State v. Wright

758 So. 2d 301, 2000 WL 233347
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 1, 2000
Docket99-1137
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 758 So. 2d 301 (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, 758 So. 2d 301, 2000 WL 233347 (La. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

758 So.2d 301 (2000)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Peter WRIGHT.

No. 99-1137.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

March 1, 2000.

*302 Lawrence C. Billeaud, Lafayette, Louisiana, Counsel for Defendant/Appellant.

Eddie Knoll, District Attorney, Michael F. Kelly, Assistant District Attorney, Marksville, Louisiana, Counsel for Appellee/State of Louisiana.

Court composed of NED E. DOUCET, Jr., Chief Judge, BILLIE COLOMBARO WOODARD, and MICHAEL G. SULLIVAN, Judges.

DOUCET, Chief Judge.

On July 28, 1998, the Defendant, Peter Wright, was charged by a bill of information with attempted first degree murder, in violation of La.R.S. 14:27 and 14:30(A)(3). The bill was amended on October 13, 1998 to charge Defendant with two counts of aggravated battery in violation of La.R.S. 14:34. Following a trial on November 18, 1998, the jury returned a verdict of guilty as charged to count one and a responsive verdict of guilty of second degree battery to count two. Thereafter, the Defendant filed a motion for a post-verdict judgment of acquittal, or, alternatively, for a new trial and the State filed a habitual offender bill. Both matters were heard on February 23, 1999. The Defendant's motion was denied and the matter of the habitual offender bill was taken under advisement. On March 23, 1999, the court ruled that the Defendant was a third felony offender and scheduled sentencing for April 27, 1999, to allow for a hearing on the Defendant's supplemental motion for a new trial. That motion was withdrawn on April 27, 1999 and the Defendant was sentenced to ten years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on each conviction, the sentences to run consecutively to each other and to any sentence previously imposed. The Defendant now appeals his convictions.

*303 FACTS:

The Defendant, an inmate at the Avoyelles Correctional Center, was involved in an argument with another inmate, Rufus Searile,[1] on April 13, 1998. The argument lead to a fight. During the fight, the Defendant stabbed Searile three times in the back and once in his chest with a pair of scissors. Correctional Officer, Sergeant Paul Pickney was stabbed in the arm when he attempted to break up the fight.

ERRORS PATENT:

In accordance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 920, all appeals are reviewed by the court for errors patent on the face of the record. After reviewing the record, we find there are two errors patent and one possible error patent.

The first error patent concerns the sentence imposed after the Defendant was adjudicated a habitual offender. Although the Defendant was convicted of two offenses on the same date, aggravated battery and second degree battery, the habitual offender bill failed to specify which count was being enhanced under La.R.S. 15:529.1. Furthermore, in adjudicating and sentencing the Defendant as a third felony offender, the trial court also failed to specify to which of these two offenses the enhanced penalty was being applied. In fact, it appears the trial court enhanced the sentences on both counts. Because the convictions arose out of the same criminal episode and were entered on the same date, only one of the convictions should have been enhanced under La.R.S. 15:529.1. State ex rel. Porter v. Butler, 573 So.2d 1106 (La.1991); State v. Soileau, 95-1214 (La.App. 3 Cir. 5/15/96); 677 So.2d 518; and State v. Guillory, 598 So.2d 1299 (La.App. 3 Cir.1992), appeal after remand, 617 So.2d 151 (La.App. 3 Cir.1993), appeal after remand, 93-1031 (La.App. 3 Cir. 4/27/94); 640 So.2d 427.

Additionally, the record reveals the trial court imposed the two sentences without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Although La.R.S. 15:529.1(G) requires that any sentence imposed under that provision be without benefit of probation or suspension, it does not authorize the trial court to impose the sentence without benefit of parole. Moreover, the provision under which the trial court stated he was sentencing the Defendant, La.R.S. 15:529.1(A)(1)(b)(i), does not authorize the trial court to deny parole eligibility. Finally, neither the substantive penalty provision for aggravated battery nor second degree battery authorizes the trial court to impose the sentences without parole eligibility. Thus, the trial court erred in denying parole eligibility.[2]

Thus we vacate the sentences on the jury convictions and the adjudications and sentences of the Defendant under the habitual offender statute are set aside, and the case is remanded to the district court for resentencing on both convictions, with adjudication and sentencing as a habitual offender on only one of the convictions. See Porter, 573 So.2d 1106 and Guillory, 598 So.2d 1299.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR NUMBERS 1 & 2:

By these assignments of error, the Defendant claims the record is void of sufficient evidence to support his convictions. More specifically, the Defendant complains that the jury failed to exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence that he committed aggravated battery because the State failed to present any evidence to identify the Defendant as the aggressor or to rebut his claim of self defense.

*304 Aggravated Battery

The Defendant was convicted of the aggravated battery of Rufus Searile. Aggravated battery is defined in La.R.S. 14:34 as the intentional use of force or violence upon the person of another, committed with a dangerous weapon. However, as the Defendant claims, the use of force or violence upon the person of another is justifiable when committed for the purpose of preventing a forcible offense against the person provided that the force or violence used is reasonable and apparently necessary to prevent the offense. La.R.S. 14:19.[3] Thus, once the elements of the offense are identified, the inquiry shifts to whether the force or violence used was justifiable.

The Defendant alleges that the injury sustained by Searile could have easily happened as a result of Searile attacking the Defendant who was holding a pair of scissors in furtherance of his laundry responsibilities. The Defendant contends that it is not clear whether Searile was holding the scissors, and that during the struggle, the Defendant pulled or fought them out of the hands of Searile. Lastly, the Defendant argues that the State failed to establish that the alleged attack on the person of Searile was made without his consent because Searile invoked his fifth amendment right against self incrimination and did not testify as to his consent.

At trial, Sergeant Pickney testified that he was working as a laundry security officer on April 13, 1998 when his attention was called to a scuffle going on between the Defendant and Rufus Searile. Sergeant Pickney ran to the men, who were on the floor fighting, and noticed blood and a pair of scissors in the hand of the Defendant. The Defendant was trying to stab Searile with the scissors while another inmate, Brian Broussard, was attempting to restrain the Defendant. Broussard testified that he attempted to break up the fight, explaining that he grabbed the Defendant, who was on top of Searile, and tried to drag him off of Searile. Sergeant Pickney explained that Searile was trying to get away, working himself from underneath the Defendant's legs. Broussard testified that Pickney pulled Searile out of the way while he was still restraining the Defendant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
758 So. 2d 301, 2000 WL 233347, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wright-lactapp-2000.