Opinion ID: 1110457
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Testimony Concerning John Lee James, the Alleged Accomplice.

Text: The defendant reserved Bills 5 and 6 when John Lee James was brought into the courtroom and identified by Joseph Fazzio, the drugstore clerk, as resembling the man who entered the drugstore about five minutes before the robbery. He reserved Bill 7 when the State was allowed to call James into the courtroom while Miss Mitchell was on the stand and she was allowed to testify that he resembled the driver of the Thunderbird convertible. Bill of Exceptions 8 was reserved when James was exhibited to Detective John Gray, another witness, for identification and a description of the circumstances surrounding his arrest. The primary question raised by these bills is one of relevancy. Under LSA-R.S. 15:435, in order to be admissible at the trial, evidence must be relevant. However, on the question of relevancy, much discretion is vested in the trial judge. State v. Lacoste, 256 La. 697, 237 So.2d 871 (1970); State v. Walker, 204 La. 523, 15 So.2d 874 (1943); State v. Stracner, 190 La. 457, 182 So. 571 (1938). Although James was not on trial, his case having been severed from that of Pierre, his activities at the scene of the crime formed part of the continuous transaction leading up to the pistol-robbery. The activities of James were closely interwoven with those of the present defendant. Hence, we find no error in the admission of this evidence.