Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Eddie MONROE a/k/a Eddie Bell
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1974-04-29
Citations: 305 So. 2d 902
Docket Number: No. 54132
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Eddie MONROE a/k/a Eddie Bell.
Judges: BARHAM and DIXON, JJ., dissent with reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 305
Pages: 902–916

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Eddie MONROE a/k/a Eddie Bell.
No. 54132.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
April 29, 1974.
On Rehearing Dec. 2, 1974.
Leon Sarpy, Harvey G. Gleason, New Orleans, for defendant-appellant.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jim Garrison, Harry F. Connick, Dist. Attys., Louise Korns, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-ap-pellee.

Opinion:
SUMMERS, Justice.
Defendant was convicted of murder in 1963 after a trial by jury. He was sentenced to death by electrocution on April 8, 1965. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment on January 18, 1973, and he was granted an out-of-time appeal on June 20, 1973. Upon this appeal defendant relies upon nine bills of exceptions for a reversal of his conviction and sentence.
The charges against defendant and a co-defendant, Kenneth Lee Simmons, arose out of a killing which occurred during the course of an armed robbery perpetrated in the parking lot of the Schwegmann Brothers' Giant Super Market on Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans. The victim was a 30-year old woman who had been grocery shopping at the supermarket.
Bill 1
This bill of exceptions was reserved when the trial court overruled defense-counsel's objections to the admission into evidence of two oral and two written confessions made by the defendant. The basis for the objections was that the confessions were not free and voluntary and that the defendant was not informed that he had a right to counsel or that his statements could be held against him.
The record reveals that the State presented, out of the presence of the jury, no less than six police officers who testified that at the times the two written and the two oral confessions were made, no force, threats, promises or tricks were used to induce the defendant to make statements. One of the officers admitted that prior to the first interrogation he told defendant that he would have to make a statement regarding the murder, but it appears from the record that prior to any statement defendant was informed that he did not have to make a statement if he did not want to talk.
Defendant took the stand and testified that at the time he made the first statement to the police he believed that he had to make a statement and believed that the police might hurt him if he did not. Defendant also testified that some officer, whom he could not identify, had told him that making a statement might help him. Defendant related that he was threatened by the police, was made to sleep in an air-conditioned room on a concrete floor and was not allowed to use the telephone. Finally, the defendant testified that his only reason for making the various statements was his fear.
Two of defendant's brothers, one of his sisters-in-law, and two of his acquaintances testified regarding circumstances preceding and following defendant's arrest. The two brothers testified that they were picked up by the police the night before defendant's arrest and were used as decoys to flush defendant out of hiding. The two brothers testified that during the course of their detention by the police they were both beaten with shotguns and fists and were held until it was known that defendant had been apprehended. The sister-in-law testified that she had notified defendant that his brothers had been picked up by the police and had been beaten and that she urged defendant to give himself up. An acquaintance of the defendant, one Trotter Jordan, testified that he saw police beat defendant's brother, Jimmy Monroe. All of this testimony is controverted by the police testimony. Some of these relatives testified that they attempted to see defendant in the jail on numerous occasions, but were refused access.
Defendant's arguments in brief relative to rights of a defendant under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), and Escobedo v. Illinois, 378 U.S. 478, 84 S.Ct. 1758, 12 L.Ed.2d 977 (1964), are not applicable to the case at bar. Trial of this defendant was pre-Miranda and pre-Escobedo. These decisions were held not to be retroactive in Johnson v. New Jersey, 384 U.S. 719, 86 S.Ct. 1772, 16 L.Ed.2d 882 (1966). Moreover, this defendant, unlike Escobedo, did not request counsel.
The standard, then, to be used in determining whether the trial court erred in admitting into evidence defendant's confessions is to be found in Sections 451 and 452 of Title 15 as they existed prior to the enactment of the present Code of Criminal Procedure. These provisions state:
"jf 451. Condition precedent to use of confession: free and voluntary rule
"Before what purposes to be a confession can be introduced in evidence, it must be affirmatively shown that it was free and voluntary, and not made under the influence of fear, duress, intimidation, menaces, threats, inducements or promises.
" ¶ 452. Rights of arrested persons as to confession
"No person under arrest shall be subjected to any treatment designed by effect on body or mind to compel a confession of crime."
