State of Louisiana v. Jeremiah R. Teno
State of Louisiana v. Jeremiah R. Teno, No. KA-0012-0357 (La. Ct. App. 3d Cir. Nov. 7, 2012).
Authorities cited
Identified automatically; this list may not be exhaustive.
- State v. Leger 936 So. 2d 108
- State v. Captville 448 So. 2d 676
- State v. Pigford 922 So. 2d 517
- Nicholes v. Motors Insurance Corp. 680 So. 2d 1165
- State v. Lubrano 563 So. 2d 847
- State v. Smith 661 So. 2d 442
- State v. Ryan 969 So. 2d 1268
- State v. Lambert 720 So. 2d 724
- State v. Mussall 523 So. 2d 1305
- State v. Strother 49 So. 3d 372
- State Ex Rel. Ab 25 So. 3d 1012
- State v. Koon 704 So. 2d 756
Opinion text
STATE OF LOUISIANA
COURT OF APPEAL, THIRD CIRCUIT
12-357
STATE OF LOUISIANA
VERSUS
JEREMIAH R. TENO
**********
APPEAL FROM THE
THIRTY-SIXTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
PARISH OF BEAUREGARD, NO. CR-2010-701
HONORABLE C. KERRY ANDERSON, DISTRICT JUDGE
**********
J. DAVID PAINTER
JUDGE
**********
Court composed of John D. Saunders, Marc T. Amy, and J. David Painter, Judges.
CONVICTIONS AFFIRMED;
ENHANCED SENTENCES VACATED
AND REMANDED FOR RESENTENCING.
Beth Fontenot
P. O. Box 3183
Lake Charles, LA 70602
(337) 491-3864
COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT:
Jeremiah R. Teno
Honorable David W. Burton, District Attorney
Beauregard Parish
P. O. Box 99
DeRidder, LA 70634
(337) 463-5578
COUNSEL FOR APELLEE:
State of Louisiana
PAINTER, Judge.
Defendant, Jeremiah R. Teno, appeals his convictions on the charges of
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a violation of La.R.S. 14:95.1 (Count 1);
illegal use of weapons or dangerous instruments, a violation of La.R.S. 14:94F (Count
2); and aggravated assault with a firearm; a violation of La.R.S. 14:34.4 (Count 3); as
well as his sentencing for those three convictions as a habitual offender. For the
following reasons, we affirm his convictions. However, we vacate the enhanced
sentences for the offenses of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and
aggravated assault with a firearm because those enhancements were not sought in the
multiple offender bill. Therefore, this case is remanded for resentencing on those
convictions.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On June 15, 2010, Patrolman Tracy Crouch of the DeRidder Police Department
received two 911 calls from Auburn Place Apartments. The callers reported “pops”
that sounded like gunshots or firecrackers. One of the callers said: “they know who it
is,” but the caller did not identify anyone.
Skylor Johnson, age sixteen at the time of trial, was babysitting for Olivia
Martin at the apartments on the day of the incident. Her brother, Roman Johnson, was
involved in an altercation or argument with Defendant that morning. Before 4:30
p.m., Ms. Johnson went outside, and “[Defendant] and two more cars pulled up.”
Defendant got out of his car and stood around for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Defendant then said, “[w]e‟ll dump on y‟all,” ran to his car, and got a black,
“medium-sized gun.” Ms. Johnson held her hands six to eight inches apart when she
described the gun. The day after the incident, she chose Defendant from a photo
lineup.
Ms. Martin arrived home around 2:00 p.m. that day. “Around four-something,”
Ms. Martin “saw cars had pulled up and . . . it looked like a commotion was about to
happen.” She saw Defendant get out of one car, and residents of the complex began
to gather outside. After words were exchanged and Catissue Hayes, Defendant‟s
girlfriend, pushed Ms. Johnson, Defendant reached into one vehicle, got a black
handgun, “and started shooting . . . [n]ot specifically aiming anywhere, just shooting
everywhere.” Ms. Martin had her nine-week-old daughter in her arms and “took off
running.” She was “grazed” on the foot by a bullet. She further testified that after the
shooting, there was a “bullet hole in the wall on the left side of the building.”
Ms. Martin identified Defendant from a photo lineup. She also identified
Defendant at trial as the person who fired the weapon. She had never seen Defendant
before the day of the shooting.
