GRAVOIS, Judge.
The defendant, Adam J. Blazio, appeals his conviction for possession of alprazolam, a violation of LSA-R.S. 40:969(C). On appeal, the defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to convict, his sentence was excessive, and he was denied due process and a fair trial. The defendant further seeks an errors patent review.
After thorough consideration of the issues, for the following reasons, we affirm the defendant's conviction and sentence.
On April 13, 2005, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office filed a bill of information charging the defendant, Adam J. Blazio, with possession of alprazolam, a violation of LSA-R.S. 40:969(C). At his arraignment, the defendant pled not guilty.
At the beginning of the trial, the State stipulated and the defense agreed that Officer Kelly Day, if called to the stand, would have testified that:
Thereafter, the State offered into evidence without objection "State Number 1, which is the Lab Report of the chemist showing that the seized drugs ... are, in fact, Alprazolam; State Exhibit Number 2, which are the drugs and the bottle seized from this defendant at the time of the stop by Officer Day[.]" In addition, the State offered, "for record purposes only, the police report of [Officer] Day, which—to the facts as [defense counsel] and [the State] have, in fact, stipulated. It's offered for record [sic]." The defense did not object, and the State rested.
The defendant called Deborah Jones, his mother-in-law, as a witness. Ms. Jones testified that she dropped her prescription bottle containing "Xanax Alprazolam" and Soma pills in the defendant's car when the defendant was giving her a ride the evening before he was arrested. Accordingly to Ms. Jones, the defendant dropped her off at her home at approximately 7:00 p.m. She did not realize that her pills were missing until approximately 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. She called the defendant to ask him if she dropped the pill bottle in his car and told him, if so, to get it. Ms. Jones testified that the seized prescription bottle presented in court belonged to her. She testified that she wrote a letter containing an affidavit to prove that the alprazolam and Soma pills belonged to her. She also provided the prescription labels of the original bottles in order to prove that she had a prescription for the drugs. Ms. Jones further testified that both she and her son-inlaw lived in New Orleans at that time.
In these two assignments of error, the defendant claims that the evidence was legally insufficient for the jury to find that the State proved the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt and, therefore, the trial court erred in denying the defendant's motion for a new trial. Specifically, the defendant claims that the State failed to meet its burden to prove criminal intent or that he willingly and "intentionally gained possession or had knowledge of the contents of the pill bottle seized from his pocket. The defendant notes that the evidence presented through the testimony of Ms. Jones showed that the "travel bottle" containing the three Xanax pills along with Soma and other medications belonged to her and had fallen out of her purse into the defendant's car when he was giving her a ride home.
In addition, the defendant notes that Ms. Jones testified that she executed an affidavit to prove that the alprazolam and Soma pills belonged to her and that she had prescriptions for the drugs. The defendant contends that the "plausible story" told to the jury by Jones is more than enough to have created reasonable doubt.
The State claims that based upon the evidence, the jury could have found that the crime was committed beyond a reasonable doubt. The State notes that the alprazolam pills were found in the defendant's pocket, not in his vehicle, approximately two or three hours after Ms. Jones asked defendant to return the pills to her.
LSA-R.S. 40:969(C) states that "it is unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally to possess a controlled dangerous substance classified in Schedule IV unless such substance was obtained directly or pursuant to a valid prescription or order from a practitioner." Alprazolam is a Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance. LSA-R.S. 40:964. In order to support a conviction for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, the State must prove that the defendant was in possession of the drug and that he knowingly possessed the drug. Once the State proves that the defendant had possession of the scheduled substance, under LSA-R.S. 40:990
A review of the trial transcript indicates that the defendant did not attempt to show that he had a valid prescription for the pills. Instead, as noted above, he presented the testimony of Ms. Jones, who testified that she executed an affidavit to prove that the alprazolam and Soma pills found in the defendant's possession belonged to her and that she had prescriptions for the drugs. Her testimony and affidavit were further offered to provide a non-criminal explanation for the defendant's possession of the alprazolam.
The defendant argues that the State failed to prove that he had the requisite criminal intent, i.e., that he knowingly possessed the illegal drug. The elements of knowledge and intent are states of mind and need not be proven as facts, but may be inferred from the circumstances. State v. Guillard, 98-0504 (La.App. 4 Cir. 4/7/99), 736 So.2d 273. As this Court recently stated in State v. Mosley, 08-1318 (La.App. 5 Cir. 5/12/09), 13 So.3d 705, 709:
Juries are not required to abandon common sense and life experiences when they enter a jury room. The jury could have reasonably inferred that the defendant had the requisite criminal intent from the fact that he was arrested in an apartment complex parking lot in the River Ridge area of Jefferson Parish, at 4 a.m. in the morning, with the pill bottle containing the pills in question in his pocket.
