Court Opinion

ID: 9900852
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-20 17:04:51.785408+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:20.365865
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

STATE           OF    LOUISIANA                                                                                     NO.      2023       KW    0849
                                                                                                                             PAGE       1    OF    2)
VERSUS

KENNETH              MORGAN                                                                              NOVEMBER                 20,        2023

In    Re:                 Kenneth                Morgan,           applying                 for      supervisory                  writs,           18th
                          Judicial                     District       Court,                  Parish               of       Iberville,              No.
                          1545- 07.

BEFORE:                   GUIDRY,                C. J.,      CHUTZ          AND       LANIER,           JJ.

          WRIT            DENIED            ON         THE     SHOWING            MADE.            Relator              failed        to     include
a    copy           of        the      motion               for    production                 of        documents,               the        district
court'          s    ruling on the   motion, any   documentation  regarding                                                                         his

filing              for postconviction relief,   his bill of   information,                                                                         the

commitment                    order,              any        pertinent                minute            entries,             and       any        other

portions                 of       the            district              court          record            that       might          support           the

claims              raised            in         the     writ      application.                         Supplementation                     of     this

writ application and/ or an application                                                           for rehearing will not be
considered.                           See        Uniform           Rules             of     Louisiana               Courts            of     Appeal,

Rules           2- 18. 7 &                  4-    9.         Any        future             filing         on        this         issue        should

include              the          entire                contents             of       this         application,                   the       missing
items       noted              above,             and a copy of this ruling.

          It         is       noted          that         as      an    indigent             inmate,           relator             is       entitled
to     receive                 certain                  court          documents,                 such        as        the       guilty           plea

transcript,                       the             bill            of         information                  or            indictment,                 the
commitment                    papers,             the        court          minutes          for        various             portions          of    the
trial,              and the minutes of his                                   sentencing,                 free        of      charge          without

the     necessity                     of     establishing                    a       particularized                     need.           See      State
ex     rel.           Simmons                    v.     State,              93- 0275 (            La.     12/ 16/ 94),                 647       So. 2d
1094,           1095 (         per         curiam).               As        to       all    other        documents,               an        indigent

inmate has the constitutional right to free copies only in those
instances                 in          which            he      shows          that          denial            of     the         request           will

deprive              him          of       an          adequate             opportunity                 to     present             his        claims

fairly.                       Meeting                  that        constitutional                        threshold                requires               a

showing              of       a       particularized                        need.            An      inmate             therefore             cannot

make        a        showing               of         particularized                       need      absent             a   properly             filed
application               for              postconviction                        relief,             which          sets         out        specific

claims               of           constitutional                            errors            requiring   the   requested

documentation                          for             support.                  See        State  ex   rel.  Bernard  v.

Criminal              District                   Court         Section "              J",     94- 2247 (            La.       4/ 28/ 95),           653
So. 2d      1174,              1175 (            per     curiam).

          Further,                    if         relator           is       seeking            the        requested                information
under           the       Public                 Records           Law,          a    writ        application                 arising             in     a

criminal
                         proceeding                     is     not          the        proper           procedural                 vehicle              to
establish                 a    right             to     those          records.               See       La.        R. S.      44: 1,        et     seq.
A    person               who          wants            to      examine               public            records             must        make        the
request              to        the          custodian                  of     records.                  See        La.        R. S.         44: 31 &
44: 32.                  If       a     request                for          public           records               is       denied          by      the
custodian,                    before              seeking              relief              from      this          court,          the        person

must      first               institute                 civil      proceedings                    for     a    writ         of    mandamus              at
the     district                  court                level.           See          La.     R. S.       44: 35( A).               Should           the
person              prevail,
                                        he        should be prepared to pay the regular service
                            J1 .

                                                                               NO.      2023   KW    0849
                                                                                        PAGE   2    OF    2)

fees    for    copies     of the    rules        in    the civil proceeding,               the      person

may     seek     an   appeal        of     the        district     court'      s    action,         if     he
desires.        See   La.   R. S.   44: 35( C);         see   also   State         ex   rel.   McKnight

v.    State,     98- 2258 (   La.        App.    1st     Cir.    12/ 3/ 98),         742   So. 2d        894,
895 (   per    curiam).

                                                  JMG
                                                  WRC
                                                  WIL