State v. Williams

536 So. 2d 773, 1988 WL 136668
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided December 14, 1988·No. 87-KA-614·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinion

536 So.2d 773 (1988)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Kevin K. WILLIAMS.

No. 87-KA-614.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

December 14, 1988.

John M. Mamoulides, Dist. Atty., Dorothy Pendergast, Asst. Dist. Atty., Gretna, for plaintiff-appellee.

George C. Ehmig, Covington, for defendant-appellant.

Before BOWES, DUFRESNE and GOTHARD, JJ.

DUFRESNE, Judge.

The defendant, Kevin Williams, was found guilty of armed robbery and sentenced to fifty years at hard labor without *774 benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. The State filed a multiple offender bill which the court declined. From this conviction the defendant has appealed and assigned seven assignments of error.

FACTS

On the evening of October 6, 1985, Kevin Williams, the defendant, and another black male entered a 7-Eleven store in Kenner. The unnamed male pointed a gun at the cashier and demanded the money. When the register was opened the defendant grabbed the money. The two men then ran out of the store, entered their car and drove away. Two earlier customers entered the store suspecting that it had recently been robbed. They had seen the car pull into the lot in such a way as to arouse their suspicion. The cashier then called the police.

Upon their arrival the police took a description of the perpetrators from the cashier and the customers. The police stopped some suspects who fit the description approximately one mile from the store. They drove the cashier and the two customers to the suspects where they positively identified the defendant and the car. The defendant was then placed under arrest.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

When the only issue in the case was that of identification of the culprit, were defendant's rights violated when he was allowed to remain outside of the courtroom during entire hearing on motion to suppress identification?

Defense counsel argues that the defendant was absent from the court during the entire motion to suppress identification. More specifically, defense counsel argues that the record is void as to whether the defendant was present as well as whether defendant personally waived his presence. In addition, defense counsel argues that defendant's presence was mandatory and could not be waived, if in fact, it had been waived. Counsel cites the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure articles 831 and 832 to support his position.

Art. 831. Presence of defendant when prosecution is for felony.

A defendant charged with a felony shall be present:
(1) At arraignment;

(2) When a plea of guilty, not guilty, or not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity is made;

(3) At the calling, examination, challenging, impanelling, and swearing of the jury, and at any subsequent proceedings for the discharge of the jury or of a juror;

(4) At all times during the trial when the court is determining and ruling on the admissibility of evidence;

(5) In trials by jury, at all proceedings when the jury is present, and in trials without a jury, at all times when evidence is being adduced; and

(6) At the rendition of the verdict or judgment, unless he voluntarily absents himself.

Art. 832. Waiver by temporary voluntary absence.

A defendant charged with a felony not punishable by death cannot object to his temporary voluntary absence at the proceedings listed in Article 831 if his counsel was present. However, the defendant may always object to his absence at the arraignment or plea to the merits, provided the objection is made before the commencement of trial.

One additional article, not cited by defense counsel, is relevant to this issue.

Art. 834. When presence of defendant not necessary.

The defendant has a right to be present, but his presence is not essential to the validity of any of the following proceedings in a criminal prosecution:
(1) The making, hearing of, or ruling on a preliminary motion or application addressed to the court;
(2) The making, hearing of, or ruling on a motion or application addressed to the court during the trial when the jury is not present; except as provided in Clause (4) of Article 831; and

*775 (3) The making, hearing of, or ruling on a motion or application made after his conviction.

Defendant was charged with violation of R.S. 14:64 armed robbery, which is a felony. In this assignment of error at issue is defendant's presence at a preliminary motion to suppress identification.

In determining the merits of defendant's argument it is imperative to view all the aforementioned articles together.

First C.Cr.P. art. 834(1), (2) are applicable. This provision allows for the defendant's presence at these aspects of trial but does not deem them invalid if defendant is not present. Clearly under the first subsection the defendant's argument would lack merit. However, under subsection two there is an exception which relates back to C.Cr.P. art. 831(4) when the motion is made during trial. Under this exception defendant's presence is mandatory. Though mandatory, however, C.Cr.P. art. 832 provides a waiver of presence if defendant's absence was both voluntary and temporary.

The motion to suppress identification was presented and heard by the court prior to the beginning of trial.

By definition a suppression hearing is "A pretrial proceeding in criminal cases in which a defendant seeks to prevent the introduction of evidence alleged to have been seized illegally...". Black's Law Dictionary, Fifth Edition, 1979. Thus, the hearing would fit into C.Cr.P. art. 834(1) and the assignment of error would accordingly be without merit.

Defendant next argues his presence was necessary as it affected the outcome of the case. Defendant cites State v. Bindom, 460 So.2d 68 (La.App. 1st Cir.1984). In Bindom, the court noted the defendant was absent from the adversarial portion of trial. Additionally, defendant's counsel was called into duty on the second day of trial following assigned counsel's emergency departure. The court found that defendant's absence combined with counsel's lack of preparation denied defendant due process.

Unlike Bindom, defendant's counsel was prepared to argue the merits of the motion. Defendant's counsel clearly waived his client's presence during the hearing on the motion to suppress. His counsel was well prepared to argue the motion.

This assignment of error lacks merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER TWO

Were defendant's constitutional rights of confrontation violated when, acting upon defendant's request, State agreed to subpoena the investigating officer but thereafter failed to produce him?

Here the defendant argues the record does not reveal the presence of the subpoenaed officer and thus defendant was denied his constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him.

Although the record is void of reference to the aforementioned officer, the record does reveal the defendant submitting the matter without attempting to call the officer to the stand.

As no complaint appears in the record, this assignment is without merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER THREE

Was the identification of defendant, made by witnesses within one-half hour, about a mile from the scene of the crime, while the suspects were standing in custody of a number of uniformed police officers and with a spotlight focused upon them, so tainted that it should have been suppressed.

D

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State v. Williams, 536 So. 2d 773, 1988 WL 136668 (La. Ct. App. 1988).

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