MARC E. JOHNSON, Judge.
Defendant, Celeste A. Chelette, appeals her conviction of theft of over $500.00 from the 24th Judicial District Court, Division "B". For the following reasons, the conviction and sentence are affirmed, and the motion to withdraw is granted.
The facts of this matter are as follows. On or between July 22, 2007, and August 13, 2010, Defendant committed theft of $103,459.43 from Medical Plaza Hearing, L.L.C., Doctor Herbert Marks and/or Doctor Robert Brousse, located at 4228 Houma Boulevard, # 110 in Metairie, Louisiana.
On July 22, 2011, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a bill of information, charging Defendant with theft of U.S. currency valued at $74,783.76 in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:67. Defendant pleaded not guilty to this charge at her arraignment on August 26, 2011. On January 23, 2012, the State amended the bill of information to increase the value of the theft to $103,459.43. On this same date, Defendant withdrew her not guilty plea and pleaded guilty to theft of over $500.00. Also on January 23, 2012, Defendant filed a memorandum in support of leniency at sentencing. Thereafter, on February 10, 2012, Defendant was sentenced to five years imprisonment at hard labor with credit for time served. On this same date, Defendant filed a motion to reconsider sentence, which was denied. On February 17, 2012, Defendant filed a motion for appeal,
On appeal, Defendant requests a review of the record for errors patent. After review, Defendant asks this Court to reverse her conviction or set aside her sentence. Under the procedure set forth in State v. Benjamin, 573 So.2d 528, 530-31 (La.App. 4 Cir.1990),
In Anders, the United States Supreme Court stated that appointed appellate counsel may request permission to withdraw if he finds his case to be wholly frivolous after a conscientious examination of it.
In Jyles, 96-2669; 704 So.2d at 241, the Louisiana Supreme Court stated that an Anders brief need not tediously catalog every meritless pretrial motion or objection made at trial with a detailed explanation of why the motions or objections lack merit. The supreme court explained that an Anders brief must demonstrate by full discussion and analysis that appellate counsel "has cast an advocate's eye over the trial record and considered whether any ruling made by the trial court, subject to the contemporaneous objection rule, had a significant, adverse impact on shaping the evidence presented to the jury for its consideration." Jyles, supra.
When conducting a review for compliance with Anders, an appellate court must conduct an independent review of the record to determine whether the appeal is wholly frivolous. Bradford, 95-929; 676 So.2d at 1110. If, after an independent review, the reviewing court determines there are no non-frivolous issues for appeal, it may grant counsel's motion to withdraw and affirm the defendant's conviction and sentence. However, if the court finds any legal point arguable on the merits, it may either deny the motion and order the court-appointed attorney to file a brief arguing the legal point(s) identified by the court, or grant the motion and appoint substitute appellate counsel. Id.
In this case, appointed appellate counsel's brief demonstrates that after a detailed
Counsel filed a motion to withdraw, which reflects that a copy of the motion, the Anders brief, and the pro se briefing notice have been mailed to Defendant. Counsel requests that he be permitted to withdraw from further representation, preserving Defendant's right to timely file a pro se supplemental brief for this appeal. Additionally, this Court sent Defendant a letter by certified mail informing her that an Anders brief had been filed and that she had until June 14, 2012, to file a pro se supplemental brief. Defendant failed to file a brief for this appeal.
An independent review of the record supports appellate counsel's assertion that there are no non-frivolous issues to be raised on appeal.
The bill of information in this case properly charged Defendant and presents no non-frivolous issues supporting an appeal. As required, it plainly, concisely, and definitely states the essential facts constituting the offense charged. It also sufficiently identifies Defendant and the crime charged. See generally LSA-C.Cr.P. arts. 464-66.
As reflected by the minute entries and commitment, Defendant appeared at each stage of the proceedings against her. She attended her arraignment, her guilty plea, and her sentencing. As such, Defendant's presence does not present any issue that would support an appeal.
Further, Defendant pleaded guilty as charged. If a defendant pleads guilty, the defendant normally waives all non-jurisdictional defects in the proceedings leading up to the guilty plea and is precluded from review of such defects either by appeal or post-conviction relief. State v. Wingerter, 05-697 (La.App. 5 Cir. 3/14/06); 926 So.2d 662, 664.
The record reflects that there were no pre-trial motions or rulings in this case to raise on appeal. There were no rulings to preserve for appeal under the holding in State v. Crosby, 338 So.2d 584 (La.1976).
Once a defendant is sentenced, only those guilty pleas that are constitutionally infirm may be withdrawn by appeal or post-conviction relief. State v. McCoil, 05-658 (La.App. 5 Cir. 2/27/06); 924 So.2d 1120, 1124. A guilty plea is constitutionally infirm if it is not entered freely and voluntarily, if the Boykin colloquy is inadequate, or when a defendant is induced to enter the plea by a plea bargain or what he justifiably believes was a plea bargain and that bargain is not kept. McCoil, supra. In such a case, the defendant has been denied due process of law in that the plea was not given freely and knowingly. State v. Dixon, 449 So.2d 463, 464 (La.1984).
The record shows Defendant was aware she was pleading guilty to theft over $500.00. During the colloquy, the judge told Defendant to stop him if she had questions and asked her about her age and education. She told the judge that she was 59 years old and had a twelfth grade education. She was advised of her right to a judge or jury trial, her right to confrontation, and her privilege against self-incrimination, as required by Boykin v. Alabama.
LSA-R.S. 14:67(B)(1)
Defendant conferred with her attorney before entering her guilty plea, and her plea agreement was beneficial. Further, Defendant was clearly advised of the sentence that she would receive by pleading guilty.
Further, Defendant's sentence does not present issues for appeal. Defendant's sentence was imposed pursuant to a plea agreement. Defendant knew what her sentence would be if she chose to plead guilty, and it appears defendant received a sentence in conformity with the agreement. LSA-C.Cr.P. art. 881.2(A)(2) precludes a defendant from seeking review of a sentence imposed in conformity with a plea agreement, which was set forth in the record at the time of the plea. See State v. Washington, 05-211 (La.App. 5 Cir. 10/6/05); 916 So.2d 1171, 1173.
Defendant's sentence also falls within the sentencing range prescribed by LSA-R.S. 14:67. Defendant was sentenced to five years imprisonment at hard labor. The statute provided for a possible penalty of imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years, or a possible fine of not more than three thousand dollars, or both. See LSA-R.S. 14:67(B)(1).
Defendant requests an error 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. 5th Cir.1990), regardless of whether the defendant makes such a request. The review reveals no errors patent in this case.
For the foregoing reasons, Defendant's conviction and sentence are affirmed. Appellate counsel's motion to withdraw is granted.