Title: State v. Boatner

State: louisiana

Issuer: Louisiana Supreme Court

Document:

304 So. 2d 661 (1974) STATE of Louisiana v. Theodore BOATNER. No. 55067. Supreme Court of Louisiana. December 2, 1974. Lyall G. Shiell, Jr., New Orleans, for defendant-appellant. William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., Louise Korns, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee. SANDERS, Chief Justice. Defendant, Boatner, was convicted of receiving stolen property in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:69. Under LSA-R.S. 15:529.1, the multiple offender statute, the trial judge sentenced him to imprisonment for a term of twelve years. During the course of the trial, defendant reserved four bills of exceptions, all of which he has abandoned on appeal. On appeal, he relies entirely on the unconstitutionality of the multiple offender statute. Defendant asserts that LSA-R.S. 15:529.1 violates the prohibition against double jeopardy in Article 1, Section 9 of the Louisiana Constitution (1921) and the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. He reasons that in effect it punishes the offender twice for the same offense. This Court has previously rejected the identical contention. State ex rel. Williams v. Henderson, La., 289 So. 2d 74 (1974); State v. Hardy, 174 La. 458, 141 So. 27 (1932). In State ex rel. Williams v. Henderson, supra, this Court held: The contested statute creates no independent offense. Rather, it prescribes the circumstances under which there is an enhanced penalty for the current offense. *662 The additional sentence is for the current offense only. Accordingly, we hold here that defendant's contention is without merit. For the reasons assigned, the conviction and sentence are affirmed.