State v. Yarbrough

418 So. 2d 503
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJune 3, 1982
Docket81-KA-0278, 81-KA-1587 and 81-KH-1039
StatusPublished
Cited by53 cases

This text of 418 So. 2d 503 (State v. Yarbrough) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Yarbrough, 418 So. 2d 503 (La. 1982).

Opinion

418 So.2d 503 (1982)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
George YARBROUGH (Two cases).
STATE ex rel. George YARBROUGH
v.
STATE of Louisiana.

No. 81-KA-0278, 81-KA-1587 and 81-KH-1039.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

June 3, 1982.
Rehearing Denied September 3, 1982.

*505 Chris Christofferson, Dwight Doskey, New Orleans, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, for George Yarbrough.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., Thomas Chester, David Paddison, Louise Korns, Asst. Dist. Attys., for State.

THOMAS J. KLIEBERT, Justice Ad Hoc.[*]

The defendant, George Yarbrough, was charged by bill of information with armed robbery, plead not guilty, was tried before a twelve person jury, convicted and sentenced to hard labor for a term of twenty-five years. Defendant filed for and was granted an appeal. Thereafter, the State filed a bill of information charging the defendant as a multiple offender under La.R.S. 15:529.1. Subsequently, the State filed a motion to withdraw the multiple offense charge. This was granted by the trial court. Defendant then filed a pro se motion for a new trial. Two days later the State refiled its bill of information charging the defendant as a multiple offender.

The trial judge denied the defendant's motion for a new trial from which ruling the defendant seeks this court's review by writ of certiorari. Following a hearing on the multiple offender charge, the trial court found the defendant to be a third offender, vacated the single offender sentence of twenty-five years and under R. S. 15:529.1 sentenced the defendant to hard labor for a term of fifty years. The defendant has also appealed from the multiple offender proceedings.[1]

*506 First, we consider the defendant's assignment of error No. 6 wherein defense counsel argues the trial court erred in denying the motion to suppress evidence obtained in a warrantless search of the apartment and car of the defendant's girl friend, Jacqueline Scott.

Clearly the specific items (.22 caliber revolver,.38 caliber live rounds of ammunition recovered from a sofa in Ms. Scott's apartment as well as a bank book and the book taken from Ms. Scott's purse) which the defendant contends should not have been admitted into evidence fail to qualify under either the "plain view" or "search incident to lawful arrest" exceptions to the rule prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizure.[2] The state, however, contends Ms. Scott consented to the search of her premises and car and signed a consent form. Defense counsel maintains Ms. Scott only acquiesced to a claim of lawful authority and her subsequently executed consent form cannot vindicate an earlier unwarranted search.

Under its contention, in addition to proving the consent was given, the State has the burden of proving it was freely and voluntarily given. State v. Wolfe, La., 398 So.2d 1171 (1981). Only by analyzing the circumstances of an individual consent can one ascertain whether it was voluntary or coerced.

In the instant case, the issue of consent turns on the credibility of the two witnesses giving contradictory testimony as well as the circumstances surrounding the consent. Officer Keating testified that Ms. Scott consented at the outset and cooperated fully. Ms. Scott, however, testified that she did not consent to a search throughout the apartment. Because consent is a question of fact involving the credibility of witnesses, the determination of the trial judge, who had an opportunity to observe and hear the witnesses, is given great weight on review. State v. Robinson, 386 So.2d 1374 (La.1980); State v. Dunbar, 356 So.2d 956 (La.1978); State v. Schouest, 351 So.2d 462 (La.1977); State v. Temple, 343 So.2d 1024 (La.1977). The fact that Ms. Scott did accompany Officer Keating throughout the apartment, admitted to showing him the revolver locked inside the trunk of her car, subsequently did sign the consent to search form, and did in fact receive the minimum five year sentence for each of four robberies she plead guilty to, all seem to indicate that she voluntarily consented to the search in anticipation of lenient treatment. We cannot say, therefor, that the trial judge abused his discretion in overruling the defendant's motion to suppress the evidence.

In the Pro Se Assignment of Error No. 2, the defendant raises the issue of the State's alleged failure to supply evidence favorable to the defense. Counsel for the defendant filed an interrogatory requesting the State to inform the defendant of any negative identification made by witnesses in "a physical line-up" or "mug shot" showing. The State responded to the interrogatory as follows: "all are on the witness list."

Thereafter, during the hearing, on the motion to suppress evidence, defense *507 counsel attempted to elicit from a police officer what person, other than the ones that identified the defendant, were shown the defendant's picture. The trial judge sustained the State's objection to the question on the ground of relevancy, but instructed the State to disclose to the defendant any exculpatory information it may have in its possession. The prosecutor stated that the State had already complied with the requirements of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1196,10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). Defense counsel noted an objection but did not pursue the issue further. The issue present here, therefore, is whether the State on the request of the defendant must disclose to the defendant the persons who were shown but could not identify the defendant's photographs and if so whether furnishing to defendant a list of the witnesses' names and addresses who were shown the photographs without indicating who could or could not identify the defendant's photograph is sufficient. The United States Supreme Court in Brady v. Maryland, supra, held that the prosecutor's withholding of evidence favorable to an accused requesting same violates the defendant's right to due process if the evidence is material to guilt or punishment irrespective of the good or bad faith of the prosecution. Based on the ruling in the Brady decision, supra, this Court, in State v. Landry, La., 388 So.2d 699, found error where the trial court upheld the prosecutor's decision to deny to the defendant requesting same the names and addresses of the witnesses who were unable to identify the defendant's picture in a photographic line-up.

In the instant case the State gave defense counsel the names and addresses of the five witnesses who were shown the pictures; but did not indicate which of the five, if any, could not identify the defendant's picture. Thus, the defendant was relegated to discovering on his own which of the five witnesses, if any, could not identify his photograph. Although the State is required to inform the defendant of his constitutional rights and to furnish him with an attorney, it is not required to present his defense to meet the requisite of a fair trial.

The defendant could have contacted the witnesses or he could have specifically raised an objection to the trial court and had the issue resolved before trial. The record does not disclose the reason the defendant did not pursue these alternatives. Thus, the defendant had the opportunity to, but did not meet the burden of showing there was an eyewitness who could not identify the defendant. Additionally, even applying the more lenient discovery standard espoused in State v. Sylvester,

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418 So. 2d 503, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-yarbrough-la-1982.