State of Louisiana Versus Isaiah Doyle ( 2021 )

STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 21-KA-257
VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT
ISAIAH DOYLE COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF LOUISIANA
ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA
NO. 05-5262, DIVISION "C"
HONORABLE JUNE B. DARENSBURG, JUDGE PRESIDING
December 22, 2021
JOHN J. MOLAISON, JR.
JUDGE
Panel composed of Judges Jude G. Gravois,
Marc E. Johnson, and John J. Molaison, Jr.
CONVICTION AND SENTENCE AFFIRMED
JJM
JGG
DISSENTS WITH REASONS
MEJ
COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLEE,
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Honorable Paul D. Connick, Jr.
Thomas J. Butler
Darren A. Allemand
Jacqueline F. Maloney
Vincent J. Paciera, Jr.
COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT,
ISAIAH DOYLE
Richard J. Bourke
Christine M. Lehmann
MOLAISON, J.
The defendant appeals his conviction for first degree murder. For the reasons
that follow, we affirm.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On November 5, 2005, a grand jury in Jefferson Parish returned a true bill of
indictment that charged the defendant, Isaiah Doyle, with one count of first degree
murder, in violation of La. R.S. 14:30. On March 8, 2006, the defendant was
found incompetent to stand trial and he was remanded to the Eastern Louisiana
Mental Health System-Forensic Division on June 7, 2007. Co-defendant, Jose
Rojas, filed motions to suppress confession, evidence, and identification in case
number 05-5961, on May 4, 2007, that were later adopted by defendant. On March
19, 2008, following a hearing, the defendant was found competent to stand trial by
the district court.
On June 5 and July 31, 2009, suppression hearings were held but left open.
On August 24, 2009, a suppression hearing was held, after which the trial court
denied defendant’s motion to suppress statements. On December 14, 2009, the trial
court granted the defendant’s motion to represent himself and, on that same date,
he withdrew a plea of not guilty and entered pleas of not guilty by reason of
insanity. On December 17, 2009, the defendant was held in contempt of court and
sentenced to six months in parish prison. Afterwards, on that same date, the trial
court ordered the Louisiana Capital Conflict Panel to represent the defendant, and
on January 13, 2010, the trial court ordered the Baton Rouge Capital Conflict
Office to represent him as well.
On March 11, 2011, defense counsel filed a motion for psychiatric
evaluation which asserted that, as the trial approached, the defendant’s “mental
condition is deteriorating to the point where he is not able to assist counsel.” On
March 14, 2011, while the defendant was represented by counsel, the district court
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commenced a competency hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the defendant
was found competent to stand trial. Jury selection began on that same date. At an
arraignment on March 19, 2011, the defendant pled not guilty and not guilty by
reason of insanity. On March 21, 2011, the defendant filed a Motion to Quash the
Venire that was denied.
On March 21, 2011, the State made an oral motion in limine to preclude the
defense from entering evidence of mental retardation during the guilt phase of trial,
and the court granted the State’s motion. The defendant subsequently filed a writ
with this Court challenging that ruling. On March 22, 2011, this Court denied the
writ in part and granted it in part. See, State v. Doyle, 11-K-306 (La. App. 5 Cir.
3/22/11) (unpublished writ disposition). The defendant then filed a writ with the
Louisiana Supreme Court challenging this Court’s ruling. On March 23, 2011, the
Louisiana Supreme Court granted the writ and found that this Court erred by
requiring the trial court to give the jury a limiting instruction that it was not to
consider evidence of mental retardation, defect, and/or diminished capacity as
having any bearing on the defendant’s mental capacity at the time of the offense.
See State v. Doyle, 11-597 (La. 3/23/11), 56 So.3d 948.
Trial commenced on March 21, 2011, and at the conclusion of trial on
March 24, 2011, the defendant was found guilty as charged. The penalty phase of
the trial commenced on March 25, 2011, and the jury returned a verdict of death by
lethal injection. The defendant appeared for sentencing on July 25, 2011. At that
time, defense counsel filed “Motion To Continue Sentencing and Omnibus Motion
For New Trial, For Arrest Of Judgment, To Bar The Death Penalty And For Relief
From Discrimination In Jury Selection.” The trial court denied the motion to
continue sentencing and continued the remaining two motions. On July 27, 2011,
the trial court denied the defendant’s motions for new trial, arrest of judgment, and
to bar the death penalty before imposing the jury’s unanimous death sentence. On
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August 29, 2011, the defendant filed a motion for reconsideration of sentence,
which was denied by the trial court on November 2, 2011. A second motion for
new trial was filed on March 28, 2012, and denied on May 1, 2013. The
defendant’s motion for appeal was granted on September 22, 2014.
On November 17, 2017, the Louisiana Supreme Court issued an order which
stated that it had reviewed the trial court’s determination on June 23, 2017, that the
defendant was not competent to proceed on appeal. The supreme court concluded
that this finding was supported by the record, and remanded the matter a second
time for the trial court to determine whether the defendant was irrestorably
incompetent. On March 22, 2019, in a sealed per curiam, the trial court did, in
fact, determine that the defendant was irrestorably incompetent. The supreme court
affirmed that finding on September 29, 2020, and remanded the case to the trial
court to determine whether the defendant lacks the capacity to understand the death
penalty in this case, such that he may not be executed and to determine whether
resentencing was appropriate. On January 14, 2021, the district court determined
that the defendant lacked the capacity to understand the death penalty such that he
could not be executed and, on January 19, 2021, the defendant’s death sentence
was vacated and he was resentenced to life imprisonment without the benefit of
parole, probation or suspension of sentence. An order of appeal to this Court was
signed by the trial court on February 1, 2021, and the instant appeal followed.1
FACTS
It was established at trial that on the morning of August 4, 2005, the victim,
Ms. Hwa Lee, was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds on the floor of ACE
Convenience Store (“ACE”),2 where she worked as a cashier at her family’s
1
When the defendant’s death sentence was vacated, this Court obtained jurisdiction over the non-
capital appeal pursuant to La. Const. Art. V, § 10. The record in the instant case is designated as a second
appeal; however, it is noted that the first appeal was with the Louisiana Supreme Court.
2
The transcript refers to this store as “ACE Convenience Store.”
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business on Barataria Blvd., which is on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish. Dr.
Karen Ross, a forensic pathologist, testified that she conducted an autopsy on Ms.
Lee on August 5, 2005. Dr. Ross documented four gunshot wounds: one in the
head, two on the right side of the chest, and another on left side of the abdomen.
Dr. Ross determined that the cause of Ms. Lee’s death was multiple gunshot
wounds and the manner of death was homicide.
Three witnesses at trial recounted events they personally observed on the
morning of August 4, 2005. Robert Zang testified that he was doing construction
work in the area and went into ACE at approximately 7:00 a.m. At that time, he
got a cup of coffee and walked to the register. Behind the counter, he saw a body
on the floor. James Rome testified that he was near ACE, sitting on a bench, at
approximately 7:00 on the morning of August 4, 2005. He saw a grey Cadillac
with a bright neon green “no insurance” sticker drive into the parking lot and stop.
A man in the front passenger seat, wearing jeans and a hooded shirt, got out of the
car and pulled the hood over his head before entering ACE. Mr. Rome did not see
anyone give direction to the passenger from the Cadillac. Mr. Rome did not recall
the race of the hooded man at the time of trial, but did recall that the man appeared
to be “loaded” or wobbly on his feet. Mr. Rome saw the hooded man exit the store
nervously, but did not see where the man went in because of traffic. Kyron Walker
testified that on the morning of August 4, 2005, just before 7:00 a.m., he was
driving northbound on Barataria Boulevard when he heard gunshots. He saw
someone with a hood over his head run from ACE and get into a grey Cadillac that
had a “no insurance” sticker on it. Mr. Walker later identified the car for police.
Captain Dennis Thornton testified that on August 4, 2005, he was a shift
supervisor in the homicide division of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
(“JPSO”). He was called to the scene at ACE and informed that there was a female
victim who died after being shot in a robbery. Capt. Thornton then assigned
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Sergeant Donald Meunier as the case officer responsible for working with crime
scene and criminal laboratory personnel to investigate the location of the
murder/robbery.3 Capt. Thornton stated that he prepared a scene sketch and an
evidence key, and later prepared a report. He recounted that there were many items
of evidentiary interest at the ACE crime scene, including ballistic material such as
shell casings, and shoe prints. He identified that the gun used in the murder, which
produced a fired cartridge case and a projectile bullet found at the scene behind the
store counter, was a Hi-Point semi-automatic 45 pistol. Capt. Thornton was present
when the search warrant for the Cadillac was executed, during which time the gun
at issue was located in the car. He noted that the gun’s magazine still had live
rounds in it.4
Sergeant Dax Russo testified that on August 4, 2005, he was a deputy
working for JPSO and participated in an investigation of a first degree murder that
took place at the ACE Convenience Store. As part of that investigation, Sgt. Russo
downloaded video from the store’s surveillance system which showed a suspect
entering the store, firing a gun at the victim, and leaving.
JPSO Deputy Michael Burgess testified that he was on duty on August 4,
2005, when he responded to an all-points bulletin for an older model grey Cadillac
with a “no insurance” sticker on it. He saw the Cadillac driving toward him and he
made eye contact with the car’s two occupants. When Deputy Burgess saw that the
Cadillac had a “no insurance” sticker on the back of it, he made decision to
activate his unit’s lights and siren to pull the car over. When the car ultimately did
pull over, he approached with his weapon drawn. The driver of the Cadillac then
3
Capt. Thornton indicted that Sgt. Meunier’s duties on the scene entailed noting, documenting,
and photographing all pertinent evidence, including the victim and ballistic material, along with video
evidence, and making that part of the larger case for eventual prosecution.
4
At the conclusion of testimony by Louise Walzer, an expert in firearms and tool mark
examination, the defendant stipulated that the four bullets and casing retrieved from ACE Convenience
Store by Capt. Thornton were fired by the gun found in the Cadillac owned by co-defendant Jose Rojas.
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put the car into reverse, at which time Deputy Burgess commanded him to stop the
car and told both of the car’s occupants to put their hands on the dashboard. While
the driver complied immediately, the passenger did not. Eventually, the passenger
complied and backup arrived. Deputy Burgess identified a photo of the Cadillac
with the “no insurance” sticker that he pulled over that date. He further noted that
while interacting with the car’s occupants, neither appeared to be intoxicated or on
drugs. Deputy Burgess also testified that a Hispanic male was driving the
Cadillac.5 JPSO Sgt. Lori Arnaud testified that she assisted Deputy Burgess in
making the stop of the Cadillac on August 4, 2005. She removed the defendant,
Isaiah Doyle, from a seated position in the car. She identified the defendant in open
court. She explained that she called EMS to have the defendant evaluated at the
scene because he was sweating profusely and shaking. However, EMS cleared the
defendant to be transported following arrest. Sgt. Arnaud stated that she did not
have a conversation with defendant on the date of his arrest.
Sergeant John Carroll6 testified that on August 4, 2005, he was a JPSO
supervisor in the robbery division. On that date, he interviewed the Cadillac’s
owner and driver, Jose Rojas, and the defendant. Prior to the defendant giving a
statement, Carroll reviewed a rights of arrestee form with him. The defendant
indicated he understood his rights and did not appear to be intoxicated or under the
influence of drugs at that time. Carroll said that the defendant spoke to him after
reviewing his rights. Specifically, the defendant waived his rights and gave a
recorded statement.
Transcripts of the interviews with the defendant were entered into evidence,
and tapes of the interviews were played for the jury. In State’s Exhibit 2, which is
5
The driver of the Cadillac in which the defendant was found was co-defendant, Jose Rojas.
6
The transcript reflects that at the time of trial, John Carroll was no longer employed by the JPSO
and was referred to as “Mr. Carroll” during his testimony.
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a transcription of the defendant’s statement given at 1:20 p.m. on August 4, 2005,
after being advised of his rights, the defendant confessed to going into ACE that
morning with a gun and shooting Ms. Lee. The defendant asserted that he was
coerced into doing so by Jose Rojas and unnamed “Latin Kings” gang members,
who the defendant claimed threatened to kill his family if he did not go through
with the robbery. The defendant also asserted in his statement that he did not
deliberately shoot Ms. Lee, but that the gun went off when she tried to grab it. The
defendant also admitted to attempting to rob another Westbank convenience store
with a gun in the early morning hours of August 4, 2005.7
Lieutenant Don Meunier testified that on August 4, 2005, he was a shift
supervisor in the homicide division of the JPSO and was assigned to oversee the
investigation of a murder/robbery at ACE. He was present when the search warrant
was executed for the Cadillac, and recalled that a weapon was recovered, along
with two packs of Kool cigarettes and two lighters. Lt. Meunier interviewed the
defendant after going over the rights of arrestee form with him,8 and testified that
7
The State presented other crimes evidence at trial regarding this attempted armed robbery.
Geneva Glapion-Refuge testified that at 1:45 a.m. on August 4, 2005, she was working behind the counter
at the Shell Station on Cousins Blvd. in Jefferson Parish, across the street from ACE Convenience Store.
