Court Opinion

ID: 7466974
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-07-29 03:36:56.232668+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:22:50.924748
License: Public Domain

SANDERS, Chief Justice
(dissenting).
In the present case, the defendant took the witness stand in his own behalf. On direct examination, in response to his attorney’s questions, he testified as follows:
“Q That gun> — you knew that gun was yours ?
^ Right.
d Was it yours?
>5 Yes, sir.
d Is it still yours ?
^ Yes, sir.
o Where’d you keep that gun ?
> Kept it under my bed.” (Tr. 129).
I construe the defendant s testimony to mean that he owned the gun.
Assuming that the ownership of the weapon is a collateral matter and I have some doubt about this, the State is still entitled to contradict defendant’s testimony on this point. See State v. Ledoux, 157 La. 821, 103 So. 177 (1925); State v. Walters, 135 La. 1070, 66 So. 364 (1914); State v. Bellard, 132 La. 491, 61 So. 537 (1913); State v. Swindall, 129 La. 760, 56 So. 702 (1911) ; 2 Wharton’s Criminal Evidence (Torcia, 13th ed.) § 467, p. 408 (1972).
For the reasons assigned, I respectfully dissent.