State v. Wise

644 So. 2d 230, 1994 WL 528514
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 29, 1994
Docket93-KA-0105
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 644 So. 2d 230 (State v. Wise) 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. Wise, 644 So. 2d 230, 1994 WL 528514 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

644 So.2d 230 (1994)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Kevin WISE.

No. 93-KA-0105.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

September 29, 1994.
Rehearing Denied November 15, 1994.

*232 Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., Karen E. Godail, Asst. Dist. Atty., New Orleans, for plaintiff/appellee.

M. Craig Colwart, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for defendant/appellant.

Before BARRY, JONES and LANDRIEU, JJ.

BARRY, Judge.

A jury found the defendant guilty of theft of $500 or more (LSA-R.S. 14:67) and aggravated battery (LSA-R.S. 14:34). The trial court modified the theft verdict to theft of less than $100, a misdemeanor under R.S. 14:67 B(3). The defendant was sentenced to consecutive sentences of six months in parish prison for the theft and ten years at hard labor (credit for time served) for the aggravated battery. The sentences were also consecutive to a previously imposed six-month sentence for contempt of court. An oral motion to reconsider the sentence was denied.

Counsel for defendant assigns as error that the sentences are excessive. The defendant filed a pro se brief and claims: 1) his right to appeal was violated because the appellate record does not contain transcripts of voir dire, closing arguments and jury charges; 2) he was compelled to stand trial in prison attire; 3) counsel was ineffective because he failed to object to prison attire and failed to investigate the case before trial; 4) the State exercised its peremptory challenges in a racially discriminatory manner; and 5) the State withheld exculpatory evidence.

FACTS

Officer Kevin Doucette testified that on May 18, 1992 he stopped a car driven by the defendant. Officer Doucette approached the defendant who threw an NOPD radio out of the vehicle. Officer Doucette asked the defendant if he was a police officer and the defendant responded, "I ain't got time for this sh—" and drove off. The defendant sped off and Officer Doucette pursued the defendant through the city. The defendant got out of his car and the chase continued on foot. Officer Doucette lost sight of the defendant.

About that time Charles Lange Gamble had parked his truck and trailer in the yard of his office. He testified that he saw the defendant get into the truck. Gamble ordered the defendant to get out of the truck but the defendant started the engine. Gamble attempted to pull the defendant from the truck, heard a gunshot from the passenger side, and saw a police officer. Gamble heard another shot, the truck drove off, and there were several more shots. Gamble testified that the defendant stole his truck.

Officer Johnny Heck testified that he heard Gamble order the defendant out of the truck. Officer Heck walked into the yard and made eye contact with the defendant while he was in the truck. Officer Heck testified the defendant drove toward him and Officer Heck fired his gun into the cab of the truck. The truck hit Officer Heck and knocked him down. The officer testified that as he got up he saw two unidentified men who he thought were policemen shooting guns. The defendant was arrested a short distance away by Officer Robert Hoobler.

EXCESSIVE SENTENCE

Contempt of Court

The defendant contends the six month consecutive sentence for contempt of *233 court is excessive. This claim is more appropriately raised by a writ of review, see LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 912.1 C(1). However, we will address the claim in the interest of judicial economy. Cf. State ex rel. Hess v. Guste, 603 So.2d 196 (La.App. 4th Cir.), writ den. 607 So.2d 562 (La.1992).

The record does not show all of the defendant's actions in the courtroom. The transcript of the November 5, 1992 hearing reads:

REPORTER'S NOTE: (THE DEFENDANT CREATED AN OUTBURST IN THE COURTROOM.)
THE COURT: Give him six months extra for contempt—six months Orleans Parish, consecutive to any other sentence.
DEFENDANT: Kiss my ass too, bitch.
THE COURT: Six months, consecutive to any other sentence he is presently serving, Orleans Parish Prison. Trial is reset Wednesday, November 18, '92, nine o'clock.

Six months is the maximum imprisonment for contempt. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 25(B). In State v. Bullock, 576 So.2d 453 (La.1991), the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld six month sentences for three profane remarks that the defendant made to the trial judge. The court ordered the sentences be concurrent since they were all part of a single contemptuous episode.[1]

The record does not describe the outburst in detail but it is clear that the defendant created an outburst and used obscene and offensive language in the presence of the court.

The sentence for contempt is not grossly out of proportion to the severity of the offense. See State v. Telsee, 425 So.2d 1251 (La.1983).

Aggravated Battery

The defendant claims the sentence for aggravated battery is constitutionally excessive and the trial court failed to consider the Sentencing Guidelines and provide sufficient reasons for the sentence. He alleges that the officer escaped from the battery "relatively unharmed" and did not suffer permanent injuries.

The defendant was sentenced to ten years at hard labor on November 25, 1992, after the effective dates of the Felony Sentencing Guidelines, LAC Title 22:IX § 101 et seq., and revised LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 894.1.

Ten years is the maximum sentence under LSA-R.S. 14:34. The Sentencing Guidelines recommend a sentence of 96 to 126 months (8 to 10 ½ years) when the defendant has a criminal history index of 3 to 3.9, but a discretionary sentence of 36 to 60 months (3 to 5 years) when the criminal history index is 0. The State submits three prior convictions which establishes a criminal history index of 3.5, and attaches to its brief copies of the arrest registers, bills of information, court minutes and guilty plea forms. The copies are not a part of the record and there is no indication the trial judge was aware of the convictions.

The court stated that it was "aware of 894.1 subparagraph `A' and `B' of the Code of Criminal Procedure" and found 1) there was undue risk that during the period of a probated sentence or suspension the defendant would commit another crime; 2) the defendant is in need of correctional treatment or custodial environment that can be most effectively provided by commitment to an institution; 3) any lesser sentence would deprecate the seriousness of the crime. The court considered that "the defendant received somewhat a break from the District Attorney's Office and [sic] that they only charged him with the crime of aggravated battery" rather than attempted murder; the court believed the defendant "would have rolled over the police officer if he could have in an attempt to kill him" and intended to hit the officer "in an attempt to flee from the pursuing officers." The court denied probation and a suspended sentence because none of the mitigating factors of Article 894.1(B) were present and "because (the defendant) was previously convicted of felony offense for violence within a period of five years from the date of this particular crime." The court did not specify the prior felony.

*234 The Louisiana Supreme Court recently stated that the Sentencing Guidelines "are not mandatory" and held:

(1) while a trial judge must consider the Guidelines, he has complete discretion

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State of Louisiana v. Robert O'Neal Gibson
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2022
State v. Boatner
844 So. 2d 851 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
State v. Lennon
661 So. 2d 1047 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
State v. Kitchen
649 So. 2d 1227 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)
State v. Soraparu
649 So. 2d 1100 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
644 So. 2d 230, 1994 WL 528514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wise-lactapp-1994.