At that time, a man entered the store with a grocery bag, approached her and directed her to fill up the bag
with money or he would shoot her. The man saw customers pull into the lot, so he grabbed the bag and
said he would come back to shoot her. Ms. Refuge called the police and was eventually shown a lineup,
from which she identified the defendant as the person who attempted to rob her. She also identified the
defendant in open court as the man who attempted to rob the gas station.
Kenneth Smith testified that on August 4, 2005, at approximately 4:10 a.m., he was seated in his
car outside of a friend’s house when an old model grey Cadillac with a yellow “no insurance” tag on the
back pulled up. A black man from the car asked him, “Where is the green?” When Mr. Smith indicated
that he did not know what the man was talking about, the man pulled a black automatic gun from beneath
his shirt. The man then went to driver’s side door, told Mr. Smith to get out and, when Mr. Smith
complied, then man “penned” him to the car. The man then asked about “the green” again and told Mr.
Smith that the “green” was “weed.” The man then held a gun to Mr. Smith’s head and asked where the
money was. The man looked through Mr. Smith’s pockets as the accomplice in the Cadillac told him to
shoot Mr. Smith. The man took money and a wallet from Mr. Smith’s pants, and then took pieces of his
clothing as well. The man also took a work bag from Mr. Smith’s car, and was looking through the bag
while the driver of the Cadillac stuck the gun in his mouth and threatened to shoot Mr. Smith. After the
two men had left, Mr. Smith called the police, looked at photo lineups the police provided, and made
identifications of the two men. Mr. Smith identified the defendant in court as one of the persons who
robbed him. On cross examination, Mr. Smith testified that the defendant acted on his own, and did not
commence the robbery while taking instructions from the driver of the Cadillac.
8
On March 22, 2011, the State introduced a copy of the defendant’s rights of arrestee form into
evidence without objection in conjunction with the testimony of John Carroll.
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the defendant did not appear to be intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or
drugs at the time. He was certain that the defendant understood his rights. The
defendant then gave a recorded statement, which was played for the jury. 9 Lt.
Meunier said that, at first, the defendant denied any involvement in the
robbery/murder. With respect to the video tape of the shooting from ACE, Lt.
Meunier recounted that there was no indication on the tape that Ms. Lee tried to
grab the gun or that the defendant tried to assist her after the shooting. He found no
validity to defendant’s claim that he was forced to commit crimes by the Latin
Kings gang or that Rojas held a gun on him in order to force him to commit
crimes. In addition, there were no witness statements or evidence to suggest that a
second car was following the defendant and Rojas at the time of the crime. Lt.
Meunier stated that he had no concerns about defendant’s mental state at the time
the defendant gave his statements to police.
Dr. Sarah Deland testified at trial for the defense, and was accepted as an
expert in forensic psychiatry and addiction medicine. Upon being retained by the
defendant in 2009 for an evaluation, Dr. Deland reviewed the defendant’s mental
health and Social Security records, Jefferson Parish Correctional Center records,
records from the forensic hospital in Jackson, a sanity commission report, reports
of Dr. Zimmerman, data from Dr. Victoria Swanson, and reports of Dr. Chafetz
and Dr. Mallik. Dr. Deland opined that there was evidence of the defendant’s
mental illness before August 4, 2005. The defendant’s Social Security records
document a diagnosis of mental retardation and, in 2002, Dr. Richard Richoux
diagnosed the defendant with psychotic disorder and mild mental retardation.
Dr. Deland recounted that after the defendant’s arrest in 2005, Drs. Richoux
and Salcedo found the defendant incompetent to proceed and sent him to a forensic
9
The defendant did not object to copies of the taped interview, or to a transcript of the interview,
being admitted into evidence.
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hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, for evaluation and competency restoration.
However, the defendant was uncooperative in Jackson and evaluators concluded
that he was malingering, feigning, or exaggerating memory deficits and psychiatric
symptoms. Dr. Deland opined can one can be mentally ill and still exaggerate
symptoms. The defendant’s medical records show three drug overdoses. In Dr.
Deland’s opinion, the defendant’s IQ score of 66 indicates that he is in the mild
mental retardation range and she believed that the defendant met the criteria for
being classified as mentally retarded. Dr. Deland had the impression that the
defendant was a follower of Rojas, and had received information that the defendant
paid Rojas to take him to cash his disability check every month and also bought
Rojas alcohol and drugs afterwards. She thought it was possible that the defendant
did not know right from wrong at the time of the crimes.
Regarding whether defendant was legally insane at the time of the offense,
Dr. Deland thought that it was possible that defendant’s mental illness prevented
him from knowing the difference between right and wrong at the time of the crime.
She was convinced that defendant had a mental illness and several mental
disorders, and she believed that they affected his behavior on the day in question
and every day; however, she did not find that it rose in severity to the level that she
could say with reasonable medical certainty that defendant did not know right from
wrong at the time of the offense. Dr. Deland testified that she had a hard time
diagnosing defendant, probably for the same reasons the people at “Jackson” had.
She also testified that defendant had a disorder that had a mood component and
psychotic symptoms.
On cross examination, Dr. Deland admitted that the defendant had told her
that Rojas had threatened and forced him to commit the robbery and that he only
shot Ms. Lee after she tried to take the gun from him. She could not determine if
the defendant is mentally insane, meaning that he could not tell right from wrong.
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She also noted that the defendant was not a truthful person. After watching the tape
of Ms. Lee’s murder, she knows the defendant lied in his account to her of what
happened.
At the conclusion of Dr. Deland’s testimony, the State called a rebuttal
witness, Dr. Harminder Mallik, who was accepted as an expert in the field of
forensic psychiatry. The State had retained Dr. Mallik to conduct an independent
evaluation of the defendant, which included reviewing medical records dating back
to the defendant’s childhood as well as all other police reports pertaining to the
case. In Dr. Mallik’s interview, the defendant admitted to shooting the victim.
Dr. Mallik opined that, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, although
the defendant had been given several psychiatric diagnoses in the past, none of
those diagnoses reached the point that it precluded his ability to distinguish
between right and wrong at the time of the offense. Dr. Mallik concluded that the
defendant was not legally insane.
The penalty phase of trial
The penalty phase of trial began on March 25, 2011.
Ms. Tina Ledet testified that the defendant robbed her at gunpoint in 2005 in
her home driveway while her two children were in the car. She saw the defendant
get out of an older model silver Cadillac and walk toward her. When Ms. Ledet
tried to hand the defendant her purse, he would not take it; instead, he put a gun to
her head and cocked it. The defendant told Ms. Ledet that if she did not want him
to kill her in front of her children that she needed to run down the street. Ms. Ledet
complied and the defendant ran away as well. Sometime after the robbery, Ms.
Ledet saw the defendant’s photograph on the news, which prompted her to call the
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police. Ms. Ledet identified the defendant in open court as the person who robbed
her.10 11
Ms. Hwa Lee’s sister, Jamie, testified and described the emotional impact to
her family that resulted from her sister’s murder.
Prior to the defendant’s testimony, defense counsel stipulated that on June
22, 2000, the defendant pled guilty to accessory after the fact to second degree
murder. Defendant then took the stand and gave the following statement:
THE DEFENDANT:
Yes. I would like to say that I have no
sympathy or empathy for Hwa Lee or her family, I have
lost people myself. There’s no sense to cry over
spilled milk and burned matches and that’s exactly
what Hwa Lee is to me. I have no conscience so when I
go back to the dorm and I lay down, I don’t think
about it ever. Just by y’all finding me guilty, if I
had an AK .47, I’d kill every last one of y’all with
no problem or have no remorse for what I have done.
Thank you. That concludes my statement.
On cross examination, the defendant asserted that he was not mentally retarded and
that he had previously bragged that he knew how to skew the results of the mental
tests that had been given to him. The defendant further admitted that as Ms. Ledet
was leaving the witness stand, he told her that he should have “blowed her brains
out.”12
Members of the defendant’s family testified on his behalf. His sisters
Keiwana Wilkinson and Shandria Doyle both gave details about the defendant’s
childhood and his character. The defendant’s mother, Yvette Doyle, gave an
10
Ms. Ledet’s minor daughter also testified at trial and corroborated details of the robbery. She
identified the defendant in open court as the person who robbed her mother.
11
The record indicates that after Ms. Ledet’s testimony was completed, the defendant said “f**k
your brains out.” The Judge immediately ordered the jury out of the courtroom and admonished the
defendant not to have any more outbursts. The defendant agreed, but defense counsel then stated that the
defendant indicated he would continue to be disruptive during the proceedings. Defense counsel
suggested removing the defendant from the courtroom. Soon after, the defendant apologized for his
behavior.
At the conclusion of the defendant’s testimony, defense counsel moved for a mistrial, which
12
was denied by the trial court.
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account of the defendant’s problems in childhood as well as a history of mental
illness in her family.
Dr. Marc Zimmerman, a psychologist and medical psychologist, testified
that he conducted a cognitive assessment of the defendant, which included the
administration of an intelligence test. Based upon the results of those tests, Dr.
Zimmerman concluded that the defendant suffers from mental retardation and
brain dysfunction. Dr. Zimmerman recounted that the defendant had been
diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at age 16 or 17, and with psychosis and
mild mental retardation at the age of 19. On cross examination by the State, Dr.
Zimmerman admitted that with one exception, he had always testified for the
defense in capital cases. He acknowledged reading reports that the defendant was
malingering, as well as the defendant’s prior statements to doctors that he would
“beat the charge by acting up.” Dr. Zimmerman opined that it was possible the
defendant had deliberately skewed mental tests administered to him.
Dr. Victoria Swanson, a licensed psychologist, testified that she always
testified for the defense in capital cases. In this case, she conducted an adaptive
evaluation of the defendant to determine mental retardation. Dr. Swanson
concluded, based on the results of those tests, that the defendant is mentally
retarded. Dr. Swanson conceded the possibility that the defendant could have
deliberately given wrong answers on the tests used to evaluate him.
Dr. Michael Chafetz, a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist, opined
that he did not think the defendant was mentally retarded, although he recounted
that the defendant was uncooperative during the evaluation. He referred to the
defendant’s previous diagnoses of depressive order and anxiety disorder, and stated
his conclusion that the defendant had a learning disorder and did not suffer from
mental retardation.
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ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
On appeal, the defense counsel13 asserts the following assignment of error:
1. Mr. Doyle’s substantive Due Process rights were violated when he
was tried while incompetent.
2. Mr. Doyle’s procedural Due Process rights were violated when the
trial court failed to observe procedures adequate to protect his right not to be
tried while incompetent.
3. The district court erred in refusing to permit Mr. Doyle to excuse
himself from the courtroom during the trial when suffering the effects of his
mental illness.
4. The trial court erred in permitting the State to offer evidence of Mr.
Doyle’s custodial statements to police, which were involuntary and not
pursuant to a knowing voluntary and intelligent rights waiver.
5. The Trial Court erred in prohibiting the defense from relying upon
evidence of Mr. Doyle’s intellectual disability in the guilt phase of the trial.
XIV; La. Const. Art. I, § 2, 16.
6. The trial court erred in forcing Mr. Doyle to trial in violation of his
rights to a jury drawn from a fair cross-section venire from which Mr.
Doyle’s petit jury was drawn did not represent a fair cross section.
Amendment VI, XIV; La. Const. Art. I, § 2, 3, 16.
7. The trial court erred in denying Mr. Doyle’s motion for new trial
based upon new and material evidence of intoxication at the time of the
offense.
8. The trial court erred in denying Mr. Doyle’s motion for new trial
based upon new and material evidence of severe mental illness that would
have existed at the time of the offense.
LAW AND ANALYSIS
ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR 1, 2, AND 8.
Defense counsel’s first two assignments, as well as the eighth assignment of
error, relate to the defendant’s competency to stand trial.
Pretrial competency hearings
It is clear from the record that the defendant’s competency was an issue
brought before the court beginning several years prior to trial. On February 15,
2006, pursuant to the trial court’s appointment, the defendant was examined at the
Jefferson Parish Correctional Center by Dr. Richard Richoux and Dr. Rafael
Salcedo. In the resulting report dated February 16, 2006, Drs. Richoux and
Salcedo opined that the defendant was not cooperative during the examination and
13
Because the defendant was found incompetent to assist counsel on appeal, this opinion will refer to the
assignments being raised and argued by defense counsel.
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it was apparent that the defendant was “attempting to present himself as a grossly
impaired individual.” The report further explained that while it was possible that
the defendant may have had some degree of cognitive and/or psychiatric
impairment, it was “unquestionable that he was exaggerating the same.” The
possibility of malingering was considered by the doctors during the balance of the
examination. Drs. Richoux and Salcedo concluded in their report that, out of an
abundance of caution, and given the seriousness of the charges against the
defendant, their recommendation was that the defendant be found incompetent to
proceed to trial and that he be remanded to the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health
System - Forensic Division, to rule out a diagnosis of malingering. On March 8,
2006, the court found the defendant incompetent to stand trial and was he
remanded to the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System-Forensic Division on
June 7, 2007.