Eight-year-old Diamond Banks also identified Defendant from a photo lineup
as the man “who did it.” At trial, however, she looked around the courtroom and did
not see the man. Tervell Roberson and Crystal Banks also identified Defendant from
photo lineups.
Jennifer Puckett also lived at the apartment complex and saw the incident. She
identified Defendant as being involved in the arguing. The commotion ended when
Defendant “just went to a car and just pulled out a gun and just started shooting.”
Lieutenant Shane Fruge of the DeRidder Police Department prepared the photo
lineup and showed it to seven witnesses. Five of them identified Defendant from the
lineup; the other two did not identify anyone. No one ever identified anyone other
than Defendant as the shooter. A security video from the apartment complex did not
show anyone shooting a weapon. Attempts to lift fingerprints from the shell casings
were unsuccessful. Nothing in Lieutenant Fruge‟s investigation indicated that any
person other than Defendant shot a gun.
Ms. Hayes, the mother of Defendant‟s child, testified as a defense witness. She
went to the apartment complex twice on the day of the shooting, the first time around
noon and the second time “around four-thirtyish, maybe.” The first time, she was
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arguing with Mr. Johnson “about an altercation that happened the night before.” The
second time, she and Defendant argued “about him being there.” Although she saw
who fired the gunshots, she had never seen the shooter before, and she did not know
his name. Ms. Hays said that the shooter was not Defendant and that, in fact,
Defendant “put his arms over [Hayes] as [they] ducked.” Ms. Hayes, Defendant, Ms.
Johnson, Ms. Martin, Thea Hall, and Mr. Roberson were standing together, to the left
of the single-story building. Ms. Hayes described the shooter as “a black, skinny guy
with a tattoo on his neck” and said that he stood “closer to the cars.” Ms. Hayes
admitted that she lied to police and told them that she did not see anything “[b]ecause
we were afraid for our family.”
Mr. Roberson also testified for the defense. He was in jail for fighting in Lake
Charles at the time of trial. Mr. Roberson had seen Defendant before, but he did not
know him. He testified that he did not see Defendant with a gun and that he did not
see him shoot a gun. Mr. Roberson and Defendant were “face-to-face” when Mr.
Roberson heard gunshots; if Defendant had shot the gun, “[h]e would have . . . blew
my brains out right there.” He testified that “somebody with [Defendant] saw [Mr.
Roberson] was going to hit him, and they went to shooting.”
Nevertheless, Mr. Roberson chose Defendant from a photo lineup and “said
he‟s the shooter.” Mr. Roberson said that he did so because he really wanted to go
home and didn‟t care. His aunt pressured him to identify Defendant as the shooter.
At trial, he testified that what he told the police was “not the real story.”
Defendant testified as the last witness at trial. He was convicted of
unauthorized use of a vehicle in 2005. In 2006, he was convicted of attempted
possession of Alprazolam, and he also had a marijuana conviction. Defendant stated
that he pled guilty to those charges because he was actually guilty. He testified that
he was not guilty of the charges at issue in this case.
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Defendant testified that around 11:00 a.m. to noon on June 15, 2010, he went
with Ms. Hayes and her sister to the Auburn Place Apartments. Defendant left and
returned around 4:00 p.m. after he received a call from Mr. Johnson suggesting they
“squash” their misunderstanding. He did not shoot a firearm at the complex. He
testified that someone named Tristan was the shooter.
Defendant stated that he and Mr. Johnson were about to fight, and “when the
gunshots rang off,” Ms. Hayes tried to get him into the car to leave. He testified that
they were standing by the single-story area of the complex to the side of the
breezeway. When Defendant spoke to police after the incident, he said that he did not
know the shooter. He testified that he “technically” did not know the shooter, but he
knew the shooter‟s first name. A search of Defendant‟s residence and the vehicles at
the residence three days after the incident revealed no gun.
Lieutenant Fruge testified on rebuttal that Defendant never said who he thought
fired the shots. Defendant said that the shots were fired from behind him while he
was standing in the parking lot, which was inconsistent with the other witnesses‟
testimony. Defendant‟s testimony that he arrived at the complex alone was also
inconsistent with the other testimony.
