Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Sylvester PETERS
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1973-12-03
Citations: 298 So. 2d 276
Docket Number: No. 53754
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Sylvester PETERS.
Judges: BARHAM, J., dissents and assigns written reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 298
Pages: 276–282

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Sylvester PETERS.
No. 53754.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Dec. 3, 1973.
On Rehearing July 1, 1974.
Dissenting Opinion on Rehearing July 29, 1974.
Sydney I. Horn, Lake Charles, for defendant-appellant.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., LeRoy A. Hartley, Sp. Asst. Atty. Gen., Frank T. Salter, Jr., Dist. Atty., James L. Babin, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.

Opinion:
SANDERS, Chief Justice.
Defendant, Sylvester Peters, was tried under two bills of Information, charging him with armed robbery (LSA-R.S. 14:64) and simple kidnapping (LSA-R.S. 14:45). The defendant was convicted of both offenses, before a 12-man jury. A motion in arrest of judgment was granted as to the conviction for simple kidnapping, on the ground that the jury was improperly constituted. LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 859(4). De fendant was sentenced, under the armed robbery conviction, to serve 25 years in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
The defendant appeals his conviction for armed robbery, relying upon two bills of exceptions and an allegation of denial of due process, based upon the joint trial on the charges of armed robbery and simple kidnapping.
On the morning of March 14, 1973, the defendant allegedly went to the home of Mrs. Nelrene Clark, robbed Mrs. Clark at gun point of $64.00 and then, using a knife, cut her on her chest. After raping her, he forced Mrs. Clark to accompany him to Houston, Texas, where she was released.
BILLS OF EXCEPTIONS NOS. 1 and 2
These bills were reserved when the trial court admitted photographs of the victim, taken by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Department, the day after the commission of the offense. The victim identified the photographs as being those taken of her the day after the perpetration of the crime (Tr. 38-40). The defense counsel objected to the introduction of the evidence on the grounds that a proper foundation had not been laid by the state. The defense contended that the photographs could not be properly identified by the photographer or officer. The contention is without substance.
The sufficiency of verification of a photograph for purposes of admissibility rests largely within the discretion of the. trial judge. State v. Fox, 251 La. 464, 205 So.2d 42 (1967).
Recently, in State v. Mitchell, La., 278 So.2d 48, we rejected an identical contention, holding:
"As noted by the trial judge in his per curiam, it is not necessary that a picture be verified by the photographer in order for it to be offered into evidence."
See also State v. Chambers, 263 La. 1080, 270 So.2d 514 (1972).
In the present case, the identification of the photographs by the victim, that such photographs were those taken of her by the Calcasieu police officer the day after the offense, constituted a sufficient foundation for the introduction of this evidence at the trial.
Bills of Exceptions Nos. 1 and 2 lack merit.
In his appellate brief, the defendant raises an objection to the joint trial on the charges of armed robbery and simple kidnapping. It is his position that such a procedure denied him due process, despite the circumstance that the two charges arose out of the same events and that the simple kidnapping conviction was set aside in the trial court.
Insofar as the record before us shows, defendant filed no pretrial motion for severance, raised no objection to the joint trial, and has perfected no bill of exceptions.
The Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure is explicit as to method required in raising issues for appellate review. Article 841 of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure provides:
"An irregularity or error in the proceedings cannot be availed of after verdict unless it is objected to at the time of its occurrence and a bill of exceptions is reserved to the adverse ruling of the court on such objection. Failure to reserve a bill of exceptions at the time of an adverse ruling of the court operates as a waiver of the objection and as an acquiescence in the irregularity or ruling.
"This requirement shall not apply to:
"(1) A ground for arrest of judgment under Article 859, or the court's ruling on a motion in arrest of judgment; or
"(2) The court's ruling on a motion for a new trial based on the ground of bills of exceptions reserved during the trial."
See also LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 920.
Although the defendant filed a motion in arrest of judgment, this motion was grounded upon the fact that the jury was improperly composed for a case of simple kidnapping. This error was corrected when the trial judge sustained the motion as to the simple kidnapping conviction.
Furthermore, though a motion for a new trial was filed, this motion was founded upon the grounds set forth in Bills of Exceptions Nos. 1 and 2. These bills have been found to be without merit.
In conclusion, since a timely objection was not made in the trial court, and since this objection was not made a part of a formal bill of exceptions, the right to raise this issue has been waived. LSA-C.Cr.P. Arts. 841, 920; Fiano v. United States, 9 Cir., 271 F.2d 883 (1959), cert. den., 361 U.S. 964, 80 S.Ct. 593, 4 L.Ed.2d 545 (1960); McCrary v. State, 249 S.Ct. 14, 152 S.E.2d 235, cert. den., 386 U.S. 1013, 87 S.Ct. 1362, 18 L.Ed.2d 445 (1967); State v. Campbell, 230 S.Ct. 432, 96 S.E.2d 476, cert. den., 354 U.S. 914, 77 S.Ct. 1295, 1 L.Ed.2d 1427 (1957); Skaggs v. Illinois, 398 Ill. 478, 76 N.E.2d 455, writ. den., 333 U.S. 849, 68 S.Ct. 653, 92 L.Ed. 1131 (1948); Ramirez v. United States, 9 Cir., 294 F.2d 277 (1961).
For the reasons assigned, the conviction and sentence are affirméd.
BARHAM, J., dissents and assigns written reasons.
TATE, J., dissents and adopts reasons of BARHAM, J.
DIXON, J., dissents.