On March 19, 2008, a second competency hearing was conducted for the
defendant. The State entered three reports into evidence without objection. The
first report was a Forensic Competency Evaluation and Report dated August 22
and 23, 2007, which was authored by the Louisiana Department of Health and
Hospitals. The report indicated that the defendant did not have any psychiatric
signs or symptoms while being evaluated which would indicate “a bona fide
psychiatric diagnosis.” The report also stated that the defendant’s interviews were
“inconsistent and at times over exaggerated, thus suggesting a strong level of
suspicion of malingering.” More specifically, the evaluators concluded that the
defendant was “attempting to malinger cognitive problems and symptoms of
severe mental illness.” In addition, the report found that the defendant met the
criteria for competency as set forth in State v. Bennett, 345 So.2d 1129, 1138 (La.
1977), which outlines the defendant’s knowledge of courtroom proceedings and his
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ability to assist counsel.14 In State v. Bennett, the Louisiana Supreme Court set
forth the considerations necessary to determining whether a defendant is fully
aware of the proceedings against him:
The decision as to a defendant’s competency to stand trial
should not turn solely upon whether he suffers from a mental disease
or defect, but must be made with specific reference to the nature of the
charge, the complexity of the case and the gravity of the decisions
with which he is faced. See, Note, 6 Loyola Univ.L.J. at 684; Note, 4
Columb.Hum.Rights L.Rev. at 245; See also, United States v.
Masthers, 176 U.S.App.D.C. 242, 539 F.2d 721 (1976). Appropriate
considerations in determining whether the accused is fully aware of
the nature of the proceedings include: whether he understands the
nature of the charge and can appreciate its seriousness; whether he
understands what defenses are available; whether he can distinguish a
guilty plea from a not guilty plea and understand the consequences of
each; whether he has an awareness of his legal rights; and whether he
understands the range of possible verdicts and the consequences of
conviction. Facts to consider in determining an accused’s ability to
assist in his defense include: whether he is able to recall and relate
facts pertaining to his actions and whereabouts at certain times;
whether he is able to assist counsel in locating and examining relevant
witnesses; whether he is able to maintain a consistent defense;
whether he is able to listen to the testimony of witnesses and inform
his lawyer of any distortions or misstatements; whether he has the
ability to make simple decisions in response to well-explained
alternatives; whether, if necessary to defense strategy, he is capable of
testifying in his own defense; and to what extent, if any, his mental
condition is apt to deteriorate under the stress of trial.
A second report offered by the State at the competency hearing was
identified as a Psychological Consultation written by Dr. Craig Waggoner, Ph.D.,
M.P. Dr. Waggoner explained in the report that the defendant was referred to him
for evaluation “to rule out malingering of cognitive problems and psychiatric
symptoms.” The evaluation consisted of both a records review15 and an interview
14
In the comments section for that portion of the report, it was stated:
While the patient did not cooperate fully with the examination to answer all of
the questions, we believe that he does understand his legal rights properly. As stated
before, the patient appears to be malingering in order to avoid looking like he does know
and understand his legal rights and based on the evidence that we have, we believe that
he does.
15
Dr. Waggoner noted in his report:
[The defendant’s] knowledge of the legal system is noted to fluctuate from week
to week, first giving “nonsensical” responses to questions, then being able to give correct
responses, followed by an inability to give correct responses. One note by the security
21-KA-257 15
with the defendant. In his conclusions, Dr. Waggoner noted that the testing results
confirmed the concerns raised by the Sanity Commission that the defendant “may
be feigning cognitive problems and symptoms of severe mental illness.” He also
stated that behavioral observations and interview information obtained from the
defendant have also revealed that the defendant’s “behaviors and self-report are
inconsistent across settings and across staff… In addition, gross inconsistencies in
his fund of knowledge, and in his behavior and performance in group activities, are
indicative of a conscious attempt, on the part of the patient, to feign impaired
intellectual functioning. and impaired memory abilities.” Dr. Waggoner also
concluded that “a preponderance of evidence from direct observation, observations
by other professional staff, the [defendant’s] history, the [defendant’s] self-report
information, and numerous objective tests, indicates that [the defendant] is
attempting to malinger cognitive problems and symptoms of severe mental
illness.”
A third report, from Drs. Richoux and Salcedo, dated September 19, 2007,
indicated that they conducted a “follow-up evaluation” in order to determine if the
defendant suffered from a mental disorder “affecting his ability to meet the Bennett
criteria for competency to proceed to trial.” The doctors observed the same
behavior that they had last seen from the defendant in 2006, which was “fraught
with contradictions, and strongly indicative of a purposeful effort to appear both
psychiatrically and cognitively impaired.” Drs. Richoux and Salcedo concluded
that the defendant “did not show any signs or symptoms of suffering from a
psychiatric disorder” and “there would appear to be no reason why [the defendant]
would be unable to understand the nature of the charges or the proceedings against
him.” The report further concluded that there was no psychiatric reason why the
staff states, "Security staff reports patient saying this morning (to another patient) ‘I’m
going to beat this charge."‘
21-KA-257 16
defendant would be unable to assist his attorney in preparing his defense if he
chose to do so.
At the conclusion of the March 19, 2008 competency hearing, the trial court
found that the defendant was found competent to stand trial. As detailed above,
there was a consensus among the defendant’s evaluators, which was presented to
the trial court, that the defendant was deliberately malingering his symptoms.
Competency hearings on the eve of trial
The issue of the defendant’s competency was next raised by defense counsel
on March 11, 2011, three days before trial was scheduled to begin. In a motion for
psychiatric evaluation, defense counsel alleged that the defendant’s “mental
condition is deteriorating to the point where he is not able to assist counsel.”
Counsel also asserted that in visits to the defendant over the prior two weeks, the
defendant was “unable to engage in meaningful conversation about his case.” The
defendant’s motion was granted, and Drs. Richoux and Salcedo were appointed to
conduct the mental examination of the defendant, which was completed on March
14, 2011.
On March 14, 2011, the court held a hearing on the defendant’s motion. Dr.
Salcedo was the first to testify. He acknowledged that the purpose of the
examination was determine if the defendant had a psychiatric disorder.16 Dr.
Salcedo recounted that he and Dr. Richoux had evaluated the defendant on two
prior occasions, in 2006 and again in 2007. Dr. Salcedo commented that, unlike in
the two previous evaluations, the defendant was “more cooperative” and was able
to demonstrate a “clear understanding of the charges he faces,” “a clear
understanding of the proceedings against him,” as well as the role of the various
courtroom participants, his legal rights, possible pleas he could enter, and the
16
Dr. Salcedo defined the term “psychiatric disorder” as “a mental disease or defect which, in turn, would
impair [the defendant’s] ability to understand the Bennett criteria, specifically to understand the
proceedings against him, the charges against him, and to evaluate his ability to assist counsel.”
21-KA-257 17
consequences of various trial outcomes. When asked if he had ever previously
found the defendant incompetent to stand trial, Dr. Salcedo explained that he and
Dr. Richoux had previously suggested to the court that, out of an abundance of
caution, the defendant should be found incompetent so that he could undergo
further testing to determine if he was malingering.17 In conclusion, Dr. Salcedo
concluded that the defendant presently met the Bennett criteria and was competent
to proceed to trial. On cross examination, Dr. Salcedo indicated that he had not
treated the defendant outside of the three evaluations.
Dr. Richoux gave the opinion in his testimony that, after his recent
evaluation of the defendant, he believed that the defendant understood the
proceedings and was capable of assisting counsel in his defense. It was Dr.
Richoux’s recommendation that the defendant be found competent to proceed to
trial. On cross examination, Dr. Richoux revealed that he had previously evaluated
the defendant approximately “75-100 times” since the time of his arrest for first
degree murder. He, himself, had prescribed the psychiatric medications that the
defendant had taken over the course of years through the time of trial. The most
recent medication, which Dr. Richoux had prescribed to the defendant
approximately two months before trial, was given to address the defendant’s
anxiety over the legal proceedings. On re-direct examination, Dr. Richoux testified
that the defendant had not complained of hallucinations “in a very long time.”
The defendant submitted his motion on the basis of the doctors’ testimony
and did not call any additional witnesses, nor did he introduce any medical
evidence. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court found the defendant
competent to stand trial over counsel’s objection.
17
Dr. Salcedo defined the term “malingering” as “the voluntary production of false psychiatric symptoms
for an understandable goal that the person has in doing so.”
21-KA-257 18
Constitutional due process requires that the trial of an accused be conducted
only when he is legally competent. Bishop v. United States, 350 U.S. 961, 76 S.Ct.
440, 100 L.Ed. 835 (1956); State v. Nomey, 613 So.2d 157 (La. 1993). Mental
incapacity to proceed exists when, as a result of mental disease or defect, a
defendant presently lacks the capacity to understand the proceedings against him or
to assist in his defense. La. C.Cr.P. art. 641. A defendant’s mental incapacity to
proceed may be raised by the defense, the district attorney, or the court at any time.
La. C.Cr.P. art. 642, State v. Williams, 02-1016 (La. App. 5 Cir. 2/25/03), 841
So.2d 936, 942, writ denied, 03-2205 (La. 8/20/04), 882 So.2d 571.
There is a presumption of capacity to proceed. State v. Payne, 586 So.2d
652, 654 (La. Ct. App. 5 Cir. 1991). The defendant bears the burden of proving by
a preponderance of the evidence his incapacity to stand trial and a trial court’s
determination is reviewed under an abuse of discretion standard. State v. Rochon,
393 So.2d 1224, 1228 (La. 1981), State v. Pollard, 12-346 (La. App. 5 Cir.
12/18/12), 106 So.3d 1194, 1198, writ denied, 13-140 (La. 6/21/13), 118 So.3d
408. In the instant case, the defendant offered no medical evidence or testimony at
the March 14, 2011 hearing to suggest he was incompetent to proceed to trial. To
the contrary, the trial court had before it the report and testimony of a psychiatrist
and a clinical psychologist who had evaluated the defendant the same date of the
hearing and opined that the defendant met all of the Bennett criteria. The trial
court was also familiar with various prior medical opinions and reports from the
previous Sanity Commissions that the defendant was malingering to avoid facing
serious consequences.18 In summary, given the presumption of sanity, the trial
court’s familiarity with the defendant’s prior evaluations for competency, and the
18
It is permissible for a court to use evidence of malingering as a factor to find a defendant
competent to stand trial. See, State v. Bryant, 52,743 (La. App. 2 Cir. 6/26/19), 277 So.3d 874, 881, writ
denied, 19-1320 (La. 10/8/19), 280 So.3d 171; State v. Boys, 19-0675 (La. App. 4 Cir. 5/26/21), 321
So.3d 1087.
21-KA-257 19
trial judge’s chances to observe defendant personally,19 we conclude that the
defendant has failed to demonstrate the trial judge abused her discretion in finding
him competent to proceed to trial.
Alleged competency issues during voir dire and guilt phase of trial
Next, defense counsel contends that the defendant demonstrated signs of
“mental deterioration and incompetence” during voir dire and the guilt phase of
trial. Specifically, appellate counsel relies upon the affidavits of trial counsel,
written and submitted to the trial court as part of a motion for new trial, which
indicated that the defendant’s attorneys observed that he was sleeping during
trial,20 demonstrated “psychological symptoms,” could not control his “prejudicial
behavior” and was generally disruptive.
19
For example, on December 14, 2009, the defendant made a pro se motion for substitution of
counsel in which he argued that certain rights had been waived without his consent, and that there was a
difference of opinion between himself and defense counsel on whether the defendant could plead guilty
by reason of insanity. Defendant clearly indicated that he understood the seriousness of the charges
against him and that he faced the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. He argued in support of his
motion “…[M]y basic Constitutional rights say that I have the right to have effective counsel assistance…
And at this moment, I would like to withdraw the plea of not guilty and enter a plea of not guilty and not
guilty by reason of insanity due to the fact that I am representing myself.” Prior to allowing the defendant
to represent himself, the trial court ensured that he understood the dangers and disadvantages of self-
representation and that he had “capacity,” was literate, and “competent” to make the choice. The
defendant was able to inform the court of the medications he was taking, the purpose of each medication
as well as who had prescribed the medications for him. He informed the Court of the books he had read
throughout his life, and efforts to educate himself. He gave a chronological history of institutions he had
gone to for mental health treatment. The defendant indicated that he had prior interaction with the
criminal justice system after being accused of second degree murder and theft. He correctly informed the
court that he was presently charged with first degree murder, for which the State was seeking the death
penalty, as well as an armed robbery charge. He also correctly stated the two possible penalties for first
degree murder as “[l]ife or death.” The defendant was able to clarify different grades of his armed robbery
charges, designating that one was “attempt” and that another robbery was used as an aggravating
circumstance for the first degree murder charge. He understood that he had the constitutional right to
appointed counsel, and he also indicated an understanding of the court’s opinion that self-representation
was an unwise decision. He affirmed his understanding that he would be held to the same standards of an
attorney at trial. The defendant understood very clearly the trial court’s instruction that “no misbehavior
or trial disruptions will be tolerated.” At the conclusion of the hearing the trial court accepted the
defendant’s motion as “knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily made.” At the conclusion of the hearing,
the defendant indicated that he wanted to formally withdraw his former plea of not guilty and enter a new
plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
20
At least one instance of the defendant’s drowsiness, during pre-trial proceedings, is indicated to
have occurred. On June 5, 2009, defense counsel advised the court that the defendant was “heavily
medicated” and maybe not capable of understanding the proceedings. The Judge made a point of noting
on the record that the defendant had walked into court on his own, and “[h]e was alert because he made a
lot of noise during my civil hearing that I had before this hearing.” Counsel objected that the defendant
was “leaning over.” The judge then put on the record that she personally saw and heard defendant “having
a coherent conversation” with his lawyer.” The judge finally commented that the case had been continued
a number of times “because of the shenanigans that Mr. Doyle has engaged in.”
