Court Opinion

ID: 9677552
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:55:04.291133+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:56.723506
License: Public Domain

DIXON, Justice
(concurring).
I concur in the result reached by the majority, but only because Bill of Exceptions No. 12 was reserved while the jury was not present in the courtroom. See dissent in State v. Crook, 253 La. 961, 974, 221 So.2d 473, 477.
The bill was reserved when the attorney for the State was allowed to question one witness, a detective sergeant with the East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s office, about an armed robbery occurring some five and one-half months after the date of the crime for which the defendant was charged.
The trial judge in his per curiam to the bill stated:
“While this Court personally feels that the better view, in connection with the admission of testimony concerning prior or subsequent offenses, would be to exclude such testimony, as a Trial Court it is duty bound to apply the law as that Trial Court understands it. This Court understands that the proper interpretation of the case law permits such testimony as offered by the State — hence the reason for its admission in this case.
“While this Court is personally in basic agreement with the views expressed by Justice Barham in his dissent in State vs Crook, 253 La. 961, 221 So.2d 473 (1969), (and would even personally go so far as to rule out any reference to any offense except for impeachment purposes) it is ever mindful that such view is not yet that of the majority * * * ”
I agree with the trial judge. I still believe that this court goes too far in admitting evidence of other offenses offered under the color of proving “system” and “intent.” Such evidence is admissible only when the offense charged is one of a system or when guilty knowledge and intent is an essential element of the inquiry. R.S. 15:446, State v. Bradford, 259 La. 381, 250 So.2d 375, 382 (dissent), State v. Hills, 259 La. 436, 250 So.2d 394, 401 (dissent), State v. Crook, supra (dissent).