State v. Weber

364 So. 2d 952
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 13, 1978
Docket62253
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 364 So. 2d 952 (State v. Weber) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Weber, 364 So. 2d 952 (La. 1978).

Opinion

364 So.2d 952 (1978)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Melvin WEBER.

No. 62253.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

November 13, 1978.

*953 A. J. Boudreaux, Indigent Defender Bd., 24th Judicial Dist., Kenner, for defendant-appellant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., John M. Mamoulides, Dist. Atty., Patrick Leitz, Abbott J. Reeves, Asst. Dist. Attys., for plaintiff-appellee.

SANDERS, Chief Justice.

The State charged Melvin Weber with simple burglary, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:62. The defendant pled not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. A jury found him guilty and the court sentenced him to nine-years' imprisonment.

The defendant appeals. He relies on one assignment of error for reversal of his conviction and sentence.

We adduce the following context facts:

As Sergeant Thomas Goscienski and his wife watched television one night, they heard a door slam. Looking through a window, the sergeant saw a black male crouching and sorting through items on the utility room floor. The sergeant put his gun on the man whom he then recognized as Melvin Weber. When he asked Weber what he was doing, he replied, "[g]ee, I must have made a mistake because I used to work around here." The sergeant then arrested him.

The defense's argument challenges the court's ruling declaring him mentally capable or proceeding to trial and the jury's verdict finding him sane at the time of the offense.

Counsel filed a motion for a sanity commission and hearing to determine defendant's present mental capacity to proceed to trial. The reason for his request was that the defendant told him that he did not know he had been arrested or why he had been arrested or incarcerated. The court appointed Dr. DeVillier and Dr. Sanders to examine defendant relative to his capacity to understand the proceedings and to assist in his defense.

Dr. DeVillier's written report contains the following pertinent information gathered concerning an October 18, 1976, interview: The defendant stated that he has worked as a busboy at the Hilton Hotel for all his working life and that he completed the twelfth grade; he denied being hospitalized or receiving any psychiatric treatment; he stated that he had been "picked up" a couple of times, but never stayed in jail; another doctor informed Dr. DeVillier that the defendant may have been hospitalized *954 and was in jail in 1973 and 1975 and was evaluated at those times; the defendant stated that he was presently charged with driving without a license, being intoxicated, and trespassing; the doctor observed a noticeable spasticity of defendant's lower extremity with his gait, but he denied having any problem walking; he was oriented in all spheres and understood his present circumstances; his intelligence is probably of low average range; his thinking seemed very concrete and simple, his affect blunted; he seemed uninterested in supplying accurate answers to the questions. Dr. DeVillier concluded that the defendant had probable simple schizophrenia and that he "would be considered legally sane in that he understands right from wrong and is mentally competent to stand trial since he understands the nature of charges against him and could assist counsel."

Dr. Sanders' written report presents the following pertinent information obtained from and about the defendant on October 4, 1976: The defendant stated that he was charged with receiving stolen property; he was uncommunicative during the examination; he denied any type of mental or medical disorder or problem; he stated that he never worked or attended school; the doctor noticed that he walked with a marked scissor's gait, and the defendant stated that he had no problem walking; he frowned most of the interview; his affect was appropriate and his associations intact; he gave the day of the week as the sixth day of Thursday and the date as August 8, 1974; he could repeat five digits in sequence and could reverse three digits in sequence; rough testing indicated that his IQ is below normal and that he was socially and culturally deprived. Dr. Sanders concluded that the defendant had borderline to mild mental retardation and that he was legally sane "in that he understands the difference between right and wrong in regard to the nature of the act of which he is accused" and "at the time of the commission of the alleged crime and at the present time [he] is legally sane and is able to assist counsel in his defense if explanations are couched in very concrete, simple terms."

At the lunacy hearing, Dr. DeVillier's testimony reflected the information in his report. Both parties stipulated that if Dr. Sanders testified he would testify as to what was in his report. Finding the defendant legally sane and able to assist counsel, the court stated:

"Dr. Sanders corroborates and agrees with Dr. DeVillier that the defendant is legally sane and able to assist counsel and understand the nature of the proceedings against him. They have some limitations on his intelligence, but intelligence is not the criterion for whether you stand trial or not, or we wouldn't have anybody in the jails.
"So, I am going to declare this person as being legally sane and able to assist counsel in his own defense."

At trial, only Sergeant Goscienski testified for the State.

The defense called Dr. DeVillier, whose testimony reflected what was in his written report. He added, however, that the defendant was reluctant to answer his questions, hesitating before he did so. He concluded that the defendant was capable of assisting counsel and of forming specific intent. Dr. Arnesson, an expert in psychiatry, also testified for the defense. She examined the defendant in 1973 and 1975, but not concerning this case. She testified that in 1973 a court declared him legally insane due to his inability to assist counsel and understand the nature of the charges. He was then confined to a mental hospital for treatment of a neurological disease. In 1975, Dr. Arnesson's examination revealed that he was legally sane and able to understand the nature of the charges and to assist in his defense. At both times the doctor found him to have a below average intelligence.

The defendant testified. The following exchanges occurred on direct, cross, and re-direct examination:

"[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: [Defendant], I call your attention to April 14th of last year. At about 10:45 pm, you're charged with entering the *955 utility shed of this policeman who testified with intent to commit a felony or steal something. Do you know anything about this at all?
"A. No, sir. I don't know . . . I was working for the residence of the police, and, uh, I dropped my haircomb, and (indecipherable) Miller opened up just like that. She came out and told me that, `You'se through work,' just like that. And I said, `All right, we're going to have a little fun out here,' just like that. She said, `Yeah, you have a little fun out here. Don't worry about me `cause I am fixing to leave the house right now.' Just like that. We stayed out there and played just like that, and wind up. . . we all went to jail just like that, and, uh, that's all . . that's all . . . that's all that happened. That's all that happened that night that I know of.

"* * *

"Q. Melvin, do you remember being arrested by Sergeant Goscienski?

"A. No sir.

"Q. How did you get to jail?

"A. I . . . the police officers brought us to the jailhouse. I don't know nothing about Sergeant Goscienski though.

"Q.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
364 So. 2d 952, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-weber-la-1978.