Defendant was charged with possession of a firearm by persons convicted of
certain felonies, a violation of La.R.S. 14:95.1 (Count 1); illegal use of weapons or
dangerous instruments, a violation of La.R.S. 14:94(F) (Count 2); and aggravated
assault with a firearm, a violation of La.R.S. 14:37.4 (Count 3). The State filed a
habitual offender bill of information, alleging prior convictions for attempted
possession of Alprazolam on October 4, 2006, and attempted unauthorized use of a
movable on December 1, 2005. The State amended the habitual offender bill to allege
Defendant‟s fourth felony offender status based on an additional conviction on
January 8, 2008, for second offense possession of marijuana. Both the original and
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amended bills sought enhancement of the sentence for the conviction for illegal use of
weapons.
At the beginning of the trial, the parties stipulated to Defendant‟s October 4,
2006 guilty plea to attempted possession of Alprazolam in Vernon Parish.
Defendant‟s probation officer for that conviction, Charles Williams, testified at trial
that he supervised Defendant‟s probation on that charge. Defendant signed his
conditions of probation on March 6, 2007, which informed him that he could not carry
a firearm.
The jury found Defendant guilty on all three counts. At a hearing after trial, the
State presented evidence of Defendant‟s prior conviction for second offense
possession of marijuana on January 8, 2008, in St. Mary Parish; attempted possession
of Alprazolam on October 4, 2006, in Vernon Parish; and unauthorized use of a
movable on December 1, 2005, in Vernon Parish. The trial court found that the
evidence was sufficient to establish Defendant‟s felony record. The trial court found
that the sentencing range was a minimum of twenty years and a maximum of life
imprisonment on each of the three counts. The trial court then sentenced Defendant to
twenty-eight years at hard labor on each count. The trial court imposed sentences on
the charges of possession of a firearm by a person convicted of certain felonies and
illegal use of weapons or dangerous instruments without benefit of probation, parole,
or suspension of sentence. He imposed the sentence on the charge of aggravated
assault with a firearm, pursuant to the habitual offender statute, La.R.S. 15:529.1,
without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. The sentences were to run
concurrently with each other but consecutively to any other sentences.
Defendant filed a motion to reconsider his sentences, which was denied by the
trial court. This appeal followed.
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DISCUSSION
Errors Patent
In accordance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 920, all appeals are reviewed for errors
patent on the face of the record. After reviewing the record, we find that there is one
error patent which is also raised as error by Defendant in his appeal. Defendant
argues that the trial court erroneously imposed enhanced sentences. The State agrees
regarding this error as to Counts 1 and 3.
The amended habitual offender bill alleged that there were three convictions
involved in this appeal in addition to prior convictions for second offense possession
of marijuana, attempted possession of Alprazolam, and attempted unauthorized use of
a movable. However, the bill asked the court to enhance only Defendant‟s “present
conviction for Illegal Use of Weapons (R.S. 14:94F) as a fourth-felony offender.” At
sentencing, however, the trial court enhanced all three April 21, 2011 convictions.
A defendant must be charged with criminal conduct through either a bill of
information or indictment. La.Code Crim.P. art. 382. The State did not request
enhancement of Defendant‟s other charges. Therefore, we find that Defendant‟s
adjudication on charges where adjudication was not requested is a violation of
La.Code Crim.P. art. 382.
Further, Defendant‟s sentences on the charges of possession of a firearm by a
felon and aggravated assault with a firearm are illegal. The sentencing range for a
violation of La.R.S. 14:95.1 (the possession charge) is ten to twenty years at hard
labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence and a fine of one
thousand to five thousand dollars. The sentencing range for a violation of La.R.S.
14:37.4 (the assault charge) is imprisonment with or without hard labor for up to five
years and/or a fine of up to five thousand dollars.
The trial court sentenced Defendant to twenty-eight years on each count. We
find that these sentences are illegal for the unenhanced charges of possession of a
6
firearm by a convicted felon and aggravated assault with a firearm. Accordingly, we
vacate the sentences on these two charges and remand this matter for resentencing on
these charges.
Sufficiency of the Evidence
Defendant, through counsel, claims that the evidence was insufficient to find
him guilty of illegal use of weapons. In his pro se Assignment of Error No. 3,
Defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to convict him on all counts. In
his pro se Assignment of Error No. 4, Defendant argues that the State erred in
charging him and failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. To the extent
that Defendant‟s pro se assignments of error address the issue of sufficiency of the
evidence, they are included in the following discussion.
