Title: State v. Jacobs
Citation: 371 So. 2d 801
Docket Number: N/A
State: Louisiana
Issuer: Louisiana Supreme Court
Date: May 21, 1979

371 So. 2d 801 (1979) STATE of Louisiana, Appellee, v. Eugene JACOBS, Appellant. No. 63609. Supreme Court of Louisiana. May 21, 1979. Clayton M. Perkins, Jr., Kilbourne &amp; Dart, St. Francisville, for defendant-appellant. William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Leon A. Picou, Jr., Dist. Atty., A. Z. Butterworth, Sp. Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee. TATE, Justice. The defendant escaped while confined at the state penitentiary at Angola. He was convicted of simple escape, La.R.S. 14:110, and sentenced to five years imprisonment at hard labor. The single assignment of error urged by him on appeal centers upon the trial court's disallowance of his defense that his escape was made necessary by his need to get medical attention denied him by the prison authorities. In particular, the trial court sustained state objections, as irrelevant, to defense questions: (a) to the warden, as to whether he had been apprised of the accused's need of medical attention and as to whether he had written a letter concerning this need; (b) to the prison physician, as to his knowledge of the medical records of the defendant; (c) to three inmates, as to their knowledge of the defendant's health; and (d) to the defendant himself, as to "in what way could you not get any medical attention?" In response to his counsel's question why he left the penitentiary, the defendant Jacobs replied: "I left because of a matter of self-preservation. I could not get any medical attention and was in dire need of it. The records speak to verify what I say." The defendant thus sought to raise the defense of medical necessity as a justification for his escapeto admit the violation of the law by the escape, but to argue that under the special circumstances the act was not wrongful but was justified by the greater social and moral value of a need to save his own life; just as a prisoner's "escape" from a burning prison might be justified. See Gardner, The Defense of Necessity and the Right to Escape from Prison, 49 So.Cal.L.Rev. 110 (1975). In perhaps the leading decision on this issue, the Supreme Court of South Carolina recognized this defense, in these terms, State v. Worley, 265 S.C. 551, 554-555, 220 S.E.2d 242, 243-244 (S.C., 1975): We have recognized the defense of necessity (justification) for an escape when an inmate is faced with a specific and imminent threat of death, forcible sexual attack, or substantial bodily injury. State v. Boleyn, 328 So. 2d 95 (La.1976). In so doing, we held that, before the defense may be considered, a foundation must be presented outside the presence of the jury showing these circumstances and that there is no practical remedy by complaint to the prison authorities or by resort to the courts. While the rulings here complained of prevented the defendant from elaborating on his claimed defense, he did state to the court, outside the presence of the jury, that "I have concrete evidence in the record that there are doctors who recommended me for Charity Hospital for examinations and x-rays and otherwise. I am still being deprived of medication." The circumstances summarized by the prisoner, as well as the questions to which state objection was sustained, seem to indicate that further medical attention and examination was recommended by doctors, but that the prisoner was not in need of emergency medical attention in order to preserve his life or to avoid immediate serious bodily injury. There is no indication that resort to the courts would not have afforded timely relief. Under these circumstanceseven if we were to permit the defense of justification for an escape by dire medical necessity, the defendant would not be entitled in this case to present this defense to the jury. *803 We therefore find no error in the trial court's rulings and, consequently, affirm the conviction and sentence. AFFIRMED. DIXON and CALOGERO, JJ., dissent.