Opinion ID: 1745975
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: assignments of error numbers seven and twelve

Text: By these assignments of error defendant argues the trial court erred in failing to grant his request for a mistrial at the beginning of the sentencing hearing, based upon a bomb threat communicated to the jury on the eve of the hearing. The defendant also argues the bomb threat and other factors made the jury's sentence excessive in that it was imposed under the influence of fear, revenge, passion, prejudice and public pressure. See, La.C.Cr.P. art. 905.9 and La.Supreme Court Rule 28, § 1(a). This challenge is based on the combination of public sentiment in Rapides Parish after a previous capital murder trial ended in a life sentence for the defendant, and a bomb threat which was received at the hotel where the jurors were staying. The public pressure on the jury to impose the death penalty, Eaton argues, emanates from previous capital cases tried in Rapides Parish. Eaton's trial was originally to be held in Ouachita parish, but upon joint stipulation of the defense attorney and prosecutor, the trial was moved to Rapides parish. Since 1985, Rapides parish has been the setting for three capital cases prior to Eaton's: State v. Prestridge, 507 So.2d 1271 (La.App. 3d Cir.1987); State v. Brown, 496 So.2d 261 (La.1986); and State v. Comeaux, 514 So.2d 84 (La.1987). Prestridge involved the brutal murder of an Alexandria girl who was raped and whose body was hanged from a tree. In the 1985 prosecution for the murder, Kenneth Prestridge was convicted of murder, but was sentenced to life. The community was outraged over the life sentence, as it demonstrated through hundreds of letters to the local newspaper voicing hostility at the sentence. This court acknowledged the community outrage flowing from the Prestridge case when we reversed the conviction of Bryan Brown for first degree murder. Brown had been convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death in Rapides parish for the murder of a local high school girl. The voir dire in the Brown case began barely nine weeks after the letters voicing outrage at the Prestridge verdict appeared in the local newspaper. In reversing Brown's conviction, we found the trial judge should have granted his motion for a change of venue. We concluded the extensive press coverage and notoriety surrounding the Brown case itself, resulting from Brown's escape from prison, and the community outrage over the life sentence in the Prestridge case, had a cumulative effect of depriving the defendant of a fair trial. In Comeaux, the defendant was brought to trial on and was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. His death sentence was reversed by this court on the basis of a violation of his sixth amendment right to counsel. Thus, since 1985, in all three of the capital cases held in Rapides parish since the Prestridge trial, the jury has recommended the sentence of death for the defendants. Eaton argues the public pressure on juries in Rapides parish to impose the death sentence because of the Prestridge case, combined with a bomb threat levied at the jurors in this case, caused the jury to recommend the death sentence. The evening before the sentencing hearing was scheduled to begin, a bomb threat was received at the hotel where the jurors were staying. The judge ordered the jurors be brought to the courtroom at once. However, he did not communicate with them and did not inform the attorneys of his actions. The jurors spoke only with the bailiffs, who upon learning there was no bomb at the hotel, asked the jurors whether they wished to return to the hotel. All of the jurors agreed to do so. There is no record of the communications between the jurors and bailiffs. The next morning, the defense moved for a mistrial, which was denied by the trial judge. The judge told the jury: Ladies and gentlemen, I understand that you had some excitement last night. I want to advise you that unfortunately this kind of thing happens in capital cases such as this. I previously presided in a capital case in which there were two threats that bombs were set to go off in the courtroom. Nothing ever happened. In my opinion it was a crank call someone trying tosometo be funny I suppose. But it isn't funny at all. But I do want to advise you quite seriously that it is in no way to affect your attention, your deliberations, or your verdict in this matter. I sincerely hope that it will have no affect whatsoever on your final determination in this case. And my instructions are to you that you are to as best you can wipe it out of your mind only decide this case upon what occurs in this courtroom and no where else. The record shows the jurors assured the court the incident would have no effect on their deliberations and final decision. Our review of the voir dire examination of the jurors chosen to serve on Eaton's jury reveals two jurors were aware of the Prestridge case, two were aware of Brown and two were aware of both cases. Of the jurors who recalled the Prestridge case, one was aware he received a life sentence for what she called a horrible crime, but also stated she thought he got what he deserved. The other juror could not recall any of the particulars of the case. Neither of the jurors who recalled the Brown case paid very close attention to the case. One stated he formed no opinion and another stated she did not know the sentence he received. Of the two jurors who recalled both cases, one admitted he heard of the cases but stated he did not follow them closely. The other juror knew the parents of the victim who was killed by Bryan Brown, but stated her decision would be unaffected by such knowledge. The remaining jurors either denied knowledge of any capital cases in the area in the last several years, or were not questioned during the voir dire examination on the subject. Under these circumstances we cannot find the death penalty was made under fear and pressure such that it must be reversed. The jury assured the court the bomb scare would have no effect; yet, defendant posits that we must disregard this assurance upon the insinuation that Rapides Parish is still so incensed over the Prestridge case that no Rapides Parish jury would have failed to infer that members of the local community were warning them to impose the death penalty. Our review of the voir dire examination belies this argument. Accordingly, these assignments of error are without merit.