The standard of review in a sufficiency of the evidence claim is “whether,
viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier
of fact could have found proof beyond a reasonable doubt of each of the essential
elements of the crime charged.” State v. Leger, 05-11, p. 91 (La. 7/10/06), 936 So.2d
108, 170, cert. denied, 549 U.S. 1221, 127 S.Ct. 1279 (2007) (citing Jackson v.
Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781 (1979); State v. Captville, 448 So.2d 676, 678
(La.1984)). The Jackson standard of review is now legislatively embodied in
La.Code Crim.P. art. 821. It does not allow the appellate court “to substitute its own
appreciation of the evidence for that of the fact-finder.” State v. Pigford, 05-477, p. 6
(La. 2/22/06), 922 So.2d 517, 521 (citing State v. Robertson, 96-1048 (La. 10/4/96),
680 So.2d 1165; State v. Lubrano, 563 So.2d 847, 850 (La.1990)). The appellate
court‟s function is not to assess the credibility of witnesses or reweigh the evidence.
State v. Smith, 94-3116 (La. 10/16/95), 661 So.2d 442.
The fact finder‟s role is to weigh the credibility of witnesses. State v. Ryan, 07-
504 (La.App. 3 Cir. 11/7/07), 969 So.2d 1268. Thus, other than insuring that the
sufficiency evaluation standard of Jackson is met, “the appellate court should not
7
second-guess the credibility determination of the trier of fact,” but rather, it should
defer to the rational credibility and evidentiary determinations of the jury. Id. at 1270
(quoting State v. Lambert, 97-64, pp. 4-5 (La.App. 3 Cir. 9/30/98), 720 So.2d 724,
726-27). Our supreme court has stated:
However, an appellate court may impinge on the fact finder=s
discretion and its role in determining the credibility of witnesses “only to
the extent necessary to guarantee the fundamental due process of law.”
State v. Mussall, 523 So.2d 1305, 1310 (La.1988). In determining the
sufficiency of the evidence supporting a conviction, an appellate court
must preserve “ „the factfinder=s role as weigher of the evidence‟ by
reviewing „all of the evidence . . . in the light most favorable to the
prosecution.‟ ” McDaniel v. Brown, 558 U.S. 120, ___, 130 S.Ct. 665,
674, 175 L.Ed.2d 582 (quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319,
99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979)). When so viewed by an
appellate court, the relevant question is whether, on the evidence
presented at trial, “any rational trier of fact could have found the essential
elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson, 443 U.S. at
319, 99 S.Ct. at 2789. Applied in cases relying on circumstantial
evidence, . . . this fundamental principle of review means that when a
jury “reasonably rejects the hypothesis of innocence presented by the
defendant[ ], that hypothesis falls, and the defendant is guilty unless there
is another hypothesis which raises a reasonable doubt.” State v. Captville,
448 So.2d 676, 680 (La.1984).
State v. Strother, 09-2357, pp. 10-11 (La. 10/22/10), 49 So.3d 372, 378.
Count 2 charged Defendant with illegal use of weapons by discharging a
firearm while committing or attempting to commit aggravated criminal damage to the
Auburn Place Apartments, wherein it was foreseeable for human life to be
endangered. “Aggravated criminal damage to property is the intentional damaging of
any structure . . . wherein it is foreseeable that human life might be endangered, by
any means other than fire or explosion.” La.R.S. 14:55. Defendant argues that the
only evidence to support this charge “was testimony that [he] shot a small handgun
without aiming and that after the shooting there was an „impact area‟ in the apartment
building.” He claims that “[t]here was no evidence that there were people present in
or around the apartment building near the „impact area‟ or that [he] knew or should
have known that there were people in that area of the building.
8
In fact, Ms. Martin identified a hole in the side of the building that was not
present before the shooting. She was standing in the parking lot when the shooting
began. As she “took off running,” she was struck in the foot “right before [she]
stepped on the sidewalk.” Others testified that they were also in the parking lot.
