Court Opinion

ID: 9367849
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-01 22:05:44.810802+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:03.641485
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA
          COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT
STATE OF LOUISIANA                                    NO. 2022 KW 1197

VERSUS                                                     PAGE 1 OF 2

JUWAN MALIQ WILSON                                 FEBRUARY 1, 2023

In Re:     Juwan Maliq Wilson, applying         for supervisory writs,
           22nd Judicial District Court,        Parish of St. Tammany,
           No. 0225-F-2020.

BEFORE:    GUIDRY, C.J., WOLFE AND MILLER, JJ.

      WRIT DENIED ON THE SHOWING MADE.        Relator failed to include
a copy of the bill of information, the commitment order, all
pertinent minute entries and/or transcripts, in particular, the
guilty plea transcript, and any other portions of the district
court record that might support the claims raised in the
application for postconviction relief.          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.
      Moreover,     without     showing     a     particularized      need,
incarcerated indigents are entitled to a free copy of certain
documents: Boykin transcript, bill of information, commitment
papers, court minutes for various portions of the trial, and
minutes of the sentencing.       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, relator may need to seek 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 records under the Public Records Law, 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
fees for copies of the documents.             After the district court
rules in the civil proceeding, the person may seek an appeal of
the district court's action, if he desires.                  See La. R.S.
                   STATE OF LOUISIANA
        COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT
                                               I

                                                   2022 KW 1197
                                                    PAGE 2 OF 2

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
                                    EW
                                   SMM

COURT OF APPEAL,   FIRST CIRCUIT

     DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT
          FOR THE COURT