As pointed out by the State in brief, the trial court's determination that defendant's various confessions were freely and voluntarily given is entitled to great weight and should not be disturbed unless it was clearly erroneous. State v. Hall, 257 La. 253, 242 So.2d 239 (1970), and cases cited therein. Nonetheless, the State has the burden of proving, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the legal requirements for voluntariness have been met. See State v. Skiffer, 253 La. 405, 218 So.2d 313 (1969).
The issue of voluntariness is a question of fact involving to a large extent, as in this case, the credibility of witnesses. When the decision turns on this factor the ruling of the trial judge is entitled to more than the usual weight. There is no error in the ruling here.
Bill 2
Defendant reserved this bill of exceptions when the trial court overruled his objection to the introduction into evidence of oral and written confessions of his co-defendant, Simmons. The basis of the objections at trial was that these confessions were obtained without having ap prised defendant Simmons of his constitutional rights and that the statements were not free and voluntary. In brief, defendant argues that the admission into evidence of confessions of a codefendant who did not take the stand deprived him of this right to cross-examine the witnesses against him and violates the rule of Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123, 88 S.Ct. 1620, 20 L.Ed.2d 476 (1968), which was declared to be applicable to the states and retroactive in Roberts v. Russell, 392 U.S. 293, 88 S.Ct. 1921, 20 L.Ed.2d 1100 (1968).
The State urges in brief that the harmless error rule regarding a Bruton error, stated in Harrington v. California, 395 U. S. 250, 89 S.Ct. 1726, 23 L.Ed.2d 284 (1969), is applicable to this case. This position is correct, when it is considered that defendant's second written and his second oral confession and Simmon's written confession are substantially identical. See State v. Hooper, 253 La. 439, 218 So.2d 551 (1969), wherein this Court fashioned application of our own Code of Criminal Procedure Article 921 "harmless error" rule to an alleged Bruton situation which closely parallels that presented in this case months before the United States Supreme Court's decision in Harrington came down.
This bill is without merit.
Bill 3
Defendant reserved this bill of exceptions when the trial court refused to allow his cross-examination of witnesses testifying on predicate as to the voluntariness of codefendant Simmons' confession.
This appeal has been taken on defendant Monroe's behalf; we are not here concerned with bills reserved on behalf of defendant Simmons except insofar as they may be, under Code of Criminal Procedure Article 501 (1928 Code of Criminal Procedure), properly advanced on Monroe's behalf and perfected upon this appeal. Defendant does not, upon this appeal, argue that the trial court's ruling as to the admissibility of Simmons' confession was erroneous. While it may be that the trial court's curtailment of defendant's cross-examination of witnesses testifying on the predicate as to the voluntariness of Simmons' confession was a doubtful exercise of the discretion vested in him to control examination of witnesses under Article 369 of the 1928 Code of Criminal Procedure, it is submitted that any error committed was harmless, in light of the facts that there has been no attack on the voluntariness of Simmons' confessions and that the issue of admissibility of defendant's second written confession, which agrees with Simmons' version of the incident, was determined adversely to defendant. See Article 557 of the 1928 Code of Criminal Procedure (analogous to La.Code Crim.Proc. art. 921 "harmless error rule").
Bill 4
According to the bill of exceptions (No. 4) itself, it was reserved when the trial court prohibited the introduction of evidence offered to show the defendant's state of mind at the time of his arrest. In brief, however, defendant argues that he was trying to get before the jury evidence of this state of mind at the time of making the confession.
Evidence of the state of mind of defendant at the time of the arrest, which defendant sought to elicit through the testimony of defendant's brothers, sister-in-law and the acquaintance who arranged his surrender to the police, could have been relevant only insofar-as it may have supported an inference that the alleged fear that he experienced at the time of his arrest continued unabated up to the point of-, and during the giving of, the four oral and written confessions which spanned a two-day period. Not one of the witnesses whom defendant sought to use to establish state of mind was present at the time that any of the confessions were made. Under these circumstances, defendant's state of mind at the time of the arrest, alleged to have existed because of defendant's knowledge of the alleged beatings sustained by his brothers at the hands of the police was irrelevant.
This bill has no merit.
Bill 5
This bill of exceptions recites that it is taken to the trial court's failure to grant a motion for severance. It further recites that defendant through counsel properly objected to the ruling of the court and reserved a bill of exceptions. However, the minutes do not reflect that the trial court ever formally ruled on this motion. The minutes do reflect that a trial date was set and that both defense counsel concurred in the setting of the trial date. In the "Note of Evidence" contained in the record with the bill, it is recited that there never was a ruling on this motion. The minutes do not reflect a ruling on the motion or an objection and reservation of a bill thereto by defense counsel. It is submitted, therefore, that any objection defendant may have had to the trial court's failure to grant a severance was waived by his failure to note an objection thereto and reserve a bill. See State v. Woodfox, 291 So.2d 388 (La.1974).
