Court Opinion

ID: 9941723
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-16 20:06:06.687016+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:46:59.390557
License: Public Domain

STATE       OF     LOUISIANA                                                                          NO.      2023       KW      1190

VERSUS

PATRICK           GILTON                                                                        FEBRUARY             16,          2024

In    Re:           Patrick          Gilton,            applying               for         supervisory              writs,           17th
                    Judicial              District             Court,              Parish          of         Lafourche,                 No.
                    612067.

BEFORE:             WELCH,          WOLFE,       AND        STROMBERG,                JJ.

          WRIT          GRANTED          IN      PART        AND     DENIED                IN    PART.              Appeals              are

constitutionally                    guaranteed.                See           La.      Const.          art.      V, §          5     and §

10. Appeals are                      favored           in    the     law           and      should       not        be    dismissed
on    a     mere       technicality.                   See     Williams               v.    Hosp.        Serv.           Dist.       No. 1
of    Tangipahoa              Parish,            2018- 1386 (            La.          12/ 17/ 18),            258        So. 3d      584,
585 (     per      curiam) .             Furthermore,               a defendant' s                    failure            to    specify
which        rulings           he    desires            to     reserve                for       appeal         may        limit          the
scope         of        appellate              review          but            should            not      preclude                 review

altogether.                  See     State        v.     Becnel,              2020- 0587 (            La.      App.           1st    Cir.
4/   16/ 21) ,         323    So. 3d       408,        411.          See        also        State        v.    Joseph,              2003-
315 (       La.     5/ 16/ 03) ,          847         So. 2d       1196 (          per      curiam) .
                                                                                                                    Accordingly,
the       writ      application                is      granted,               in      part,        for        the      purpose            of

transferring                 to      the         district            court             for       consideration                      as      a

request           to     reinstate             relator'        s     right            to     appeal.               The        district
court        is    ordered to hold an evidentiary hearing to determine                                                                    if
relator            is     entitled             to       an     out - of -time                   appeal         under           Roe        v.

Flores -Ortega,                528       U. S.        470,     120           S. Ct.        1029,      1035,          145       L. Ed. 2d
985 (       2000)        and        State        v.     Counterman,                   475       So. 2d        336,         339 (         La.
1985)        and        to     appoint           counsel            for         the         hearing           if       relator            is
indigent.                See       La.        Code      Crim.           P.      art.         930. 7.            In       all        other

respects,           the      writ        application            is      denied.

                                                                JEW
                                                                   EW

                                                                TPS