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Parties Involved:
Thomas Billard
Appellant
Howard Prince
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 13-30820

Summary Calendar

THOMAS BILLARD,

Petitioner-Appellant

v.

HOWARD PRINCE, Warden,

Respondent-Appellee

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Eastern District of Louisiana

USDC No. 2:12-CV-2320

Before HIGGINBOTHAM, JONES, and HIGGINSON, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

A jury convicted Thomas Billard, Louisiana inmate # 448956, of two 

counts of armed robbery; he was sentenced on each count to concurrent terms 

of 50 years of imprisonment at hard labor. State v. Billard, 852 So. 2d 1069, 

1070-71 (La. Ct. App. 2003); Billard v. Kling, 2011 WL 497175, 1 (La. Ct. App. 

Feb. 11, 2011). The state filed a multiple bill charge as to the first count. 

Billard pleaded guilty, after which the trial judge vacated Billard’s previous 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

January 26, 2015

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 

Case: 13-30820 Document: 00512914735 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/26/2015
No. 13-30820

armed robbery sentence on that count and resentenced him as a multiple 

offender to 50 years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, suspension of 

sentence, or good time, to run concurrently with any other sentence that 

Billard was serving. Id. Billard’s sentence on the second count was 

unchanged. See id.

In the instant 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition, Billard challenged, among other 

things, his 50-year sentence following his guilty plea to the multiple offender

bill, arguing that his guilty plea to the multiple offender bill was rendered 

involuntary and not knowing when the sentencing court advised him, 

incorrectly, that he would be eligible for parole. This court granted Billard a 

certificate of appealability to appeal this issue. 

To obtain habeas relief, Billard must show “actual prejudice” as a result 

of the alleged constitutional infringement, i.e., that it had “substantial and 

injurious effect.” See Brecht v. Abrahamson, 507 U.S. 619, 638 (1993); Hogue 

v. Johnson, 131 F.3d 466, 499 (5th Cir. 1997). Given that Billard remains 

incarcerated on the concurrent 50-year sentence he received on the second 

armed robbery count and that, under Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:64, his

sentence must be served without parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, 

he cannot make the required showing. See Williams v. Maggio, 714 F.2d 554, 

556 (5th Cir. 1983). We pretermit deciding the respondent’s procedural 

defenses. See Busby v. Dretke, 359 F.3d 708, 720 (5th Cir. 2004). Billard’s 

motion for the appointment of counsel is DENIED.

AFFIRMED.

2

Case: 13-30820 Document: 00512914735 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/26/2015