Opinion ID: 1733893
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the merit-trial assignments of error

Text: Twelve assignments were filed urging error which allegedly required reversal of the conviction. Assignments 3 and 11 A most serious issue is presented by Assignments 3 and 11. These complain of the district court's refusal to grant a continuance sought on the day (March 13) for which the trial had been re-fixed. Earlier motions for continuances had been granted for trial dates previously set of October 24,1977, November 14,1977, and January 9, 1978. The basis for these continuances was to obtain information relating to the psychiatric care and diagnosis of the defendant English while he was in military custody Fort Leavenworth. The last continuance was obtained on January 6, 1978 (and the trial was thereafter re-fixed for March 13 the date it commenced), on the basis that the defendant's counsel had finally located a Dr. Dupuis in New York, who had extensive knowledge (based on his observation and diagnosis of the defendant at Ft. Leavenworth) of the defendant's mental condition and was of the opinion that the accused was insane. The trial court granted the continuance and signed a certificate for the issuance of an out-of-state subpoena to compel the appearance of Dr. Dupuis at the trial, see La.C. Cr.P. art. 741. For some reason, the original subpoena was not prepared or sent. Therefore, on March 7 (six days before the trial), the defense counsel moved for and obtained a new order for service of the out-of-state subpoena, which was mailed to the Sheriff of New York County on that date by the Sheriff of Calcasieu Parish. On the day (March 13) set for the trial, no return on the subpoena had been filed. [9] The denial of the continuance presents a very serious issue of prejudicial error. By it, arguably the accused was deprived of an opportunity to present the testimony of a witness as to his defense of not guilty by reason of insanity (and possibly his only one), who was also an extremely material witness on his behalf as to mitigating circumstance (his mental disease or defect, La.C.Cr.P. art. 905.5(e)), by reason of which the jury might not recommend the death penalty at the sentencing hearing. Ultimately, we conclude that the trial court's denial of a continuance, under all the circumstances of this case, is not a reversible abuse of its discretion. The accused had obtained three prior continuances to enable him to prepare this defense. Considering also the necessity for a hearing in New York before a judge of that state for him also to determine that the subpoenaed witness to be material and necessary for the Louisiana proceeding, see McKinley's Criminal Procedure Law of New York, Section 640.10, and even assuming that the second request of March 7 (six days before the trial date) represented due diligence, La.C.Cr.P. art. 709(3), we are unable to say that the defendant was sufficiently able to show that the New York physician could in fact be secured to testify at a date to which the trial would be continued, La.C.Cr.P. art. 709(3), taking into consideration also the multiple continuances previously given to the accused to secure evidence of the nature for which this last continuance also was sought. In finding the denial non-reversible, we also take into consideration that the chief actual prejudice caused by the unavailability of this physician's testimony, as reflected by the record, would his failure to testify as to a mitigating mental condition at the sentencing hearingand, since we have already set aside the death penalty recommendation that his testimony might have avoided, we cannot say that the accused suffered such substantial prejudice as to require reversal also of the conviction itself. Other Assignments of Error None of the other assignments present reversible error, nor do any of them involve legal issues not governed by clearly applicable legal principle. We have therefore noted our disposition of them in Appendix II attached to this opinion, which remains a public record of this court but which will not be published with this opinion.