State v. Stewart

452 So. 2d 186
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 10, 1984
DocketKA-0960
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 452 So. 2d 186 (State v. Stewart) 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. Stewart, 452 So. 2d 186 (La. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

452 So.2d 186 (1984)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Danny W. STEWART.

No. KA-0960.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 10, 1984.
Rehearing Denied July 24, 1984.
Writ Denied September 20, 1984.

*188 Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., John H. Craft, Susan Scott Hunt, Asst. Dist. Attys., New Orleans, for appellee.

William W. Miles, William J. O'Hara, III, Lemann, O'Hara & Miles, New Orleans, for appellant.

Before KLEES, CIACCIO and LOBRANO, JJ.

LOBRANO, Judge.

Appellant, Danny W. Stewart, was charged by bill of information with armed robbery and conspiracy to distribute marijuana in violation of La.R.S. 14:64[1] and R.S. 40:979.[2]

Appellant pled not guilty to both counts. On February 18, 1983, a twelve member jury found appellant not guilty on the charge of armed robbery but guilty on the charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. On February 24, 1983, the trial court denied appellant's Motion in Arrest of Judgment and sentenced him to serve five years at hard labor. Later, the state filed a multiple bill against appellant charging him as a multiple offender. On May 20, 1983, his February 24th sentence was set aside and he was re-sentenced as a multiple offender to serve ten years at hard labor. Appellant has appealed his conviction and sentence asserting eight specifications of error, as follows:

1) The court committed reversible error in denying appellant the information requested in his Bill of Particulars *189 pertaining to the identity of all persons arrested on the date of the alleged crime;
2) The court committed reversible error in allowing the introduction into evidence of State's Exhibit S-2, when the state had failed to notify appellant of the existence of these items despite a pretrial request made by appellant;
3) The court committed reversible error in allowing testimony of an alleged previous drug transaction involving the appellant, and further, in failing to grant appellant's Motion for a Mistrial based on this testimony;
4) The court committed reversible error in allowing improper and highly prejudicial rebuttal testimony by the state;
5) The court committed reversible error in denying appellant's Motion to Quash the Bill of Information which Motion was based on the State's failure to allege or charge appellant with a specific overt act done in furtherance of the alleged conspiracy;
6) The court committed reversible error in denying appellant's post-trial motions for relief from the jury's verdict;
7) The verdict of the jury returned herein was contrary to the law and evidence;
8) The court committed reversible error in sentencing appellant as a multiple offender in that there was no showing that the prior pleas, upon which the sentence was based, were of such a nature as to be the basis for the imposition of an additional sentence.[3]

FACTS:

On June 11, 1982, Officers Adams, Marino, Goodey, Lee, Vappie and Johnson of the Special Operations Division of the New Orleans Police Department were assigned to an undercover operation. The objective was to purchase drugs from suspected distributors.

On information received from a confidential informant, the officers devised a plan whereby Officer Adams would attempt to purchase seventy-five pounds of marijuana from a man named Danny who lived at 3313 St. Claude Avenue. At approximately 5:00 p.m. on the date in question, the officers set up surveillance and Officer Adams knocked on the door at that address. Adams testified that appellant, Danny Stewart, admitted him to the house. They discussed the proposed purchase and Stewart's cut of the deal. Stewart then told Adams he would have to make a telephone call to set up the deal and both men proceeded to a nearby store to use the telephone. While Stewart spoke on one phone, Adams used another phone to contact the officers on surveillance, to inform them that he would raise the trunk lid on his car to signal them to move in when the deal was concluded. Both men then returned to Stewart's house. Stewart informed Adams that David Anderson would bring the drugs to the house. Soon afterward, Anderson arrived and the men discussed the proposed drug deal. Anderson then left. Stewart indicated that he had to use the phone again, and both returned to the store. Adams sat on the neutral ground outside while Stewart made his call. Both men then returned to the front of the house. Shortly thereafter, Anderson returned and the trio re-entered Stewart's house.

Once inside, Anderson drew a gun, ordered Adams to stand against a wall, threw Stewart a rope to tie up Adams and removed Adams' car keys from his pocket. When Adams tried to free himself, Stewart told him to keep his hands together while threatening Adams with the gun. He (Anderson) then struck Adams with the gun, and then put it to Adams' head, threatened to kill him and ordered him to "beg" for his life. He then picked up a pillow case and tried to put it over Adams' head. When Adams informed Anderson that others *190 would be coming soon, Anderson told Adams he would kill him later and then left. Adams freed himself from the ropes and attempted to pursue Anderson. Stewart blocked his path. A scuffle ensued, Adams broke free and ran outside in time to see Anderson drive off in his (Adams') car.

Officers Marino and Goodey testified that soon after Adams and Stewart returned from making the first phone call, they observed a blue car with two people inside. The car circled the block and stopped. They observed Anderson leave the car and enter Stewart's house, remain inside a short while, and then exit and drive away in the blue car. Adams and Stewart then went to make a second phone call. When they returned to the house, they sat outside talking until the blue car appeared again, this time containing three people. The car parked around the corner, and Anderson exited the car and joined Adams and Stewart. The three men re-entered the house.

Later, the officers observed Anderson run out of the house and jump into Adams' car. He pulled off and was joined by the blue car. Officers Marino and Goodey gave chase and eventually captured him when he wrecked Adams' car.

Meanwhile, Officers Johnson and Vappie stopped the blue car and detained the occupants. No marijuana was found in the blue car. The officers then returned to Stewart's house.

During the confusion, Stewart slipped away from the scene. He was arrested five months later by Officers Marino and Goodey pursuant to a tip from a confidential informant.

Adams testified that approximately one hour and fifteen minutes elapsed between the time he first entered Stewart's house and the time he was bound with the rope. Also present were Stewart's girlfriend and an older man in possession of drugs. During this time, Stewart smoked several "joints". Anderson seemed to be under the influence of drugs.

Adams stated that Stewart never touched Anderson's gun while Adams was threatened, and although he made arrangements to go to Stewart's house to buy the drugs, he never made the arrangements directly with Stewart.

Anderson testified that Stewart did not telephone him on June 11, 1982 but that he, (Anderson), merely happened to stop at Stewart's house on that day. He stated he was under the influence of preludin when he entered Stewart's house and that only he and Adams discussed the proposed drug deal.

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Bluebook (online)
452 So. 2d 186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-stewart-lactapp-1984.