State v. Thomas

439 So. 2d 629
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided October 11, 1983·No. 83 KA 0188·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinion

439 So.2d 629 (1983)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Gregory O. THOMAS.

No. 83 KA 0188.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

October 11, 1983.

*630 Ossie Brown, Dist. Atty. by Joseph Lotwick, Asst. Dist. Atty., Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellee.

Johnny Wellons, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellant.

Before COVINGTON, COLE and SAVOIE, JJ.

COLE, Judge.

Defendant, Gregory O'Neal Thomas, was charged by grand jury indictment with aggravated rape, armed robbery, and aggravated burglary in violation of La.R.S. 14:42, 64, and 60. Defendant was tried by a *631 twelve-man jury and found guilty on all counts. He received the maximum sentence possible on each count: for aggravated rape, life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence; for armed robbery, ninety-nine years at hard labor; for aggravated burglary, thirty years at hard labor. The sentences are to run concurrently. Defendant now appeals his convictions and sentences, alleging four assignments of error.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

1. The trial court erred by denying defendant's motion to suppress confession.

2. The trial court erred in denying defendant's motion for a new trial and motion in arrest of judgment[1] because the state failed to prove its case in that the victim failed to identify defendant as the offender.

3. The trial court erred in denying defendant's motion for a new trial and motion in arrest of judgment because the state failed to prove the elements of aggravated rape, armed robbery and aggravated burglary.

4. The trial court erred in failing to require the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt all of the essential elements of the crimes charged.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

Defendant contends that the trial judge erred when he denied defendant's motion to suppress defendant's confession because such confession was obtained as a result of intimidation and threats made by the arresting officers.

In order for a confession to be admissible into evidence, it must be affirmatively shown that it was free and voluntary, and not made under the influence of fear, duress, intimidation, menaces, threats, inducements, or promises. La.R.S. 15:451. See State v. Jackson, 381 So.2d 485 (La. 1980). The state has the burden of affirmatively proving that the confession was free and voluntary; accordingly, it must rebut specific testimony introduced by the defendant concerning factual circumstances which indicate coercive measures or intimidation. State v. Serrato, 424 So.2d 214 (La.1982). The admissibility of a confession is a question for the trial judge and his conclusions on credibility and the weight of testimony regarding the voluntariness of a confession for admissibility purposes will not be overturned on appeal unless they are unsupported by the evidence. State v. Haynie, 395 So.2d 669 (La.1981). The trial court is accorded much discretion in arriving at a conclusion of the voluntariness of defendant's confession, and such discretion of the trial court will not be overturned on appeal unless it is unsupported by the evidence. State v. Haynie, supra.

The admissibility of defendant's confession was amply litigated at the hearing on the motion to suppress. Defendant's allegation that the arresting officers intimidated and coerced him into making a confession by using threats is reflected in his testimony on trial of the motion. He testified the arresting officer told him: "If I wouldn't talk, I wouldn't live to see Christmas, just scared me like that...." "Well, they talking about like ... if I wouldn't talk, you know, when I get back to the Parish, you know, they have a gang waiting on me like that, you know, and...."

Both arresting officers testified defendant was given his Miranda rights before the taped statement was made. A week after defendant's arrest, and while he was in the parish prison, the arresting officer, Detective Groht, was told defendant wanted to make a statement and help the police recover the stolen items. On arrival at the parish jail, defendant began to give information concerning the stolen items. The officer requested that he not talk further until *632 they arrived at the downtown police station. Upon arrival, the detective again gave defendant his rights. After some discussion, defendant gave a statement which was taped in its entirety, and indicated to the officers he understood his rights and the procedure that was being followed. This testimony was supported by the other interrogating officer, Julius O'Brien. Both officers denied they had threatened defendant in any way or told him what to say. On rebuttal, both officers again testified no physical force or threats were used against defendant. Both officers made an effort to contact an attorney whose name was given to them by defendant, but no contact was made until after the taped statement was given. When contact was finally made, the attorney specifically said he was not going to represent defendant.

An analysis of the record convinces us sufficient evidence was presented by the state to rebut defendant's allegations of intimidation and of threats made to him to induce his making a confession. Therefore, this assignment of error has no merit.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NOS. 2, 3, AND 4

Defendant's assignments of error numbers 2, 3 and 4 are grounded on the lack of sufficient evidence at trial to support a verdict of guilty. Defendant assigns error to the denial by the trial court of defendant's motion for post-verdict judgment of acquittal (sic) and complains the evidence was insufficient to identify defendant as the party who attacked and raped the victim; that the record contains insufficient evidence to prove the elements of the crimes of aggravated rape, aggravated burglary, and armed robbery; and that the state has failed to bear the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the crimes charged.

A defendant has not been afforded due process, and his conviction cannot stand, unless, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could conclude the state proved the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). Additionally, we are governed by our statutory rule as to circumstantial evidence: assuming every fact to be proved that the evidence tends to prove, in order to convict, it must exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence. La.R.S. 15:438; State v. Graham, 422 So.2d 123 (La.1982). Under the rationale in Jackson v. Virginia, supra, upon review for insufficiency of evidence to convict, the state is required to negate any reasonable probability of misidentification in order to carry its burden of proof. State v. Bennie G. Smith, 430 So.2d 31 (La.1983); State v. Brady, 414 So.2d 364 (La.1982).

Defendant argues the state failed to prove the identity of the offender, failed to prove specific intent, and failed to prove each element of the crimes charged.

The crime of aggravated rape, and the elements thereof, are set forth in La.R.S. 14:42, which reads in pertinent part as follows:

"Aggravated rape is a rape committed where the anal or vaginal sexual intercourse is deemed to be without lawful consent of the victim because it is committed under any one or more of the following circumstances:

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State v. Thomas, 439 So. 2d 629 (La. Ct. App. 1983).

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