21-KA-257 20
After the commencement of the guilt phase of trial, defense counsel did not
move expressly for the appointment of another sanity commission under La.
C.Cr.P. art. 644(A).21 See, State v. Carmouche, 01-405 (La. 5/14/02), 872 So.2d
1020, 1042, on reh’g (Sept. 25, 2003). Nevertheless, La. C.Cr.P. art. 643 provides
that a court shall order a mental examination of a defendant and accordingly
appoint a sanity commission when it “has reasonable ground to doubt the
defendant’s mental capacity to proceed.” La. C.Cr.P. art. 643. Reasonable ground
in this context refers to information which, objectively considered, should
reasonably raise a doubt about the defendant’s competency and alert the court to
the possibility that the defendant can neither understand the proceedings,
appreciate the proceedings’ significance, nor rationally aid his attorney in his
defense. State v. Snyder, 98-1078 (La. 4/14/99), 750 So.2d 832, 851 (quoting
Lokos v. Capps, 625 F.2d 1258, 1261 (5th Cir. 1980)). Thus, the question to be
answered in the instant case is whether the trial court had information before it that
should have put the defendant’s competency at issue after trial had commenced,
sufficient to have the defendant’s competency re-evaluated.
The record is silent as to whether, or to what degree, the trial judge
personally observed any of the complained of behaviors specifically alleged in the
affidavits by defense counsel which reportedly occurred during trial. The record
does show, however, that the defendant was disruptive at various stages throughout
the proceedings,22 and that he was admonished by the trial judge at those times,
eventually being shackled as a result of his behavior. Under Snyder, supra, our
21
Even if specifically requested, simply because a defendant’s capacity to proceed is called into
question by formal motion does not mandate a mental examination be ordered and a sanity commission be
appointed. La. C.Cr.P. arts. 643, 644; State v. Goins, 568 So.2d 231, 234 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1990), writ
denied, 573 So.2d 1117, 1118 (La. 1991). Appointing a sanity commission is neither a perfunctory matter
nor a ministerial duty of the trial court; it is not guaranteed to every accused in every case. State v. Lott,
574 So.2d 417, 424 (La. App. 2d Cir. 1/23/91), writ denied, 580 So.2d 666 (La. 1991).
22
Examples of this behavior included the defendant speaking to an excused juror, as well as
another outburst during voir dire.
21-KA-257 21
review must answer whether these incidents evidenced that the defendant neither
understood or appreciated the significance of the proceedings, and if he could
rationally aid his attorney in his defense.
As noted previously, the trial court had been presented medical evidence on
the eve of trial to establish the defendant’s competence. The trial court was also
aware of the concurring medical opinions that the defendant had been malingering
his symptoms in order to appear incompetent. Against this background, the trial
judge had a basis to consider the defendant’s conduct at trial that she personally
observed, as the behavior was happening. Our state’s case law is replete with
examples of criminal defendants who were “outrageously” disruptive during their
respective trials and other proceedings, while under the legal presumption of
competence.23 In this case, we cannot say that the record itself demonstrates that
defendant’s conduct during voir dire and the guilt phase of his trial, without more,
should have reasonably indicated to the trial judge that he was incompetent. Our
review of the pre-trial record shows the defendant was disruptive prior to trial on
several occasions, including behavior for which the trial court found the defendant
to be in contempt.24
The record also evidences that the defendant made decisions during the
guilt phase of trial to assist in his own defense. In one such instance, defense
counsel indicated that the defendant wished to absent himself from a portion of the
23
A brief recounting of examples of this type of behavior was noted by the supreme court in State
v. Langley, 95-1489 (La. 4/14/98), 711 So.2d 651, 668, on reh’g in part (June 19, 1998):
…Langley’s behavior was not as outrageous as that shown in Allen (defendant threatened the
judge and tore up and threw around papers), or in two leading Louisiana cases, State v. Riles, 355
So.2d 1312 (La.1978) (defendant argued with judge and scuffled with sheriffs) or State v. Lee,
395 So.2d 700 (La.1981) (defendant sang the Star Spangled Banner and quoted scripture aloud
during proceedings).
24
In this case, the defendant had previously been disruptive to the point of contempt for which he
was found guilty and sentenced on December 17, 2009, to six months for disruption of court. The record
also reflects other miscellaneous disruptions by the defendant which occurred during pre-trial proceedings
held on March 19, 2008, and August 14, 2009.
21-KA-257 22
guilt phase of the proceedings, in part, to avoid the possibility he would make any
prejudicial outbursts. The trial court asked the defendant if he agreed with this
decision and he answered that he did. After that, the defendant made statements to
the trial judge and she admonished him to remain silent. The judge then asked the
defendant if he wanted to meet privately with his attorneys outside the courtroom
and he answered affirmatively.
In another instance, the court questioned the defendant directly about
whether he wanted to waive his right to testify in the guilt phase of his trial.
THE COURT:
Alright, Mr. Doyle, it is my understanding
that, at this time, in this phase of your trial,
you have decided that you do not want to testify.
Is that correct?
THE DEFENDANT:
Yes. My attorney think [sic] that’ll be best, so
I’m not going to testify.
THE COURT:
Is that your decision, Mr. Doyle?
THE DEFENDANT:
Yes, it’s my decision.
In summary, we find that the record supports the trial court’s conclusion that
the defendant was competent to proceed to the penalty phase of his trial.
The appeal before us presents a unique procedural posture. As noted, we
conclude that the defendant was competent to proceed to the guilt phase of trial.
We also conclude that the State presented sufficient evidence upon which the jury
could convict the defendant of first degree murder. During trial, the State met its
burden of establishing all of the elements required to prove the defendant
committed the first degree murder of Hwa Lee while engaged in the act of armed
21-KA-257 23
robbery.25 Accordingly, La. R.S. 14:30(C)(1) applied to the sentencing phase of
trial: “If the district attorney seeks a capital verdict, the offender shall be punished
by death or life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or
suspension of sentence, in accordance with the determination of the jury.” Here,
while the jury sentenced the defendant to death, that sentence has been vacated and
a life sentence has been imposed. It follows then, that any considerations the jury
may have had in making their determination to impose the death penalty are now
moot and/or irrelevant. This, in our opinion, applies to any acts by the defendant
himself during the penalty phase of trial which the defendant now claims are
prejudicial. See, for example, State v. Shank, 448 So.2d 654 (La. 1984), in which
the Louisiana Supreme Court found that a defendant on trial for first degree
murder, who told the jurors that he would kill them if he escaped, did not suffer
prejudice from his own behavior when he was not sentenced to death:
Defendant was on trial for first degree murder. He faced the
possibility of the jury recommending that he be sentenced to death. He
threatened the jury that if only sentenced to life imprisonment he
would have the rest of his life to escape, and that if he did so he would
kill each one of them. Notwithstanding these threats, which defense
counsel argues prejudiced the jury against him, the jury did not return
the recommendation that defendant be executed. Instead, the life
imprisonment sentence was recommended. Thus the prejudice in the
jurors’ minds, that defense counsel argues tainted his client’s trial
with reversible error, does not readily appear.
Id. at 658.
Nevertheless, we will review this assignment error, focusing on the issue of
the defendant’s competency to proceed at the time of the penalty phase of trial.
25
Specifically, the evidence at trial, which included both a video of the defendant committing the armed
robbery and fatally shooting Hwa Lee, as well as the defendant’s own confession, demonstrated that the
State proved that the defendant violated La. R.S. 14:30(A)(1), which provides in part:
A. First degree murder is the killing of a human being:
(1) When the offender has specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm and is
engaged in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of … armed robbery…
21-KA-257 24
As with the defendant’s other allegations that he showed signs of a
deteriorating competence during trial, which rely heavily on trial counsel’s
affidavits, the record itself shows no indication that the defense sought to convene
a sanity commission during the penalty phase of trial. Therefore, our review
consists of a determination on whether the trial judge had objective evidence
before her that would warrant a challenge to the legal presumption of sanity, which
was established by medical evidence on the eve of trial.
The penalty phase of trial began the day after the defendant was found guilty
of first degree murder. Our review of the transcript from those proceedings reveals
several interactions that were directly between the trial court and the defendant, as
well as acts by the defendant of which the trial court was made aware. Before the
penalty phase commenced on March 25, 2011, the trial judge, the State, and
defense counsel reviewed the proposed verdict sheet and jury instructions to ensure
that there was a consensus. While the issue of a charge for mental retardation was
being discussed, the defendant stated, “I ain’t [sic] retarded.” He was admonished
by the trial judge to remain quiet. Shortly thereafter, the defendant said, “I’m tired
of people saying that [that the defendant is retarded]. That’s why I want to take the
stand.” The defendant also made similar comments in open court during the guilt
phase of trial to the effect that he was not mentally retarded. Other incidents
involving the defendant at the penalty phase of trial included defense counsel
asking that the defendant be removed from the courtroom after advising the court
that the defendant had indicated he would be disruptive throughout the proceedings
that day. In another instance, one the defendant’s attorneys indicated to the court
that the defendant was acting aggressively toward her and that she feared for her
safety. Counsel also informed the court that the defendant had disorganized some
medical records the defense intended to offer as an exhibit.
21-KA-257 25
Defense counsel informed the court early in the penalty phase proceedings
that the defendant indicated that he wished to testify. Counsel later offered a
clarifying comment about the defendant’s desire to testify:
DEFENSE COUNSEL:
Your Honor, it is my understanding at
this point that Mr. Doyle, when we get to our case,
intends to take the stand. I just wanted to make a
record of the fact that we have advised him that we
don’t think that’s a good idea. We have tried, in
this case, several times to let the court know that we
have questions about his competency. We still have
questions about his competency. I think that may
become clear when he takes the stand today, but I just
want it to be clear that it is not our decision, but
we are ethically bound to put Mr. Doyle on the stand
if that is his decision and that appears to be his
decision at the moment.
Prior to the defendant taking the stand, defense counsel advised the jury of the
possibility that the defendant could make inappropriate remarks during his
testimony, but argued that this only evidenced behavior that showed how different
defendant was:
DEFENSE COUNSEL:
I suspect that later this morning, you
may hear from Isaiah himself. It is his right to
testify and he can choose to exercise that right even
if he’s not the smartest witness or the most eloquent
witness. As you are listening to Isaiah, I ask you to
please keep in mind that Isaiah has difficulty
processing information and that he is probably
struggling to process your verdict from yesterday.
When Isaiah struggles to process information, as Dr.
21-KA-257 26
DeLand told you, he sometimes reacts in ways that the
rest of us would not consider appropriate.
Defense counsel later used the defendant’s own testimony as evidence of mental
instability. Specifically, Dr. Zimmerman was asked on the stand whether the
defendant’s act of testifying was an example of “poor adaptive functioning” and
was also consistent with someone who has “mental illness” and “mental
retardation,” to which he replied that the defendant’s testimony displayed all of
these classifications.
After the defense had rested for the penalty phase of trial, defense counsel
then verbally moved for a mistrial, which was denied by the trial court:
DEFENSE COUNSEL:
For the defense, we would
move for a mistrial. The basis for the mistrial is
that the jurors, because of the testimony of Isaiah
Doyle, are now unable to fairly consider this case and
present a fair verdict. We think it is a violation of
the federal fifth, sixth and eighth amendment
violations [sic] and it involves the right to remain silent,
the right to counsel, the right to a fair trial and
the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Essentially, we believe that he should not have been
allowed to testify over counsel’s objection because he
is mentally ill and because he is mentally retarded
and cannot make a reasoned and valid decision about
that most important part of a trial.
After reviewing the record, we find no error in the trial court’s denial of the
defendant’s motion for a mistrial based upon his testimony. A defendant cannot
successfully maintain that prejudice resulting from his own inappropriate behavior
mandates a mistrial or a new trial. State v. Shank, supra; State v. Wiggins, 337
So.2d 1172 (La. 1976); State v. Tyler, 607 So.2d 910 (La. App. 2d Cir. 1992), writ
21-KA-257 27
denied, 612 So.2d 97 (La. 1993); State v. Lucas, 482 So.2d 7 (La. App. 1st Cir.
1985). To afford a defendant such relief, based on his own conduct, would
obviously provide a means by which he could forever effectively prevent a final
determination of his guilt. State v. Shank, supra.
