State Of Louisiana v. Garrett J. Ward

Supreme Court of Louisiana
October 14, 2025
Chief Deputy Clerk of Court
For the Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana
STATE OF LOUISIANA
VS.
GARRETT J. WARD
No. 2025-K-00633
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I
N RE: State of Louisiana - Applicant Plaintiff; Applying For Writ Of Certiorari,
Parish of Orleans Criminal, Criminal District Court Number(s) 541- 639, Court of
Appeal, Fourth Circuit, Number(s) 2023-KA-0524;
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October 14, 2025
Writ application granted. See per curiam.
PDG
JLW
JDH
WJC
JBM
JMG
CRC
10/14/2025 "See News Release 045 for any Concurrences and/or Dissents."

SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA
No. 2025-K-0633
STATE OF LOUISIANA
v.
GARRETT J. WARD
On Writ of Certiorari to the Court of Appeal,
Fourth Circuit, Parish of Orleans
PER CURIAM:
Writ granted. For the reasons discussed below, we conclude that the court of
appeal erred by reversing the trial court’s judgment, vacating the defendant’s
conviction and sentence, and remanding for a new trial.
The trial court correctly denied the defendant’s motion for a mistrial pursuant
to La.C.Cr.P. art. 770(1). The defense sought a mistrial on the basis of purportedly
racially-charged comments by an eyewitness during her testimony; however, the
witness’s challenged statement s merely recounted defendant’s own words and
actions during the charged offense. As such, the re ferences to race were not
attributable to the prosecutor, and were in fact material and relevant to establishing
the defendant’s specific inten t to commit the charged offense of second degree
murder in violation of La. R.S. 14:30.1 and establishing that the defendant did not
act in self defense. Thus, no mistrial was warranted pursuant to La.C.Cr.P. art. 770.
The ruling of the court of appeal, which vacated the conviction and sentence
and pretermitted all remaining assignments of error, is reversed. The conviction and
sentence are reinstated, and the matter is remanded to the court of appeal for
consideration of the pretermitted claims.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.