State v. Thom

615 So. 2d 355, 1993 WL 57831
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 25, 1993
Docket92-KA-911
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 615 So. 2d 355 (State v. Thom) 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. Thom, 615 So. 2d 355, 1993 WL 57831 (La. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

615 So.2d 355 (1993)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
James THOM.

No. 92-KA-911.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

February 25, 1993.

*357 Harry J. Morel, Jr., Emile R. St. Pierre, Jerry Rome, Dist. Atty.'s Office, Hahnville, for plaintiff/appellee, State of La.

Robert A. Chaisson, Chaisson & Chaisson, Destrehan, Victor A. Bradley, Jr., Gregory A. Miller, Norco, for defendant/appellant, James W. Thom.

Before KLIEBERT, BOWES and CANNELLA, JJ.

BOWES, Judge.

Defendant was convicted of aggravated rape, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:42 and aggravated burglary, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:60. The trial court sentenced defendant *358 to life imprisonment, without probation, parole, or suspension of sentence for the aggravated rape conviction and to thirty years at hard labor for the aggravated burglary conviction, to be served concurrently. Defendant now appeals.

FACTS

On April 8, 1991, at 6:35 a.m. the victim and her two year old daughter were at their home in St. Charles Parish. The victim's husband had already left for work. As the victim unlocked her front door a man, she later identified as defendant, entered her home. The victim began screaming and defendant hit the victim on the top of her head with a flashlight. When defendant stated he would stop hitting the victim if she stopped screaming, the victim complied.

Then, the victim saw that her daughter had awakened and was standing in the room. She pleaded with defendant not to hurt her daughter. Defendant told the victim to take her clothes off and to lay down. She removed her shirt, slip and stockings. He put the flashlight down, unzipped his pants and had sexual intercourse with the victim. During this incident, the victim was able to see a tatoo consisting of red lips on defendant's left groin area. The victim's daughter was seated on the sofa during the act. Afterward, the victim got up and held her daughter; defendant went into the kitchen and drank some coke. He complained about the barking from the victim's dog and went with the victim to put the dog in her bedroom.

When they returned defendant ordered the victim to take off her remaining clothes. She was too nervous to do so and defendant removed her clothing. He ordered her to kneel and forced his penis into her mouth. Then, defendant unzipped his pants and again had sexual intercourse with the victim. The victim's daughter remained in the room seated on the sofa.

After this second attack, defendant wiped off the coffee table and flashlight and took cash from the victim's wallet. He tied the victim's ankles and wrists toward her back with a telephone cord and gagged her with a dish towel. Defendant took all the change from the victim's wallet and again wiped the items he had touched. When defendant returned to the coffee table and picked up the flashlight, the victim thought that he was going to kill her. Instead, defendant put the flashlight in his pants and started to leave. However, before he did, defendant repeatedly asked her if she was going to tell anyone about the incident. The victim replied "no."

When she was able to free herself, the victim ran into her bedroom, put on a robe, and called a neighbor. Subsequently, the police were called. The victim was taken to a local hospital where a rape examination was conducted; she received stitches for her head wound and treatment for her rape.

From the victim's description of her attacker, a composite photograph was made and published in the newspaper. The law enforcement authorities received information identifying the suspect as defendant. After the victim identified defendant's photograph in a lineup he was arrested. Defendant had a tatoo which was identical to the one the victim described. At the trial, the victim positively identified defendant as her assailant.

ANALYSIS

In this appeal, defendant urges sixteen assignments of error. Defendant filed assignments of error numbers fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen as supplements; however, he has failed to brief these supplemental assignments of error. Accordingly, these supplemental assignments of error are considered abandoned. Uniform Rules, Courts of Appeal-Rule 2-14.2. However, number sixteen seeks review of the record for errors patent and is unnecessary as this Court routinely reviews every criminal record for errors patent on the face of the record anyway.

In his first assignment of error, defendant argues that the trial judge erred in denying his motion for change of venue. He argues that the questioning of prospective jurors, prior to voir dire, and a rally outside the courthouse prior to the start of *359 trial, show the prejudices which prevented an impartial and fair trial in St. Charles Parish.

A change of venue is warranted whenever a defendant proves that "by reason of prejudice existing in the public mind or because of undue influence, or that for any other reason, a fair and impartial trial cannot be obtained in the parish where the prosecution is pending." LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 622. In deciding whether to grant a defendant's motion for change of venue, the trial court must consider if prejudice, undue influence, or any other reason will deny the defendant a fair trial in the parish in which the prosecution is pending. State v. Clark, 442 So.2d 1129, 1132 (La.1983); State v. Walters, 514 So.2d 257, 263 (La.App. 5 Cir.1987), writ denied 523 So.2d 811 (La. 1988). The decision to grant or deny a change of venue rests with the discretion of the trial court. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 784. This discretion will not be overturned without a showing of error or abuse of discretion. State v. Walters, 514 So.2d at 264.

In this case, the trial court conducted a hearing on defendant's motion and concluded that defendant did not bear his burden of proving that he could not obtain a fair trial in St. Charles Parish.

After a careful review of the record, we find that any prejudice which resulted from publicity in this case was not such that defendant could not obtain a fair and impartial trial in St. Charles Parish. Therefore, there was no abuse of the trial court's discretion in denying defendant's motion for a change of venue.

In his second and third assignments of error, defendant alleges that the trial judge erred in denying defense's challenge for cause of prospective jurors Sharon Mulder and Brenda Genter. He argues that the two prospective jurors should have been excused for cause under LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 797 because they were not impartial.

The federal and state constitutions guarantee the accused in a criminal proceeding the right to a trial by an impartial jury. U.S. Const. Amendment VI; La.Const. Art. 1, Section 16. In addition, LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 797 states as follows in pertinent part:

The state or the defendant may challenge a juror for cause on the ground that:
* * * * * *
(2) The juror is not impartial, whatever the cause of his partiality. An opinion or impression as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant shall not of itself be sufficient ground of challenge to a juror, if he declares, and the court is satisfied, that he can render an impartial verdict according to the law and the evidence;
(3) The relationship, whether by blood, marriage, employment, friendship, or enmity between the juror and the defendant, the person injured by the offense, the district attorney, or defense counsel, is such that it is reasonable to conclude that it would influence the juror in arriving at a verdict;

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Bluebook (online)
615 So. 2d 355, 1993 WL 57831, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-thom-lactapp-1993.