Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Warren A. BERNARD
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1991-06-26
Citations: 583 So. 2d 111
Docket Number: No. 91-KA-7
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Warren A. BERNARD.
Judges: Before KLIEBERT, GAUDIN and GRISBAUM, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 583
Pages: 111–113

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Warren A. BERNARD.
No. 91-KA-7.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.
June 26, 1991.
Writ Denied Oct. 4, 1991.
John M. Mamoulides Dist. Atty., James Maxwell, Dorothy A. Pendergast, Asst. Dist. Attys., Gretna, for plaintiff-appellee.
Bruce G. Whittaker, 24th Judicial Dist., Indigent Defender Bd., Gretna, for defendant-appellant.
Before KLIEBERT, GAUDIN and GRISBAUM, JJ.

Opinion:
GAUDIN, Judge.
Warren A. Bernard was convicted on November 9, 1983 of three counts of armed robbery and one of attempted armed robbery and sentenced to 50 years at hard labor. From 1983 to 1990, Bernard did not file an appeal. In 1990, he did receive court authorization to file an out-of-time appeal.
Unfortunately, a transcript of Bernard's trial is not available. From the record, it appears that two different court reporters recorded the testimony. One could not be located while the other disposed of his records over five years old.
Bernard argues that his constitutional right to judicial review (Art. 1, Sec. 19 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974) is being prejudicially denied. He asks that his convictions be reversed. The district court denied relief and we affirm.
Appellant relies on State v. Archie, 462 So.2d 248 (La.App. 4 Cir.1984). The defendant in this case, however, timely sought appellate court review of the trial court's denial of a pretrial motion to suppress. When a complete transcript couldn't be provided, the Fourth Circuit remanded for a new suppression hearing.
Bernard, obviously, did not file a timely appeal. He was over six years late. Court reporters in the 24th Judicial District Court (where Bernard was convicted) are required by LSA-R.S. 13:967(F) to preserve records for two years.
We do not believe appellant should benefit from his inaction from 1983 to 1990, particularly in the absence of any statutory violation regarding the keeping of records and in the total absence of any showing (or even suggestion) of bad faith by either court reporter or the prosecution. We are unaware of any state or federal statute or jurisprudence from Louisiana or elsewhere indicating that records should be preserved for six years or longer.
When Bernard's request for an out-of-time appeal was granted, it was no doubt assumed that a trial transcript could somehow, belatedly be prepared. This assumption was inadvertent and certainly regrettable. Justice is far better served, considering all facts and circumstances of this case, by the denial of Bernard's dilatory and lethargic attempt at judicial review than by the voiding of these serious convictions.
Had there been any reversible district court errors in Bernard's trial, or any that could have been resolutely argued on appeal, it is almost inconceivable that he and/or his trial lawyer would have waited so long before seeking redress. No reason is given for the delay except Bernard's unsupported statement in his application for post conviction relief filed in district court on February 2, 1990. In that pleading, Bernard says that he "constantly requested" that his counsel file an appeal but that these pleas were ignored.
LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 930.8, which became effective October 1, 1990, sets a time limitation of three years for the filing of post conviction relief applications. Although Bernard was and is not bound by this article's three-year time limitation, we note that he waited twice as long as now allowed before filing his application.
We hold that if a convicted felon waits more than six years before seeking post conviction relief, he cannot complain if a trial transcript is not obtainable.
This holding is, of course, now subject to the provisions of Art. 930.8. Even if Bernard fell under this article, he would not fit under any of the exceptions itemized in section A.
AFFIRMED