State v. Stewart

803 So. 2d 120, 2001 La.App. 4 Cir. 0976, 2001 La. App. LEXIS 2752, 2001 WL 1512007
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided November 21, 2001·No. No. 2001-KA-0976·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

h Judge MIRIAM G. WALTZER.

STATEMENT OF CASE

Defendant Carl Stewart, Jr., was charged by bill of information with one count of distribution of cocaine in violation of La. R.S. 40:967 to which he pleaded not guilty. Following trial, on 4 December 2000, a twelve-person jury found the defendant guilty of the responsive verdict of attempted distribution of cocaine. On 12 February 2001, the trial judge sentenced the defendant under the provisions of LSA-R.S. 15:674.5, the About Face Program in Orleans Parish Prison, to serve seven years at hard labor, with credit for time served, but without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. The trial judge ordered defendant to complete successfully two conditions of the About Face program: obtaining a G.E.D. and substance abuse counseling. The trial judge at sentencing said that he would reconsider the sentence of seven years at [122]*122hard labor following defendant’s successful completion of the program.

STATEMENT OF FACT

Sergeant Michael Glasser, a twenty-year veteran of the New Orleans Police Department, currently serving as commander of the First District narcotics Squad, testified that on 26 September 2000 he was participating in an undercover | ¡.operation with Lieutenant Tammy Guerrera. The officers had serial recorded currency they could use in a narcotics purchase should they come across someone wanting to sell narcotics to them. They had targeted the area near the Rainbow and T.I.R.C. Hotels at the intersection of North Prieur and St. Ann Streets. Defendant was on the corner and, without any suggestion or provocation from Sergeant Glasser or Lieutenant Guerrera, waved to the officers. Sergeant Glasser pulled to the side, defendant came to the side window and asked, “What do you need?” Sergeant Glasser told him they were looking for $20 of crack cocaine. Defendant said, “Let me get in. I know where to get it.” Lieutenant Guerrera climbed into the back seat and the officers allowed defendant to sit in the passenger side. At defendant’s direction, they drove on Orleans Avenue and pulled into the parking lot behind the Dooky Chase restaurant. Defendant got out of the car, accepted $20 from Lieutenant Guerrera, and gave his cellular phone to the officers as “collateral” that he would return. Defendant walked into the Lafitte housing project, stayed for perhaps two minutes, and returned to the officers’ car. He got into the car and directed Sergeant Glasser to drive on Orleans Avenue, turn right on North Rocheblave Street, turn right on Saint Ann street, and pull over. At that time, defendant handed Sergeant Glasser a single piece of crack cocaine and Sergeant Glasser returned the cellular phone to defendant. Defendant got out of the car and walked on North Rocheblave Street towards Orleans Avenue. Sergeant Glasser then radioed surrounding officers that he and Lieutenant Guerrera had purchased crack cocaine from defendant, and gave the support units a description of defendant and his clothing.

| oThe officers drove to the corner of Tonti Street and Lafitte Street where Detective Amos was holding defendant, having captured him in a courtyard of the Lafitte project. He was certain of his identification.

Sergeant Glasser identified the piece of crack cocaine by its police identification number, 1-46827, identified the cellular phone and identified the defendant in open court. The officers were unable to recover the marked $20 bill.

Lieutenant Guerrera corroborated Sergeant Glasser’s testimony and identified defendant in open court.

Detective Marc Amos testified that on 26 September 2000 he was assigned to a take-down unit for the undercover narcotics officers. Sergeant Glasser advised him of the crack cocaine purchase. Detective Amos saw Sergeant Glasser’s parked undercover car and saw defendant leave the vehicle, walk away and walk back. Sergeant Glasser radioed later that the narcotics purchase was completed, and another team moved into the area to stop the seller. Defendant ran into the Lafitte project as Detective Amos approached. The detective cut across Galvez Street to Lafitte in case defendant ran out at the intersection of Tonti Courtyard and Lafitte Street. In fact, defendant did emerge, whereupon Detective Amos stopped his car and got out with his partner, Chris Martin. Two other officers were chasing defendant. Detective Amos’ partner identified himself as a police officer, grabbed defendant by his shirt, defendant struggled and hit Officer Martin with a closed fist. After a [123]*123struggle, the officers were able to subdue defendant. He was present and witnessed Sergeant Glasser and Lieutenant Guerrera when they positively identified defendant as the crack cocaine seller. Detective Amos identified defendant in open court as well.

The parties stipulated that 1-46827 tested positive for crack cocaine.

|4Pefendant testified that on the night in question, he left a bar on Orleans Avenue and Prieur Street and “proceeded around the corner to take a urine.” He walked toward a stopped car. One of the car’s two occupants asked if he had any cocaine. He replied that he did not, but that he knew where to get it. He got in the car and directed the officers to Dooky Chase, got out, went into the project and made a transaction. He came out, brought the narcotics to the occupant of the car, got in the car and got out on St. Ann Street and started to walk off. Another car pulled up behind him. Defendant testified, “And me being high I just broke out running.”

Defendant admitted having used the officer’s money to buy the cocaine.

ERRORS PATENT

There was an error in the defendant’s sentence that is discussed in connection with defendant’s second assignment of error.

FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR: The evidence, presented in the light most favorable to the prosecution, supports reversal on the grounds of entrapment.

In State v. Brand, 520 So.2d 114, 117 (La.1988), the Supreme Court discussed the defense of entrapment:

Entrapment is a defense which arises when law enforcement officials or an undercover agent acting in cooperation with such an official, for the purpose of obtaining evidence of a crime, originates [sic] the idea of the crime and then induces another person to engage in conduct constituting the crime, when the other person is not otherwise disposed to do so....
Entrapment is an affirmative defense. Thus, the burden was on the defendant to prove entrapment by a | .^preponderance of the evidence. The question ... is one for the jury.

In State v. Long, 97-2434 pp. 10-11 (La.App. 4 Cir. 8/25/99), 744 So.2d 143, 150-51, this Court held:

Contentions of entrapment are reviewed on appeal pursuant to the sufficiency of evidence standard of Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). State v. Hardy, 98-25, p. 9 (La.App. 5 Cir. 5/13/98), 715 So.2d 466, 471. A reviewing court must first determine whether the defendant proved by a preponderance of the evidence that he was induced to commit the crime. Id.

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State v. Stewart, 803 So. 2d 120, 2001 La.App. 4 Cir. 0976, 2001 La. App. LEXIS 2752, 2001 WL 1512007 (La. Ct. App. 2001).

803 So. 2d 120 (State v. Stewart) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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