State v. Turnbo

966 So. 2d 1220, 2007 WL 2850753
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 3, 2007
Docket2007-270
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 966 So. 2d 1220 (State v. Turnbo) 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. Turnbo, 966 So. 2d 1220, 2007 WL 2850753 (La. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

966 So.2d 1220 (2007)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
James Manuel TURNBO.

No. 2007-270.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

October 3, 2007.

*1221 James F. Slaughter, Colfax, Louisiana, for Defendant/Appellant, James Manuel Turnbo.

James P. Lemoine, District Attorney-Thirty-fifth Judicial District, ADA Jimmy D. White, Colfax, Louisiana, for appellee, State of Louisiana.

Court composed of JOHN D. SAUNDERS, ELIZABETH A. PICKETT, and JAMES T. GENOVESE, Judges.

*1222 GENOVESE, Judge.

On April 28, 2004, the Defendant, James Manuel Turnbo, was charged by bill of information with creation or operation of a clandestine laboratory for the unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine, in violation of La.R.S. 40:983(A)(3), and illegal carrying of weapons, in violation of La.R.S. 14:95(E). The Defendant entered a plea of not guilty to both charges on June 3, 2004.

Pursuant to trial by jury, a verdict of guilty as charged was rendered on July 21, 2006. On September 7, 2006, the Defendant was sentenced to eight years at hard labor for the drug-related offense and to five years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, for the weapons offense. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Defendant timely filed a Motion to Reconsider Sentence which was denied on October 4, 2006.

The Defendant appeals, asserting five assignments of error. He alleges: (1) that his Motion to Quash should have been granted; (2) that numerous exhibits should not have been introduced into evidence at trial; (3) that the calling of a rebuttal witness by the State was improper; (4) that his sentence was excessive; and (5) that he be granted a review for errors patent.

FACTS

On February 3, 2004, police went to the home of the Defendant in order to serve an arrest warrant on Carlton Hall (Hall). The Defendant informed police that Hall lived in a mobile home on his property. The Defendant then allowed police to look through his home for Hall, who was not present.

The Defendant subsequently opened the mobile home Hall rented from him. While looking for Hall, police found what they believed to be anhydrous ammonia and several other items associated with the production of methamphetamines in a slide-in motor home. As a result thereby, police asked the Defendant for consent to continue searching the property, and the Defendant told police to get a search warrant. A search warrant was subsequently obtained, and a search conducted.

During the search of the property and buildings surrounding the Defendant's home, police seized surveillance equipment, numerous items associated with methamphetamine production, and several firearms. Police also searched the Defendant's residence where they found marijuana and two percocet tablets in the room of the Defendant's daughter and three guns in the master bathroom.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

In his first assignment of error, the Defendant contends that his Motion to Quash should have been granted by the trial court.

This court discussed motions to quash in State v. M.J.S., 05-380, pp. 6-7 (La.App. 3 Cir. 11/2/05), 916 So.2d 1215, 1219-20, as follows:

Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 532 (footnote omitted) provides:
A motion to quash may be based on one or more of the following grounds:
(1) The indictment fails to charge an offense which is punishable under a valid statute.
(2) The indictment fails to conform to the requirements of Chapters 1 and 2 of Title XIII. In such case the court may permit the district attorney to amend the indictment to correct the defect.
(3) The indictment is duplicitous or contains a misjoinder of defendants or offenses. In such case the court may permit the district attorney to sever the *1223 indictment into separate counts or separate indictments.
(4) The district attorney failed to furnish a sufficient bill of particulars when ordered to do so by the court. In such case the court may overrule the motion if a sufficient bill of particulars is furnished within the delay fixed by the court.
(5) A bill of particulars has shown a ground for quashing the indictment under Article 485.
(6) Trial for the offense charged would constitute double jeopardy.
(7) The time limitation for the institution of prosecution or for the commencement of trial has expired.
(8) The court has no jurisdiction of the offense charged.
(9) The general venire or the petit jury venire was improperly drawn, selected, or constituted.

Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 485 states:

If it appears from the bill of particulars furnished under Article 484, together with any particulars appearing in the indictment, that the offense charged in the indictment was not committed, or that the defendant did not commit it, or that there is a ground for quashing the indictment, the court may on its own motion, and on motion of the defendant shall, order that the indictment be quashed unless the defect is cured. The defect will be cured if the district attorney furnishes, within a period fixed by the court and not to exceed three days from the order, another bill of particulars which either by itself or together with any particulars appearing in the indictment so states the particulars as to make it appear that the offense charged was committed by the defendant, or that there is no ground for quashing the indictment, as the case may be.
In State v. Mulvihill, 03-691, p. 3 (La.App. 5 Cir. 10/28/03), 860 So.2d 266, 267-68, an appeal by the state from the granting of a motion to quash, the court explained the use of the motion to quash:
In State v. Perez, 464 So.2d 737 (La.1985), the Louisiana Supreme Court discussed the nature of a motion to quash and stated:
The motion to quash is essentially a mechanism by which to raise pre-trial pleas of defense, i.e., those matters which do not go to the merits of the charge. La.C.Cr.P. art. 531-534. [I]t is treated much like an exception of no cause of action in a civil suit. State v. Gerstenberger, 260 La. 145, 255 So.2d 720 (1971).
In considering a motion to quash, a court must accept as true the facts contained in the bill of information and in the bills of particulars, and determine as a matter of law and from the face of the pleadings, whether a crime has been charged. While evidence may be adduced, such may not include a defense on the merits. State v. Gerstenberger, 260 La. 145, 150, 255 So.2d 720 (1971); State v. Ponthieux, 254 La. 482, 224 So.2d 462 (1969). The question of factual guilt or innocence of the offense charged is not raised by the motion to quash. State v. Rembert, 312 So.2d 282 (La.1975); State v. Patterson, 301 So.2d 604 (La. 1974); State v. Snyder, 277 So.2d 660 (La.1973).
Therefore, a motion to quash is decided on the face of the bill of information and the bill of particulars.

A Motion to Quash was filed by the Defendant on July 17, 2006. Therein, the Defendant cited La.Code Crim.P. arts. 532(5) and 485 and sought to have the *1224 charge of illegal carrying of weapons quashed.

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Bluebook (online)
966 So. 2d 1220, 2007 WL 2850753, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-turnbo-lactapp-2007.