State v. Wright

593 So. 2d 759, 1992 WL 10089
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 15, 1992
Docket90-KA-537
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 593 So. 2d 759 (State v. Wright) 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. Wright, 593 So. 2d 759, 1992 WL 10089 (La. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

593 So.2d 759 (1992)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Troy WRIGHT.

No. 90-KA-537.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

January 15, 1992.

*760 John M. Crum, Jr., Rodney A. Brignac, Office of Dist. Atty., Edgard, for plaintiff-appellee.

Richard S. Thomas, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellant.

Before GAUDIN, GRISBAUM and WICKER, JJ.

GAUDIN, Judge.

Troy Wright was convicted of aggravated rape (LSA-R.S. 14:42) and first degree robbery (LSA-R.S. 14:64.1) by a jury in the 40th Judicial District Court. He was sentenced to a total of 90 years and six months at hard labor.

For the following reasons, we affirm Wright's convictions. We vacate and set aside Wright's sentence, which included 40 years for forcible rape, 24 years for first degree robbery and 26 years, six months for being a multiple offender. We remand for resentencing.

THE CRIMES

On November 26, 1988, a man subsequently identified as Wright robbed and raped a female cashier at a store in LaPlace, Louisiana, which is in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Wright entered the store at approximately 4 a.m. and walked behind the counter to the register. When the cashier told Wright that he could not come behind the counter, he pulled out a gun, saying that he was going to blow the cashier's head off if she did not give him money. Wright then took cash from the register and from a safe.

The cashier was then taken by Wright into an office where he ordered her to undress. Being in fear for her life, she *761 complied. Wright forced the cashier down and vaginally raped her.

Wright made the cashier leave the store with him; however, when he tried to force her into his vehicle, she broke free and ran. As she was running, she turned around and saw Wright driving down the highway toward New Orleans. While outside, the cashier saw that Wright was driving a silverish gray Chevrolet Corsica which had a rainbow air freshener in the window.

The cashier ran back into the store, locked the door and called the police. When officers arrived, she told them what had occurred and gave them a description of Wright and his vehicle. She described Wright as black, about 5'8" or 5'9" and weighing 175-200 pounds. She also informed the police that Wright had a mustache and was wearing a blue jeans jacket.

Meanwhile, Wright was speeding toward New Orleans on Airline Highway. As he sped through St. Charles Parish, which is between St. John and Orleans parishes, he was clocked by St. Charles Deputy Michael Constantino at 113 miles per hour. This was at approximately 4:20 a.m. Constantino gave chase in his police unit and finally caused Wright to stop. After a backup police unit arrived on the scene, Constantino left Wright with another deputy and returned to his auto to "write up" traffic tickets to give Wright for speeding and for running through a red light while he (Constantino) was in pursuit.

While Constantino was in his car, a message came over the radio advising that an armed robbery and rape had just taken place in St. John the Baptist Parish. Seeing that the automobile he had stopped fit the description of the wanted vehicle, Constantino asked Wright if he was coming from St. John. Wright said that he had never been in St. John before; however, the fact that Wright was observed coming over the Spillway Bridge means that he was coming out of St. John.

Wright was wearing a blue jeans jacket, Constantino said, and inside the car was a rainbow air freshener.

Wright was advised of his rights and brought to the store, where the cashier positively identified Wright as the individual who had robbed and raped her. She also identified Wright's car.

After this positive identification, Wright was arrested. Later that day, the cashier was shown a photographic lineup. She again identified Wright. She also made an in-court identification.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Wright was tried in November, 1989, but a mistrial was declared. Wright's second trial was on February 20, 21 and 22, 1990. Guilty verdicts were returned.

On appeal, Wright assigns these district court errors:

(1) the trial judge erred in denying his request for a change of venue,

(2) the state was allowed to twice place him on trial in violation of double jeopardy clauses of the United States and Louisiana constitutions,

(3) the trial judge erroneously allowed a prosecution witness, Dr. Robert C. Giles, to testify,

(4) he (Wright) was not properly identified,

(5) the trial judge erred in denying a motion to quash the indictment because of the misconduct of public (police) officials, particularly Chief of Detectives Joseph Oubre and Detective Lieutenant Robert Hay,

(6) one of Wright's requested jury charges was not given, and

(7) the sentences imposed were excessive and illegal.

ASSIGNMENT NO. 1

Wright filed a motion for change of venue which was heard on January 24, 1990. Wright contends that he was prejudiced by articles in The Times-Picayune and L'Observateur (LaPlace) newspapers and that it was impossible for him to receive a fair and impartial trial.

There were numerous articles, according to Wright, but one in particular was especially inflammatory. That article was printed in the L'Observateur on December *762 24, 1989 and contained information given to the reporter by several police officers.[1]

LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 622 lists the grounds for a change of venue. The article says:

"A change of venue shall be granted when the applicant proves that by reason of prejudice existing in the public mind, or because of undue influence, or that for any other reason, a fair and impartial trial can not be obtained in the parish where the prosecution is pending.
"In deciding whether to grant a change of venue the court shall consider whether the prejudice, the influence, or the other reasons are such that they will affect the answers of jurors on the voir dire examination or the testimony of witnesses at the trial."

Wright's motion for change of venue was heard a month before the trial started and two months after the December 24, 1989 issue of the L'Observateur was published. Both the pretrial motions and Wright's trial were held in Edgard. At the motion to change venue, a jury venire of 50 persons was summoned, of whom 17 were examined by attorneys and the district judge. None of those questioned said he or she had read the December 24th L'Observateur article. The trial judge denied the motion for a venue change and noted this in written reasons assigned on February 9, 1990:

"In his closing statement ... counsel for the defendant (Wright) conceded that there were no grounds for a change of venue."

On February 15, 1990, in additional assigned reasons, the trial judge wrote:

"... this court has no tangible evidence that this defendant's rights have been so violated that he cannot obtain a fair trial in this, the most remote courthouse in the state. Edgard has neither radio, TV or a daily newspaper ..."

The trial began in Edgard on February 20, 1990, with selection of the jury. The record shows that a panel of seven men and five women was chosen, with two alternates, a man and a woman. They were not identified by race although we note that neither the racial makeup of the venire nor that of the trial jury is at issue.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
593 So. 2d 759, 1992 WL 10089, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wright-lactapp-1992.