Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Richard C. VALENTINE
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1981-04-06
Citations: 397 So. 2d 1299
Docket Number: No. 80-K-2096
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Richard C. VALENTINE.
Judges: DENNIS, J., dissents with reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 397
Pages: 1299–1301

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Richard C. VALENTINE.
No. 80-K-2096.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
April 6, 1981.
Rehearing Denied May 18, 1981.
Michael J. Johnson, Cottonport, for defendant-relator.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Eddie Knoll, Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-respondent.

Opinion:
WATSON, Justice.
Defendant was convicted of driving while intoxicated, second offense. LSA-R.S. 14:98. A writ was granted to review his contention that there was no evidence of the first offense.
Defendant, Richard C. Valentine, was first charged with driving while intoxicated, third offense. His counsel filed a motion for a preliminary examination, which was granted. At the hearing, the State introduced without objection minutes of the Twelfth Judicial District Court, which show a guilty plea on August 24, 1978, and a conviction of D.W.I. on September 19, 1978, and minutes of the Bunkie City Court, which show a conviction of second offense D.W.I. on January 29, 1980. The district court minutes reflect that defendant, Richard C. Valentine, was present in court, waived his right to an attorney, and pleaded guilty after being advised of all his rights and privileges. Since the minutes of the Bunkie .City Court failed to affirmatively state that defendant was present with counsel or intelligently waived his right to counsel at the time of the second conviction, the present charge was reduced to driving while intoxicated, second offense. After a bench trial in district court, defendant was convicted and sentenced to a fine of $400, or ninety days in the Avoyelles Parish Jail, and an additional one hundred and twenty-five days in the Avoyelles Parish Jail. Counsel objected to the conviction on the ground that there was no valid evidence of the first offense, the only evidence at trial, being a statement by the judge: "Well, I think that the first conviction took place in this court." (Tr. 81)
The trial judge could take judicial notice of the record at the preliminary hearing, an earlier proceeding before him in the same case. LSA-R.S. 15:422(7); State v. Augillard, 371 So.2d 798 (La.1979). There was adequate evidence of the first offense, and defendant was properly convicted of driving while intoxicated, second offense.
For the foregoing reasons, the conviction and sentence are affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
DENNIS, J., dissents with reasons.
Judges James C. Gulotta, John C. Boutall, and Patrick M. Schott of the Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, participated in this decision as Associate Justices Ad Hoc, joined by Chief Justice Dixon and Associate Justices Calogero, Dennis and Watson.