The defendant's witness, his mother-in-law Ms. Jones, attempted to establish that he was only in possession of the pills while
Accordingly, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the jury could have concluded that the State proved the essential elements of the crime, including guilty knowledge, to find the defendant guilty of possession of alprazolam beyond a reasonable doubt. These assignments of error are accordingly without merit.
In his counseled brief, the defendant also argues that his sentence of five years at hard labor, the maximum provided for this offense, is excessive. The defendant claims in his pro se brief that the trial court failed to consider pursuant to LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 894.1, the mitigating factors of his age of 28 years, his pattern of stability including a wife and family, and his history of no prior felonies.
The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Louisiana Constitution Article I, § 20 prohibit the imposition of excessive punishment. A sentence is considered excessive if it is grossly disproportionate to the offense or imposes needless and purposeless pain and suffering. State v. Nguyen, 06-969, pp. 5-6 (La.App. 5 Cir. 4/24/07), 958 So.2d 61, 64, writ denied, 07-1161 (La.12/7/07), 969 So.2d 628.
In sentencing a defendant, a trial court should consider the defendant's personal history, age, family ties, marital status, health, employment record, as well as his prior criminal record, seriousness of offense and the likelihood of rehabilitation in determining an appropriate sentence. State v. Crawford, 05-494, p. 6 (La.App. 5 Cir. 1/31/06), 922 So.2d 666, 669, writ denied 2009-1172 (La.3/12/10, 28 So.3d 1021). LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 894.1(C) requires the trial judge to state for the record the considerations taken into account and the factual basis when imposing the defendant's sentence. When there is an adequate factual basis for the sentence contained in the record, the trial judge's failure to articulate every circumstance listed in LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 894.1 does not require a remand for re-sentencing. State v. Fairley, 02-168, p. 8 (La.App. 5 Cir. 6/26/0), 822 So.2d 812, 817.
In reviewing a sentence for excessiveness, the appellate court must consider the crime and the punishment in light of the harm to society and gauge whether the penalty is so disproportionate as to shock its sense of justice. State v. Nguyen, 06-969 at 6, 958 So.2d at 64. In general, maximum sentences are reserved for cases
On appeal, the issue is whether the trial court abused its discretion, not whether another sentence might have been more appropriate. State v. Napoleon, 01-1222, p. 5 (La.App. 5 Cir. 2/26/02), 811 So.2d 980, 983. An "appellate court shall not set aside a sentence for excessiveness if the record supports the sentence imposed." LSAC.Cr.P. art. 881.4(D). Therefore, a sentence will not be set aside as excessive absent clear abuse of the trial court's broad discretion. State v. Napoleon, 01-1222 at 5, 811 So.2d at 983.
LSA-R.S. 40:969(C)(2) provides in pertinent part that a person convicted of possession of a substance classified in Schedule IV, "shall be imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than five years and, in addition, may be required to pay a fine of not more than five thousand dollars." Alprazolam is a Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance. LSA-R.S. 40:964.
In the present case, the trial judge sentenced the 28-year-old defendant to the maximum five-year sentence at hard labor without imposing a fine. The record reflects that the trial court adequately articulated the factors considered in imposing the defendant's sentence. The trial judge noted that, on the issues of credibility, the jury found that the defense was based on a falsehood that amounted at best to perjury. In addition, as the defense admitted, the defendant had prior misdemeanor convictions for possession of marijuana. We find that this sentence is neither grossly disproportionate to the severity of the crime nor a needless imposition of pain and suffering in light of the views enunciated by the trial court. Accordingly, these assignments of error are likewise without merit.
The defendant claims that he was denied due process and did not receive a fair trial because the assistant district attorney, who was motivated by racial discriminatory intent, used a peremptory challenge to strike the only black prospective juror considered for the final empanelled jury.