This bill of exceptions is without merit.
Bill 6
This bill of exceptions was reserved to the trial court's denial of a motion for a continuance. The motion complained of the trial court's failure to appoint a Lunacy Commission to inquire into defendant's sanity and alleged that counsel had not had sufficient time to prepare for trial. The pertinent statutory law at the time of this trial provided:
"If before or during the trial the court has reasonable ground to believe that the defendant against whom an indictment has been found or information filed is insane or mentally defective to the extent that the defendant is unable to understand the proceedings against him or to assist in his defense, the court shall immediately fix a time for a hearing to determine the defendant's mental condition. The court may appoint two disinterested physicians to examine the defendant with regard to his present mental condition and to testify at the hearing.
"If the court, after the hearing, decides that the defendant is able to understand the proceedings and to assist in his defense, it shall proceed with the trial.
"When in the opinion of the court the accused is incapable of understanding the proceedings against him or to assist in his own defense, and the patient is committed to the East Louisiana State Hospital, Central Louisiana State Hospital, or to the State Colony and Training School for observation, examination, and report, the patient shall be examined by the physicians composing the medical staff of the institution without cost to the respective parish from which the patient has been committed." (La.R.S. 15:267).
No evidence is attached to the bill of exceptions to show that the trial court erred when it failed to find reasonable ground to believe that the defendant was insane or mentally defective so as to prevent him from understanding the proceedings against him or from assisting in his defense. Absent evidence tending to show that the trial court ignored evidence that would tend to establish a "reasonable ground to believe" defendant was so insane or defective as to be unable to stand trial, this Court should not find the denial of the continuance motion error.
Regarding defendant's allegation that his counsel did not have enough time to prepare for trial, such a bare allegation, without supporting facts to show prejudice resulting to defendant from the fact that he had insufficient time to prepare for trial, does not warrant granting defendant relief.
This bill is without merit.
Bill 7
When the trial court denied his application for appointment of a Lunacy Commission, this bill was reserved. A letter from a psychiatrist, Dr. Chappuis, and various letters from defendant's school teachers and acquaintances indicate that these persons were of the opinion that defendant was a mental defective. However, a pretrial hearing was held on defendant's application, at which Dr. Chappuis testified, and the application was denied. It is clear that a determination of capacity to stand trial is a matter for the court's decision. Since Section 267 of Title IS of the Revised Statutes, quoted in our treatment of Bill 6, supra, places such a decision within the sound discretion of the trial judge, after hearing the only testimony in support of the application (that of Dr. Chappuis), the trial court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to appoint a Lunacy Commission. Especially since defendant did not attach the testimony of Dr. Chap-puis at the hearing to this bill. It is difficult to see how such an abuse of discretion could be found without that evidence.
Bill 8
A motion to quash in which it was contended that there was systematic exclusion of blacks from the jury which indicted him was overruled by the trial judge and this bill was reserved. It was stipulated that this case, on the issue of jury discrimination, would be joined with State v. Barksdale, another capital case in which the same inquiry was being made. In Barksdale, on direct appeal from conviction, this Court considered the issue of systematic exclusion and held that there had been no showing of intentional discriminátion. See State v. Barksdale, 247 La. 198, 170 So.2d 374 (1964). The United States Supreme Court refused certiorari in Barksdale. 382 U.S. 921, 86 S.Ct. 297, 15 L.Ed.2d 236.
Since this Court failed to find systematic exclusion in the Barksdale case which would have warranted quashing the indictment, and since the same system being used was that attacked in the instant case, it is not shown that the trial court's failure to grant the motion to quash was error.
Bill 9
This bill of exceptions was reserved when the trial court refused to grant defendant's motion for a new trial. The grounds for the motion were all considered in previous bills of exceptions and the merit vel non of this bill of exceptions necessarily depends on a determination of the merits of the foregoing bills.
For the reasons assigned, the conviction and sentence are affirmed.
BARHAM and DIXON, JJ., dissent with reasons.
. The dissenting opinion, on first hearing, of Mr. Justice Barham sets out this uncontradicted evidence at greater length.