State v. Roberts

739 So. 2d 821, 1999 WL 322566
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 14, 1999
Docket98 KA 1706
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 739 So. 2d 821 (State v. Roberts) 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. Roberts, 739 So. 2d 821, 1999 WL 322566 (La. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

739 So.2d 821 (1999)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Harry ROBERTS, Jr.

No. 98 KA 1706.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

May 14, 1999.

*822 Walter P. Reed, District Attorney, Covington, Dorothy Pendergast, Metairie, Counsel for Appellee, State of Louisiana.

Gwendolyn K. Brown, Baton Rouge, Counsel for Appellant, Harry Roberts, Jr.

Before: LeBLANC, FOGG and PARRO, JJ.

LeBLANC, J.

Defendant, Harry Roberts, Jr., was charged by a two count bill of information with armed robbery, in violation of La. R.S. 14:64, and attempted second degree murder, in violation of La. R.S. 14:27 and 30.1.[1] A jury found defendant guilty as charged on the second count of attempted second degree murder, but on the first count, guilty of the lesser included offense of attempted armed robbery. The trial judge sentenced defendant to imprisonment at hard labor for a term of forty years, without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence on each count, to be served concurrently. Defendant filed motions for new trial and for reconsideration of sentences, which were denied. He now appeals, urging seven assignments of error.

FACTS

On January 24, 1997 Mary Nadler (Nadler) was working as a cashier at a Texaco gas station in Slidell, Louisiana, when she was shot by a light-skinned black male demanding money. He stood on the opposite side of the counter from her, holding a small handgun in his right hand, while she opened the cash register. He then reached over, grabbed the drawer with his left hand, and placed it on the counter. Before he removed the money, he shot her and she fell to the floor. Nadler did not see him take the money, but assumed he did so. She was shot at close range, sustaining powder burns near her mouth. Nadler saw the perpetrator enter the store earlier that evening and purchase a package of cigarettes. She considered his eyes and face to be distinctive. A surveillance videotape took constant still photographs of both visits. Detective Bobby Campbell of the Slidell Police Department circulated wanted fliers with photographs from the videotape. Responses to the fliers initially led to an investigation of two individuals with similar features; namely, Aaron Marshall (Marshall) and defendant's brother, Bruce Roberts. On January 25, 1997, Marshall's photograph was placed in a *823 photographic line-up viewed by the victim and Steve Crowell (Crowell), a customer present in the station at the time of the assailant's first visit. Crowell, who is slightly mentally retarded, identified Marshall in the line-up. Afterwards, Crowell's whereabouts were unknown.

Nadler selected Marshall's photograph as a "possible" identification, remarking at the time that he had similar features to the suspect. At trial, she explained this suspect was not the perpetrator, but only had similar features. Marshall was filmed on videotape checking into a Baton Rouge hotel at the time of the incident.

In early August 1997, Detective Campbell received an anonymous tip, through a telephone call from Crime Stoppers, which led him to investigate defendant's brother, Bruce Roberts. Although defendant's brother had similar features, his features did not match the photographic evidence. Additionally, defendant's brother was incarcerated in Baton Rouge at the time of the incident. Detective Campbell received a second telephone call, through Crime Stoppers, from a person who had previously dated defendant, informing him he was checking the wrong person, and that defendant was the suspect. The detective acquired defendant's photograph from defendant's mother.

When presented with a second photographic line-up on August 8, 1997, Nadler positively identified defendant as the perpetrator. At trial Nadler testified she was "absolutely" positive of the identification and that defendant was the person who shot her.

Detective Jim Welch and Detective Campbell picked up defendant in Orleans Parish where he had surrendered to the police. After being advised of his rights, and indicating he understood these, defendant gave two statements to the detectives. Defendant initially denied having any knowledge of, or involvement in the incident. After his denial, Detective Campbell showed him the surveillance photographs on the wanted flier, and informed defendant he had been identified by Nadler. At this point, defendant slumped over in his chair, shook his head and stated he wished to speak to an attorney. Questioning ceased and the detectives proceeded to leave the interview room. Upon leaving the room, defendant made an unsolicited statement that he would probably speak with them about the incident after talking to an attorney. Detective Welch explained that defendant stated he thought he really needed to get an attorney before he told them about anything that happened at the Texaco station.

Sergeant Eugene R. Hirstius, an expert in the identification of latent fingerprints, compared a photograph of a latent fingerprint taken from the cash register's drawer with defendant's fingerprint card from a data base and concluded the latent fingerprint was an absolutely positive match of defendant's left thumb.

FINGERPRINT EVIDENCE AND DENIAL OF MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL

Defendant was represented by different counsel at trial and on appeal. Defendant's arguments on appeal differ in some respects from those presented by his trial counsel. At trial and now on appeal, defendant contends the trial judge erred in overruling his objection to the introduction of fingerprint evidence, which was not disclosed in advance of trial. He also argues on appeal that the trial judge erred in denying his motion for new trial, which was partially based on the ruling. However, on appeal, he further states he was lulled into a misapprehension of the strength of the state's case by the state's tardy disclosure and that had he known of the evidence, he would have called expert witnesses to discredit the techniques used by the state. Also, in brief before this court, he questions the fairness of the proceeding, alleging he had insufficient time to prepare to meet the fingerprint evidence. *824 The assertion he lacked sufficient time to prepare, in order to discredit the evidence, was not presented below. Moreover, trial counsel did not seek a recess or a continuance, but instead only sought to suppress the evidence. Additionally, only on appeal does defendant suggest the trial judge erroneously gave deference to the prosecutor on the basis the prosecutor attempted to avoid rules of evidence and fair play.

The state argues it received the fingerprint report on a Friday, and provided it to defendant the next working day, the Monday morning of trial. It argues late disclosure does not constitute grounds for automatic reversal absent a showing of prejudice.

On November 3, 1997, defendant's trial counsel filed a motion for discovery and inspection of the physical evidence the state intended to use at trial. See La. C.Cr. P. arts. 718[2] and 719.[3] He specifically requested information regarding any attempt at lifting fingerprints. On December 30, 1997, the state answered, permitting open file discovery. Trial began on Monday, March 2, 1998.

On March 3, 1998, during the state's opening statements, the prosecutor referred to the processing of the cash register's drawer by a police investigator. Defense counsel objected, seeking to suppress the evidence on the basis he did not receive the information timely, having only heard about the evidence Friday before trial. See La.C.Cr. P. art. 729.3.[4]

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Related

State v. Adams
966 So. 2d 1247 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2007)
State v. Lathers
924 So. 2d 1038 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006)
State v. Felder
809 So. 2d 360 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
739 So. 2d 821, 1999 WL 322566, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-roberts-lactapp-1999.