A defendant’s right to testify
As recognized by both the federal and state constitution, a criminal
defendant’s right to testify is fundamental. Specifically, the state constitution
provides in pertinent part: “[a]n accused is entitled to confront and cross-examine
the witnesses against him, to compel the attendance of witnesses, to present a
defense, and to testify in his own behalf.” La. Const. art. I § 16. Both state and
federal jurisprudence recognize that “a criminal defendant’s right to testify is
fundamental and personal to the defendant” and the decision to “testify in one’s
own behalf” is “ultimately a decision for the accused to make.” State v. Hampton,
00-522 (La. 3/22/02), 818 So.2d 720, 723, on reh’g in part (6/7/02). The U.S.
Supreme Court has been “unequivocal” in holding that the U.S. Fifth, Sixth and
Fourteenth Amendments guarantee a defendant’s right to testify. Hampton, supra
(citing Rock v. Arkansas, 483 U.S. 44, 107 S.Ct. 2704, 97 L.Ed.2d 37 (1987)).
The entirety of the defendant’s testimony during the penalty phase of trial
was previously provided above. While the defendant’s words speak for
themselves, several things are clear. The defendant admitted to murdering Hwa
Lee and claimed no remorse for his act. The defendant also made clear that he both
understood and was angry about the jury’s guilty verdict the day before and he
wished them harm as a result. However, at the time of his testimony, the defendant
had already been convicted of murdering Hwa Lee, so his guilt was no longer an
issue. Other evidence before the jury, besides his own testimony, indicated that the
21-KA-257 28
defendant had no remorse for murdering Ms. Lee.26 Thus, these statements by the
defendant were either previously known to the jury or cumulative of other
evidence that would be presented during the hearing.27
Finally, in exercising his constitutional right to testify, the defendant made a
threat to the jury that was argued by defense counsel to indicate his mental
deficiencies. Any prejudice that the defendant may possibly have suffered as a
result of the threat was removed by virtue of the fact that the jury’s death penalty
was vacated and the defendant was instead re-sentenced to life in prison. In
looking at the entirety of the record, which includes substantial evidence that
defendant was feigning or malingering symptoms of mental illness, it cannot be
ruled out that the defendant used his statement to the jury for his own calculated
ends. Similar to the supreme court’s observations in State v. Shank, supra, the
“defendant’s outbursts may have been motivated by a belief that he could convince
the jury that he was insane, thus securing the latter verdict, or alternatively that he
26
The record shows the trial court found admissible, in the penalty phase of trial, the defendant’s
statement to State’s witness, Dr. Chafetz, “I have no remorse.” The trial court also allowed in other
statements by the defendant to Dr. Chafetz, including that he was not afraid of life in prison or even death
row but that he was afraid of not being able to kill more people. In arguing to exclude the statements,
defense counsel attempted to provide a context for why the defendant may have said those things:
DEFENSE COUNSEL:
Again, Mr. Doyle made these statements, he was
obviously angry. He was angry with his lawyers, he
was angry with the process because we were trying to
get him to take a life plea. He was shooting off his
mouth, he was saying things that he’d never said to
anyone before.
Again, these are things that are not
consistent with anything he’d ever said before. He
was running his mouth, perhaps trying to get the death
penalty at the time thinking that that’s what he
wanted.
27
Evidence that a capital defendant shows lack of remorse is “relevant to the character and
propensities of the defendant.” State v. Wilson, 467 So.2d 503, 523 (La.1985) (citing State v. Summit, 454
So.2d 1100, 1108 (La.1984), rev’d on other grounds, Summit v. Blackburn, 795 F.2d 1237 (5th
Cir.1986)); State v. Juniors, 03-2425 (La. 6/29/05), 915 So.2d 291, 336. The supreme court has further
found that “Such matters as an expression of penitence or of concern for the magnitude of the harm are
within the scope of the focus on the character and propensities of the accused. La.C.Cr.P. Art. 905.1.”
State v. Summit, supra, at 1108.
21-KA-257 29
could convince the jury to spare his life. It did not go unnoticed that defendant’s
outbursts seemed quite timely and pointed.”
Evidence of incapacity presented in a new trial motion (Assignment of error 8)
As indicated above, in his second motion for a new trial filed on March 28,
2012, the defendant contended that newly discovered post-trial evidence attained
through his treatment by the Department of Corrections confirmed the existence of
a severe, lifelong psychotic illness—schizoaffective disorder. To establish the basis
for a new trial, the defendant relied upon the March 26, 2012 affidavit of Dr.
Xavier Amador, a clinical psychologist. Dr. Amador concluded, in summary, that
there was ample evidence of a chronic, lifelong, and serious mental illness that
operated at the time of trial and rendered defendant incompetent to be tried.28
First, the record reflects that the defendant’s diagnosis of schizoaffective
disorder was not newly discovered evidence, as required under La. C.Cr.P. art.
851(B)(3).29 In considering the defendant’s motion for a new trial on this basis, the
trial court correctly noted that evidence the defendant had a lifelong mental illness
was already admitted at trial and heard by the jury and, therefore, the additional
information was unlikely to change the jury’s verdict.30 After reviewing the
28
Dr. Amador’s retroactive determination of the defendant’s incompetency stands in contrast to
Dr. Richoux’s statement in a July 24, 2011 affidavit, also offered as an exhibit to the defendant’s new trial
motion, that it was not possible to render an opinion on defendant’s competence at the time of trial
retrospectively because the conditions of trial could not be recreated.
29
That provision states, in relevant part:
B. The court, on motion of the defendant, shall grant a new trial whenever any of the
following occur:
(3) New and material evidence that, notwithstanding the exercise of reasonable
diligence by the defendant, was not discovered before or during the trial, is
available, and if the evidence had been introduced at the trial it would probably
have changed the verdict or judgment of guilty.
30
As detailed above, Dr. Deland, the defendant’s expert forensic psychiatrist, provided a medical
history of the defendant at the penalty portion of trial from the time he was an infant through the time of
trial. She concluded that there was evidence prior to August 4, 2005, the date of the incident, that the
defendant suffered from mental illness and mental retardation. Dr. Deland testified that the defendant
suffered from a mental disorder that had a mood component and psychotic symptoms. Dr. Deland further
opined at trial that the defendant either had bipolar disorder with mood swings and psychotic symptoms;
21-KA-257 30
evidence supplied by the defendant, we cannot say that the trial court erred in its
denial of the defendant’s new trial motion on this basis.
ASSIGMENT OF ERROR 3
In this assignment, defense counsel argues that the trial court erred by
refusing the defendant’s multiple requests to excuse himself from the courtroom
during the trial. Counsel contends that the record indicates that the trial court
denied his requests because it thought that capital defendants could not waive their
presence.
At the time of trial in 2011, La. C.Cr.P. art. 832 provided in pertinent part:
A. A defendant initially present for the commencement
of trial shall not prevent the further progress of the trial,
including the return of the verdict, and shall be considered to
have waived his right to be present if his counsel is present or if
the right to counsel has been waived and:
(1) He voluntarily absents himself after the trial has
commenced, whether or not he has been informed by the court
of his obligation to be present during the trial[.]
In the comments to the 1997 amendments to Article 832, the Louisiana Legislature
stated, “See also C.Cr.P. Art. 832, which prior to this amendment, dealt only with
“temporary” and “voluntary” absences and does not even permit “temporary” and
“voluntary” absences in capital cases. The revision contains no such limitation and
applies to both capital and non-capital cases.”
In State v. McCoy, 14-1449 (La. 10/19/16), 218 So.3d 535, reversed and
remanded on other grounds, - - U.S. - - , 138 S.Ct. 1500, 200 L.Ed.2d 821 (2018),
the defendant argued that under La. C.Cr.P. art. 832, he had a legal right to
voluntarily absent himself from the proceedings and that the trial court erred as a
matter of law by denying him that right. He contended that he was prejudiced by
major depression with psychotic features; or possibly a schizoaffective disorder, which was similar to
bipolar disorder with more prominent psychotic symptoms.
21-KA-257 31
being forced to remain in the courtroom during his trial after he requested to be
allowed to excuse himself from the proceedings. The Louisiana Supreme Court
observed that the defendant seemingly orchestrated outbursts for effect during his
capital trial. The outbursts included talking to an audience member, challenging a
witness, and speaking during the opening statement. It found that the trial court’s
denial of the defendant’s request to excuse himself from proceedings at his capital
murder trial did not violate his due process rights. The supreme court further found
that even though the defendant sought to voluntarily remove himself from the
courtroom, the trial judge exercised the utmost restraint in responding to his
disruptive behavior, and given that the jurors were judging the defendant in life or
death matters, the trial court implicitly recognized that the jury had a right to
observe the conduct and demeanor of the defendant during the trial as he faced the
evidence of his crimes. Id. at 604-07.
In the instant case, the record does appear to indicate that the trial judge may
have erroneously concluded that the defendant could not voluntarily absent himself
from trial. However, we find no error in the denial of the defendant’s requests to
excuse himself from trial. The trial judge clearly believed that the defendant should
be present at a trial he asked for. Also, the record indicates that the trial court used
restraint in responding to the defendant’s behavior by admonishing him and by
ensuring that security measures were in place. As in McCoy, we conclude that the
trial judge implicitly recognized that the jury had the right to observe the
defendant’s conduct and demeanor at trial and that the defendant’s due process
rights were not violated.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR 4
In his fourth assignment, defense counsel argues that the trial court erred in
denying the defendant’s motion to suppress his statements as they were not
21-KA-257 32
knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily made because of his mental illness, low
IQ, and drug intoxication that were present at the time the statements were made.
A defendant is limited, on appeal, to the grounds he articulated at trial; a
new basis for the claim, even if it would be meritorious, cannot be raised for the
first time on appeal. See, State v. Jackson, 04-1388 (La. App. 5 Cir. 5/31/05), 904
So.2d 907, 911, writ denied, 05-1740 (La. 2/10/06), 924 So.2d 162. In the instant
case, since the defendant did not present specific arguments about mental illness or
low IQ in a written motion to suppress or at the suppression hearing, we
accordingly find that he is now precluded from raising these new bases for
suppression of his statements for the first time on appeal. However, the defendant
did argue drug intoxication as a ground for quashing his confession.
The State has the burden of proving the admissibility of a purported
confession or statement by the defendant. La. C.Cr.P. art. 703(D); State v. Arias-
Chavarria, 10-116 (La. App. 5 Cir. 9/28/10), 49 So.3d 426, 433, writ denied, 10-
2432 (La. 2/25/11), 58 So.3d 460. Before an inculpatory statement made during a
custodial interrogation may be introduced into evidence, the State must prove
beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was first advised of his Miranda
rights,31 that he voluntarily and intelligently waived his Miranda rights, and that
the statement was made freely and voluntarily and not under the influence of fear,
intimidation, menaces, threats, inducements or promises. Id.; State v. Sierra, 11-
161 (La. App. 5 Cir. 12/28/11), 83 So.3d 239, 248. A determination of
voluntariness is made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the totality of the facts
and circumstances of each situation. State v. Gross, 12-73 (La. App. 5 Cir.
2/21/13), 110 So.3d 1173, 1185, writ denied, 13-661 (La. 10/25/13), 124 So.3d
1091.
31
Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966).
21-KA-257 33
As the Louisiana Supreme Court observed in State v. Robinson, 384 So.2d
332, 335 (La. 1980):
Where the free and voluntary nature of a confession is
challenged on the ground that the accused was intoxicated at the
time of interrogation, the confession will be rendered
inadmissible only when the intoxication is of such a degree as
to negate defendant’s comprehension and to render him
unconscious of the consequences of what he is saying. Whether
intoxication exists and is of a degree sufficient to vitiate the
voluntariness of the confession are questions of fact. State v.
Rankin, 357 So.2d 803 (La. 1978). The admissibility of a
confession is in the first instance a question for the trial judge.
His conclusions on the credibility and weight of the testimony
relating to the voluntariness of a confession will not be
overturned unless they are not supported by the evidence. State
v. Hutto, 349 So.2d 318 (La. 1977).
On June 5, July 31, and August 24, 2009, suppression hearings were held.
At the hearing on June 5, 2009, Lieutenant Meunier testified that he advised the
defendant of his rights utilizing a JPSO rights of arrestee form, which he
completed on August 4, 2005, at 10:07 a.m. Lieutenant Meunier thought that, at
the time, the defendant was “competent,” able to communicate with him, and
understood his rights. Sergeant Carroll asserted that the statement concluded at
2:47 p.m. He testified that during the interview, the defendant positively identified
a still photograph of himself taken from video surveillance of one of the robberies.
Sergeant Carroll testified that during Rojas’ statement, Rojas indicated that the
defendant was an addict who was “high on heroin.” The defendant called Detective
Roger Gorumba as a witness at the suppression hearing; however, he gave no
testimony relative to the defendant’s statements to police. Deputy Arnaud testified
at the suppression hearing that she assisted Deputy Burgess after he stopped the
two suspects. She further testified that she found it necessary to call EMS because
the defendant was sweating “profusely” and because she thought the defendant
“may have taken something.” She also noted that the defendant was “kind of like
seizing a little bit.” Deputy Arnaud remembered telling EMS that the defendant
21-KA-257 34
appeared to be intoxicated or on narcotics. Deputy Craig Adams testified at the
suppression hearing that he was present when EMS arrived and that EMS
subsequently advised that both subjects were fine.
