Court Opinion

ID: 9906724
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-05 00:04:13.557869+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:52:36.161019
License: Public Domain

STATE       OF           LOUISIANA                                                                 NO.        2023       KW     0905

VERSUS

WHITNEY             LOSTON                                                                    DECEMBER               4,        2023

In    Re:                 Whitney          Loston,        applying           for     supervisory                    writs,          16th
                          Judicial              District        Court,        Parish           of        St.        Mary,           Nos.

                          2009- 181129/ 03- 162554.

BEFORE:                   McCLENDON,             HESTER,       AND    MILLER,        JJ.

         WRIT             DENIED       ON       THE    SHOWING       MADE.         Relator           failed          to        include
the     resentencing                   minute           entries       and/ or       the       transcript,                 his       bill

of     information,                        the        uniform        commitment           order,              any        pertinent

minute              entries,          and        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).

                                                                 PMC
                                                                 CHH
                                                                 SMM

 OURT       OF APPEAL,                 FIRST          CIRCUIT

                PUTY        CLERK          OF    COURT
                i
                          FOR   THE        COURT