State v. Simpson

629 So. 2d 468, 1993 WL 503798
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 8, 1993
DocketCr93-712
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 629 So. 2d 468 (State v. Simpson) 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. Simpson, 629 So. 2d 468, 1993 WL 503798 (La. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

629 So.2d 468 (1993)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
William SIMPSON, Jr.

Cr93-712.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

December 8, 1993.

*470 Michael Harson, Lafayette, for State.

Alfred Frem Boustany II, Lafayette, for William Simpson, Jr.

Before GUIDRY, KNOLL and SAUNDERS, JJ.

GUIDRY, Judge.

The defendant, William J. Simpson, Jr., was convicted after trial by jury of the first degree murder of his two-year old daughter, Rachel. He was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

On appeal, the defendant assigned four errors, but in brief, argues only two of the assignments, both relating to his pre-trial motion to suppress. The two assignments concern the trial court's refusal to suppress statements made by defendant and physical evidence seized by investigators from the defendant's home without a search warrant. Assignment of error number three was abandoned by defendant and will not be reviewed on appeal; Uniform Rules of Courts of Appeal—Rule 2-12.4. Assignment of error number four requests an error patent review.

FACTS

Rachel Simpson was killed on the morning of March 28, 1988. The defendant, who is divorced from Rachel's mother, had moved into his mother's house located at 103 Sand Pebble in Lafayette, Louisiana. Burke "Blackie" Fontenot, the boyfriend of defendant's mother, Dorothy Simpson, moved into the house two days before the murder. Fontenot testified that, on March 27, 1988, he and Dorothy Simpson picked up Rachel from her mother's home in Broussard, Louisiana so that defendant could exercise his visitation rights.

On the morning of Monday, March 28, 1988, Fontenot and Ms. Simpson left the house at 7:15 a.m. to go to work. Fontenot testified that, before leaving, he did not see either the defendant or Rachel. At 9:30 a.m., Fontenot returned to the house to get his car. He met the defendant outside as the defendant was closing the passenger door to his truck. Since the house was locked, Fontenot asked the defendant to let him inside. Defendant complied with Fontenot's request then left in his truck, telling Fontenot he was going to look for a job. Fontenot stayed in the house for a few minutes, noticing nothing unusual, and then left.

Fontenot was at the house again between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to move in more of his personal belongings. He returned at 5:30 p.m. and, when telephoned by Rachel's mother and aunt inquiring about the child, he went into the bedroom where defendant and Rachel slept. On a chest of drawers in the room he found a nine inch butcher knife and took it to the kitchen. Fontenot did not turn on the room's light and noticed nothing suspicious therein.

At some point between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Fontenot looked at the knife and, for the first time, noticed blood on the blade. He called the police. Sheriff Deputies Bernius and Hebert arrived and examined the knife. Fontenot related his suspicions of the defendant because he had not returned all day and Rachel's mother and aunt were trying to locate her. Deputies Bernius and Hebert asked him to show them where he found the knife.

Fontenot took the deputies to defendant's bedroom and, when they turned on the room's light, they observed blood on the floor. The room was in a state of disarray. Clothes were piled in stacks on the floor, empty food containers were throughout, and beer cans were visible around and under the bed. As the deputies were about to leave the room, Deputy Bernius picked up the bedspread and discovered Rachel's body rolled up in and covered by the bedspread and sheets.

At trial, the State and defendant stipulated that Rachel was strangled and stabbed, and died as a result of the stab wound with a co-factor of asphyxiation. When the defendant's taped confession was played to the jury, the defendant described how he became angry at his daughter during breakfast, and hit her, strangled her with one of Fontenot's belts, and when she did not die, stabbed her with a knife he secured from the kitchen. A suicide note and loaded shotgun were found *471 in his room. A deputy eventually located the defendant in the parking lot of Women's and Children's Hospital in Lafayette. The defendant was arrested, informed of his rights and transported to the sheriff's office by Deputies Bernius and Hebert.

Defendant waived his Miranda rights after being informed of such and gave a tape recorded confession. After his confession, the defendant spoke with his mother in the presence of Detective Kerry McGovern, whom the defendant requested to remain in the room. Detective McGovern heard defendant tell his mother, "Mom, you know how she aggravated me," when she asked him why he did it. Ms. Simpson did not recall her son saying that, but she did recall him saying "he did not know, he was sorry he had done it".

ERRORS PATENT

La.C.Cr.P. art. 930.8 provides that at the time of sentencing the trial court shall inform the defendant of the three-year prescriptive period for seeking post-conviction relief. The record shows that the court did not so inform the defendant. This defect is not grounds to reverse the sentence or remand the case for resentencing. La.C.Cr.P. art. 921. The three-year prescriptive period does not begin to run until the judgment is final. La.C.Cr.P. arts. 914-922. The trial court is directed to inform the defendant of the provisions of Article 930.8 by sending appropriate written notice to the defendant within ten days of the rendition of this opinion and to file written proof that the defendant received the notice in the record of the proceedings. See State v. Fontenot, 616 So.2d 1353 (La. App. 3rd Cir.1993).

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NOS. 1 AND 2

Defendant filed numerous pre-trial writ applications with this court and the Louisiana Supreme Court. In a prior writ application, Simpson sought review of the identical issues he raises in these assignments of error, i.e., denial of his motion to suppress. State v. William J. Simpson, Jr., an unpublished writ bearing docket number K92-201 (La.App. 3rd Cir., May 18, 1992). This court rejected the defendant's claims that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the confession, finding that the evidence presented supported the trial court's conclusion that defendant's statement was voluntary. This court also held that the trial court did not err in refusing to suppress the physical evidence seized at the scene of the crime. In doing so, the writ panel found no error in the trial court's determination that the forensic investigator who actually "seized" the evidence was on the premises with the permission and cooperation of Fontenot. The trial court, in its reasons for ruling on the motion to suppress, determined that Fontenot had "common authority" to consent to a search of the house.

The prior denial of supervisory writs does not bar reconsideration of an issue on appeal, nor does it prevent the appellate panel from reaching a different conclusion. State v. Fontenot, 550 So.2d 179 (La.1989); State v. Decuir, 599 So.2d 358 (La.App. 3rd Cir.), writ denied, 605 So.2d 1095 (La.1992). When a defendant does not present any new evidence on this issue after the pre-trial ruling, the issue can be rejected on appeal. See, e.g., State v. Regan, 601 So.2d 5 (La. App. 3rd Cir.1992), writ denied, 610 So.2d 815 (La.1993); State v. Wright, 564 So.2d 1269 (La.App. 4th Cir.1989).

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Bluebook (online)
629 So. 2d 468, 1993 WL 503798, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-simpson-lactapp-1993.