Case Name: STATE of Louisiana, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Davis J. VICTORIAN, Defendant-Appellant
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1984-02-01
Citations: 448 So. 2d 1304
Docket Number: No. CR 83-644
Parties: STATE of Louisiana, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Davis J. VICTORIAN, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before FORET, YELVERTON and KNOLL, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 448
Pages: 1304–1311

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Davis J. VICTORIAN, Defendant-Appellant.
No. CR 83-644.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
Feb. 1, 1984.
Rehearing Granted March 7, 1984.
On Rehearing April 11, 1984.
Rehearing Denied May 10, 1984.
Frank T.- Salter, Jr., Salter, Streete & Hale, Lake Charles, for defendant-appellant.
Leonard K. Knapp, Jr., Dist. Atty., and F. Wayne Frey, Lake Charles, for plaintiff-appellee.
Before FORET, YELVERTON and KNOLL, JJ.

Opinion:
KNOLL, Judge.
The defendant, Davis J. Victorian, was charged by bill of information with illegal use of a weapon, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:94. The defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced under LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 893.1 to serve 2 years in the parish jail without the benefit of probation, suspension or parole. The defendant reserved nine assignments of error attacking his sentence mainly on constitutional issues. Because we find the sentence to be improper on other grounds and remand the ease for resentencing, we pretermit all of defendant's assignments of error.
FACTS
On February 17, 1982, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, a truck driven by Earl LaV-ergne pulled out in front of the defendant's vehicle which was traveling east on Highway 90. The defendant pulled over in the left lane and applied his brakes to avoid hitting the LaVergne vehicle. Both parties exchanged obscene gestures and drove in close proximity of each other as they proceeded up the I — 10 bridge. As the LaV-ergne vehicle attempted to pass, the defendant picked up a .22 pistol and fired out of his window five times, striking the LaV-ergne vehicle in the right front fender each time.
The defendant was initially charged with violating LSA-R.S. 14:94 by "intentionally or with criminal negligence discharge a firearm, to-wit: .22 caliber pistol, wherein it was foreseeable that it may result in death or great bodily harm to a human being_" Although this bill was amended to the charge of aggravated criminal damage to property, it was again amended back to the charge of illegal use of a weapon, to which the defendant entered a guilty plea.
R.S. 14:94 provides in pertinent part: "A. Illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities is the intentional or criminally negligent discharging of any firearm, or the throwing, placing, or other use of any article, liquid, or substance, where it is foreseeable that it may result in death or great bodily harm to a human being.
B. Whoever commits the crime of illegal use of weapons or dangerous in-strumentalities shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than two years, or both. "
Upon accepting the defendant's plea, the trial court informed the defendant that the maximum penalty for illegal use of a weapon was a $1000 fine or two years with or without hard labor, or both. At sentencing, the court told the defendant it felt compelled to invoke Art. 893.1 since the defendant used a firearm and gave the defendant the opportunity to withdraw his guilty plea. The defendant maintained his guilty plea, but objected to the court applying Art. 893.1.
C.Cr.P. Art. 893.1 provides:
"When the court makes a finding that a firearm was used in the commission of a felony and when suspension of sentence is not otherwise prohibited, the court shall impose a sentence which is not less than:
(1) The maximum sentence provided by law, in the same manner as provided in the offense, if the maximum sentence is less than five years, or
(2) Five years, in the same manner as provided in the offense, if the maximum sentence is five years or more. Imposition or execution of sentence shall not be suspended and the offender shall not be eligible for probation or parole. "
The trial court did not impose any sentence under R.S. 14:94.
ENHANCED PENALTIES
Article 893.1 authorizes the imposition of an enhanced penalty on a defendant who uses a firearm in the commission of a felony. The question for determination in this case is whether Article 893.1 may be applied to a defendant who uses a firearm in the course of a felony that is proscribed by a statute which itself authorizes punishment if a weapon is used. For reasons set forth below, we hold that the defendant's sentence shall be imposed as provided in the statute defining the felony he committed and that Article 893.1 does not apply in such a case.
Criminal and penal laws are to be strictly construed and in the absence of an express legislative intent, any doubt should be resolved in favor of lenity, and not so as to multiply the penalty imposed upon the defendant. State v. Cox, 344 So.2d 1024 (La.1977).