In order to preserve a complaint that the State used a peremptory challenge based solely on race, the defense must make an objection before the entire jury panel is sworn. State v. Cheatteam, 07-272, p. 9 (La.App. 5 Cir. 5/27/08), 986 So.2d 738, 744 n. 8. In the present case, this issue was not preserved for appeal because the Batson
The defendant requests an errors patent review. However, this Court routinely reviews the record for errors patent in accordance with LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 920; State v. Oliveaux, 312 So.2d 337 (La.1975); State v. Weiland, 556 So.2d 175 (La.App. 5 Cir. 1990) regardless of whether defendant
First, the July 26, 2007 commitment and sentencing transcript from defendant's original sentencing are inconsistent. The commitment indicates that the defendant was informed that he had "two (2) years after judgment of conviction and sentence has become final to seek post-conviction relief." However, the July 26, 2007 sentencing transcript indicates that the trial judge informed the defendant that he had "two years within which to file for post conviction relief."
When there is a discrepancy between the transcript and the minutes, the transcript governs. State v. Lynch, 441 So.2d 732, 734 (La.1983). However, the October 18, 2007 commitment from the hearing on defendant's second motion to reconsider sentence indicates that the defendant was informed that he had "two (2) years after judgment of conviction and sentence has become final to seek post-conviction relief."
LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 930.8 does not require a trial court to advise the defendant of the time limitations for filing post-conviction relief more than once. State v. Harris, 01-1380, p. 4 (La.App. 5 Cir. 4/30/02), 817 So.2d 387, 390. Therefore, based on the October 18, 2007 commitment, the trial judge properly advised defendant that he had two years from the date his conviction and sentence became final to file an application for post-conviction relief.
Second, the October 18, 2007 commitment indicates that the motion to reconsider was granted, and that the trial court amended the defendant's sentence to add boot camp. However, the October 18, 2007 transcript indicates that the trial court denied the motion to reconsider sentence and therefore did not amend the defendant's sentence to include boot camp.
In the present case, the defense and the State briefs, as well as the defendant's pro se brief, indicate that the trial court amended the defendant's sentence to add boot camp. Nevertheless, when there is a discrepancy between the transcript and the minutes, the transcript governs. State v. Lynch, 441 So.2d 732, 734 (La.1983). Therefore, we remand this case and order the trial court to correct the commitment/minute entry to conform to the transcript. See State v. Hines, 02-397, p. 19 (La.App. 5 Cir. 9/30/02), 829 So.2d 530, 540.
For the reasons set forth above, the defendant's conviction and sentence are affirmed. This matter is remanded for correction of the above-noted error patent in accordance with the above instructions.
EDWARDS, J., dissents with reasons.
EDWARDS, J., dissenting.
I dissent from the majority opinion. To convict a defendant, the State must show criminal intent. No crime can exist without the combination of a criminal act and a criminal intent, or an evil motive, or with a guilty knowledge of its consequences.
To find criminal intent, the majority opinion uses the fact that Blazio, a resident of New Orleans, was found in Jefferson Parish at a late hour. The State must prove more than the fact that a man was out late in order for the jury to rationally infer criminal intent. Further, the opinion emphasizes that Blazio's mother-in-law was the alleged holder of the valid prescription, not Blazio. That ignores the point that Blazio never contended he had a valid prescription. He and his mother-in-law always stated that the pills were hers, obtained through a valid prescription, and that they were in a travel pack for convenience.
The majority opinion states, and I agree, that "juries are not required to abandon common sense and life experiences when they enter a jury room." According to common sense and common life experiences, it is often easier to carry prescription medication in a travel pack. Further, it is hardly unusual for one family member to carry medication for another. That, too, in my view, is within the realm of common sense and life experiences. I will not hold that helping an elderly relative constitutes circumstances that indicate that the offender, in the ordinary course of human experience, must have adverted to the prescribed criminal consequences as reasonably certain to result from his act or failure to act.
I would reverse the conviction.
A. It shall not be necessary for the state to negate any exemption or exception set forth in this part in any complaint, information, indictment or other pleading or in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding under this part, and the burden of proof of any such exemption or exception shall be upon the person claiming its benefit.
B. In the absence of proof that a person is the duly authorized holder of an appropriate registration or order form issued under this part, he shall be presumed not to be the holder of such registration or form, and the burden of proof shall be upon him to rebut such presumption.
C. No liability shall be imposed by virtue of this Part upon any duly authorized law enforcement officer, the Board of Pharmacy or its employees as provided in R.S. 40:984 engaged in the enforcement of any law, regulation, or municipal ordinance relating to controlled dangerous substances.