State v. Pitre

924 So. 2d 1176, 2006 WL 473949
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 1, 2006
Docket05-405
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 924 So. 2d 1176 (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, 924 So. 2d 1176, 2006 WL 473949 (La. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

924 So.2d 1176 (2006)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Anthony Craig PITRE.

No. 05-405.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

March 1, 2006.
Rehearing Denied April 5, 2006.

*1178 Michael Harson, District Attorney, Lafayette, LA, for Appellee State of Louisiana.

G. Paul Marx, Louisiana Appellate Project, Lafayette, LA, for Defendant/Appellant Anthony Craig Pitre.

Court composed of ULYSSES GENE THIBODEAUX, Chief Judge, MARC T. AMY and GLENN B. GREMILLION, Judges.

AMY, Judge.

On January 15, 2004, the State filed a bill of information charging the defendant, Anthony Craig Pitre, with attempted armed robbery, a violation of La.R.S. 14:27 and La.R.S. 14:64, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a violation of La.R.S. 14:68.4. He filed a motion to suppress his inculpatory statements, which the trial court denied. Following a jury trial, the defendant was convicted of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, but was acquitted on the charge of attempted armed robbery. He was adjudicated a second felony offender and was sentenced to six years at hard labor, which was ordered to run consecutively to any other sentence. The defendant filed a motion for appeal, which was granted. On appeal, defense counsel seeks to withdraw pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967). The defendant has filed a pro se brief raising several assignments of error. For the following reasons, we affirm and grant the motion to withdraw.

Factual and Procedural Background

The victim, Gregory Picone, testified that the defendant approached him at a gas station in Lafayette and asked for a ride home. Once in a sparsely populated area, the defendant pulled a knife and demanded Picone's wallet. At that time, Picone jumped out of the truck and the defendant drove off in Picone's truck.

The defendant testified that Picone asked him for drugs and the two rode around in Picone's truck. Picone later found a prostitute and went to a trailer park where Picone gave the defendant permission to use his truck. The defendant, who was driving Picone's truck, was eventually located in Houston, Texas and arrested.

Discussion

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 no errors patent.

Anders Brief

Pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967), the defendant's appellate counsel has filed a brief stating he could find no errors on appeal that would support reversal of the defendant's conviction or sentence. Thus, counsel seeks to withdraw. In State v. Benjamin, 573 So.2d 528, 531 (La.App. 4 Cir.1990), the fourth circuit explained the Anders analysis:

When appointed counsel has filed a brief indicating that no non-frivolous issues and no ruling arguably supporting *1179 an appeal were found after a conscientious review of the record, Anders requires that counsel move to withdraw. This motion will not be acted on until this court performs a thorough independent review of the record after providing the appellant an opportunity to file a brief in his or her own behalf. This court's review of the record will consist of (1) a review of the bill of information or indictment to insure the defendant was properly charged; (2) a review of all minute entries to insure the defendant was present at all crucial stages of the proceedings, the jury composition and verdict were correct and the sentence is legal; (3) a review of all pleadings in the record; (4) a review of the jury sheets; and (5) a review of all transcripts to determine if any ruling provides an arguable basis for appeal. Under C.Cr.P. art. 914.1(D) this Court will order that the appeal record be supplemented with pleadings, minute entries and transcripts when the record filed in this Court is not sufficient to perform this review.

Pursuant to Anders and Benjamin, this court has performed a thorough review of the record, including pleadings, minute entries, the charging instrument and the transcripts. The bill of information is in proper form; the defendant and his trial counsel were present at all critical stages of the proceedings. The jury composition and verdict were correct and the sentence imposed by the court is legal. In our review of the transcripts contained in the record, we found no rulings which would support an arguable basis for appeal.

Counsel has mentioned several issues of which the defendant has expressed concern, none of which, according to counsel, support reversal of the defendant's conviction or sentence. We have reviewed these issues and we agree.

Inculpatory Statements

In his first pro se assignment of error, the defendant contends the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his statement, obtained by Detective Lori Roberts, was not in violation of his rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In his second pro se assignment of error, the defendant contends the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the statement obtained by Detective Sonny Stutes was of a free and voluntary nature. He alleges that the trial court used a mistaken analysis. In his fourth pro se assignment of error, the defendant contends the trial court abused its discretion when it denied his motion to suppress inculpatory statements because it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the statements were free, voluntary, and not in violation of his constitutional rights. Inasmuch as these three assignments relate to the Motion to Suppress, they will be addressed together.

In State v. Chesson, 03-606, p. 7 (La. App. 3 Cir. 10/1/03), 856 So.2d 166, 173, writ denied, 03-2913 (La.2/13/04), 867 So.2d 686, this court held:

In considering the admissibility of a statement, it is well settled that the State must bear the burden of demonstrating a defendant's knowing and intelligent waiver of his or her privilege against self-incrimination and the right to counsel. State v. Vigne, 01-2940 (La.6/21/02), 820 So.2d 533, quoting, Tague v. Louisiana, 444 U.S. 469, 100 S.Ct. 652, 62 L.Ed.2d 622 (1980). Furthermore, La.R.S. 15:451 specifically states that before a confession can be introduced, "it must be affirmatively shown that it was free and voluntary, and not made under the influence of fear, duress, intimidation, menaces, threats, inducements or promises." A trial court's *1180 determination regarding the admissibility of a statement is to be given great weight and will not be disturbed by a reviewing court unless it is clearly unsupported by the evidence. Vigne, 820 So.2d 533.

Statement to Detective Roberts

In his Motion to Suppress, the defendant sought to exclude a statement he made to Detective Lori Roberts in Houston. The defendant contends that his testimony along with that of Detective Roberts indicates that he was incoherent and "nodding out" during the time he made the statement to her. The defendant also contends that it was undisputed that he had previously invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege and refused to sign a waiver of rights form.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
924 So. 2d 1176, 2006 WL 473949, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-pitre-lactapp-2006.