The question raised by the defendant is res nova under Article 893.1. However, from analogous issues involving enhanced penalties, our determination is consistent with the jurisprudence.
State v. Sanders, 337 So.2d 1131 (La.1976) addressed the issue of whether the State may multiple-bill a person under the habitual offender statute, who was convicted under R.S. 14:95.1 of being a convicted felon who carries a concealed weapon, by using in the multiple-bill the same felony conviction alleged as elements of the offense. The Louisiana Supreme Court held that the State could not use the defendant's prior conviction twice: first to convict him, and, second to increase the penalty through a multiple bill. The Court stated:
"Consequently, we find that the penalty provisions enacted in R.S. 14:95.1 were intended by the legislature to delimit the permissible punishment for that offense because the statute itself takes into account the fact of defendant's previous felony conviction and the legislature gave no indication that it wanted the multiple-billing procedure to remain available as a vehicle for further enlargement of the penalty. " (Emphasis added)
The Supreme Court treated a similar issue in State v. Cox, supra, in determining whether the State may employ a conviction of simple escape in seeking to have a person declared an habitual offender. In Cox, the Court relied on Sanders, supra, and stated:
"... The escape statute itself causes an enhancement of penalty by requiring consecutive sentences because of a defendant's previous felony conviction. Although the legislature chose to make the enhancement to a felony dependent upon a defendant's escape from the Department of Corrections instead of relating the enhancement directly to his previous commission of a felony, we see no real difference because only convicted felons may be sentenced to the Department of Corrections. "
Thus, it is apparent that enhanced penalties cannot be applied to offenses that contain the same elements as in the enhanced penalty. This is consistent with federal jurisprudence on this issue. See Simpson v. United States, 435 U.S. 6, 98 S.Ct. 909, 55 L.Ed.2d 70 (1978), and Busic v. United States, 446 U.S. 398, 100 S.Ct. 1747, 64 L.Ed.2d 381 (1980).
The present case presents a good example of when article 893.1 is not applicable. The defendant entered a guilty plea to a specific (requiring a weapon) statute: illegal use of a weapon. The penalty for this offense is provided in the statute itself. The enhanced penalty is likewise provided upon the second, third and subsequent conviction:
"C. On a second conviction, the offender shall be imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than five years.
D. On a third and subsequent convictions, the offender shall be imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than five years.
E. The enhanced penalty upon second, third, and subsequent convictions provided for in this Section shall not be applicable in cases where more than five years have elapsed since the expiration of the maximum sentence, or sentences, of the previous conviction or convictions, and the time of the commission of the last offense for which he has been convicted; the sentence to be imposed in such event shall be the same as may be imposed upon a first conviction. "
Article 893.1 is an enhanced penalty to be applied to general statutes that do not require the element of a weapon or firearm, e.g., manslaughter, negligent homicide, murder, and etc. But in specific statutes e.g., illegal use of a weapon, any "aggravated" offenses when a firearm is used, armed robbery, and etc., Article 893.1 is not to be applied because absent an express legislative intent, it is assumed that the legislature, in fixing penalties for specific offenses committed with a firearm, intended the penalty to take this into account.
The elements of the offense of illegal use of a weapon are the same as required in the enhanced penalty provision of 893.1. Accordingly, we find the defendant's sentence in the present case falls within the prohibited use of an enhanced penalty under Article 893.1, first to convict him and, second to enhance his penalty. We therefore remand the case to the district court for re-sentencing under the provision of R.S. 14:94 and Article 894.1.
We further find that the enhanced penalty provided under Article 893.1 does not create a new or separate offense based on the use of a firearm but merely provides for the imposition of an increased sentence for persons using a firearm in the commission of a felony. We find that the trial court erred in sentencing the defendant directly under Article 893.1. This has the effect of making Article 893.1 a crime of "using a firearm in the commission of a felony" rather than serving as an enhanced penalty.
DECREE
The defendant's conviction is affirmed. The defendant's sentence is vacated and set aside, and the case is remanded to the district court for re-sentencing consistent with the views expressed above.
REMANDED FOR RE-SENTENCING.
YELVERTON, J., dissents.
. The defendant perfected ten assignments and briefed nine, therefore the tenth assignment is considered abandoned. State v. Domingue, 298 So.2d 723 (La. 1974).