State v. Small

850 So. 2d 1019, 2003 WL 21472392
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 27, 2003
Docket37,134-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 850 So. 2d 1019 (State v. Small) 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. Small, 850 So. 2d 1019, 2003 WL 21472392 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

850 So.2d 1019 (2003)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Sean F. SMALL, Appellant.

No. 37,134-KA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

June 27, 2003.

*1020 Peggy J. Sullivan, Monroe, Mary L. Harried, New Orleans, for Appellant.

Sean F. Small, Pro Se.

Paul J. Carmouche, District Attorney, for Appellee.

J. Thomas Butler, Lea R. Hall, Assistant District Attorneys.

Before BROWN, WILLIAMS and CARAWAY, JJ.

WILLIAMS, Judge.

The defendant, Sean Small, was charged by amended bill of information with armed *1021 robbery, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:64 and attempted second degree murder, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:30.1 and 14:27. After a jury trial, the defendant was found guilty as charged. The trial court adjudicated defendant a second felony offender and imposed separate sentences of 50 years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence for the armed robbery and attempted second degree murder convictions. These sentences were to be served concurrently. Defendant's motions for new trial, for post-verdict judgment of acquittal and reconsideration of sentence were denied. The defendant appeals. For the following reasons, we affirm the convictions, vacate the sentences for armed robbery and attempted second degree murder and remand for resentencing.

FACTS

On July 11, 2000, the elderly victim, Wilda Ritzheimer, walked out of the Brookshire's Food Store on Line Avenue in Shreveport carrying her purchase. Ritzheimer approached her automobile, a gold Cadillac, pressed the door lock and turned to open the car door. An assailant, later identified as the defendant, came up from behind Ritzheimer, grabbed her right hand, took her car keys and shot her with a .45 caliber handgun. Ritzheimer observed the gun in defendant's hand and asked, "Why are you doing this to me?" The defendant shot her a second time as she screamed for help. Ritzheimer later stated that the defendant never said a word to her during the crime and that she did not touch the defendant's gun in any way to cause the weapon to discharge.

The store's security guard, Keith Stewart, heard two gunshots and proceeded outside. He then heard another gunshot, which sounded muffled and saw an elderly woman struggling with a male, who entered a vehicle and started the ignition. As the defendant drove away in the victim's automobile, Stewart fired six rounds from his .38 caliber revolver toward the vehicle. Three spent .45 caliber shell casings and six spent .38 caliber shell casings were recovered from the crime scene during the subsequent police investigation. The victim's automobile was found in a parking lot with several bullet holes in the passenger side.

Another store employee, Bennico Canada, heard two gunshots and assisted Ritzheimer, who was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Ritzheimer suffered gunshot wounds through her left arm and side. One bullet entered just below her left elbow and exited the other side of her arm just above the elbow. The other bullet entered her left side below her ribs and exited through her back near the spine. The victim required surgery to remove her ruptured spleen and to stop the internal bleeding.

Subsequently, an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip reported that the defendant was present at a residence located in the west Shreveport area. Police Detectives Smith and Rudell responded to the residence and learned that defendant had fled on foot. After a search of the area, the detectives discovered defendant hiding under a vehicle in a nearby alley and arrested him without further resistance. The detectives did not question the defendant during the apprehension or while transporting him to the violent crimes bureau.

After being advised of his Miranda rights and signing a waiver card, the defendant gave an audio-taped statement to Shreveport Police Detectives Wray and Jeter. In his recorded statement, the defendant admitted that he approached the victim from behind and grabbed her car keys so that he could drive around in the automobile. The defendant stated that the *1022 gun accidentally discharged three times into the car, and that he drove away in the victim's automobile without her permission. Defendant said he sold the gun to an unknown male on the street. Defendant showed Detective Wray an abrasion on his thigh that appeared to be a graze wound.

The defendant was initially charged with armed robbery by bill of information, which was later amended to add the charge of attempted second degree murder. Both the defendant and defense counsel filed motions to suppress the defendant's recorded statement to police. After a hearing, the trial court denied the motions to suppress.

The jury found the defendant guilty as charged. The defendant's motions for new trial and post-verdict judgment of acquittal were denied. Subsequently, the trial court adjudicated defendant a second felony offender and sentenced him to serve 50 years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence on each conviction. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently with each other, and with the sentence imposed upon revocation of the defendant's probation. The trial court denied the motions for reconsideration of sentence filed by defendant and his counsel. The defendant appeals his convictions and sentences.

DISCUSSION

Reference to Defendant's Failure to Testify

The defendant contends the trial court erred in denying his motion for mistrial based upon remarks in the state's closing argument. Defendant argues that the prosecutor improperly commented on his decision not to testify in violation of his right against self-incrimination.

LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 770(3) provides:
Upon motion of a defendant, a mistrial shall be ordered when a remark or comment, made within the hearing of the jury by the judge, district attorney, or a court official, during the trial or in argument, refers directly or indirectly to:
* * *
(3) The failure of the defendant to testify in his own defense;
* * *

In State v. Mitchell, 00-1399 (La.2/21/01), 779 So.2d 698, the supreme court stated the applicable law:

La.C.Cr.P. art. 770(3) provides that the trial court "shall" declare a mistrial when the prosecutor "refers directly or indirectly to ... the failure of the defendant to testify in his own defense...." The purpose behind art. 770(3)'s prohibition against such prosecutorial comment is to protect the defendant's Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination by preventing attention being drawn directly or indirectly to the fact that the defendant has not testified on his own behalf. State v. Fullilove, 389 So.2d 1282, 1283 (La.1980); Griffin v. California, 380 U.S. 609, 85 S.Ct. 1229, 14 L.Ed.2d 106 (1965).

"Direct" and "indirect" references to the defendant's failure to take the stand are prohibited by article 770(3). State v. Johnson, 541 So.2d 818, 822 (La.1989). "When the prosecutor makes a direct reference to the defendant's failure to take the stand, a mistrial should be declared, and `it is irrelevant whether the prosecutor intended for the jury to draw unfavorable inferences from defendant's silence.'" Id. (citing Fullilove, 389 So.2d at 1284).

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850 So. 2d 1019, 2003 WL 21472392, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-small-lactapp-2003.