State of Louisiana Versus Brandon Barnes

STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 25-KH-307

VERSUS FIFTH CIRCUIT

BRANDON BARNES COURT OF APPEAL

STATE OF LOUISIANA

August 29, 2025

Susan Buchholz
Chief Deputy Clerk

IN RE BRANDON BARNES

APPLYING FOR SUPERVISORY WRIT FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT,
PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA, DIRECTED TO THE HONORABLE LEE V. FAULKNER,
JR., DIVISION "P", NUMBER 12-4458

Panel composed of Judges Susan M. Chehardy,
Stephen J. Windhorst, and E. Adrian Adams, Pro Tempore

WRIT DENIED

Defendant/relator, Brandon Barnes, seeks supervisory review of the trial

court’s May 23, 2025 judgment denying his motion to correct illegal sentence. Upon

considering relator’s motion, the trial court found that defendant failed to point to

any illegal term in his sentence, and that defendant’s sentence was within statutory

parameters.

A defendant may file a motion to correct an illegal sentence at any time. La.

C.Cr.P. art. 882. However, relator has not pointed to an illegal term in his sentence.

Instead, he argues that the trial court failed to inform him of the minimum sentence

for each charge. This argument is not cognizable in a motion to correct an illegal

sentence; it is more properly addressed in an application for post-conviction relief

(APCR).

We recognize that courts should “look through the caption of the pleadings in

order to ascertain their substance and to do substantial justice.” State v. Moses, 05-

787 (La. App. 5 Cir. 5/9/06), 932 So.2d 701, 706, writ denied, 06-2171 (La. 4/5/07),

954 So.2d 140. But even construing relator’s motion as an application for post-

conviction relief, it would be time-barred because an APCR must be filed within two

years of the judgment of conviction and sentence becoming final under La. C.Cr.P.

art. 930.8 A. Relator’s convictions and sentences became final in 2017, and he filed

this motion in 2025. In addition, none of the exceptions enumerated in La. C.Cr.P.

art. 930.8 A(1), (2), (3), and/or (4) apply to relator’s case because his claim does not

rest on newly discovered evidence or an unknown interpretation of constitutional

law; his application was filed after October 1, 2001; and he was not sentenced to

death. See Carlin v. Cain, 97-2390 (La. 3/13/98), 706 So.2d 968 (appellate courts

may raise the time bar of La. C.Cr.P. art. 930.8 sua sponte).

Accordingly, we find no error in the trial court’s denial of relator’s motion

and deny this writ application.

Gretna, Louisiana, this 29th day of August, 2025.

SJW
SMC
EAA

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. TRAN
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 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 08/29/2025 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:

25-KH-307
E-NOTIFIED
24th Judicial District Court (Clerk)
Hon. Lee V. Faulkner, Jr. (DISTRICT JUDGE)
Thomas J. Butler (Respondent)

MAILED
Brandon Barnes #569821 (Relator)
Rayburn Correctional Center
27268 Highway 21
Angie, LA 70426