict on all charges. A presentence investigation report was ordered, and sentencing was set for July 20, 2011.

On July 19, 2011, Defendant filed a “Motion for a New Trial.” The motion was heard on July 20, 2011, and denied. Defendant waived all sentencing delays and was sentenced on the same date to life imprisonment without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence on the first degree murder conviction, twenty years at hard labor on the obstruction of justice conviction, and six months in the parish jail on the conviction for inciting a riot. All sentences were ordered to |sbe served concurrently. Defendant did not file a motion to reconsider the sentences.

Defendant perfected a timely appeal. He alleges that his right to due process was violated pursuant to Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963) on three separate occasions. He also alleges ineffective assistance of trial counsel.

ERRORS PATENT

In accordance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 920, all appeals are reviewed for errors patent on the face of the record. After reviewing the record, we find there is one error patent and a procedural issue requiring discussion.

There was a misjoinder of offenses in the indictment. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 493 provides for the joinder of offenses in a single indictment under limited circumstances if the offenses joined are triable by the same mode of trial.

In the present case, counts one and three, which are punishable at hard labor, are triable by a twelve-person jury, ten of whom must concur. La.Code Crim.P. art. 782. Count two is a misdemeanor triable by a judge only.1 La.Code Crim.P. art. 779(B). Therefore, pursuant to La.Code Crim.P. art. 493, counts one and three were properly joined in the indictment, but count two, the misdemeanor, was not.

However, Defendant did not file a motion to quash the bill of information on the basis of misjoinder of offenses as required by statute. La.Code Crim.P. art. 495. Accordingly, review of this error is waived.

There is also a procedural issue present. Because the misdemeanor charge is not triable by jury, the proper mode of appellate review for that offense is an application for writ of review, rather than an appeal. La.Code Crim.P. art. 912.1.

[4]*4|Jn State v. Turner, 04-1250 (La.App. 3 Cir. 3/2/05), 896 So.2d 286, writ denied, 05-871 (La.12/12/05), 917 So.2d 1084, this court severed a misdemeanor conviction from the defendant’s appeal of two felony convictions. This court ordered the defendant to file a writ of review regarding the misdemeanor conviction in compliance with the rules of court. This court noted that the defendant did not make any specific arguments regarding the misdemeanor conviction. Consequently, this court considered the notice of appeal as a notice to file a writ of review within thirty days of its opinion, if the defendant desired to seek review of the misdemeanor conviction.

In this case, the Defendant does not raise any assignment of error regarding the misdemeanor conviction. Therefore, following this Court’s holding in Turner, we will sever the misdemeanor conviction from the appeal and order Defendant to file a writ of review regarding the misdemeanor conviction in compliance with the Uniform Rules — Courts of Appeal 1-3, if he so desires.

ANALYSIS

Assignments of Error Numbers 1-3

In each of his first three assignments of error, Defendant alleges he suffered violations of his right to due process pursuant to Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215, when the State failed to disclose exculpating evidence pri- or to trial. He alleges the State failed to disclose inconsistent statements given by two witnesses, Joshua Lambert and Terri Brown, who testified at trial. He further contends the State failed to inform him that Jarius Watson was offered immunity in exchange for his testimony.

In State v. Harper, 10-356, pp. 8-12 (La.11/30/10), 53 So.3d 1263, 1269-71, the supreme court discussed the Brady principle, as follows:

In accordance with the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the State must disclose evidence which is favorable to the defense when “the evidence is Immaterial either to guilt or to punishment” or impeaches the testimony of a witness where “the ‘reliability [or credibility] of a given witness may well be determinative of guilt or innocence.’ ” Brady, 373 U.S. at 87, 83 S.Ct. at 1196-97; Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 154, 92 S.Ct. 763, 766, 31 L.Ed.2d 104 (1972). “[E]videnee is material only if there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been different.” United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667, 682, 105 S.Ct. 3375, 3383, 87 L.Ed.2d 481 (1985); see also, State v. Rosiere, 488 So.2d 965, 970 (La.1986). “A ‘reasonable probability’ is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.” Bagley, 473 U.S. at 682, 105 S.Ct. at 3383; see also Rosiere, 488 So.2d at 970-71. Contrarily, “[t]he mere possibility that an item of undisclosed information might have helped the defense, or might have affected the outcome of the trial, does not establish ‘materiality’ in the constitutional sense.” United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 109-10, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 2400, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976). “Thus, the prosecutor is not required to deliver his entire file to defense counsel, but only to disclose evidence favorable to the accused that, if suppressed, would deprive the defendant of a fair trial.” Bagley, 473 U.S.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
129 So. 3d 1, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 509, 2013 WL 511882, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 229, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-newton-lactapp-2013.