State v. Simpson

371 So. 2d 733
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJune 19, 1979
Docket62746
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 371 So. 2d 733 (State v. Simpson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Simpson, 371 So. 2d 733 (La. 1979).

Opinion

371 So.2d 733 (1979)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Everette SIMPSON.

No. 62746.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

March 5, 1979.
Dissenting Opinion June 19, 1979.

*734 Thomas W. Mull, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for defendant-appellant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., Fred P. Harper, Jr., Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.

*735 DIXON, Justice.[*]

During the early morning hours of July 6, 1975 Everette Simpson and Gregory Ursin were playing pool at Jimmie's Pool Hall near the corner of Valence and Freret Streets in New Orleans. Ursin had arrived at Jimmie's after an evening of frequenting bars and pool halls with a friend, LeRoy Washington. Although he did not know Simpson, Ursin engaged him in a pool match and the stakes were set at $3.00 a game. After several hours of play, Ursin owed Simpson about $15.00 and offered to pay him with a check which was in his car, to which Simpson agreed. However, in the meantime Washington had borrowed Ursin's car to take another friend home. While waiting outside for the car to be returned, Simpson grew impatient and asked Ursin to give him his watch as collateral for the debt. When Ursin refused, Simpson placed a gun between Ursin's eyes and demanded the watch. Ursin again refused; Simpson then cocked the trigger and Ursin gave him the watch. After Simpson walked away, Ursin followed him and attempted to notify the authorities, but Simpson had disappeared by the time he found a police officer. However, Simpson surrendered himself to the police on the following day and was charged with armed robbery, a violation of R.S. 14:64. He was subsequently convicted on November 6, 1975 of simple robbery and was sentenced as a multiple offender to seven years at hard labor. On appeal the defendant relies on one assignment of error as requiring a reversal of the conviction and sentence.[1]

By this assignment of error, the defense contends that it was error for the trial judge to deny the defendant's plea of former jeopardy. The plea arose from a mistrial granted on October 9, 1975 when the defendant was first tried for the same offense. During the trial Gregory Ursin testified for the prosecution and was cross-examined by the defense on the subject of past convictions:

"EXAMINATION BY MR. COUNCIL:
Q Mr. Ursin, have you ever been convicted of any offense?
A No, I haven't.
Q Is your name Gregory Edmund Ursin?
A Yes, it is.
Q On 12/12/68—
MR. MESSINA:
Objection to this, your Honor, unless he has some basis because I know for a fact that he doesn't.
THE COURT:
Let him finish at his own peril.
EXAMINATION BY MR. COUNCIL:
Q On 12/12/68, were you convicted of theft in Gretna, Louisiana?
A No, I was not.
Q On 7/19/70, were you convicted in New Orleans, Louisiana for the charge of theft?
A No, I wasn't.
Q On 12/12/68, were you convicted of resisting arrest in Gretna, Louisiana?
A No, I wasn't.
MR. MESSINA:
May we approach the bench, your Honor?"

After a bench conference out of the jury's hearing, the trial judge declared a mistrial and gave the following justification for his ruling:

"THE COURT:
I am going to declare a mistrial so you don't walk out of here with your head turned around and wondering what happened, when a defendant takes the witness stand he can only be asked about convictions and the same thing applies to witnesses and I just feel that there may be some inference left with you here that this man is lying when the facts indicate, since you are not going to hear this case anymore that there is no record of him having been convicted of anything. I am *736 afraid the way it was asked and the inference that followed from it that some of you may have gotten the idea that maybe he was which is something that bears on his creditability the same as any other witness whether it's him or the defendant or whoever it is. If they have been convicted of something, you have a right to consider that in deciding whether or not you believe him. I think this man's character has been assailed in a way and may leave an unfavorable impression where none should exist since this man has never been convicted and showing fairness to him since he is the main witness for the state. You would have had to decide a great majority, based on his testimony and I feel it's unfair and I am not saying counsel did it on purposely (sic) but the was (sic) it was askef (sic) rom (sic) the document, the dates and times, to me, it may have left some question in your mind about maybe be was convicted of something and this may have affected one or more of you in your deliberation. For that reason, I will mistry the case. Thank you, you are discharged."

The record indicates no response to this ruling by either the defendant or his attorney.

The constitutional protection against double jeopardy protects a defendant in a criminal proceeding from repeated prosecutions for the same offense as well as from repeated convictions and punishments for it. United States v. Dinitz, 424 U.S. 600, 96 S.Ct. 1075, 47 L.Ed.2d 267 (1976); United States v. Wilson, 420 U.S. 332, 95 S.Ct. 1013, 43 L.Ed.2d 232 (1975). Therefore, a mistrial declared without the defendant's consent ordinarily operates as a bar to further prosecution for the same criminal conduct. United States v. Jorn, 400 U.S. 470, 91 S.Ct. 547, 27 L.Ed.2d 543 (1971); State v. Lawson, 338 So.2d 627 (La.1976); State v. Birabent, 305 So.2d 448 (La.1974).

However, the jurisprudence has developed certain exceptions to this principle. United States v. Perez, 9 Wheat. 579, 22 U.S. 579, 6 L.Ed. 165 (1824), established the right of the prosecution to reprosecute in instances of "manifest necessity," as where the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Moreover, the United States Supreme Court has until recently followed a course of limited review for such declarations and has questioned the trial court's ruling only in clear cases of abuse of discretion. Note, 32 La.L.Rev. 145 (1971). In Gori v. United States, 367 U.S. 364, 81 S.Ct. 1523, 6 L.Ed.2d 901 (1961), the court in effect held that declaring a mistrial and discharging the jury did not trigger double jeopardy if the mistrial benefited the defendant. However, in United States v. Jorn, supra, the court apparently retreated from the broad implications of its holding in Gori. There the mistrial was declared without the defendant's consent so that the government witnesses could consult with their attorneys (about their right against self-incrimination) prior to testifying; a subsequent prosecution was then dismissed on double jeopardy grounds.

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Bluebook (online)
371 So. 2d 733, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-simpson-la-1979.