State v. Prestenback

542 So. 2d 660, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 674, 1989 WL 36950
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 12, 1989
DocketNo. 88-KA-632
StatusPublished

This text of 542 So. 2d 660 (State v. Prestenback) 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. Prestenback, 542 So. 2d 660, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 674, 1989 WL 36950 (La. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

GAUDIN, Judge.

Arthur P. Prestenback was convicted of the July 24, 1987 forcible rape of a woman jogger and sentenced to 20 years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. We affirm.

Prestenback does not strenuously argue that he was incorrectly identified or that his sentence was excessive. He does contend that the trial judge erred in allowing the prosecuting attorney to illegally question his wife about other crimes and to later make reference to them during closing arguments, all in violation of LSA-C. Cr.P. art. 770, section (2).

The victim testified that on the evening of the crime, she first noticed the man later identified as Prestenback while she was running past a telephone installed on the side of a Canal Villere supermarket building. Prestenback, the victim said, was complaining loudly to the operator, making [661]*661“... a lot of noise about losing quarters..."

Moments later, while the victim was resting, Prestenback approached and tried to start a conversation. The victim said she “felt uneasy” about Prestenback’s presence so she jogged off.

As the victim ran past a weeded area minutes later, she was accosted. She described the attack as follows:

“A man grabbed me from behind, put his left arm around my head and it was with such force that it took us off into the weeds at an angle to the right. And he told me, he says, don’t say a word and I won’t hurt you. And I knew there was people right there in the apartment complex, close by, and I knew there was people on the highway right there. And so I started screaming and fighting. Then he hit with such force that we were well out into the weeded area and I was still screaming and he threw me on the ground, and immediately straddled me. And at this time I was still screaming and he hit me in the mouth. And I still tried to scream and then he ... he kept hitting me in the mouth with both of his hands. And then after a while I ... I couldn’t breathe and so I was trying ... I was trying to breathe and trying to get out of it and he kept telling me, be quiet, be quiet and I won’t hurt you. And then I could no longer scream, my voice was gone and he was still holding me down. And with his left hand he ripped off my shorts. He told me, just let me do what I have to do and he ripped off my shorts and he’s holding me with his ... with his right hand and then he penetrated ...”

The victim stated that she could see her assailant clearly because of lights shining in his face. Approximately a month later, the victim spotted Prestenback in the Canal Villere shopping center and identified him as the rapist.

Prestenback’s wife was the first defense witness. She testified that her husband did not leave their matrimonial residence the night of July 24,1987. During cross examination, this colloquy occurred:

BY MR. CREDO (ASST. D.A.):
Q. Were you happy living with him (the accused) on the day the police came out to ask you about this rape?
A. Was I happy, he was already gone.
Q. Mm-hm.
A. I mean he was in jail, how could I be happy than that.
Q. Now, the reason you weren’t happy is because you had a black eye, didn’t you.
MR. SIERRA:
Objection, Your Honor. Could I approach the bench, Your Honor?
THE COURT:
Let the record reflect that the defendant was objecting to the question. And the objection was overruled.
MR. CREDO:
Q. You weren’t very happy on the day you talked to the police, with Mr. Pres-tenback, were you?
A. On that day?
Q. That day.
A. I ... really at that, that time, I was moving, so ... I
Q. Moving away from Mr. Presten-back?
A. No.
Q. Is this your signature mam?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you remember signing that form?
A. I sure did.
Q. Now, the question is, the reason you weren’t happy with Mr. Prestenback is because you had a black eye that day, is that right?
A. No.
Q. That’s not true?
A. No, I didn’t have a black eye, I had...
Q. Well what did you have? What injuries did you have that day, mam, if you say you didn’t have a black eye, what did you have?
A. I think I had a bruise around my nose area or something.
Q. Mm-hm. And how did you get that bruise?
A. How?
[662]*662Q. Yes mam.
A. My husband hit me.
Q. Ok. That wasn’t the first time?
A. Yes it was.
Q. Ok. Isn’t it a fact that you called the police to your house, at least twice prior to the time you talked to them on this day?
A. I really ... I don’t remember.

It is uncertain whether Prestenback moved for a mistrial during the unreported bench conference. There is no doubt defense counsel voiced an objection, which was overruled.

Appellant believes that he was seriously prejudiced by this inadmissible evidence of another crime, i.e., battery of his wife. He denied striking Mrs. Prestenback, although admitting that during an argument he had “... pushed her down on the sofa and she hit her nose.”

C.Cr.P. art. 770 provides:

“Upon motion of a defendant, a mistrial shall be ordered when a remark or comment, made within the hearing of the jury by the judge, district attorney, or a court official, during the trial or in argument, refers directly or indirectly to:
“(1) Race, religion, color or national origin, if the remark or comment is not material and relevant and might create prejudice against the defendant in the mind of the jury;
“(2) Another crime committed or alleged to have been committed by the defendant as to which evidence is not admissible;
“(3) The failure of the defendant to testify in his own defense; or
“(4) The refusal of the judge to direct a verdict.
“An admonition to the jury to disregard the remark or comment shall not be sufficient to prevent a mistrial. If the defendant, however, requests that only an admonition be given, the court shall admonish the jury to disregard the remark or comment but shall not declare a mistrial.”

Considering the facts particular to this case, we cannot say that evidence of the defendant’s violent nature was not sufficiently relevant to submit to the jury.

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Related

State v. Smith
418 So. 2d 534 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1982)
State v. James
394 So. 2d 1197 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
542 So. 2d 660, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 674, 1989 WL 36950, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-prestenback-lactapp-1989.