Testimony of the interviewing police officer alone may be sufficient proof
that a defendant’s statements were freely and voluntarily given. State v. Estes, 14-
781 (La. App. 5 Cir. 2/25/15), 168 So.3d 847, 860, writ denied, 15-654 (La.
2/5/16), 186 So.3d 1164. Additionally, in determining whether the trial court’s
ruling on a defendant’s motion to suppress is correct, an appellate court is not
limited to the evidence adduced at the suppression hearing but may also consider
the evidence presented at trial. State v. Berroa-Reyes, 12-581 (La. App. 5 Cir.
1/30/13), 109 So.3d 487, 495. In the instant case, trial testimony reflects that
Lieutenant Meunier advised defendant of his rights, after which defendant
indicated that he understood them and waived them prior to giving his first
statement. Lieutenant Meunier testified that he did not believe that the defendant
was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs at the time of the statement. Mr.
Carroll also testified that the defendant indicated that he understood his rights and
that he waived them prior to giving his second statement. Mr. Carroll did not
believe that the defendant was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time
of his statement. Although Rojas told Mr. Carroll that defendant was under the
influence of narcotics and Deputy Arnaud suspected the defendant might be under
the influence of narcotics, EMS cleared the defendant after an exam.
As the supreme court noted in State v. Manning, 03-1982 (La. 10/19/04),
885 So.2d 1044, 1074, cert. denied, 544 U.S. 967, 125 S.Ct. 1745, 161 L.Ed.2d
612 (2005), “the mere fact of drug or alcohol intoxication is insufficient standing
alone to render a confession involuntary.32 In the instant case, the record does not
32
See State v. Davis, 92-1623 (La. 5/23/94), 637 So.2d 1012, cert. denied, 513 U.S. 975, 115 S.Ct. 450,
130 L.Ed.2d 359 (1994), where the court found that a confession was voluntary although defendant had
21-KA-257 35
demonstrate that the defendant’s comprehension was negated or that he was
otherwise unconscious of the consequences of his confession. After a review of the
testimony given at the motion to suppress hearing, as well as the trial testimony,
we find no error in the trial court’s denial of the defendant’s motion to suppress his
statements on the basis of alleged drug intoxication.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR 5
In his fifth assignment of error, defense appellate counsel argues that the
trial court erred by prohibiting defense counsel at trial from relying upon evidence
of the defendant’s intellectual disability in the guilt phase of the trial. He contends
that this error was corrected by the Louisiana Supreme Court but not until after the
State had already presented its case-in-chief. Counsel asserts that the error not only
constrained the defense opening statement but also curtailed the defense cross-
examination of witnesses, violating his constitutional rights to confront witnesses
and to present a defense. He also argues that the curtailment of the opening
statement prevented the defense from explaining to the jury and placing in context
for them the defendant’s cognitive abilities and the way in which they should
interpret his actions, statements, and state of mind, as well as their implications for
the insanity defense.
Opening statement by the defense
On March 22, 2011, this Court issued its ruling that the defendant was
allowed to present evidence of mental retardation, mental defect, and/or
diminished mental capacity, for the purposes of La. C.Cr.P. art. 703(G) in the guilt
phase of his trial, subject to a limiting instruction to the jury that it was not to
consider this evidence as having any bearing on the defendant’s mental capacity at
smoked three or four cocaine rocks the night before his 11:00 p.m. statement, as well as consumed several
beers the day he confessed.
21-KA-257 36
the time of the offense. On that same date, after receiving notification of this
ruling, defense counsel made an oral motion to give a brief second opening
statement limited to the issue of this Court’s ruling. The State objected, and
defense counsel indicated that he would like to give such an opening statement if
the supreme court denied the writ. The trial judge said that they would “cross that
bridge” when they got to it and that if it became an issue, then she would decide.
Defense counsel said, “Okay.” Following the trial court’s ruling, the State’s case
continued with the testimony of Mr. Carroll and Lieutenant Meunier while the
supreme court review was pending. The next day, on March 23, 2011, the supreme
court issued its ruling, after which the State rested its case, and the defense
presented its case. It does not appear that defense counsel ever gave a second
opening statement, nor was the matter raised again on the record.
In the context of a first degree murder case, regarding a defendant’s opening
statement, the Louisiana Supreme Court has previously noted that, “[t]he defendant
may make an opening statement if he chooses, but none is required of him by law.
La. C.CR.P. art. 765.” State v. Smith, 339 So.2d 829, 832 (La. 1976). If a
defendant chooses to make an opening statement, a trial court has discretion to
direct the timing of when the opening statement is given. For example, in State v.
Cathey, 493 So.2d 842, 855 (La. Ct. App. 1986), writ denied, 500 So.2d 419 (La.
1987), the defendant advised the trial court that he wished to reserve the right to
make an opening statement until after the State rested its case. The trial court
agreed to do so. At the conclusion of the State’s case, the defendant called his first
witness without making an opening statement. On appeal, the defendant argued
that the trial court erred by requiring that the defendant make his opening statement
after the first state witness had testified rather than at the start of the defendant’s
case. In finding no merit to the argument, this Court reasoned that the defendant
21-KA-257 37
had permissibly been allowed the opportunity to give an opening statement out of
the normal order of trial:
However, at the conclusion of the State’s case, the defendant called
his first witness without making an opening statement. Thus it may be
concluded that the defendant waived his opening statement. The
defendant has the right to waive an opening statement. C.Cr.P. art.
765; State v. Seiss, 428 So.2d 444 (La. 1983).
In the instant case, the defendant had placed the issue of a second opening
statement before the trial court, which appeared amenable to the option. However,
as in Cathey, supra, the defendant proceeded with his case without revisiting this
issue or without further objection. Similar to our reasoning in Cathey, we find that
the defendant waived any opportunity he may have had to a second opening
statement. Even if this were not the case, we find no resulting prejudice from the
absence of a second opening statement by the defendant. As will be discussed
more fully below, the defendant was still given the opportunity and did, in fact,
argue his intellectual disability defense before the jury in the guilt phase of the
trial.33
Cross examination of the State’s witnesses
Next, appellate counsel argues that the defendant’s trial counsel was
prevented from cross-examining the State’s witnesses regarding the defendant’s
mental retardation in order to show that there was reasonable doubt as to specific
intent and that his intellectual disability combined with his mental illness created a
likelihood of insanity.
In its case-in-chief during the guilt phase of trial, the State called the
following witnesses: Dr. Karen Ross, Deputy Burgess, Sergeant Arnaud, Captain
Thornton, Louise Walzer, Lieutenant Carrigan, Sergeant Dyess, John Carroll,
33
Compare, State v. Butler, 615 So.2d 496, 502 (La. Ct. App. 1993), writ denied sub nom. State
ex rel. Butler v. Thirty Six Jud. Dist. Ct., 94-0634 (La. 6/28/96), 675 So.2d 1107.
21-KA-257 38
Sergeant Dax Russo, Geneva Glapion-Refuge, Kenneth Smith, Lieutenant
Meunier, Robert Zang, James Rome and Kyron Walker. Of these State’s witnesses,
only four had any type of interaction with the defendant at all during the
investigation of Hwa Lee’s murder.34 Between those four State’s witnesses, none
were offered as experts, nor would have been qualified, to give an expert opinion
regarding defendant’s mental retardation. To the extent their lay opinions were
relevant, these witnesses were questioned about their general impressions about
whether the defendant appeared to understand various situations as they
unfolded.35
At the time the State’s witnesses testified, the defendant did not proffer what
questions he would have asked the respective witnesses about the defendant’s
mental retardation. As this Court observed in State v. Batiste, 96-1010 (La. App. 5
Cir. 1/27/98), 708 So.2d 764, 769, writ denied, 98-0913 (La. 9/4/98), 723 So.2d
954:
La. C.E. art. 103(A) states that error may not be
predicated upon a ruling which admits or excludes evidence,
unless a substantial right of the party is affected. Sec. A(2) of
the same article provides that error may not be predicated upon
a ruling excluding evidence unless the substance of the
evidence was made known to the court by counsel. State v.
Lobato, 603 So.2d 739, 748 (La. 1992), appeal after remand,
621 So.2d 103 (La. App. 2 Cir., 1993), writ granted in part,
denied in part on other grounds, 627 So.2d 644 (La. 1993). In
criminal cases, as well as civil cases, a party has a legal right,
when evidence has been excluded, to make an offer of proof of
what counsel expects to prove, outside of the presence of the
34
As noted earlier, Ms. Glapion-Refuge and Mr. Smith testified regarding other crimes evidence.
Ms. Glapion-Refuge stated during her testimony that the defendant did not appear to be “loaded or drunk”
at the time of his attempted robbery of her and that he appeared to understand what was going on. Mr.
Smith testified that the defendant “acted on his own” while he and Rojas were robbing him.
35
Deputy Burgess testified that the defendant appeared to understand his directions when Burgess
ordered the defendant and Rojas to exit the car. Sergeant Arnaud testified that the defendant was acting
strangely at the time of his arrest, but denied having a conversation with the defendant. Lieutenant
Meunier testified that, prior to taking the defendant’s statement, he read the defendant’s rights to him and
that the defendant indicated he understood his rights. Lieutenant Meunier indicated he had no concerns
about the defendant’s mental state at the time the statement was given, and he did not believe that the
defendant was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. John Carroll testified that, prior to the
defendant giving a statement, he went over the rights form again with the defendant and the defendant
appeared to understand his rights.
21-KA-257 39
jury. State v. Adams, 537 So.2d 1262, 1265 (La. App. 4th Cir.
1989), writ granted, 543 So.2d 2 (La. 1989), affirmed in part,
reversed in part on other grounds, 550 So.2d 595 (La. 1989);
State v. Searcy, 621 So.2d 83, 88 (La. App. 2nd Cir. 1993);
State v. Lynch, 94 0543 (La. App. 1st Cir. 5/5/95), 655 So.2d
470, 480. In Lobato, the Louisiana Supreme Court held that,
where the defendant did not make known the substance of the
excluded evidence for the purpose of consideration by the trial
and appellate courts, the defendant did not preserve the alleged
error for review on appeal. State v. Lobato, 603 So.2d at 749.
Id. at 769. Similarly, in the instant case, because defense counsel has not
specifically indicated what evidence or testimony of the defendant’s mental
retardation counsel was prohibited from attaining from unnamed State’s witnesses,
we have no basis to review an alleged error. See also, State v. Jones, 02-267 (La.
App. 5 Cir. 7/30/02), 824 So.2d 514, 516, writ denied, 02-2518 (La. 6/27/03), 847
So.2d 1254.
As previously noted, the Louisiana Supreme Court ultimately determined
that evidence of the defendant’s mental retardation was admissible in both the guilt
and penalty phases of trial. State v. Doyle, 11-597 (La. 3/23/11), 56 So.3d 948. To
the extent that the defendant believed at the time of trial that his case had been
prejudiced by trial going forward as the ruling on the admissibility of the
incapacity evidence was being considered on review, there is nothing in the record
to suggest that the defendant sought to remedy the issue by recalling any of the
State’s witnesses for further cross examination after the supreme court’s ruling,
which could have been permissible under the trial court’s discretion. State v. Jones,
02-267 (La. App. 5 Cir. 7/30/02), 824 So.2d 514, 516, writ denied, 02-2518 (La.
6/27/03), 847 So.2d 1254.36 In any event, as previously discussed, defense counsel
was able to present evidence of the defendant’s mental retardation during the
36
Although the trial court has discretion to allow a party to recall a witness after the witness has been
dismissed, the trial court may deny permission to recall a witness if it will cause undue delay and if the
facts show that the party had a reasonable opportunity on the witness’ first appearance to question the
witness about the matter for which recall is sought. State v. Griffin, 288 So.2d 636, 638 (La. 1974).
State v. Rodriguez, 02-334 (La. App. 5 Cir. 1/14/03), 839 So.2d 106, 125, writ denied, 03-0482 (La.
5/30/03), 845 So.2d 1061.
21-KA-257 40
penalty phase of his case through the testimony of Dr. Deland and in closing
argument.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR 6
In the sixth assignment of error, the defendant’s appellate counsel argues
that the trial court erred by forcing the defendant to trial in violation of his rights to
a jury drawn from a fair cross-section of the community. Counsel contends that the
trial court erroneously denied the defendant’s motion to quash the venire, his
request for a recess to permit further investigation, and his motion for new trial.
The proper procedural vehicle for alleging that the general or petit jury
venire was improperly drawn, selected, or constituted is a motion to quash. La.
C.Cr.P. art. 532(9); State v. Armentor, 19-1267 (La. App. 1 Cir. 7/31/20), 309
So.3d 762, 771, writ denied, 20-1032 (La. 2/17/21), 310 So.3d 1149. A motion to
quash based on the ground that the petit jury venire was unconstitutionally drawn
should be filed in writing prior to the beginning of the jury selection. See
Armentor, supra (citing La. C.Cr.P. arts. 521, 532(9), and 535(C)). Under
Louisiana law, grand or petit juries shall not be set aside for any reason unless
fraud has been practiced or some great wrong committed that would cause
irreparable injury to the defendant, or unless persons have been systematically
excluded from the venire solely upon the basis of race. La. C.Cr.P. art. 419(A). The
defendant bears the burden of proving grounds for setting aside a jury venire. State
v. Edwards, 01-116 (La. App. 5 Cir. 6/27/01), 790 So.2d 109, 115, writ denied, 01-
2235 (La. 8/30/02), 823 So.2d 935.
