State v. Phillips

887 So. 2d 670, 2004 WL 2538290
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 10, 2004
DocketKA 04-827
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 887 So. 2d 670 (State v. Phillips) 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. Phillips, 887 So. 2d 670, 2004 WL 2538290 (La. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

887 So.2d 670 (2004)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Lamar Pierce PHILLIPS.

No. KA 04-827.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

November 10, 2004.

*672 David E. Stone, Attorney At Law, Alexandria, LA, for Defendant/Appellant Lamar Pierce Phillips.

James D. White, Jr., Assistant District Attorney, Monroe, LA, James Patrick Lemoine, Assistant District Attorney, 35th Judicial District Court, Colfax, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee State of Louisiana.

Court composed of BILLIE COLOMBARO WOODARD, MARC T. AMY, and BILLY HOWARD EZELL, Judges.

EZELL, Judge.

The Defendant, Lamar Pierce Phillips, was charged with possession of cocaine in violation of La.R.S. 40:967(F), illegal carrying of a weapon in violation of La.R.S. 14:95(E), and obstruction of justice in violation of La.R.S. 14:130.1. He filed a motion to suppress that was denied following a hearing on March 4, 2004. Thereafter, the Defendant pled guilty, reserving his right pursuant to State v. Crosby, 338 So.2d 584 (La.1976), to contest the trial court's denial of his motion to suppress. On April 20, 2004, the Defendant was sentenced to twelve years at hard labor, the first five years without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, for possession of cocaine; five years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence for illegal carrying of a weapon; and five years at hard labor for obstruction of justice. All sentences were to run concurrently. Immediately following sentencing, the Defendant's motion to reconsider sentence was denied.

On appeal, the Defendant seeks review of the trial court's denial of his motion to suppress and urges his sentence is excessive.

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, the court recognizes there is one error patent.

The Defendant did not receive a fine although one is mandated by the penalty provision of La.R.S. 40:967(F)(1)(a). That provision mandates a fine of not less than $50,000.00 nor more than $150,000.00. Thus, the Defendant received an illegally lenient sentence for the possession of twenty-eight grams but less than two hundred grams of cocaine. Both statutory law and jurisprudence allow an appellate court to recognize an illegally lenient sentence on its own. La.Code Crim.P. art. 882 and State v. Williams, 00-1725 (La.11/28/01), 800 So.2d 790. This court has recognized the trial court's failure to impose a mandatory fine as an error patent and has, in its previous cases, remanded the cases for resentencing. State v. August, 03-1478 (La.App. 3 Cir. 4/7/04), 870 So.2d 553, State v. Figueroa, 03-1390 (La.App. 3 Cir. 3/31/04), 869 So.2d 957, and State v. Cedars, 02-861 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/11/02), 832 So.2d 1191. Thus, the Defendant's sentence for possession of twenty-eight to two hundred grams of cocaine is remanded for resentencing since the trial court has discretion as to the amount of the fine to be imposed. See State v. Gregrich, 99-178 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/13/99), 745 So.2d 694.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

The Defendant contends the trial court erred in denying his Motion to Suppress alleging an illegal search and seizure.

At the hearing, Grant Parish Sheriff Deputy Bradley C. Sudduth stated that on the night of April 15, 2003, a victim arrived at the police station and filed a complaint *673 against the Defendant for aggravated battery. Deputy Sudduth testified the victim was severely beaten and told him he had gotten into a fight with the Defendant who had hit him repeatedly with a board. A witness corroborated the victim's complaint. Colfax City Police Detective Bobby Hines obtained an arrest warrant for the Defendant for aggravated second degree battery.

Deputy Sudduth explained what happened later that night around midnight:

A At that point, we were going out to look for Mr. Phillips, and Detective Hines and myself and Deputies Hollis Tassin and Caleb Martin went out to try to apprehend Mr. Phillips.
Q Okay. And do you recall where you ... first of all, do you know where Mr., where Mr. Phillips lives, to your own knowledge, do you know where he lives? Where he ... I guess where he lists his residence at?
A I know where he lists his residence at.
Q Okay. Can you describe for me what you recall that to be?
A It's on Lake Street in Colfax.
Q Okay. And is that, in fact, where you know Mr. Lamar Phillips to stay or to be during the day and during the night when you're on your routine patrols?
A That's not where I see him.
Q Where, where do you see him from time to time?
A Well, I see him, I see him at various places, but the majority of the time it's at HUD Loop ...
Q Okay.
A ... in Colfax, Loop.
Q And did Officer Hines have a location to go, and did he tell you a place where he thought Mr. Phillips might be after the search warrant was ... I mean, the arrest warrant was secured?
A Yes, sir ...
BY MR. STONE: Objection, hearsay.
BY THE COURT: Continue. Overruled.
Q After you ... what did he tell you ... or where did he tell you you could go and look ... to look for Mr., Mr. Phillips?
A Detective Hines told me that Lamar Phillips was probably at his girlfriend's residence located at 137 HUD Loop, Colfax, Louisiana.
Q And was that consistent with the location that you have noticed Mr. Phillips to be present prior to this particular date in question ...
A Yes, it is.
Q And have you observed him there or known him to be present there on more than one occasion?
A Oh, yes, sir. I've seen Mr. Phillips many times on HUD Loop...
Q Okay.
A ... is the reason I looked.

Deputy Sudduth testified that when they arrived at the girlfriend's residence he and Detective Hines went to the front door, while two other officers covered the back of the apartment. He explained the Defendant had a habit of running before the police could approach him. Deputy Sudduth testified that he has known the Defendant to carry a weapon, run, and fight if he is caught. He stated that he knocked on the front door and a male voice asked who was there. Deputy Sudduth identified himself and asked the occupant(s) to come to the door. A few seconds later the Defendant's girlfriend, Darnetta Williams, answered the door. Deputy Sudduth asked Williams if the Defendant was there and she said yes. He testified he asked *674 Williams if he could come in and speak with her and she stepped back and said yes. Deputy Sudduth stated he stepped inside the living room and again asked if the Defendant was there. Williams told him he was in the bedroom and pointed to the bedroom door. Deputy Sudduth later testified that he told her he had a felony arrest warrant for the Defendant but left the warrant in the car.

Deputy Sudduth testified that he heard someone moving around in the bedroom. He explained that he was concerned because he thought the Defendant was going to get out of a window, get a weapon, or destroy evidence. Deputy Sudduth stated that he told Williams that he was going in the bedroom.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
887 So. 2d 670, 2004 WL 2538290, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-phillips-lactapp-2004.