Case Name: STATE of Louisiana, Appellee, v. Clyde Marvin BEASLEY, Appellant
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1983-10-12
Citations: 438 So. 2d 1229
Docket Number: No. CR83-90
Parties: STATE of Louisiana, Appellee, v. Clyde Marvin BEASLEY, Appellant.
Judges: Before DOMENGEAUX, FORET and YELVERTON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 438
Pages: 1229–1230

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana, Appellee, v. Clyde Marvin BEASLEY, Appellant.
No. CR83-90.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
Oct. 12, 1983.
Jerry B. Daye, Ferriday, for appellant.
John Sturgeon, Dist. Atty., Vidalia, for appellee.
Before DOMENGEAUX, FORET and YELVERTON, JJ.

Opinion:
FORET, Judge.
Clyde M. Beasley (defendant) was indicted by the Concordia Parish Grand Jury for the second degree murder of his wife, Glenda Beasley, in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:30.-1. Defendant entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Subsequently, he was tried by a jury and found guilty as charged. The trial court then sentenced him to imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence for a period of forty years. Defendant's oral motion for an appeal to this Court was granted.
On March 26, 1983, while this appeal was pending, defendant died. Thus, the prosecution against him is abated. State v. Hamilton, 370 So.2d 874 (La.1979); State v. Ferina, 351 So.2d 1200 (La.1977); State v. Morris, 328 So.2d 65 (La.1976). Abatement ab initio of criminal proceedings has the effect of wiping the slate clean through indictment and conviction, and has as its purpose the consideration of the interest of the surviving family in preserving, unstained, the memory of the deceased defendant or his reputation. State v. McClow, 395 So.2d 757 (La.1981); State v. Morris, supra.
DECREE
Accordingly, this appeal is dismissed, the judgment of conviction is vacated, and the case is remanded to the trial court with instructions to dismiss the indictment against defendant.
APPEAL DISMISSED; MATTER REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS.
DOMENGEAUX, J., concurs and assigns brief reasons.