State v. Webster

664 So. 2d 624, 1995 WL 640697
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided November 2, 1995·No. 95-605·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

664 So.2d 624 (1995)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
James Harvey WEBSTER, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 95-605.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

November 2, 1995.

*626 Charles F. Wagner, Dist. Atty., John Dexter Ryland, Alexandria, for State of Louisiana.

Katharine Geary, Alexandria, for James Harvey Webster.

Before DOUCET, C.J., and AMY and SULLIVAN, JJ.

DOUCET, Chief Judge.

Defendant, James Harvey Webster, was charged by bill of information with eight counts of armed robbery, violations of La. R.S. 14:64. The first four counts (numbers 1-4 in the bill of information filed December 18, 1990) involved incidents which took place on August 9, 1990, while the last four counts (numbers 5-8 of that same bill) involved the robbery of a bank which took place on October 23, 1990. On January 11, 1991, defendant appeared in court with counsel, waived formal arraignment, and entered a plea of not guilty to each count. Trial by jury began on the last four counts on July 9, 1991. The defendant was found guilty as charged on all four counts that same afternoon. Thereafter, on July 25, 1991, a habitual offender bill was filed by the state. Defendant appeared in court with counsel on August 5, 1991, for the habitual offender hearing. The court determined the defendant to be a third felony offender and, in accordance with La. R.S. 15:529.1, sentenced the defendant to seventy-five (75) years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. On August 9, 1991, defendant's trial counsel made an oral motion for appeal, which motion was granted. No appeal was subsequently perfected by defendant's trial counsel. On August 16, 1991, the state nolle prosequied the remaining counts (numbers 1-4) contained in the defendant's bill of information. Defendant was granted an out of time appeal on August 11, 1994. On September 9, 1994, a different attorney was appointed by the trial court to perfect defendant's out of time appeal. Counsel requested review for errors patent on the face of the record pursuant to La.Code Crim.P. art. 920 and Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967). Counsel then filed a Motion to Withdraw. Defendant thereafter filed a pro se brief with this court *627 alleging four assignments of error. This court in State v. Webster, 94-1269 (La.App. 3 Cir. 4/19/95), 657 So.2d 101, following the reasons assigned in State v. Mouton, 94-1074 (La.App. 3 Cir. 4/12/95), 653 So.2d 1360, denied counsel's Motion to Withdraw and ordered the Anders brief filed with this court to be rejected and stricken. Defendant's pro se brief was likewise ordered stricken and the permission previously granted the defendant to proceed pro se was revoked. Defendant's pro se brief was forwarded to defendant's appellate counsel for consideration and the filing of assignments of error with the trial court.

As per this court's order, appellate counsel has filed a brief with this court alleging four assignments of error. We note that defense counsel's brief was filed with this court before the Louisiana Supreme Court in State v. Mouton, 95-981 (La. 4/28/95), 653 So.2d 1176, reversed this court's earlier decision in State v. Mouton, 94-1074 (La.App. 3 Cir. 4/12/95), 653 So.2d 1360.

As defense counsel has not sought to withdraw her appellate brief, we will address this case as a regular appeal and not an Anders appeal.

FACTS:

On October 23, 1990, the defendant walked into the Jackson Street Extension of Rapides Bank. The defendant wore a blonde wig, sunglasses, work gloves and work boots. The defendant proceeded to jump over the first teller's counter, wave a pistol in the air, and announce that a robbery was in progress. The defendant went to four tellers and took money from each's cash box. After emptying the money into a red duffel bag, the defendant exited the bank and fled on a bicycle. The defendant was apprehended at an Exxon station across the street from the bank.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1:

By this assignment of error, the defendant contends the trial court erred in failing to advise him of his rights under La.R.S. 15:529.1(D)(1) which states:

(a) If, at any time, either after conviction or sentence, it shall appear that a person convicted of a felony has previously been convicted of a felony under the laws of this state, or has been convicted under the laws of any other state, or of the United States, or of any foreign government or country, of a crime, which, if committed in this state would be a felony, the district attorney of the parish in which subsequent conviction was had may file an information accusing the person of a previous conviction. Whereupon the court in which the subsequent conviction was had shall cause the person, whether confined in prison or otherwise, to be brought before it and shall inform him of the allegation contained in the information and of his right to be tried as to the truth thereof according to law and shall require the offender to say whether the allegations are true. If he denies the allegation of the information or refuses to answer or remains silent, his plea or the fact of his silence shall be entered on the record and he shall be given fifteen days to file particular objections to the information, as provided by Subparagraph (b). The judge shall fix a day to inquire whether the offender has been convicted of a prior felony or felonies,... as set forth in the information.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Subparagraph, the district attorney shall have the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt on any issue of fact. The presumption of regularity of judgment shall be sufficient to meet the original burden of proof. If the person claims that any conviction alleged is invalid, he shall file a written response to the information. A copy of the response shall be served upon the prosecutor. A person claiming that a conviction alleged in the information was obtained in violation of the Constitution of Louisiana or the Constitution of the United States of America shall set forth his claim, and the factual basis therefor, with particularity in his response to the information. The person shall have the burden of proof, by a preponderance of the evidence, on any issue of fact raised by the response. Any challenge to a previous conviction which is not made before sentence is imposed may not thereafter be raised to attack the sentence.

*628 Defendant argues that neither his trial attorney nor the trial judge informed him of these rights or of the fact that he could challenge the validity of his prior convictions during the hearing. Consequently, defendant contends he was denied his right to present a defense as he did not knowingly and intelligently waive his rights when pleading guilty to the prior offenses which were used to enhance his present convictions.

The transcript of the habitual offender hearing reveals that defendant's trial counsel waived formal reading of the habitual offender bill and entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of the defendant. The record does not reflect that the defendant was advised of his right to remain silent and have the state prove its case. La.R.S. 15:529.1(D)(1). However, as the defendant did exercise his right to remain silent by not testifying, and the state put on competent evidence to make its case, any error did not affect substanti

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