State of Louisiana Versus Derrick Sonnier

STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 21-KH-36

VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT

DERRICK SONNIER COURT OF APPEAL

STATE OF LOUISIANA

March 16, 2021

Susan Buchholz
First Deputy Clerk

IN RE DERRICK SONNIER

APPLYING FOR SUPERVISORY WRIT FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
COURT, PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA, DIRECTED TO THE HONORABLE
MICHAEL P. MENTZ, DIVISION "F", NUMBER 96-1139

Panel composed of Judges Marc E. Johnson,
Robert A. Chaisson, and Stephen J. Windhorst

WRIT GRANTED; ORDER VACATED; REMANDED

Relator, Derrick Sonnier, seeks review of the district court’s December 20,
2020 order denying his motion to correct illegal sentence in 24th Judicial District
Court case number 96-1139. On November 20, 1997, Relator was convicted of
second degree murder, in violation of La. R.S. 14:30.1 and sentenced to life in
prison without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. The instant
motion was denied because “this matter has already been heard by the court and
the defendant fails to make a case for resentencing. By law, this motion is not
warranted.” We respectfully disagree. For the following reasons, we grant the
writ application.

According to the November 6, 2014 minute entry, Relator appeared before
the court for a Miller Hearing (reset from 8/14/2014). On that date, his motion to
stay the proceedings, while related appeals were pending in the federal court
system, was denied, and his motion to correct illegal sentence was dismissed
without prejudice. Later, Montgomery v. Louisiana, 136 S.Ct. 718; 193 L.Ed.2d
599 (2016), as revised (Jan. 27, 2016), gave retroactive effect to the holding in
Miller v. Alabama, 567 U.S. 460, 132 S.Ct. 2455, 183 L.Ed.2d 407 (2012), that
prohibited the sentencing of juvenile offenders to life without the possibility of
parole. The bill of information lists February 5, 1996 as the date the crime was
committed and Relator’s date of birth as May 30, 1978; Relator was seventeen
years old at the time of his offense.

“Whether a particular sentence is legal or illegal is a question of law. Thus,
a district judge's legal determination of the legality or illegality of a particular
sentence, like any other question of law, is not entitled to our deference.” State v.

21-KH-36

Gibson, 16-132 (La. App. 4 Cir. 3/16/16); 192 So.3d 132, 135. An illegal sentence
may be corrected at any time by the court that imposed the sentence or by an
appellate court on review. La. C.Cr.P. art. 882.

La. C.Cr.P. art. 878.1 provides that if a Miller hearing was not held prior to
August 1, 2017, then the district attorney had within ninety days of August 1, 2017
to file a notice of intent. La. C.Cr.P. art. 878.1 mandates that, if the district
attorney fails to timely file the notice of intent [to seek a sentence of life
imprisonment without parole], the offender shall be eligible for parole pursuant to
R.S. 15:574.4(E) without the need of a judicial determination pursuant to the
provisions of this Article.

Upon review of the official court record, it does not appear that a notice of
intent was ever filed by the District Attorney’s office in Relator’s instant case. The
district court concluded that the matter had been taken up before but we find no
evidence of a full Miller hearing where at its conclusion the court distinguished
whether Relator was “‘the rare juvenile offender whose crime reflects irreparable
corruption’” or “‘the juvenile offender whose crime reflects unfortunate yet
transient immaturity.’” State v. Montgomery, 13-1163 (La. 6/28/16); 194 So.3d
606, 609 (Crichton, J. concurrence). Additionally, we note that the State did file
such a notice of intent on October 30, 2017 against Relator’s co-defendant, who
was convicted of first degree murder in violation of La. R.S. 14:30. Further, we
note that Relator has a companion case at the district court, 97-2831, in which he
was sentenced to eighteen months in parish prison after pleading guilty to
committing simple escape in violation of La. R.S. 14[:110]. The maximum
sentence for simple escape is five years, not to be served concurrently with any
other sentence. A minute entry from case number 97-2831 dated December 6,
2017 states that neither Relator, nor his attorney, was present at the Miller Hearing,
but, “[t]he State advised it does not elect to seek a sentence of Life without
possibility of Parole in this matter” and the matter was marked “Satisfied.”

Based on the foregoing, upon de novo review, we find that the district court
erred when it denied Relator’s motion for resentencing pursuant to Miller and
Relator is entitled to a contradictory hearing to determine parole eligibility.
Further, Relator may be entitled to parole eligibility by operation of law because
the State did not file a notice of intent to seek a sentence of life without the
possibility of parole before November 1, 2017 as mandated by La. C.Cr.P. 878.1.
Accordingly, we vacate the December 20, 2020 judgment and remand the matter
for further proceedings consistent with this disposition.

Gretna, Louisiana, this 16th day of March, 2021.

MEJ
RAC

2

STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 21-KH-36

VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT

DERRICK SONNIER COURT OF APPEAL

STATE OF LOUISIANA

WINDHORST, J., DISSENTS WITH REASONS
Although I agree with the majority’s conclusion that relator is entitled to a
Miller hearing, upon review, the writ application is deficient in that it does not
contain: (1) documentation of the return date in violation of U.R.C.A., Rule 4-3;
(2) the ruling complained of in violation of U.R.C.A., Rule 4-5 C(6); (3) a copy of
each pleading on which the ruling was founded, including the bill of information in
violation of U.R.C.A., Rule 4-5 C(8). Accordingly, on the showing made, I would
deny the writ application.
SJW

21-KH-36

SUSAN M. CHEHARDY CURTIS B. PURSELL

CHIEF JUDGE CLERK OF COURT

NANCY F. VEGA
FREDERICKA H. WICKER
CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK
JUDE G. GRAVOIS
MARC E. JOHNSON
ROBERT A. CHAISSON SUSAN BUCHHOLZ
STEPHEN J. WINDHORST
FIRST DEPUTY CLERK
HANS J. LILJEBERG
JOHN J. MOLAISON, JR. FIFTH CIRCUIT
MELISSA C. LEDET
JUDGES 101 DERBIGNY STREET (70053)
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL STAFF
POST OFFICE BOX 489
GRETNA, LOUISIANA 70054 (504) 376-1400

(504) 376-1498 FAX
www.fifthcircuit.org

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION CERTIFICATE OF DELIVERY
I CERTIFY THAT A COPY OF THE DISPOSITION IN THE FOREGOING MATTER HAS BEEN
TRANSMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIFORM RULES - COURT OF APPEAL, RULE 4-6 THIS
DAY 03/16/2021 TO THE TRIAL JUDGE, THE TRIAL COURT CLERK OF COURT, AND AT LEAST ONE OF
THE COUNSEL OF RECORD FOR EACH PARTY, AND TO EACH PARTY NOT REPRESENTED BY
COUNSEL, AS LISTED BELOW:

21-KH-36
E-NOTIFIED
24th Judicial District Court (Clerk)
Honorable Michael P. Mentz (DISTRICT JUDGE)
Thomas J. Butler (Respondent)

MAILED
Derrick Sonnier #390403 (Relator)
Louisiana State Penitentiary
Angola, LA 70712