State v. Scott

709 So. 2d 339, 1998 WL 130036
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 18, 1998
Docket97-KA-0028
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 709 So. 2d 339 (State v. Scott) 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. Scott, 709 So. 2d 339, 1998 WL 130036 (La. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

709 So.2d 339 (1998)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Michael J. SCOTT and Craig L. Scott.

No. 97-KA-0028.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

March 18, 1998.

Dwight Doskey, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for Michael J. Scott and Craig L. Scott, Defendants/Appellants.

*340 Harry Connick, District Attorney, Val M. Solino, Assistant District Attorney of Orleans Parish, New Orleans, for State /Appellee.

Before BYRNES, ARMSTRONG and MURRAY, JJ.

MURRAY, Judge.

Defendants Michael J. Scott and Craig L. Scott, through counsel, have filed an errors patent brief. Defendant Michael J. Scott has filed a pro se brief asserting that the evidence presented by the State was insufficient to support his conviction for second degree murder. For the following reasons, we affirm.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY:

Michael J. Scott and Craig L. Scott were indicted for the second degree murder of Kenneth Allen. The record indicates that numerous continuances were granted before defense counsel was determined. The record does not indicate that the men were arraigned.[1] On January 23, 1996, both men were found guilty as charged, and each subsequently was sentenced to life imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

FACTS:

On May 20, 1995, at approximately 9:45 p.m., Kenneth Allen was murdered outside the apartment where he lived with his girlfriend, her five children, his sister, her four children, and her boyfriend. The apartment was located at 2627 Delachaise Street in New Orleans. Earlier that same day, Craig Scott had entered the apartment and assaulted Mr. Allen while he slept on a sofa. The police were summoned, but before an arrest warrant could be obtained for Craig Scott's arrest for aggravated assault, a second call came in indicating that a shooting had occurred. When the police arrived on the scene, Mr. Allen had been shot in the head and chest. He later died from his wounds.

Samuel Smith, the boyfriend of Kenneth Allen's sister, Thelma, testified that the first incident occurred in the late afternoon. He stated that Craig Scott, his cousin, walked into the apartment, pulled out a handgun, and pointed it at Mr. Allen. Mr. Smith was also in the living room at the time with one of Thelma Allen's sons. He testified that as Craig Scott beat and kicked Mr. Allen, he made comments about his little brother's arm being broken. Mr. Allen did not resist because of the gun being pointed at him. Craig Scott then left the apartment. The police were called, and they spoke to Mr. Allen about the incident.

According to Mr. Smith, sometime later, Craig Scott returned with his brother, Michael. Mr. Allen was outside on the sidewalk with his sister Thelma. Through a crack in the door, Mr. Smith could see Craig, Michael and Mr. Allen talking in normal tones of voice. He also saw Craig Scott holding a black handgun. Mr. Smith gathered up all of Ms. Allen's children into the apartment, and had them lie on the floor. He stated that he then looked out of the living room window, while Ms. Allen and her son, Pernell, watched from the bedroom window. He did not actually see anyone shoot Mr. Allen, but heard shots being fired. Mr. Smith stated that at no time did Mr. Allen have a gun.

Thelma Allen testified that earlier on the day of the murder Craig Scott had entered her apartment with a handgun and had proceeded to beat her brother, Kenneth. As he left, she heard Craig Scott say, "Nigger, I should kill you." She verified that Samuel Smith was in the living room with Kenneth during this incident. She was present when the police arrived and spoke with Kenneth. She stated that Kenneth was so frightened by the incident that he urinated on himself.

Sometime later, Craig Scott returned with his brother, Michael. She stated that she and Kenneth were outside the apartment when she saw the Scott brothers approach on bicycles. She tried to convince Kenneth to come inside with her, but he refused, stating that he had not done anything wrong. Thelma went inside and made the three youngest children lie down, while she and her older son went into her bedroom to watch from a window. She testified that she could see all three men from her vantage point, and that Craig and Michael were both holding guns. *341 Kenneth did not have a gun. Thelma stated that although she could not hear what the men were saying, she could see that they were arguing. She then saw Craig shoot her brother. She ducked down, and when she looked out again, she saw Michael pointing his gun at Kenneth. She heard more shots fired, but did not actually see Michael pull the trigger. After the shooting, she went outside and found her brother lying on the ground. Prior to trial, Thelma identified both Craig and Michael from a photographic lineup. She made a second positive identification of both at trial.

Pernell Allen, who was fourteen at the time of the murder, testified that he was in the kitchen when his mother came into the apartment saying that Craig and Michael were outside with guns. He first looked out of the front door, and saw Craig and Michael with guns. He then went into his mother's bedroom and watched from her window. He saw his uncle Kenneth talking with Craig and Michael. He stated that as Kenneth turned away from Craig and Michael, he saw Craig hold his gun to Kenneth's head and shoot him. Pernell ducked down and heard three to five more shots fired. He then went outside with his mother and saw Kenneth lying on the sidewalk. Pernell did not see Kenneth with a gun at any time.

Officer Chuck Badon of the NOPD testified that on May 20, 1995, he was dispatched twice to 2627 Delachaise, Apartment 2. The first call was at 6:58 p.m. Officer Badon spoke with Kenneth Allen, who told him that Craig Scott had entered the apartment where he was sleeping, and began to beat and threaten him. Mr. Allen said that Craig Scott had a gun. Officer Badon noted that Kenneth Allen appeared petrified with fright, and had urinated on himself. He stated that Thelma Allen corroborated her brother's story.

Officer Badon returned to the precinct to prepare a report and obtain an arrest warrant for Craig Scott, but before he could complete the report, another call came in at 9:16 p.m., that a shooting had occurred at the same address. When he arrived, Kenneth Allen was lying on the sidewalk in front of the apartment door in a large pool of blood. He spoke with Thelma Allen and a juvenile. They told him that the same person who had beaten Kenneth earlier that day had returned with his brother, and they shot him.

Detective Pete Brown of the NOPD Homicide Department testified that on May 20, 1996, at approximately 9:45 p.m., he was dispatched to 2627 Delachaise Street. When he arrived on the scene, the victim had already been transported to the hospital. He observed a large pool of blood and bloody clothing that had been removed from the victim by the EMTs on the sidewalk outside the apartment.

Detective Brown testified that on the night of the murder he observed fair to good lighting conditions, noting that there were lights on a telephone pole outside the apartment complex, and additional lighting over the front door of the victim's apartment. He spoke with Thelma Allen and her son, Pernell, who told him that they witnessed the shooting from inside their apartment. They estimated that the incident took place about three feet away from them, and that they saw Craig and Michael Scott shoot Kenneth Allen. Detective Brown testified that he entered the apartment and found nothing obstructing the windows from which the witnesses claimed they viewed the shooting.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
709 So. 2d 339, 1998 WL 130036, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-scott-lactapp-1998.