State v. Oliver

165 So. 3d 970, 14 La.App. 5 Cir. 428, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 2817, 2014 WL 6687528
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided November 25, 2014·No. No. 14-KA-428·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

JUDE G. GRAVOIS, Judge.

| ^Defendant, Steven C. Oliver, appeals his convictions and sentences for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of hydro-eodone. For the reasons that follow, we affirm defendant’s convictions and sentences, and grant defendant’s appellate counsel’s motion to withdraw as counsel of record for defendant.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On June 1, 2011, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a three-count bill of information charging defendant, in count one, with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, a violation of La. R.S. 40:966(A); in count two, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a violation of La. R.S. 14:95.1; and, in count three, possession of hydrocodone, a violation of La. R.S. 40:967(C).1 Defendant pled not guilty at his arraignment on June 2, 2011.

|aOn January 23, 2012, defendant withdrew his pleas of not guilty, and after being advised of his Boykin2 rights, pled guilty as charged to all three counts. In accordance with the plea agreement, .defendant was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections3 on count one, ten years imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections, without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence on count two, and five years imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections on count three. Defendant’s sentences were further ordered to be served concurrently with each other and concurrently with any other sentence defendant was serving at the time of sentencing.

On the same date, the State filed a multiple offender bill of information on count one, alleging defendant to be a second felony offender.4 Defendant stipulated to the multiple offender bill. The trial judge then vacated defendant’s original sentence as to count one and sentenced defendant under La. R.S. 15:529.1 as a second felony offender to fifteen years imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections, to be served without the benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. The trial court further ordered defendant’s enhanced sentence to run concurrently with his sentences imposed on counts two and three, as well as with any other sentences defendant was serving at the time of his sentencing.

|4On February 6, 2014, defendant filed an application for post-conviction relief seeking an out-of-time appeal, which was granted by the trial court on March 27, 2014.5 Defendant’s appeal follows.

[972] FACTS

Because defendant’s convictions were the result of guilty pleas, and resolved without evidentiary hearings, the facts underlying the crimes that defendant was convicted of are not fully developed in the record.6 The bill of information alleges, as to count one, that on April 20, 2011, defendant violated La. R.S. 40:966(A) “in that [he] did knowingly or intentionally possess with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, to wit: Marijuana.” As to count two, the bill of information alleges that on the same date, defendant violated La. R.S. 14:95.1 “in that he did have in his possession a firearm, to wit: a sawed off shotgun, having been previously convicted of the crime of Possession With Intent to Distribute Cocaine, in violation of 40:967.A, under case number 06-3899, Division “P”, in the 24th Judicial District Court, Parish of Jefferson.” And as to count three, the bill of information also alleges that on the same date, defendant violated La. R.S. 40:967(C) “in that [he] did knowingly or intentionally possess a controlled dangerous substance, to wit: Hydrocodone.”

\ ¡ANDERS BRIEF

Under the procedure adopted by this Court in State v. Bradford, 95-929 (La.App. 5 Cir. 6/25/96), 676 So.2d 1108, 1110-11,7 appointed appellate counsel has filed a brief asserting that he has thoroughly reviewed the trial court record and cannot find any non-frivolous issues to raise on appeal. Accordingly, pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967), and State v. Jyles, 96-2669 (La.12/12/97), 704 So.2d 241 (per curiam), appointed counsel requests permission to withdraw as counsel of record.

In Anders, supra, the United States Supreme Court stated that appointed appellate counsel may request permission to withdraw if he finds his case to be wholly frivolous after a conscientious examination of it.8 The request must be accompanied by “a brief referring to anything in the record that might arguably support the appeal” so as to provide the reviewing court “with a basis for determining whether appointed counsel have fully performed their duty to support their clients’ appeals [973] to the best of their ability” and to assist the reviewing court “in making the critical determination whether the appeal is indeed so frivolous that counsel should be permitted to withdraw.” McCoy v. Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, Dist. 1, 486 U.S. 429, 439, 108 S.Ct. 1895, 1902, 100 L.Ed.2d 440 (1988).

In State v. Jyles, supra, at 241, the Louisiana Supreme Court stated that an Anders brief need not tediously catalog every meritless pretrial motion or objection made at trial with a detailed explanation of why the motions or objections lack merit. The Supreme Court explained that an Anders brief must demonstrate by full 1 fidiscussion and analysis that appellate counsel “has cast an advocate’s eye over the trial record and considered whether any ruling made by the trial court, subject to the contemporaneous objection rule, had a significant, adverse impact on shaping the evidence presented to the jury for its consideration.” Id.

When conducting a review for compliance with Anders, an appellate court must conduct an independent review of the record to determine whether the appeal is wholly frivolous. Bradford, supra, at 1110. If, after an independent review, the reviewing court determines there are no non-frivolous issues for appeal, it may grant counsel’s motion to withdraw and affirm the defendant’s conviction and sentence. However, if the court finds any legal point arguable on the merits, it may either deny the motion and order the court-appointed attorney to file a brief arguing the legal point(s) identified by the court, or grant the motion and appoint substitute appellant counsel. Id.

DISCUSSION

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State v. Oliver, 165 So. 3d 970, 14 La.App. 5 Cir. 428, 2014 La. App. LEXIS 2817, 2014 WL 6687528 (La. Ct. App. 2014).

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