State v. Pitre

893 So. 2d 1009, 2005 WL 292714
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 9, 2005
DocketKA 04-1134
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 893 So. 2d 1009 (State v. Pitre) 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. Pitre, 893 So. 2d 1009, 2005 WL 292714 (La. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

893 So.2d 1009 (2005)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Kevin James PITRE.

No. KA 04-1134.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

February 9, 2005.

*1010 Christopher Brent Coreil, District Attorney Thirteenth Judicial District Court, Platte, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee: State of Louisiana.

Laura Marie Pavy, Louisiana Appellate Project, Orleans, LA, for Defendant/Appellant: Kevin James Pitre.

Kevin James Pitre, Pine Prairie, LA, pro se.

Court composed of ULYSSES GENE THIBODEAUX, BILLY HOWARD EZELL, and JAMES T. GENOVESE, Judges.

EZELL, Judge.

The Defendant, Kevin Pitre, was charged in an indictment on July 22, 2003, with three counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile in violation of La.R.S. 14:80, and one count of sexual battery, in violation of La.R.S. 14:43.1. The Defendant entered a plea of not guilty to all charges on August 14, 2003. An amended indictment was filed on January 15, 2004, wherein the initials of the victim(s) were changed. On the same date, the Defendant entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

Trial on the three counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile commenced January 20, 2004, and the jury returned a verdict of guilty on each charge on January 21, 2004. On February 9, 2004, the Defendant filed a motion for new trial. After a hearing held on March 18, 2004, the motion was denied.

On April 29, 2004, the Defendant was ordered to serve seven years at hard labor on each count to run consecutively, without benefit of diminution of sentence for good behavior. A motion to reconsider sentence was filed on May 4, 2004, and denied on July 1, 2004.

A motion for appeal was filed on June 11, 2004. Additionally, a bill of information charging the Defendant as a habitual offender was filed on June 22, 2004.

The Defendant is before this court asserting three assignments of error including errors patent.

FACTS

The Defendant had sexual intercourse with the victim, B.F., on three separate *1011 occasions.[1]

FIRST ERROR 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 finds there are two errors patent.

This court finds that one of the counts charged in the bill of indictment has not been properly disposed of. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 819 provides: "If there is more than one count in an indictment, the jury must find a verdict as to each count, unless it cannot agree on a verdict as to a count." The Defendant was charged by an amended bill of indictment with three counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and one count of sexual battery. According to the minutes of the date of the amendment, the State informed the court that it would proceed to trial on counts one, two, and three. Count four was not mentioned. At trial, the clerk read only counts one, two, and three to the jury, and the jury returned verdicts as to those counts only. Pursuant to the court's information request, the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court's Office submitted an affidavit stating that there has been no disposition of count four, sexual battery. This court addressed a similar issue in State v. Davis, 614 So.2d 270 (La.App. 3 Cir.1993), writ granted, 93-599 (La.10/29/93), 626 So.2d 1180, reversed on other grounds, 93-599 (La.4/11/94), 634 So.2d 1168. The court stated:

The record indicates a possible error patent regarding the number of verdicts returned by the jury. Defendant was indicted on three counts of malfeasance in office and one count of injuring public records, but a verdict was returned only as to one count of malfeasance in office. A motion to sever offenses was filed by the State on February 14, 1991, with the State arguing that count two should be tried separately. On May 13, 1991, the court ordered the defendant to show cause on May 15, 1991 as to why the motion should not be granted. The court minutes of May 15, 1991 failed to show whether the court ruled on this motion. At trial, only count two was read to the jury. The record does not show the disposition of the other counts.

La.C. Cr.P. art. 819 provides:

If there is more than one count in an indictment, the jury must find a verdict as to each count, unless it cannot agree on a verdict as to a count.
We will therefore remand the case for a determination of whether the motion to sever was granted and, if not, for a proper disposition of the remaining charges.

Id. at 275.

Unlike the situation in Davis, there was no motion to sever filed by the State. Accordingly, this court will remand the present case for a proper disposition of the sexual battery charge. See also State v. James, 99-1858 (La.App. 3 Cir. 5/3/00), 761 So.2d 125, writ denied, 00-1595 (La.3/23/01), 787 So.2d 1010 and State v. Cash, 03-853 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/10/03), 861 So.2d 851, writ denied, 04-27 (La.4/30/04), 872 So.2d 472, writ denied, 04-232 (La.5/7/04), 872 So.2d 1080, where this court remanded for disposition of charges.

SECOND ERROR PATENT

The Defendant's habitual offender adjudication and sentence were not reviewed *1012 because the habitual offender hearing had not yet been held. On January 7, 2005, this court received a supplemental record containing a minute entry of the Defendant's habitual offender hearing held on December 21, 2004. The Defendant did not object to the habitual offender sentence imposed and has not filed a notice appealing the habitual offender sentence. Since the time limits for filing a motion to reconsider sentence and a notice of appeal have not yet run, it is not certain whether or not the Defendant will seek an appeal of his habitual offender sentence. Because the habitual offender bill of information was filed in the docket number presently pending before this court, we have reviewed the habitual offender proceedings for errors patent. We have received the habitual offender bill of information and the minutes of the habitual offender hearing. After reviewing the minutes, we find the transcript of the habitual offender adjudication is not needed. After reviewing that record, the court submits there is one error patent and one issue worth noting.

First, nothing in the record indicates the Defendant was advised of his right to remain silent and his right to a hearing on his habitual offender adjudication. However, we find that the failure to so advise the Defendant is harmless because a hearing was held, at which the Defendant was adjudicated a third habitual offender. State v. Beverly, 03-1348 (La.App. 3 Cir. 3/3/04), 867 So.2d 107. See also State v. Wilson, 02-700 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/18/02), 833 So.2d 560, writ denied, 03-216 (La.5/2/03), 842 So.2d 1100, cert. denied, 540 U.S. 952, 124 S.Ct. 393, 157 L.Ed.2d 285 (2003) (finding the failure to advise of right to a hearing was harmless because a hearing was held). We further note that although the minutes indicate the Defendant testified, nothing in the minutes indicates the Defendant acknowledged his status as a habitual offender.

Additionally, the court notes that the minutes of the habitual offender adjudication do not indicate the trial court vacated the originally imposed sentences of seven years on each count before imposing the habitual offender sentences. Louisiana Revised Statute 15:529.1(D)(3) requires the trial court to vacate the previously imposed sentence prior to imposing a habitual offender sentence. In State v. Mayer,

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Bluebook (online)
893 So. 2d 1009, 2005 WL 292714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-pitre-lactapp-2005.