Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Terry A. TOLEDANO
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1980-09-03
Citations: 391 So. 2d 817
Docket Number: No. 66727
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Terry A. TOLEDANO.
Judges: LEMMON, J., dissents and assigns reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 391
Pages: 817–821

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Terry A. TOLEDANO.
No. 66727.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Sept. 3, 1980.
Concurring Opinion Sept. 24, 1980.
On Rehearing Dec. 15, 1980.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Harry F. Con-nick, Dist. Atty., Louise S. Korns, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.
Robert F. Barnard, Dwight Doskey, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for defendant — appellant.

Opinion:
WATSON, Justice.
During Toledano's trial for first degree murder, counsel for defendant, while cross-examining juvenile witness Reginald Yawls, moved for production of a "rap sheet" on the juvenile. The only argument urged on the appeal of Toledano's conviction of manslaughter is that the trial court committed reversible error in denying the motion.
Yawls was the principal, but not the only, witness connecting Toledano with the killing of Moses Green at the victim's apartment in New Orleans East. Yawls testified that he met Toledano on the street, that they smoked some "weed" and that Toleda-no talked Yawls into accompanying him to Green's apartment. Yawls had been led to believe that the two of them would be paid by Green in return for sexual favors. Upon arrival at Green's apartment, according to Yawls, he went into the bathroom and then heard two shots. Returning to the living area, he found Toledano with a pistol in his hand and Green lying dead with wounds in the arm and in the head. Other witnesses connected Yawls with a pistol which was established later by ballistic tests to have fired the bullets.
It was revealed during Yawls' testimony that the prosecution had allowed him to plead guilty to manslaughter in return for testifying against Toledano. This evidence was adduced prior to the defense motion for production of a rap sheet on Yawls. Since the witness was only seventeen at the time of trial, a rap sheet could have contained only a record of juvenile offenses, if any.
No particular reason was assigned by defense counsel for the requested information except by allusion to a claim that it would be exculpatory under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). The record does not indicate wheth er the prosecution had a rap sheet on Yawls.
The issue on appeal is whether the defendant is entitled to obtain the criminal record of a juvenile witness, when the apparent object is to cast doubt on the witness' general character.
As previously held by this court:
". . an adjudication that a juvenile has committed an offense is not a determination that the child was a criminal, 'nor shall such adjudication be deemed a conviction.' La.R.S. 13:1580(5) (1974). It was thus improper impeachment of the appellant's credibility, since only a conviction of a crime may be used for such purpose. La.R.S. 15:495. (Furthermore, juvenile records are ordinarily privileged information. La.R.S. 13:1586 (1950)." State v. Roberts, 331 So.2d 11 at p. 13 (1976), rev'd on other grounds, 431 U.S. 633, 97 S.Ct. 1993, 53 L.Ed.2d 637 (1977).
Also, the Louisiana Juvenile Code, enacted in 1978 and amended in 1979, provides in part as follows:
"All records and reports of the court, probation officers, and law enforcement agencies concerning matters or proceedings under the juvenile jurisdiction of the court are confidential and shall not be disclosed except as provided by law." Art. 122 A.
The defendant relies heavily on Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (1974). In Davis, juvenile witness Green, who identified the defendant as having a crowbar in his hand where a safe was found broken open, was not implicated in the crime. The witness was on juvenile probation. Counsel for defendant attempted to question him concerning his probationary status, particularly whether he feared being accused of the theft of the safe and having his probation revoked. The trial judge sustained the State's objection to the cross-examination. On review by the United States Supreme Court, it was noted that the cross-examination sought to show Green's possible bias and prejudice because of his vulnerable status as a probationer. Davis held that the State's interest in protecting the anonymity of juvenile offenders is outweighed by the need for cross-examination to establish any bias and prejudice.
Davis is distinguishable from the present case oh more than one ground. The request for the production of the rap sheet apparently was an attempt to discover past involvements by Yawls with the law, a subject on which he had been cross-examined. Also, the participation by Yawls in the homicide had been fully explored, as well as his plea bargain with the State. The jury was aware that Yawls had made a deal with the State and had pleaded guilty to the crime of manslaughter. The situation differs from Davis where a specific purpose was shown for the cross-examination, the importance of which outweighed the policy of confidentiality. Therefore, in the present case, there was established no need or requirement for production of a rap sheet which would outweigh the statutory policy of the State of Louisiana protecting the confidentiality of juvenile proceedings.
The assignment of error is without merit and the conviction and sentence of defendant are affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
LEMMON, J., dissents and assigns reasons.
DIXON, C. J., dissents with reasons.
DENNIS, J., concurs with reasons.
CALOGERO, J., dissents.
. Toledano was sentenced to 21 years.