The required elements for making a prima facie showing of a Sixth
Amendment fair cross-section violation, made applicable to the states under the
Fourteenth Amendment, are set forth in Duren v. Missouri, 439 U.S. 357, 364, 99
S.Ct. 664, 668, 58 L.Ed.2d 579 (1979). A defendant must show: (1) that the group
21-KA-257 41
alleged to be excluded is a “distinctive” group in the community; (2) that the
representation of this group in venires from which juries are selected is not fair and
reasonable in relation to the number of such persons in the community; and (3) that
this under-representation is due to systematic exclusion of the group in the jury
selection process. After the defendant makes a prima facie case, the State has the
burden of justifying this infringement by showing that the achievement of a fair
cross-section is incompatible with a significant state interest.37
Pre-trial motion to quash the jury venire
In his pre-trial motion to quash the jury venire, the defendant argued that the
venire from which jurors were being selected was so unrepresentative as to violate
his state and federal constitutional rights to a fair cross-section and to equal
protection; that according to the 2009 census estimate, Jefferson Parish was nearly
27% African American; that the venire of 189 assembled for the instant case
contained only 17% African Americans; that although 41 additional jurors were
added to the venire, the total venire was still only 20% African American; that such
under-representation denied the defendant his Sixth Amendment right to a trial of
impartial jurors drawn from sources reflecting a fair cross-section of the
community and to equal protection of the laws as guaranteed by the Fourteenth
Amendment, citing Castaneda v. Partida, supra; that the defendant’s venire
demonstrated a prima facie case of a constitutional violation, citing Duren v.
Missouri, supra; that without access to more information regarding the process
used to summon the jurors in the instant case, the defendant was unable to fully
plead and preserve his claim; and that even on the showing made, the State had the
burden to rebut the defendant’s prima facie case.
37
See also, Castaneda v. Partida, 430 U.S. 482, 494-95, 97 S.Ct. 1272, 1280, 51 L.Ed.2d 498 (1977).
21-KA-257 42
At the hearing on the motion to quash the jury venire, defense counsel made
the same arguments that were advanced in the written motion. Also, she asserted
that under the law, three things had to be shown: that the group alleged to be
excluded, African Americans, was a distinctive group; that the numbers showed
that representation of this group was not fair and reasonable in relation to the
number of persons in the community; and that the under-representation was due to
systematic exclusion of the group in the jury selection process. When the trial
judge asked what proof defense counsel had of the third prong, defense counsel
argued that “based on the numbers,” she had made a prima facie showing and that
the State had to rebut that showing. Defense counsel asserted that if the trial judge
found that she had not made a prima facie showing, then she was asking for a
recess to obtain additional information from jury management.
The State responded that La. C.Cr.P. art. 417 governed the manner in which
petit jurors were summoned for jury duty. The prosecutor then called Pamela
Thomassie, chief administrator for the jury pool administration for Jefferson
Parish, as a witness. Ms. Thomassie testified she was currently employed by the
Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court as the department head in the jury assembly room
and that she had been so employed for 26 years. She further testified that based on
her experience, she was familiar with the process used to summon jurors. Ms.
Thomassie explained that she became aware for an increased number of jurors in
the instant case when she received a call from the division, and through an order by
the judge and jury commissioner. She also explained that the division had the
Clerk of Court’s office subpoena enough jurors to have a large jury pool. Ms.
Thomassie stated that her office summoned 750 jurors to appear on February 25,
2011. She asserted that she typed an order to that effect and had the judge sign it.
She stated that she also obtained an order from the jury commissioner for the
21-KA-257 43
authority to pull those jurors. Ms. Thomassie explained that her office put the date,
time, and number of jurors needed into the computer.
Ms. Thomassie testified that was the regular process she used on a regular
day and that the selection of jurors from the system was random, and obtained
from the driver’s license bureau and from the registrar of voters. She stated that
subpoenas were prepared and that a list was delivered to the JPSO. She noted that
each juror was served by regular mail and that the summons was addressed to each
of them at the residence listed on his voter registration or driver’s license. Ms.
Thomassie asserted that the summonses were mailed on January 25, 2011, more
than fifteen days from February 25, 2011. She did not know the racial composition
of the 750 jurors. She explained that some of the summonses were returned to them
due to an incorrect address. Ms. Thomassie noted that she did not make any further
effort to contact those persons. She did not know how often the list of jurors was
updated.
In State v. Turner, 16-1841 (La. 12/5/18), 263 So.3d 337, 393-94, cert.
denied, - - U.S. - -, 140 S.Ct. 555, 205 L.Ed.2d 355 (2019), the defendant filed a
motion to quash the petit jury venire four days after voir dire began, alleging
systemic and intentional under-representation of black panelists. He alleged that
although African Americans represented 46.1% of the adult population in East
Baton Rouge Parish, of the 182 jurors selected for the venire, only 63 were black,
comprising just 34.6% of the venire, and representing an absolute disparity of
11.5%, and a comparative disparity of 24.9%. Although the motion was found to
be untimely, the Turner court stated that although the defendant argued that
disparity in the voter registration lists in comparison to the venire panel established
purposeful discrimination, under State v. Ashworth, 97-2917 (La. 11/25/97), 704
So.2d 228, 229, this alone was insufficient to establish a Sixth Amendment
21-KA-257 44
violation and that the defendant must also point to a “showing in the record of [a]
discrimination against a class of people” in order to establish that a cross-section
violation occurred in his case. The supreme court found that the defendant had not
established entitlement to relief on this basis. It further found that nothing in the
record or in the defendant’s application suggested that the under-representation of
black panelists generally, and black men specifically, was due to a systematic
exclusion of the group, citing Duren, 439 U.S. at 364, 99 S.Ct. at ____.The
Louisiana Supreme Court asserted that the director of jury management at the 19th
Judicial District Court had testified that the court used an automated software
program that performed a “random pull” of the names from the voter registration
logs and DMV records to send out 325 summonses in each case that required a
jury. The supreme court concluded that because defendant failed to show
“systematic exclusion,” he was not entitled to relief.
In the present case, although defense counsel may have arguably established
the first two prongs of Duren, i.e., that the group alleged to be excluded was a
“distinctive” group in the community and that the representation of this group in
venires from which juries are selected was not fair and reasonable in relation to the
number of such persons in the community, the defendant did not establish the third
prong of Duren, namely, that this under-representation was due to systematic
exclusion of the group in the jury selection process.
Similar to the process identified in Turner, in the instant case, Ms.
Thomassie, the chief administrator for the jury pool administration in the Jefferson
Parish Clerk of Court’s Office, testified that the Clerk of Court’s office used a
computer system to randomly select jurors in order to send out summonses. She
explained that they obtained the names of jurors from the driver’s license bureau
and from the registrar of voters. After a review of the record, we find that the
21-KA-257 45
defendant failed to show systematic exclusion in the venire. Accordingly, we find
no error in the trial court’s denial of the defendant’s initial motion to quash. See
also, State v. Brooks, 01-864 (La. App. 5 Cir. 1/29/02), 807 So.2d 1090.
Post-trial motion to quash the jury venire
Prior to sentencing, on July 25, 2011, defense counsel filed a motion for new
trial under La. C.Cr.P. art. 851(2), (4), and (5), challenging the trial judge’s denial
of the motion to quash the venire. In his motion, counsel made the same arguments
he made in his motion to quash the venire, namely, that there was racial
discrimination in the selection of the jury. Additionally, defense counsel stated in
the motion that on July 12, 2011, the United States government had filed suit
against the State of Louisiana, the Louisiana Secretary of State, and various state
agencies for violating the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
On July 25, 2011, defense counsel also filed a motion to continue sentencing
asking for a continuance in order to develop his motion for new trial with respect
to the issue regarding the venire. The trial court denied the motion to continue,
stating that defense counsel had plenty of time to investigate that particular issue.
Defense counsel filed a writ application with this Court challenging the trial
court’s denial of his motion to continue that was denied on the showing made on
July 26, 2011. State v. Doyle, 11-K-749 (La. App. 5 Cir. 7/26/11) (unpublished
writ disposition). On July 27, 2011, a hearing was held on the motion for new trial.
Following arguments of counsel, the trial judge denied the motion without
providing reasons. The trial judge had indicated earlier in the hearing that the claim
could not be granted if it would require a full hearing of the NVRA claim.
In State v. Nix, 327 So.2d 301 (La. 1975), cert. denied sub nom., Fulford v.
Louisiana, 425 U.S. 954, 96 S.Ct. 1732, 48 L.Ed.2d 198 (1976), the Louisiana
Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether the defendants in a first degree
21-KA-257 46
murder trial properly raised a jury venire issue in post-trial motions that were
originally denied pre-trial. In finding that assignment to be without merit, the court
explained:
Bills Nos. 123 and 124 were reserved post-trial to the
denial of duplicate motions for new trial and/or in arrest of
judgment and evidentiary hearing to attack the composition of
the petit jury venire. These post-trial motions were properly
denied, as defendants were afforded an evidentiary hearing on
their pre-trial motions to quash. The allegations do not fall
within the grounds for a motion for a new trial, La. C.Cr.P. art.
851, nor within the grounds for a motion in arrest of judgment,
La. C.Cr.P. art. 859.
Id., at 322. As in Nix, the record in the instant case shows that the defendant was
afforded a full hearing on his pre-trial motion to quash the jury venire and failed to
meet his burden of demonstrating that he was entitled to relief. Accordingly, we
find no error in the trial court denying the motion for new trial on an evidentiary
basis, as well as the procedural issue that challenging the jury venire was not
within the grounds upon which to base in a motion for new trial.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR 7
Defendant’s appellate counsel argues that the trial court erred in denying his
Second Motion for New Trial based upon new and material evidence of
intoxication at the time of the offense. He contends that the trial court erred in
finding that the defendant’s trial counsel did not use reasonable diligence to
discover this information prior to trial and that the pre-trial period was sufficiently
lengthy to have allowed the information regarding intoxication to be developed.
Counsel argues that the denial of his Second Motion for New Trial based on this
ground resulted in a violation of his rights to due process, to a fair trial, and to
present a defense.
On March 28, 2012, defense counsel filed a Second Motion for New Trial,
arguing that under La. C.Cr.P. art. 851(2), (3), (4), and (5), the defendant was
21-KA-257 47
entitled to a new trial because there was new and material evidence of intoxication
at the time of the offense. In his motion, defense counsel asserted that at trial the
defense presented some evidence and argument regarding the defendant’s
intoxication but that the best source of evidence, co-defendant Rojas, did not
become available until after the defendant’s trial and sentencing hearing. The
defendant contended that Rojas was the only individual who had the opportunity to
observe defendant and his drug use in the days, hours, and minutes before the
crime. Defense counsel asserted in his Second Motion for New Trial that Rojas
pled guilty and was sentenced on August 23, 2011, and as a result, became
available to the defendant’s attorneys for the first time. He further asserted that he
met with Rojas and obtained a signed statement regarding his and the defendant’s
drug use. In his statement, attached as Exhibit A, Rojas said that on the night of the
crime, he and the defendant had been awake for two days drinking alcohol and
using a substantial amount of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and Xanax. Rojas
said that the defendant injected the cocaine and heroin intravenously. Defense
counsel explained that at trial they relied upon circumstantial evidence of the
defendant’s drug use but now they had direct evidence of it from Rojas.
In his Second Motion for New Trial, defense counsel stated that when he
provided this new information to Dr. Deland, the forensic psychiatrist who testified
for the defense at trial, she stated in a declaration, attached as Exhibit B to his
motion, that the impact on defendant’s mental state of the drug use described
would have been profound and would have greatly increased his existing
impairments. She concluded that if the defendant consumed these drugs as
described by Rojas, there was at least a reasonable probability that his intoxicated
or drugged condition would have precluded the presence of a specific intent to kill
or inflict great bodily harm at the time of the killing.
21-KA-257 48
Defense counsel argued in the Second Motion for New Trial that this newly
discovered evidence would probably have changed the verdict or judgment of guilt
and warranted a new trial under La. C.Cr.P. art. 851(3). He also argued that this
evidence would have corroborated the evidence of intoxication available at the
suppression hearing and refuted the suggestions that the defendant was sober when
interviewed. Defense counsel contended that it was likely that the motion to
suppress would have been granted if this new evidence had been available.
At the hearing on the Second Motion for New Trial, on May 1, 2013, the
State and the defense stipulated that if called, the witnesses who prepared the
statements attached to the motion as Exhibits A through H27 would testify in
accordance with their statements. Defense counsel subsequently argued why the
motion should be granted, and the prosecutor responded that the jury had already
heard evidence of the defendant’s possible intoxication. After hearing arguments of
counsel, the trial court denied the Second Motion for New Trial.
