State of Louisiana Versus Mishanda L Reed

STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 24-KA-120

VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT

MISHANDA L REED COURT OF APPEAL

STATE OF LOUISIANA

ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA
NO. 21-5868, DIVISION "M"
HONORABLE SHAYNA BEEVERS MORVANT, JUDGE PRESIDING

April 23, 2024

SUSAN M. CHEHARDY
CHIEF JUDGE

Panel composed of Judges Susan M. Chehardy,
Jude G. Gravois, and John J. Molaison, Jr.

SENTENCE VACATED;
APPEAL DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE;
REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS
SMC
JGG
JJM

CHEHARDY, C.J.

On September 28, 2023, a jury convicted defendant, Mishanda L. Reed, of

attempted second degree kidnapping, a responsive verdict, and found her not guilty

of aggravated battery. Defendant subsequently retained new counsel and filed a

motion to continue sentencing. On October 12, 2023, new counsel for defendant

filed both a motion for new trial and a motion in arrest of judgment, with a single

memorandum submitted in support of both motions.1

On October 20, 2023, at the conclusion of the hearing on defendant’s post-

trial motions, the trial court denied the motion for new trial, but there is no written

or oral ruling in the record that addresses defendant’s motion in arrest of judgment.

That same day, defense counsel waived sentencing delays and the trial court

sentenced defendant to eleven years imprisonment at hard labor with credit for

time served.

On December 13, 2023, the trial court denied defendant’s motion to

reconsider the sentence. Defendant subsequently filed a “Notice of Appeal,” which

the trial court granted, and the record was lodged in this Court on March 8, 2024.

Upon review of the record, we find the trial court inadvertently sentenced

defendant without having resolved her outstanding motion in arrest of judgment.

La. C.Cr.P. art. 861 states, in pertinent part: “A motion in arrest of judgment must

be filed and disposed of before sentence.” When a trial court sentences a defendant

before it has ruled on a motion in arrest of judgment, this Court lacks appellate

jurisdiction. As such, the matter requires us to vacate defendant’s sentence, dismiss

the present appeal without prejudice, and remand for a ruling on the outstanding

motion in arrest of judgment and for subsequent resentencing, if necessary. See,

1
La. C.Cr.P. art. 859 provides that a court shall arrest the judgment when, among other things,
the “verdict is not responsive to the indictment, or is otherwise so defective that it will not form
the basis of a valid judgment.”

24-KA-120 1

e.g., State v. Wilson, 96-251 (La. App. 5 Cir. 10/1/96), 683 So.2d 775, 777; see

also State v. Anderson, 99-1407 (La. App. 4 Cir. 1/26/00), 753 So.2d 321, 324.

DECREE

Accordingly, pursuant to Uniform Rules – Courts of Appeal, Rule 2-

16.2(A)(1), we vacate defendant’s sentence, dismiss the present appeal without

prejudice, and remand for a ruling on defendant’s outstanding motion in arrest of

judgment and for resentencing, if necessary. Defendant may again appeal her

conviction and sentence in the event of an adverse ruling.

SENTENCE VACATED;
APPEAL DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE;
REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS

24-KA-120 2

SUSAN M. CHEHARDY CURTIS B. PURSELL

CHIEF JUDGE CLERK OF COURT

SUSAN S. BUCHHOLZ
FREDERICKA H. WICKER
CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK
JUDE G. GRAVOIS
MARC E. JOHNSON
STEPHEN J. WINDHORST LINDA M. WISEMAN
JOHN J. MOLAISON, JR.
FIRST DEPUTY CLERK
SCOTT U. SCHLEGEL
TIMOTHY S. MARCEL 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 JUDGMENT AND CERTIFICATE OF DELIVERY
I CERTIFY THAT A COPY OF THE OPINION IN THE BELOW-NUMBERED MATTER HAS BEEN DELIVERED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIFORM RULES - COURT OF APPEAL, RULE 2-16.4 AND 2-16.5 THIS DAY
APRIL 23, 2024 TO THE TRIAL JUDGE, CLERK OF COURT, COUNSEL OF RECORD AND ALL PARTIES NOT
REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL, AS LISTED BELOW:

24-KA-120
E-NOTIFIED
24TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT (CLERK)
HONORABLE SHAYNA BEEVERS MORVANT (DISTRICT JUDGE)
THOMAS J. BUTLER (APPELLEE) RALPH S. WHALEN, JR. (APPELLANT)

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