State v. Stec

749 So. 2d 784, 1999 WL 1080768
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 30, 1999
Docket99-KA-633
StatusPublished
Cited by75 cases

This text of 749 So. 2d 784 (State v. Stec) 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. Stec, 749 So. 2d 784, 1999 WL 1080768 (La. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

749 So.2d 784 (1999)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Kazimirz STEC.

No. 99-KA-633.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

November 30, 1999.

*786 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, 24th Judicial District, Rebecca J. Becker, Terry Boudreaux, Joan Benge, Spiro Latkis, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, Louisiana, Attorneys for Appellee.

Katherine M. Franks, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Attorney for Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges EDWARD A. DUFRESNE, Jr., THOMAS F. DALEY and MARION F. EDWARDS.

EDWARDS, Judge.

Defendant/appellant Kazimirz Stec appeals the judgment of the trial court finding him guilty of attempted indecent behavior with a juvenile in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:27:81. Mr. Stec was accused of fondling a six year old boy on the front steps of an apartment complex. He alleges on appeal that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of the crime accused. For the following reasons, we affirm and remand for re-sentencing.

On October 19, 1998, the victim, a six year old boy, was playing in front of his apartment complex. Kazimirz Stec, a forty-seven year old man of foreign descent, was relaxing on the front steps of the complex after completing a renovation job for a friend. He had been drinking while working, but claims not to have been intoxicated. Mr. Stec allegedly called the young boy over to him to talk, then put his arms around the boy and began to fondle his genitalia. The victim's mother ran outside when she heard her son screaming. When she arrived, she witnessed Mr. Stec with his arms around her son's waist while fondling him. She attempted to pull the boy away, but Mr. Stec would not let go of him. She finally pried her son away from him, then ran to a neighbor's apartment and called the police.

A deputy of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrived on the scene to investigate. After the victim's mother gave her description of events, the deputy arrested Mr. Stec, who smelled strongly of alcohol and who exhibited slurred speech. He did not speak English very well, but he understood the deputy's commands and responded to them.

Mr. Stec was charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:81. The case was tried on February 23, 1999 before the Honorable Charles V. Cusimano, II of the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court. A six-person jury returned a verdict of guilty to the lesser included offense of attempted indecent behavior with a juvenile in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:27:81. The trial judge ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and a motion for post-judgment verdict of acquittal/motion for new trial was filed by the defendant on that same day.

On April 19, 1999, the trial court sentenced the defendant to one year in parish prison with credit for time served. An oral objection was made to the sentence. Mr. Stec filed a motion for appeal on April 20, 1999. The matter is now before this Court for review.

LAW AND ANALYSIS

Mr. Stec has alleged three assignments of error on appeal. In his first assignment of error, he alleges that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the verdict of guilty to the offense of attempted indecent behavior with a juvenile. In his second assignment of error, he alleges that the sentence of one year is excessive and inadequately reasoned. In his third and final assignment of error, he alleges that the sentence was prematurely imposed as the post-trial motions remain outstanding. Assignments of error one and two are without merit and the judgment of the trial court must be affirmed. However, Mr. Stec has correctly alleged error by the trial court in his third assignment and *787 the sentence must be vacated and remanded for re-sentencing.

In his first assignment of error, Mr. Stec alleges that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdict. The constitutional standard for testing the sufficiency of the evidence, enunciated in Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560, 573 (1979), requires that a conviction be based on proof sufficient for any rational trier of fact, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, to find the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Styles, 96-897 (La.App. 5th Cir. 3/25/97), 692 So.2d 1222, 1232; writ denied, 97-1069 (La.10/13/97), 703 So.2d 609; State v. Hebrard, 94-410 (La.App. 5th Cir. 1/31/95), 650 So.2d 352; State v. Mussall, 523 So.2d 1305 (La.1988).

The Louisiana Supreme Court in State ex rel Graffagnino v. King, 436 So.2d 559, 563 (La.1983) stated:

It is the role of the fact-finder to weigh the respective credibilities of witnesses, and this court will not second-guess the credibility determinations of the trier of fact beyond our sufficiency evaluations under the Jackson standard of review.

It is not the function of the appellate court to assess the credibility of witnesses or to reweigh the evidence. State v. Rosiere, 488 So.2d 965, 968 (La.1986); State v. Sampson, 95-58 (La.App. 5th Cir. 5/30/95), 656 So.2d 1085, 1088; writ denied, 95-1665 (La.11/27/95), 663 So.2d 730. In the absence of internal contradiction or irreconcilable conflicts with physical evidence, the testimony of one witness, if believed by the court, is sufficient to support a conviction or convictions. State of Louisiana in the Interest of L.A., 95-409 (La.App. 5th Cir. 12/13/95), 666 So.2d 1142.

The crime of indecent behavior with a juvenile is codified in LSA-R.S. 14:81, which states in part:

A. Indecent behavior with juveniles is the commission of any lewd or lascivious act upon the person or in the presence of any child under the age of seventeen, where there is an age difference of greater than two years between the two persons, with the intention of arousing or gratifying the sexual desires of either person. Lack of knowledge of the child's age shall not be a defense.

To convict a defendant of this offense, the State must prove that (1) there was an age difference of greater than two years between the accused and the victim, who was not yet seventeen; (2) the accused committed a lewd or lascivious act upon the person or in the presence of a child; and (3) that the accused intended to arouse or gratify either his own or the victim's sexual desires. State v. Schenck, 513 So.2d 1159 (La.1987); State v. Day, 98-964 (La. App. 5th Cir. 3/10/99), 735 So.2d 56. The statute was amended effective August 15, 1997 to remove the requirement that the defendant be over the age of seventeen.

In the present case, Mr. Stec was found guilty of attempted indecent behavior with a juvenile. Any person who has the specific intent to commit a crime, or does or omits an act for the purpose of and tending directly toward the accomplishing of his object, is guilty of an attempt to commit the offense intended, and it shall be immaterial whether, under the circumstances, he would have actually accomplished his purpose. LSA-R.S. 14:27.

Mr. Stec argues that insufficient evidence was produced at trial to support a finding that the second and third elements were satisfied, namely that he committed a lewd or lascivious act upon the person or in the presence of a child and that he intended to arouse or gratify either his own or the victim's sexual desires.

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Bluebook (online)
749 So. 2d 784, 1999 WL 1080768, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-stec-lactapp-1999.