State v. Stanley

729 So. 2d 33, 1999 WL 62175
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 10, 1999
Docket98-KA-920
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 729 So. 2d 33 (State v. Stanley) 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. Stanley, 729 So. 2d 33, 1999 WL 62175 (La. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

729 So.2d 33 (1999)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Gregg J. STANLEY.

No. 98-KA-920.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

February 10, 1999.

*34 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Rebecca J. Becker, Terry Boudreaux, Thomas S. Block, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, Louisiana, Attorneys for Appellee.

Laurie A. White, Gregg J. Stanley, New Orleans, Louisiana, Attorney for Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges EDWARD A. DUFRESNE, MARION F. EDWARDS and SUSAN M. CHEHARDY.

EDWARDS, Judge.

Defendant/appellant Gregg J. Stanley appeals from the judgment of the trial court sentencing him to twenty-five (25) years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:64.1. For the following reasons, we affirm and remand with instructions.

On May 23, 1997, defendant was charged by bill of information with first degree robbery in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:64.1. Defendant pled not guilty and the matter proceeded to trial on September 17, 1997. At trial, the twelve person jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty as charged.

On October 3, 1997, defendant filed a Motion for New Trial which was denied by the trial court. Defendant was sentenced to twenty (20) years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parol, or suspension of sentence. Defendant then filed a Motion for Reconsideration of Sentence which was denied by the trial court. Thereafter, the State filed a multiple bill alleging that defendant was a second felony offender. On October 7, 1997, defendant filed a Motion for Appeal.

On May 22, 1998, defendant stipulated to the multiple offender bill of information and entered a plea of guilty. The trial judge vacated the original sentence for first degree robbery and sentenced defendant in connection with the multiple bill of information to twenty-five (25) years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.[1]

On May 12, 1997, Danielle Davidson was working at the Circle K at 4533 Airline Highway in Metairie. At approximately 10:00 p.m. that evening, a man came into the store, bought some wine and left the store. A few minutes later, the same man re-entered the store and demanded that Ms. Davidson give him money from the register. Ms. Davidson complied with the demand after the robber told her that he had a knife. After taking money in small denominations and change, the man ran out of the store.

Immediately after the man left the store, Ms. Davidson called `911' to report the incident. Deputy Matthew Roth of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the Circle K to investigate the robbery. Deputy Roth testified that Ms. Davidson described the suspect as a white male in his twenties, about 5'10", 160 to 170 pounds, black moustache, medium length black hair. The suspect was described as wearing a black sweatshirt, gray shorts and a black baseball cap with the words "Your Basic Hat" written on it. Deputy Roth broadcast the suspect's description over the police radio.

Deputy Sean McCaffery of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office received a description *35 of the suspect over the radio and reported to the Circle K to assist in the investigation. Deputy McCaffery began to canvass the area and came upon defendant in a car parked in a motel parking lot about three blocks from the Circle K. As Deputy McCaffery approached defendant's car in his marked police cruiser, defendant drove out of the parking lot passing Deputy McCaffery. Deputy McCaffery testified that when he passed the defendant's car he observed that the driver fit the description of the suspect which Deputy Roth had broadcast over the radio.

After Deputy McCaffery confirmed the suspect's description, he attempted to stop defendant's vehicle. Defendant did not respond to Deputy McCaffery's lights and siren. Instead, defendant attempted to evade Deputy McCaffery by speeding up and entering a residential neighborhood in West Metairie. Deputy McCaffery testified that during his pursuit of the defendant he saw defendant throw something out of his car window. Eventually, defendant stopped in the 900 block of Madison.

After defendant stopped, he was arrested by Deputy McCaffery. Defendant and his car were searched incident to the arrest and no weapons were found. A third Jefferson Parish Sheriff's officer, Deputy Gary Greene, recovered a black baseball cap with the words "Your Basic Hat" on it as well as money in small denominations scattered on the ground near the area which Deputy McCaffery indicated that defendant had thrown something out of his car.

After defendant was arrested, Deputy Roth brought Ms. Davidson to the scene of defendant's arrest. Ms. Davidson identified defendant as the man who had robbed the Circle K. Ms. Davidson did note that defendant was no longer wearing the black sweatshirt or cap he'd been wearing earlier. Subsequently, Ms. Davidson identified the hat and money which was recovered by Deputy Greene.

ANALYSIS

Defendant submits three assignments of error for this Court's review. In the first assignment of error, defendant alleges that the evidence introduced at trial was insufficient to support the verdict handed down by the jury. In the second assignment of error, defendant alleges that the sentence imposed by the trial court was excessive in violation of his constitutional rights. Finally, the defendant requests review of the record for errors patent.

In the first assignment of error, defendant contends that the State did not present sufficient evidence to prove that he committed the crime of first degree robbery. The defendant specifically contends the State failed to prove that defendant was the perpetrator of the robbery because the evidence is inconsistent with the victim's testimony concerning the description of the suspect and the events of the robbery. Defendant further argues that the State failed to prove that defendant led the victim to believe that he was armed with a dangerous weapon. In its brief, the State urges that the evidence presented at trial was legally sufficient.

The constitutional standard for testing the sufficiency of the evidence as set forth in Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979), requires that a conviction be based on proof sufficient for a rational trier of fact, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, to conclude that all of the essential elements of the offense have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Rosiere, 488 So.2d 965 (La. 1986); State v. Honore, 564 So.2d 345 (La.App. 5th Cir.1990); writ denied, 569 So.2d 968 (La. 1990).

When circumstantial evidence is used to prove the commission of a crime, LSA-R.S. 15:438 mandates that, "assuming every fact to be proved that the evidence tends to prove, in order to convict, it must exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence." The requirement of LSA-R.S.15:438 does not establish a standard separate from the Jackson standard, but rather provides a helpful methodology for determining the existence of reasonable doubt. State v. Captville, 448 So.2d 676 (La. 1984); State v. Francis, 95-194 (La.App. 5th Cir. 11/28/95), 665 So.2d 596. Thus, the entirety of the evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, must be sufficient for a rational *36 juror to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty of every essential element of the crime. State v. Jacobs, 504 So.2d 817, 820 (La.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
729 So. 2d 33, 1999 WL 62175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-stanley-lactapp-1999.