State v. Williams

839 So. 2d 348, 2003 WL 184030
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 28, 2003
Docket02-KA-852
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 839 So. 2d 348 (State v. Williams) 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. Williams, 839 So. 2d 348, 2003 WL 184030 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

839 So.2d 348 (2003)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Ronald J. WILLIAMS.

No. 02-KA-852.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

January 28, 2003.

*349 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry Boudreaux, Alison Wallis, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, LA, for Appellee.

Martin E. Regan, Jr., Kris A. Moe, New Orleans, LA, for Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges JAMES L. CANNELLA, MARION F. EDWARDS and SUSAN M. CHEHARDY.

MARION F. EDWARDS, Judge.

Defendant, Ronald J. Williams, appeals his conviction for attempted armed robbery. For the following reasons, we affirm.

*350 On September 7, 2001, defendant, Ronald J. Williams, was charged by bill of information with the July 26, 2001 attempted armed robbery of Murphy Noel.[1] Williams was arraigned on September 10, 2001, and entered a not guilty plea. Williams filed pre-trial motions on September 13, 2001, including Motions to Suppress Identification, Confession, and Evidence. A hearing on the motions to suppress was held on December 12, 2001 and the motions were denied. The two-day trial was held December 18, 2001 and December 19, 2001. The 12-person jury unanimously found Williams guilty as charged.

On January 24, 2002, Williams was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence with credit for time served. Also on January 24, 2002 Williams filed a written motion for appeal, which was granted that day by the trial court judge.

On January 25, 2002, the State filed a multiple offender bill wherein it alleged Williams was a second-felony offender under the Habitual Offender Law.[2] Williams thereafter denied the allegations of the multiple bill. On February 27, 2002, Williams filed a Motion to Quash the multiple bill, wherein he attacked the predicate conviction being utilized by the State in the multiple bill.

On March 21, 2002, a hearing was held on the multiple bill and the court found Williams to be a second felony offender. The court vacated defendant's original sentence and imposed a multiple offender sentence of 25 years of imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

Williams appeals his conviction and sentence relying on two assignments of error.

On July 26, 2001, at approximately 11:30 a.m., while on routine patrol in the Woodmere area of Harvey, Deputy Rainey Lyons of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office drove past the intersection of Post Boulevard near Belaire Street. Officer Lyons observed three black males at that location. One of the men, a juvenile known as M.N., was on the ground holding his mouth and his shirt was bloodied. Standing over M.N. and facing him were two men later identified as Ronald Williams and Lavelle Simpson. The two men turned and headed south on Belaire Street, away from M.N., as the marked unit driven by Officer Lyons was observed by Williams and Simpson. Officer Lyons drove to where M.N. was located and interviewed him concerning the incident. It was discovered that while M.N. was waiting for a bus to go to work, Williams and Simpson accosted him. According to M.N., Simpson punched him in the mouth and both men demanded money. The victim told the attackers that he did not have any money. Williams pulled out a gun, pointed it in the victim's face and again demanded money, telling the victim, "We ain't playing with you." The gun was described as a small chrome gun with a black handle.

Officer Lyons canvassed the neighborhood near the crime scene for the gun. The gun was found under the bushes, about two doors from the crime scene The firearm was loaded with a bullet in the chamber and the trigger was cocked.

Prior to interviewing the victim, Officer Lyons had watched the two suspects as they walked at a fast pace up Belaire Street. Officer Lyons watched them for a *351 matter of 15 to 20 seconds and then lost sight of them. After the investigation, the suspects were stopped, about two doors down the street from where this incident occurred. Williams and Simpson were apprehended on Belaire Street, placed under arrest, handcuffed, advised of their rights and placed in the back of the patrol unit for transport to the lockup. They were transported by Jefferson Parish Deputy Mike Burgess. At the time of their arrest, Simpson had a cut on the knuckle of his right ring finger.

The crime scene unit was summoned and they took photographs of the crime scene, gun and the defendant's finger that had been cut.

M.N.'s mother took him for medical treatment. He received five stitches to repair the cut to his mouth.

Following their booking, both defendants were transported to the Investigation Bureau under the direction of Sergeant Scott Fontaine, supervisor of the Armed Robbery Division. Each defendant gave a taped statement, both of which were later admitted as evidence and played for the jury. Defendant Simpson turned State's evidence, in return for a reduced charge in this case and consideration in an unrelated case. Simpson testified against Williams at the trial. He identified Williams as the one who pointed the gun at M.N. He also identified the firearm used in the robbery. Simpson admitted he also hit the victim in the mouth and demanded money from the victim.

At the trial, Williams denied that an armed robbery occurred. Rather, he said that Simpson walked up to M.N. and punched him in the mouth because Simpson recognized the victim as someone Simpson had previously had a fight with on Canal Street. Williams admitted having a gun in his right pocket that day but stated that he merely carried it for "protection." He explained that a man who lived a few doors from him, Wendell Harris, and "his whole family" had been giving him trouble and that Harris had tried to kill him. Williams stated that he had called the police a number of times because of this.

On appeal, Williams first contends the trial court erred in denying his request for a police report. He reasons that the report would have bolstered his trial testimony and substantiated his reasons for being in possession of a firearm: that he carried a gun for his own protection, that he had been in a neighborhood dispute and had been threatened, and that he had reported the altercation to police and had since carried the firearm for his safety.

The State responds that no error was committed and contends that the subpoena was a part of a "fishing expedition." In the alternative, the State argues that even if error was committed, there was no prejudice because Williams testified at trial that the weapon was for self-defense. Finally, the State argues that the reason for Williams' possession of a firearm was irrelevant to his defense.

The record reflects a pretrial pro se motion entitled "Motion and Order for Production of the Original Police/Sheriff Incident Report of the Investigation" filed by the Williams in the record. The motion requests the initial police report but gives neither a name nor item number. Defendant's pro se motion asks for a "subpoena duces tecum" directed to the sheriff or district attorney, ordering them to produce the initial police report "bearing Item Number____." This motion was denied by the trial judge on September 27, 2001, with the notation "Defendant has counsel of record."

Thereafter, on December 14, 2001, defense counsel filed a "Motion for Issuance *352 of Instantier Subpoena Duces Tecum." In this document he seeks the following:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
839 So. 2d 348, 2003 WL 184030, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-williams-lactapp-2003.