State v. Woodberry

686 So. 2d 984, 1996 WL 739107
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 27, 1996
Docket95-KA-2402
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 686 So. 2d 984 (State v. Woodberry) 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. Woodberry, 686 So. 2d 984, 1996 WL 739107 (La. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

686 So.2d 984 (1996)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Derrick WOODBERRY.

No. 95-KA-2402.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

December 27, 1996.

*986 Harry F. Connick, District Attorney, Karen Godail Arena, Assistant District Attorney, New Orleans, for Appellee.

Frank G. Desalvo, Laura Gasiorowski, New Orleans, for Appellant.

Before LOBRANO, JONES and MURRAY, JJ.

LOBRANO, Judge.

Defendant, Derrick Woodberry, was indicted for the July, 1994 aggravated rape, aggravated crime against nature, second degree kidnapping and armed robbery of R.G. and the July, 1994 armed robbery of Alfred Taylor, violations of Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:42, 14:89.1, 14:44.1 and 14:64, respectively.

Defendant was arraigned on September 7, 1994 and pled not guilty to all counts.

On October 21, 1994, defendant's suppression motions were denied. Following a three day trial beginning March 20, 1995, defendant was found guilty of sexual battery on count one, crime against nature on count two, guilty as charged of second degree kidnapping on count three, simple robbery on count four and first degree robbery on count five.

The trial court denied defendant's motion for a new trial on May 2, 1995.

On June 2, 1995, defendant was sentenced to eight years at hard labor on his conviction for sexual battery; five years at hard labor on his conviction for crime against nature; *987 thirty-five years at hard labor with two years without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on the conviction for second degree kidnapping; five years at hard labor on the conviction for simple robbery and ten years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on the conviction for first degree robbery. All sentences were to run concurrently.

Defendant appeals his conviction and sentence alleging the following assignments of error.

1. The one-on-one identification was suggestive.
2. The court erred in admitting Alfred Taylor's pretrial testimony at the trial in lieu of live testimony.
3. It was error for the State to fail to produce the rap sheet of Alfred Taylor and to secure Taylor's presence at the trial.
4. Defendant's convictions for sexual battery and crime against nature violate the double jeopardy clause because the same conduct supported his conviction for second degree kidnapping.
5. Defendant's sentences are unconstitutionally excessive.

FACTS:

On July 4, 1994, at approximately 11:00 p.m., fifteen year old R.G. was outside of her home on Werner Street in New Orleans conversing with her friend, Alfred Taylor. They were leaning against Taylor's white Toyota Tercel. The pair noticed a male subject, later identified as defendant, approaching them. Defendant was wearing a blue tank top, blue and white striped shorts, high top tennis shoes and walked with a noticeable limp.

Defendant pulled out a chrome revolver and pointed it at R.G. and Taylor and ordered the pair to get into Taylor's car. Defendant then demanded and took $3.00 dollars from R.G. A struggle ensued between Taylor and defendant. Defendant struck Taylor in the face, took his car keys and pushed him into the car. Within minutes Taylor jumped from the car and ran away. R.G., who was seated in the front passenger seat, also considered running from the car until defendant threatened to shoot her in the back.

Defendant then drove R.G. to an unknown location near Downman Road in New Orleans. As they drove, R.G. stared at defendant hoping to be able to identify him if she survived the attack. When defendant noticed her staring, he became angry and struck her in the mouth, knocking out one of her teeth. Once stopped, defendant ordered R.G. to undress. He then removed his shorts and proceeded to rape R.G. He then demanded and took R.G.'s jewelry. Defendant then drove R.G. to another location. During this drive, defendant ordered R.G. to perform oral sex. She complied.

After arriving at the second location, defendant placed R.G. face down on the car seat and raped her anally. During the attack, defendant punched R.G. in the eye causing bruising and swelling. Following the rape, defendant ordered R.G. out of the car and threatened to shoot her if she screamed. Defendant then left the scene. R.G. located a telephone and called her boyfriend who, along with his mother, drove her to the police station.

R.G. related what had happened to rape detectives and gave all pertinent descriptive information. Meanwhile, another report was being given by Taylor at R.G.'s home. Taylor gave the police a description of his vehicle and of defendant. These descriptions were broadcast to police units in the area. R.G. was transported by detectives to her home so that she could change her clothes before going to the hospital. At her home she was met by the officers who had interviewed Taylor. Prior to leaving for the hospital, R.G. and Taylor were informed that a suspect was in custody. R.G. and Taylor were taken by the police to the Willowbrook Apartment Complex where defendant was being held.

Defendant was apprehended after Taylor's car was chased by police into the apartment complex. Once inside the complex, defendant and the driver, Michael Mercadel, abandoned the vehicle. Police, on foot, searched the complex. Defendant was eventually apprehended behind a building. Mercadel was *988 also apprehended. The chrome revolver was found in a muddy area near the car. R.G.'s jewelry was found inside the car.

After viewing the defendant, both R.G. and Taylor immediately and simultaneously identified him as their assailant. Defendant was then arrested.

At trial, defendant's defense was one of alibi.

Trenita Woodberry, defendant's sister, testified that defendant telephoned her around 11:00 p.m. on July 4, 1994 and requested that she pick him up from a friend's house in New Orleans east. She and her aunt, Lisa Bell, picked up defendant and all three went to Club Whispers on Lake Forest Boulevard. They stayed at the lounge for one and one-half hours. Ms. Woodberry then stated she drove defendant to his apartment in the Willowbrook complex.

Darnell Youngblood testified that she saw defendant at Club Whispers on the night of July 4, 1994. They had a conversation. When she left the lounge at 1:00 a.m. defendant was still there.

Defendant took the stand in his own behalf. He denied any involvement in the crime. He stated he spent most of the day at a friend's home. He stated that around 11:00 p.m., he telephoned his sister and asked to be picked up from the friend's house. His sister and his aunt then went with him to Club Whispers. They stayed until 1:30 a.m. After they left, his sister drove him to his apartment at Willowbrook Apartments. As he was walking to his apartment, he stopped to speak to a neighbor. They went inside his apartment for several minutes. They then left his apartment and he walked his neighbor to her apartment in the next building. As he was returning to his apartment, he was stopped by a uniformed police officer. The officer asked his name. He responded "Derrick Milton". He testified he gave a false name because he was scared. He was then placed in handcuffs and put into a police car. After approximately forty-five minutes, the officers asked him to step out and stand by the car. After several minutes he was ordered back into the car. He was eventually placed under arrest and taken to Central Lockup.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
686 So. 2d 984, 1996 WL 739107, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-woodberry-lactapp-1996.