State v. Parnell

960 So. 2d 1091, 2007 WL 1427445
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 15, 2007
Docket07-KA-37
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 960 So. 2d 1091 (State v. Parnell) 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. Parnell, 960 So. 2d 1091, 2007 WL 1427445 (La. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

960 So.2d 1091 (2007)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Juan J. PARNELL.

No. 07-KA-37.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

May 15, 2007.

*1093 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Parish of Jefferson, Terry M. Boudreaux, Andrea F. Long, Martin Belanger, Trial Counsel, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Jane L. Beebe, Attorney at Law, Louisiana Appellate, New Orleans, LA, for Defendant/Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges CLARENCE E. McMANUS, WALTER J. ROTHSCHILD, and GREG G. GUIDRY.

GREG G. GUIDRY, Judge.

The Defendant, Juan J. Parnell, appeals from his convictions on three counts, (1) possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; (2) possession of marijuana, second offense; and (3) possession of an unidentifiable firearm, and his respective sentences of 12 years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence and a $1000.00 fine, five years and, as a second offender, eight years without benefits of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, all ordered to run concurrently. For the reasons which follow, we affirm.

On May 24, 2005, by an amended bill of information,[1] the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office charged the Defendant in count one with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a violation of La. R.S. 14:95.1, having previously been convicted in case number 01-1938, 24th J.D.C., Division "B," of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, a violation of La. R.S. 40:966(A), and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, a violation of La. R.S. 40:967(A).[2] He was charged in count two *1094 with possession of marijuana for a second time, based on a previous conviction for possession of marijuana in case number 01-1938, 24th J.D.C., Division "B." And he was charged in count three with possession of an unidentifiable firearm, a violation of La. R.S. 40:1792.

The Defendant was arraigned on this bill of information and pled not guilty. On October 13, 2004, the Defendant filed an omnibus motion, which included a Motion to Suppress Confession, Identification, and Physical Evidence. On June 3, 2005, after a hearing, the trial court denied the motion to suppress the Defendant's statements and the evidence. On March 10, 2006, the Defendant filed a second omnibus motion, which included a Motion to Suppress Confession, Identification, and Physical Evidence.[3] On July 10, 2006, trial commenced.

At the hearing on the motion to suppress and at trial, the following evidence was adduced. Deputy Lance Williams of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office testified that he was on patrol with his partner, Deputy Harold Bourgeois, in the Lincolnshire area in Marrero on August 31, 2004. They were traveling in a champagne-colored Crown Victoria, described as a "police package" and admittedly recognized as an unmarked police vehicle by people in the area. He described the area as "a pretty rough neighborhood" or a high crime area. At approximately 11:30 p.m. Deputy Williams testified that he observed the Defendant from approximately 25 to 30 yards away standing a few feet from the street in the front yard area of a house. Deputy Williams admitted that the Defendant was just standing there when he first observed him. As the vehicle moved closer, the Defendant looked toward them. Deputy Williams stated that the Defendant's eyes opened fully and he "looked like a deer in the headlights." He testified that the Defendant immediately placed his right hand into his right front pants pocket and started backing up the driveway. Deputy Williams stated that he thought the Defendant was acting like he was trying to hide something, possibly narcotics. Deputy Williams stated that he decided to stop and speak to the Defendant. Deputy Williams admitted that at that time he had no reason to believe that the Defendant had committed or was committing a crime.

As Deputy Williams stopped and exited the vehicle in his police uniform, he testified he could smell "burnt marijuana" in the air. Upon exiting, Deputy Williams noticed for the first time another individual who started walking away from the Defendant down the sidewalk. Deputy Williams began to approach the Defendant and Deputy Bourgeois approached the other individual. The Defendant continued to back up the driveway with his right hand in his pocket despite several requests from Deputy Williams to remove it. Deputy Williams' suspicion grew when the Defendant said to him "I'm in front of my house, you can't do nothing." Deputy Williams thought the Defendant was looking around nervously and the Defendant's fist was clenched so tightly in his pocket that the officer could see the tendons in his forearm.

At that time, Deputy Jeffrey Lehrmann drove up to assist. He approached Deputy Williams and the Defendant and they stood on each side of the Defendant in a *1095 "tactical L" position, described as preventing escape. Deputy Williams testified that when the Defendant turned to look at Deputy Lehrmann, changing angles, he could see the outline of the top of a small-frame revolver bulging through the Defendant's pants which were described as baggy shorts. At that point, Deputy Williams stated he was in fear of his safety and the safety of others and immediately grabbed the Defendant's arm, restraining him and shouting the word "gun." A loaded .38 caliber revolver was retrieved from the Defendant's pocket and the Defendant was placed under arrest for carrying a concealed weapon. He was given his Miranda[4] rights. In searching the Defendant incident to this arrest, Deputy Williams found a partially smoked marijuana cigarette in a cigarette pack. Deputy Williams examined the handgun, and found that the serial numbers on the weapon had been obliterated.

Deputy Williams' testimony at trial was essentially the same as that at the motion to suppress hearing except for the additional fact that he could smell the marijuana while still in his vehicle through the open window. Deputy Bourgeois and Deputy Lehrmann corroborated most of Deputy Williams' testimony except that Deputy Bourgeois, pursuing the other person, did not see the handgun in the Defendant's pocket and Deputy Lehrmann did not smell the marijuana nor notice the Defendant's hand or a gun in his pocket.

Kathleen Parnell, the Defendant's mother, testified that she was at her home with the Defendant on the night of August 31, 2004, when she received a telephone call informing her that the police were in her yard. The Defendant had been sleeping and had gone outside no more than five to ten minutes before she received the call. She did not see the Defendant with a gun or marijuana that night. She looked outside and saw the Defendant and one of the three police officers, on the scene, standing by her gray car that was always parked behind the gate. She did not smell marijuana when she went outside and stood beside the Defendant. Ms. Parnell opined that the officers could not have smelled marijuana either, especially since she was cooking two large pots of pears with the windows open in the direction in which the incident took place. Before she went back inside, she saw one officer whispering something into the Defendant's ear and, later, saw the officers laughing to themselves. The other two police officers were in her yard. She did not see the Defendant standing in the street; rather, he was approximately three or four feet from the street. She also did not hear her son say that he was in his yard and, for that reason, the police could not do anything to him.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
960 So. 2d 1091, 2007 WL 1427445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-parnell-lactapp-2007.