State v. Robinson

544 So. 2d 444, 1989 WL 47946
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 9, 1989
DocketKA-7331
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 544 So. 2d 444 (State v. Robinson) 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. Robinson, 544 So. 2d 444, 1989 WL 47946 (La. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

544 So.2d 444 (1989)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Rayfield ROBINSON & John M. Horton.

No. KA-7331.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 9, 1989.

*445 Dwight Doskey, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for defendants-appellants Rayfield Robinson and John Horton.

Before KLEES, BYRNES and WARD, JJ.

KLEES, Judge.

On February 10, 1986, the defendants Rayfield Robinson and John W. Horton were each charged with one count of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling. They were arraigned and pled not guilty. On April 2, 1986, in a judge trial, the defendants were found guilty as charged. The defendants moved for a new trial which was denied May 1, 1986. Robinson was sentenced to three years at hard labor, without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence and Horton was sentenced to ten years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. A motion for appeal as to each defendant was filed. The trial judge granted an oral motion of appeal as to both defendants. On May 7, 1986, the trial court amended the sentence as to Horton to provide that it be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence as to the first year only. Defense counsel then filed a written motion for appeal as to Robinson, but withdrew Horton's motion for appeal. Nonetheless, we will consider Horton's application as an out of time appeal.

Errors Patent

The docket master reveals the defendants' motion for new trial was denied May 1, 1986. The transcript of that date does not indicate the defendants waived the twenty-four hour delay before sentencing accorded them by C.Cr.P. art. 873. However, a trial court' failure to wait twenty-four hours from the denial of a defendant's motion for new trial before sentencing is harmless error absent a showing of prejudice. State v. Hancock, 502 So.2d 1098 (La.App. 4th Cir.1987). The defendant has not assigned this as error nor has he alleged any prejudice resulted from his failure to waive the delay. This error is harmless.

FACTS:

Patricia Spears, 5227 East Nemours Street, stated she saw defendant Robinson's car parked in front of Rosalind Smith's house on January 3, 1986. She said she knew John Horton, Rayfield Robinson, his wife Clementine Clay, and Clementine's son Alonzo. She testified she saw Robinson, Horton (whom she knew as John Clay) and Alonzo Clay outside her house, and she spoke to them. She went back into her house, and saw through a window that Robinson's car was backed up to Smith's house. She walked to a neighbor's house and the two stood in her kitchen window and watched Horton and Robinson loading objects into the car. She specifically saw the men load a television into the back seat. She said she did not see Alonzo Clay during that time.

Rosalind Smith testified when she returned home January 8, (evidently from vacation) and found her stereo, television, *446 and telephones taken from the house, she called her mother from a neighbor's house and her mother in turn called the police. She said she had never seen either of the defendants and had not given them permission to enter her house. She said she did know Clay from the neighborhood.

Officer Michael Nussley testified he responded to a burglary at 5235 East Nemours Street on the afternoon of January 8, 1986. He spoke with the victim, Rosalind Smith, and two neighbors who were witnesses. He found the kitchen window open and the house in disarray. He called the crime lab, and officers dusted for fingerprints but were unsuccessful in obtaining any. As a result of his investigation, he arrested Alonzo Clay. Nussley did not recover any of the stolen merchandise.

Officer Shawn Vantress of NOPD's Crime Lab stated he dusted for fingerprints, but could not lift one.

Detective Larry Lesley, NOPD, testified he obtained an arrest warrant for the defendants and executed the warrant January 9, 1986 in Slidell. Clementine Clay answered the door and said no one else was at home. However, Lesley heard noises coming from the rear of the house. Lesley and his partner Detective Noulette entered the house. Lesley found Horton in a bedroom closet. Noulette found Robinson hiding under covers in a rear bedroom.

At the close of the State's case, the defense moved for a directed verdict which was denied.

The defense called Clementine Clay who said she lived with Rayfield Robinson, that Horton was her brother, and that Alonzo Clay was her son. She said she was a friend of Spears, who had once dated Horton, until Spears began lying in this case. She testified that she did not see Horton or Robinson bring any stolen property into her house. She related that on the day of the crime, Alonzo was in New Orleans with Clementine's mother, and that Horton and Robinson were at home all day January 3.

Laura May Holmes testified that she lives across the street from Clementine Clay and the defendants. She said she saw the three at home January 3, and that they came to her house and played cards from 4:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Defendant Robinson testified he was at home and at Laura Holmes's house January 3.

The defense rested and the State called Alonzo Clay as a rebuttal witness. He said he did not remember seeing Spears in New Orleans on January 3, and he did not see Robinson's car, but that Robinson and Horton did come to his grandmother's (Rosella Clay's house, also on East Nemours Street) at 5:00 p.m. He went with them to the store in Robinson's car, and they left. He said he did not go into Smith's house.

Assignment of Error No. 1.

Defendants contend that they did not waive their right to trial by jury.

In the case, before us the transcript of the election of judge trial shows:

BY THE COURT:
Mr. Lanasa, you're ready to proceed?
BY MR. LANASA:
I would ask the Court for a couple of minutes and speak with Mr. Robinson, who was just brought down.
(DEFENSE COUNSEL SPEAKS WITH DEFENDANT OFF THE RECORD)
BY THE COURT:
Is the defendant ready to make—are the defendants ready to make their selection?
BY MR. LANASA:
At this time, the defendants would both waive their right to a jury trial.
BY THE COURT:
Mr. John Horton, do you wish to follow the advise of your attorney and waive your right to a trial by a jury of six (6) persons and be tried by the Court.
BY MR. HORTON:
Against my better judgment, I will follow my attorney's advise.
BY THE COURT:
You're saying that you're going to waive your right to trial by jury and be tried by the Court alone?
BY MR. HORTON:
Yes, sir.
*447 BY THE COURT:
And that's also your selection to be tried by the Court alon- and waive your right to trial by jury, Mr. Robinson?
BY MR. ROBINSON:
Yes, sir, I'm going to waive it.

Although the trial court did not personally inform the accused of their rights to a jury trial, the defendants consulted with their attorney before the waiver. The waiver, therefore, appears valid. State v. Legnon, 464 So.2d 910 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1985).

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR PRO SE

One

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Related

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
544 So. 2d 444, 1989 WL 47946, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-robinson-lactapp-1989.