Defendant’s Second Motion for New Trial on the grounds of new evidence
of intoxication was based on La. C.Cr.P. art. 851(2), (3), (4), and (5). La. C.Cr.P.
art. 851 provides in pertinent part:
A. The motion for a new trial is based on the supposition that
injustice has been done the defendant, and, unless such is
shown to have been the case the motion shall be denied, no
matter upon what allegations it is grounded.
B. The court, on motion of the defendant, shall grant a new trial
whenever any of the following occur:
****
(2) The court’s ruling on a written motion, or an objection made
during the proceedings, shows prejudicial error.
(3) New and material evidence that, notwithstanding the
exercise of reasonable diligence by the defendant, was not
discovered before or during the trial, is available, and if the
evidence had been introduced at the trial it would probably have
changed the verdict or judgment of guilty.
21-KA-257 49
(4) The defendant has discovered, since the verdict or judgment of
guilty, a prejudicial error or defect in the proceedings that,
notwithstanding the exercise of reasonable diligence by the defendant,
was not discovered before the verdict or judgment.
(5) The court is of the opinion that the ends of justice would be served
by the granting of a new trial, although the defendant may not be
entitled to a new trial as a matter of strict legal right[.]
La. C.Cr.P. art. 854 provides, in pertinent part, as follows:
A motion for a new trial based on ground (3) of Article 851 shall
contain allegations of fact, sworn to by the defendant or his counsel,
showing:
1) That notwithstanding the exercise of reasonable diligence by
the defendant, the new evidence was not discovered before or
during the trial;
2) The names of the witnesses who will testify and a concise
statement of the newly discovered evidence;
3) The facts which the witnesses or evidence will establish; and
4) That the witnesses or evidence are not beyond the process of the
court, or are otherwise available.
Additionally, the jurisprudence imposes the following four requirements for
a motion for new trial based on new evidence: 1) the evidence must have been
discovered since the trial; 2) failure to learn of the evidence at the time of trial
must not be due to defendant’s lack of diligence; 3) it must be material to the
issues at the trial; and 4) it must be of such a nature that it would probably produce
an acquittal in the event of a retrial. State v. Richoux, 11-1112 (La. App. 5 Cir.
9/11/12), 101 So.3d 483, 489, writ denied, 12-2215 (La. 4/1/13), 110 So.3d 139.
The trial court’s determination as to whether these requisites are met is entitled to
great weight, and its denial of a new trial will not be disturbed on appeal absent a
clear abuse of that discretion. Id.The denial of a motion for a new trial is not subject to appellate review
except for an error of law. La. C.Cr.P. art. 858. Further, the ruling on a motion for
a new trial is committed to the sound discretion of the trial judge and will not be
disturbed on appeal absent a clear showing of abuse of that discretion. State v.
21-KA-257 50
Bibbins, 13-875 (La. App. 5 Cir. 4/9/14), 140 So.3d 153, 167, writs denied, 14-994
(La. 12/8/14), 153 So.3d 439 and 14-1015 (La. 12/8/14), 153 So.3d 440.
In the instant case, we do not find that Rojas’ affidavit indicating that
defendant was under the influence of a substantial amount of drugs at the time of
the offense was of such a nature that it would have produced an acquittal in the
event of a retrial. See Richoux, supra. Evidence that the defendant was possibly
intoxicated or under the influence of drugs was already admitted at trial and heard
by the jury. Mr. Rome testified that the man who exited the Cadillac prior to going
into the convenience store looked like he was “loaded pretty good” and “good
enough to wobble.” Further, Sergeant Arnaud testified that after the Cadillac was
stopped, she called EMS because the defendant was sweating “profusely,” “kind of
shaking,” and did not answer when she asked if he was okay. She further explained
that defendant was acting “strange,” and she thought that he “might have taken
something.”
In light of the foregoing, we find that the trial court did not abuse its
discretion by denying the Second Motion for New Trial on the basis of new
evidence of intoxication.
ERRORS PATENT REVIEW
The record was reviewed for errors patent, according to La. C.Cr.P. art. 920;
State v. Oliveaux, 312 So.2d 337 (La. 1975); and State v. Weiland, 556 So.2d 175(La. App. 5 Cir. 1990). The review reveals no errors patent in this case that require
correction.
21-KA-257 51
DECREE
For the foregoing reasons, the defendant’s conviction and sentence are
affirmed.
CONVICTION AND SENTENCE AFFIRMED
21-KA-257 52
STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 21-KA-257
VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT
ISAIAH DOYLE COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF LOUISIANA
JOHNSON, J., DISSENTS WITH REASONS
I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion.
In his fifth assignment of error, Defendant argues that the trial court’s
ruling prohibiting the defense counsel from providing evidence regarding his
intellectual disability in the guilt phase of trial violated his constitutional rights.
Defendant further argues that the ruling denied him the opportunity to provide
context for his behavior and actions, from the time of the offense through the
sentencing phase of the trial.
The right of confrontation occupies the status of a paramount
and fundamental right indispensable to a fair trial. It is a substantial,
substantive and valuable right which assures the accused that he shall
have the opportunity to be confronted by the witnesses against him
and this includes not only the right to attend the trial and hear the
witnesses but also the right to cross-examine them at the trial. It is a
constitutional right, not a mere privilege.
State v. Giordano, 259 La. 155, 160; 249 So.2d 558, 560 (La. 1971).
Here, Defendant entered a plea of not guilty and not guilty by reason of
insanity. Defense counsel had the opportunity to present evidence regarding
Defendant’s mental retardation, defect, diminished capacity, and/or illness, but
only after the State completed the presentation of its case-in-chief. The Louisiana
Supreme Court found that the district court committed error when it prohibited the
defense from introducing such evidence “at the guilt phase of the trial, as part of
the circumstances surrounding the making of a confession for jurors to consider in
determining the weight or probative value given the statement.” See State v.
21-KA-257 1
Doyle, 11-597 (La. 3/23/2011) (unpublished writ disposition). In light of
Defendant’s plea of not guilty and not guilty by insanity, the supreme court further
determined that Defendant was also entitled to present evidence in attempts to
show that, because of a mental disease or defect, he was unable to distinguish
between right and wrong at the time of the offense. Id.“The proper analysis for determining harmless error ‘is not whether, in a
trial that occurred without the error, a guilty verdict would surely have been
rendered, but whether the guilty verdict actually rendered in this trial was surely
unattributable to the error.’” State v. Harris, 97-0300 (La. 4/14/98); 711 So.2d 266,
271–72 (Kimball, J., dissent). “[I]t bears emphasizing that when a court reviews
trial error, it requires a court to determine not only that the trial error was harmless
but that the trial error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Bartie,
19-497 (La. App. 3 Cir. 1/22/20); 289 So.3d 1106, 1122–23 citing Langley, 958
So.2d 1160.
The inquiry, in other words, is not whether, in a trial that
occurred without the error, a guilty verdict would surely have been
rendered, but whether the guilty verdict actually rendered in this trial
was surely unattributable to the error. That must be so, because to
hypothesize a guilty verdict that was never in fact rendered—no
matter how inescapable the findings to support that verdict might be—
would violate the jury-trial guarantee.
Sullivan v. Louisiana, 508 U.S. 275, 279; 113 S.Ct. 2078, 2081–82; 124 L.Ed.2d
182 (1993).
Confrontation errors are subject to a Chapman [v. State of
Cal., 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967) ] harmless
error analysis. The correct inquiry is whether the reviewing court,
assuming that the damaging potential of the cross-examination were
fully realized, is nonetheless convinced that the error was harmless
beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. at 684, 106 S.Ct. at 1438. Factors to be
considered by the reviewing court include “the importance of the
witness' testimony in the prosecution's case, whether the testimony
was cumulative, the presence or absence of evidence corroborating or
contradicting the testimony of the witness on material points, the
extent of cross-examination otherwise permitted, and, of course, the
overall strength of the prosecution's case.
21-KA-257 2
State v. Hawkins, 96-766 (La. 1/14/97); 688 So.2d 473, 478 (Citations omitted).
After reviewing the record in this matter, I am not convinced that, but for the
trial court’s earlier erroneous ruling excluding evidence of Defendant’s mental
retardation and illness, the jury would have still found Defendant guilty, as
opposed to not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. Without the trial court’s
error, the defense may have been able to elicit lay opinions, particularly from the
four Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office personnel who interacted with Defendant.
Such testimony could have be considered cumulatively by the jury—along with the
testimony offered by the defense’s expert, Dr. DeLand—and found relevant and
persuasive. Because the State presented its case-in-chief to the jury without the
defense being able to advocate for any consideration of Defendant’s mental
retardation, defect, diminished capacity, and/or mental illness, the trial court’s
error irrevocably tainted the entire trial. It is implausible that the guilty verdict was
surely unattributable to the trial court’s error. Additionally, I do not find that the
defense’s presentation of evidence and testimony, or the opportunity to give an
additional opening statement, or to recall and further cross-examine the State’s
witnesses cured the trial court’s error or rendered the error harmless.
Further, I find that La. C.E. art. 103(A)38 does not apply to this matter. A
criminal defendant has a constitutional right to present a defense. State v. Bowen,
01-594, p. 5 (La. App. 5 Cir. 12/26/01); 806 So.2d 749, 752, writ denied, 02-264
(La. 10/25/02); 827 So.2d 1170 citing La. Const., art. I, § 16. Defendant timely
objected to the trial court’s evidentiary ruling by taking writs and requesting a stay.
38
La C.E. art 103(A):
A. Effect of erroneous ruling. Error may not be predicated upon a ruling which admits
or excludes evidence unless a substantial right of the party is affected, and
(1) Ruling admitting evidence. When the ruling is one admitting evidence, a timely
objection or motion to admonish the jury to limit or disregard appears of record, stating
the specific ground of objection; or
(2) Ruling excluding evidence. When the ruling is one excluding evidence, the
substance of the evidence was made known to the court by counsel.
(Emphasis in original).
21-KA-257 3
An appellate panel cannot possibly know what a jury might have done
if the case had been tried without error. Therefore, if there is any serious
doubt on this score, the case ought to be returned to the jury.
The most serious flaw in the guilt-based approach, however, is its
tendency to undermine our most important legal principles. [ … A]ny
analysis measuring the harmlessness of error according to the weight of the
evidence that the prosecution stacks against a defendant erodes the
individual rights and liberties that are presumed to elevate our system of
justice. A focus on guilt skews the judicial assessment of harmlessness.
Harry T. Edwards, To Err Is Human, but Not Always Harmless: When Should
Legal Error Be Tolerated?, 70 N.Y.U.L. Rev. 1167, 1193–94 (1995).
I acknowledge that facts in this case leave little doubt of Defendant’s factual
guilt or culpability. However, my concern, in affirming versus vacating the jury
verdict, is establishing jurisprudence that such erroneous interference with a
defense’s case amounts to harmless error, when, in fact, it could be the difference
in a defendant being found not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity by a jury
of his peers.
For the foregoing reasons, I would vacate the jury verdict on the basis that
the trial court erred by prohibiting the defense from relying upon evidence of
Defendant’s intellectual disability in the guilt phase of the trial and remand the
matter.
21-KA-257 4
SUSAN M. CHEHARDY CURTIS B. PURSELL
CHIEF JUDGE CLERK OF COURT
NANCY F. VEGA
FREDERICKA H. WICKER
CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK
JUDE G. GRAVOIS
MARC E. JOHNSON
ROBERT A. CHAISSON SUSAN S. BUCHHOLZ
STEPHEN J. WINDHORST
FIRST DEPUTY CLERK
HANS J. LILJEBERG
JOHN J. MOLAISON, JR. FIFTH CIRCUIT
MELISSA C. LEDET
JUDGES 101 DERBIGNY STREET (70053)
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL STAFF
POST OFFICE BOX 489
GRETNA, LOUISIANA 70054 (504) 376-1400
(504) 376-1498 FAX
www.fifthcircuit.org
NOTICE OF JUDGMENT AND CERTIFICATE OF DELIVERY
I CERTIFY THAT A COPY OF THE OPINION IN THE BELOW-NUMBERED MATTER HAS BEEN DELIVERED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIFORM RULES - COURT OF APPEAL, RULE 2-16.4 AND 2-16.5 THIS DAY
DECEMBER 22, 2021 TO THE TRIAL JUDGE, CLERK OF COURT, COUNSEL OF RECORD AND ALL PARTIES
NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL, AS LISTED BELOW:
21-KA-257
E-NOTIFIED
24TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT (CLERK)
HONORABLE JUNE B. DARENSBURG (DISTRICT JUDGE)
DARREN A. ALLEMAND (APPELLEE) JACQUELINE F. MALONEY (APPELLEE) THOMAS J. BUTLER (APPELLEE)
RICHARD J. BOURKE (APPELLANT)
MAILED
CHRISTINE M. LEHMANN (APPELLANT) HONORABLE PAUL D. CONNICK, JR.
ATTORNEY AT LAW (APPELLEE)
636 BARONNE STREET DISTRICT ATTORNEY
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113 VINCENT J. PACIERA, JR. (APPELLEE)
ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY
TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
200 DERBIGNY STREET
GRETNA, LA 70053