Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Joseph Alvin CALAIS
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1993-02-03
Citations: 615 So. 2d 4
Docket Number: No. CR92-635
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Joseph Alvin CALAIS.
Judges: Before DOMENGEAUX, C.J., and GUIDRY and STOKER, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 615
Pages: 4–8

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Joseph Alvin CALAIS.
No. CR92-635.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
Feb. 3, 1993.
Writ Denied May 21, 1993.
G. Paul Marx, Lafayette, for defendant.
Robin Rhodes, Asst. Dist. Atty., Lafayette, for plaintiff.
Before DOMENGEAUX, C.J., and GUIDRY and STOKER, JJ.

Opinion:
STOKER, Judge.
Defendant, Joseph Alvin Calais, was convicted by the trial judge of second degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Defendant has appealed his conviction. Based on an error patent on the face of the record, which is defendant's second assignment of error, we must vacate the sentence, reverse the conviction and remand the case to the trial court. Our reversal on the error patent renders discussion of defendant's other assignments of error unnecessary.
DISCUSSION
We reverse and vacate defendant's conviction and sentence based on the trial judge's failure to stay the criminal proceedings against defendant after ordering an evaluation of defendant's mental capacity to proceed on a motion by the State, in violation of LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 642.
Apparently defendant had previously suffered mental problems. On October 2, 1987, defendant filed a motion for a sanity commission which was granted by the trial judge. After due proceedings, the trial judge found defendant lacked the mental capacity to proceed and remanded the custody of defendant to the DHHR on March 18, 1988. At a subsequent sanity hearing on March 7, 1991, the trial judge determined that defendant was capable of standing trial and assisting in his own defense.
On December 10, 1991, on a motion by the State, the trial judge ordered that defendant be transferred back to the East Feliciana Forensic Facility for evaluation as to capacity to proceed. An amended minute entry on December 18,1991 ordered that defendant receive treatment either in the Forensic Facility or from the DHHR in the LPCC (jail). However, a sanity commission was never appointed, despite the mandate set forth in LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 644. This constituted a defect in the evaluation order. See State v. Craft, 337 So.2d 1191, 1192, n. 1 (La.1976). On February 11,1992, defendant's trial was held, resulting in his conviction and sentence.
When a question of the defendant's mental incapacity to proceed is raised, LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 642 mandates a stay in the criminal prosecution until the defendant is found to have the mental capacity to proceed. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that no action prejudicial to the defendant will be taken until the defendant's capacity to understand the nature of the proceedings and to assist in his defense has been established. See Official Revision Comment (b), LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 642; State v. Craft, supra.
It is well settled by the jurisprudence that any further steps in the prosecution taken after the issue of defendant's mental capacity to proceed was raised must be nullified, vacated and set aside. State v. Harris, 406 So.2d 128 (La.1981); State v. Henson, 351 So.2d 1169 (La.1977); State v. Nicholas, 587 So.2d 16 (La.App. 3d Cir. 1991).
Therefore, defendant's conviction and sentence are nullified. No other steps in defendant's prosecution may be taken until a sanity commission is appointed, defendant is evaluated, a hearing on the report of the sanity commission is conducted and the judge rules on defendant's capacity to proceed.
DISPOSITION
Defendant's conviction and sentence are reversed and vacated. This matter is remanded for further proceedings in accordance with the law.
REVERSED; VACATED; REMANDED.
DOMENGEAUX, C.J., dissents and assigns reasons.