Court Opinion

ID: 9411700
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-07-27 17:07:20.414652+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:41:08.942692
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

                   COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

 BRITTANY          WARREN;           OBO         BRENNAN                                                NO.      2023       CW       0179
LEBLANC

VERSUS                                                                                                              PAGE        1    OF    2

TROOPER ANDRE                RAOUL           BEZOU
STATE        OF LOUISIANA                   THROUGH
LOUISIANA           DEPARTMENT                   OF
PUBLIC        SAFETY AND
                                                                                                              JULY       27,        2023
CORRECTIONS              OFFICE             OF    THE
LOUISIANA           STATE         POLICE

In     Re:          Trooper             Andre          Raoul        Bezou        and        the     State           of     Louisiana,
                    through             the       Louisiana              Department                of    Public           Safety           and

                    Corrections,                       Office            of     State         Police,               applying               for
                    supervisory  writs,                               19th            Judicial                District               Court,
                    Parish of East Baton                            Rouge,        No.        687418.

BEFORE:             THERIOT,              CHUTZ,         AND      HESTER,         JJ.

         WRIT         GRANTED.               The         district                                                              8,         2023
                                                                                 court'      s          February
judgment            denying               the          motion         for                             judgment              filed
                                                                                 summary                                                       by
Defendants,               Trooper                Andre           Raoul          Bezou,           State          of        Louisiana,
through             the         Louisiana                     Department                           Public
                                                                                       of
                                                                                                                      Safety               and

Corrections,               and        Office             of      State         Police,           is      hereby           reversed.
The     Louisiana               Supreme               Court         has        held     that            qualified              immunity
under        La.     R. S.        9: 2798. 1            is "     clear          and     unambiguous"                   and          applies
to "
        policymaking or discretionary acts when such acts are within
the          course               and             scope             of ...                   lawful                 powers                 and
duties."           See    Simmons                v.     Hughes,               2019- 1389 (            La.                   1st           Cir.
                                                                                                                App.
11/ 25/ 20),             316      So. 3d              488 (      applying             La.        R. S.        9: 2798. 1             to     an

excessive           force         claim),               citing Gregor                  v.    Axgenot             Great              Central
Insurance            Company,                2002- 1138 (                La.      5/ 20/ 03),                 851        So. 2d           959,
967;     Herrera           v.        First            National            Insurance                Company            of       America,
2015- 1097 (         La.        App.         1st        Cir.        6/ 3/ 16),         194        So. 3d        807,       814,           writ
denied,        2016- 1278 (                 La.        10/ 28/ 16),             208     So. 3d           885.       However,               the
immunity provided by La.                                 R. S.      9: 2798. 1         is     not        applicable                  to    the
defendants            if       their             actions         constituted "                   criminal,               fraudulent,
malicious,               intentional,                         willful,            outrageous,                    reckless,                  or

flagrant           misconduct."                  La.     R. S.      9: 2798. 1( C)(          2).

         Pursuant            to    the           evidence           submitted,              Trooper           Bezou        initiated
a    traffic        stop        on      a    truck driven by Mr.                            LeBlanc.             Trooper              Bezou
requested           Mr.        Leblanc' s               identification.                      Mr.         LeBlanc           indicated
he     was     retrieving                    the        identification                      from         his        vehicle,              but
instead        reached            for        the       ignition           and     drove          the         truck       away while
Trooper        Bezou clung                   to       the     side       of     Mr.    LeBlanc' s               truck.              Trooper
Bezou        commanded            Mr.        LeBlanc           to    stop        the        vehicle           multiple               times,
and    when        the     vehicle               did     not     stop,          Trooper            Bezou        discharged                his
firearm.

        Our        review            of      the         record           indicates              that          the       Defendants
established              their        entitlement                   to    qualified              immunity             and       pointed
out    the     absence            of        factual            support          for     the        contention               that          the
Defendants'                  actions                    constituted "                   criminal,                     fraudulent,
malicious,               intentional,                       willful,             outrageous,                    reckless,                  or
flagrant           misconduct"                   based         on        the                                    the
                                                                                 totality               of                facts           and

circumstances              of     this           case.         Plaintiff              failed to produce                      factual
                                                                                  NO. 2023      CW     0179

                                                                                         PAGE     2    OF    2

support     sufficient           to   establish      the    existence         of     a   genuine            issue
of   material       fact    or    that   Defendants         are        not   entitled        to       judgment
as   a   matter     of     law.       Therefore,         the    Defendants          are     entitled             to
statutory  immunity pursuant                    to    La.      R. S.     9: 2798. 1.         The       motion

for  summary judgment  filed                  by     Defendants,             Trooper       Andre            Raoul
Bezou,     State     of     Louisiana,        through          the     Louisiana         Department              of

Public     Safety        and      Corrections,        and      Office        of     State       Police           is
granted,      and    the     claims      asserted by           Plaintiff,          Brittany           Warren,
on behalf of Brennan               LeBlanc,     are      dismissed with             prejudice.

                                                 MRT
                                                 WRC
                                                   CHH

COURT    OF APPEAL,        FIRST      CIRCUIT

                                  ck.)
     DEPUTY      CLERK OF COURT
           FOR   THE     COURT