Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Henry MARTIN
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1974-02-18
Citations: 290 So. 2d 872
Docket Number: No. 54002
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Henry MARTIN.
Judges: BARHAM, J., dissents with reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 290
Pages: 872–873

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Henry MARTIN.
No. 54002.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Feb. 18, 1974.
Rehearing Denied March 22, 1974.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jim Garrison, Dist. Atty., Louise Korns, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.
Robert F. Fleming, Jr., Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for defendant-appellant.

Opinion:
SANDERS, Chief Justice.
The defendant, Henry Martin, was prosecuted pursuant to a bill of information charging him with wilful and unlawful distribution of heroin in violation of LSA-R. S. 40:971. After trial by a five-man jury, the defendant was convicted of attempted possession with intent to distribute and sentenced to serve ten years at hard labor. He appeals, relying on two bills of exceptions.
Bill of Exceptions No. 1 was reserved when the court denied defendant's motion for a mistrial, based on his allegation that he was entitled to be tried by a twelve-man jury rather than a five-man jury. Bill of Exceptions No. 2 was reserved to the denial of a motion for a new trial, based on the same contention.
The offense with which defendant is charged was committed on July 7, 1972. At that time, Act No. 59 of 1971 was in effect. The penalty provisions of that Act authorized a sentence for heroin distribution of imprisonment at hard labor for not more than thirty years or a fine of not more than $15,000.00 or both. The penalty provision in effect at the time of trial, Act No. 634 of 1972, changed the penalty so as to require imprisonment at hard labor. The increased penalty, however, does not apply to a crime, such as the present one, committed before the effective date of the statute.
Article VII, Section 41 of the Louisiana Constitution provides:
" . . . Cases, in which the punishment may be at hard labor, shall be tried by a jury of five, all of whom must concur to render a verdict; cases, in which the punishment is necessarily at hard labor, by a jury of twelve, nine of whom must concur to render a verdict;
In State v. Rabbas, La., 278 So.2d 45 (1973), we held that, under the constitutional provision, a five-man jury was proper when the penalty provision authorized a fine and did not necessarily require imprisonment at hard labor. Hence, the ruling of the trial judge was correct.
Bill of Exceptions No. 1 is without merit.
Bill of Exceptions No. 2 was reserved to the denial of defendant's motion for a new trial. The motion reurges the question raised by Bill of Exceptions No. 1 and in addition alleges only that the verdict is contrary to the law and evidence. Hence, it presents nothing further for'review.
For the reasons assigned, the conviction and sentence are affirmed.
BARHAM, J., dissents with reasons.