Lieutenant Fruge testified that he found two .40-caliber Smith and Wesson shell
casings and a bullet fragment in the parking lot between the single-story building and
the two-story breezeway of the apartment complex. The location of the fragment was
consistent with what the witnesses said about where the suspects were parked and the
trajectory of the shooting. The bullet fragment was shiny, indicating it had not been
there a long time. The shell casings were found where the witnesses said the shooter
was standing. An impact area contained a fresh gouge mark in the concrete consistent
with ricochet. Another impact area was “the siding portion of the outer wall of the
apartment complex on the two-story” building. That area was three or four feet from
a window, five feet from the ground.
We find that the evidence sufficiently showed that the impact area on the
building resulted from the shooting on June 15, 2010. Testimony at trial included five
people identifying Defendant as the shooter in a photo lineup. Two of those witnesses
also identified Defendant at trial. Further, we find that the evidence was sufficient to
identify Defendant as the person who shot the gun, caused damage to the structure,
and wounded Ms. Martin. Thus, counsel‟s argument contending insufficient evidence
to convict Defendant of illegal use of weapons lacks merit.
Regarding Defendant‟s conviction for possession of a firearm by a person
convicted of attempted possession of Alprazolam, the evidence of Defendant‟s prior
conviction was clear. As discussed above, the evidence also clearly established that
Defendant possessed and fired the .40-caliber weapon on June 15, 2011. Thus, we
find that the evidence sufficiently established the elements of this offense. La.R.S.
14:95.1. Additionally, “aggravated assault with a firearm” is the attempt to
9
intentionally use “force or violence upon the person of another” by the discharge of a
firearm. La.R.S. 14:33, 14:36, and 14:37.4. Defendant discharged a firearm and
struck Ms. Martin; he also endangered the infant that Ms. Martin was holding, Ms.
Johnson, and everyone else in the area of the shooting. Defendant‟s pro se argument
also lacks merit.
Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
Defendant argues that his trial counsel, Leslie Leavoy, was ineffective. He
cites three instances: Mr. Leavoy did not follow through by filing a writ application
for review of the trial court‟s denial of his request for a stay of proceedings; he failed
to ask for the removal of a juror after Defendant mentioned he knew her; and he failed
to impeach witnesses Johnson and Roberson.
The issue of ineffective counsel is more appropriately addressed in an
application for post-conviction relief, where an evidentiary hearing can be conducted
in the trial court. State in the Interest of A.B., 09-870 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/9/09), 25
So.3d 1012. However, where an ineffective assistance claim is raised on appeal, this
court may address the merits of the claim if the record discloses sufficient evidence to
rule on it. Id. If this court considers a claim of ineffective counsel on appeal,
Defendant must satisfy a two-part test. He must first show that counsel‟s performance
was deficient and next, that the deficiency prejudiced him. Strickland v. Washington,
466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052 (1984).
Defendant alleges that he told his attorney that he knew a juror. In fact, the
record shows that one of the jurors, a Mr. Washington, said in voir dire that he did not
know any of the witnesses because he did not recognize any of the names. However,
after Ms. Puckett testified, Mr. Washington realized that he recognized her face and so
informed the trial court. Defense counsel had no objection and commented that he
thought the fact that Mr. Washington knew her was “beneficial to the defense.” After
10
a discussion with his client, Defendant agreed. As such, we find that Defendant‟s
alleged error is not factually supported by the record.
However, the record on appeal is not sufficient to determine whether counsel
was ineffective with regard to the failure to file a writ application seeking a stay of the
proceedings or the failure to impeach witnesses. Determination of those issues may
require testimony from defense counsel at an evidentiary hearing limited to those two
claims. Thus, Defendant‟s allegation of ineffective assistance of counsel based on
those issues should be relegated to post-conviction relief.
Photographic Evidence
Defendant argues that the State was erroneously allowed to introduce his
picture from a prior arrest into evidence. The trial court allowed the photograph “not
to prove the character of the person in order to show that he acted in conformity
therewith, but for the other purposes as allowed under the Code of Evidence,
including proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity,
absence of mistake or accident.”
Deputy Christopher Ryan of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff‟s Office testified that
he was working an “off-duty security job at a club in Lake Charles” on July 8, 2007.
A security officer of the club informed him and other deputies about “a guy inside the
club that had a gun.” Deputy Ryan and the others approached the man, intending to
escort him out of the club. He testified that they had to wrestle him down. Another
officer removed a loaded gun from the man‟s pocket. A photographer inside the club
had taken a picture earlier that evening of a group of people, and one had the “gun
hanging out of his waistband.” Deputy Ryan identified Defendant as the man with the
gun.
Defendant objected to the introduction of the photograph into evidence.
Nevertheless, he asked for it to be published to the jury. The State elected to present
the photograph, its own exhibit, at the close of Defendant‟s cross-examination. At
11
that time, the State moved to publish the exhibit, and Defendant “join[ed] in that
motion.”
Defendant stated that he never owned or possessed a .40-caliber pistol. He
explained the photograph from the club as an incident where:
And the way I ended up getting the gun, somebody was about to do
something stupid with the gun. And the way the police found out, I kind
of took the gun from the person, and we kind of tussled, friendly tussled
for it; and it dropped to the floor. And we was right in front of the
camera booth where they hang up the pictures where we take them. And
I stupidly just put the picture there and – well, put the gun there and took
the picture with it. But I was actually saving a worser incident than me
going to jail from happening.
Defendant testified the charge that resulted “was left at no disposition,” but he served
thirty months of incarceration as a parole violation because of the incident.
“An error is harmless if it is unimportant in relation to the whole and the verdict
rendered was surely unattributable to the error.” State v. Koon, 96-1208, p. 9 (La.
5/20/97), 704 So.2d 756, 763, cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1001, 118 S.Ct. 570 (1997). Any
error in the admission of the photograph was harmless error in this case.
As discussed earlier, evidence at trial showed that five witnesses identified
Defendant as the shooter from a photo lineup. Damage to the apartment building was
not present prior to the shooting. Ms. Martin was injured as a result of the shooting.
We find that the evidence, absent the photograph of Defendant on an earlier occasion
with a gun at a club, was sufficient to sustain his conviction of these crimes. Even if
the trial court erred in admitting the photograph, we find that the verdict was not
attributable to the error in light of the other evidence of guilt.
Prejudicial Statements
In this assignment of error, Defendant argues that the trial court erroneously
admitted prejudicial statements from the State‟s witnesses. The statements he
mentions refer to: (1) Ms. Johnson‟s testimony that Mr. Roberson said that Defendant
had “choppers;” (2) Mr. Roberson‟s testimony that he and Defendant were arguing
12
“face to face” at the time of the shooting, that he would have been shot if Defendant
had been the shooter, that he identified Defendant from the photo lineup at his aunt‟s
urging, and that he went along with her request so he could go home: (3) Dymon
Banks was playing outside at the time of the shooting but could not identify
Defendant at trial; (4) Lieutenant Fruge‟s testimony that he did not see Defendant
shooting a weapon and that he told witnesses who viewed the photo lineup Defendant
may or may not be in it; (5) Two witnesses did not identify Defendant from the photo
lineup.
In fact, Ms. Johnson testified that her “cousin Tervell said, „We got choppers.‟”
According to Defendant‟s counsel, “choppers” are AK-47 firearms. Defendant
incorrectly states the facts because Ms. Johnson‟s testimony was that Mr. Roberson
said that he, not Defendant, had the firearms. Regarding Mr. Roberson‟s testimony, it
tended to show that Defendant was not the person who fired the shots and was
actually helpful, not prejudicial, to Defendant. Defendant has not shown how any of
these instances prejudiced him. Indeed, each seems to favor his position rather than
prejudice it. We find that this argument lacks merit.
Failure to Find the Weapon
In addition to his argument that the reasonable doubt standard was not met,
Defendant claims that he was erroneously charged because police found no weapon or
gun at the scene of the shooting and because the shell casings police recovered had no
fingerprints on them. The presence of a weapon or fingerprints is not an essential
element to any of the crimes for which Defendant was charged or convicted. We have
already discussed the elements of each crime and the sufficiency of the evidence,
which inherently includes reasonable doubt. This argument also lacks merit.
DECREE
For the foregoing reasons, Defendants convictions are affirmed. His sentence
on the charge of illegal use of weapons or dangerous instruments is also affirmed.
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The enhanced sentences for the offenses of possession of a firearm by a convicted
felon and aggravated assault with a firearm are vacated because those enhancements
were not sought in the multiple offender bill. We remand this case for resentencing
on those convictions.
CONVICTIONS AFFIRMED; ENHANCED SENTENCES VACATED, AND
REMANDED FOR RESENTENCING.
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