FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE # 72

FROM : CLERK OF SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA

 

The Opinions handed down on the 17th day of October, 2000 , are as follows:

BY CALOGERO, C.J. :

2000-O- 1026 IN RE: JUSTICE OF THE PEACE GUY MCINNIS

(Judiciary Commission of Louisiana)

Therefore, it is hereby ordered that respondent, Justice of the Peace Guy McInnis, Ward I, Parish of St. Bernard, be censured for knowingly and willfully maintaining a continuing financial relationship with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, a violation of Canons 1, 2(A), and 5(C)(1) of the Code of Judicial Conduct . Respondent is cast with costs of this proceeding, and shall pay to the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana the sum of $1,474.00 as reimbursement for expenses incurred by the Commission during its investigation and prosecution of this case.

Supreme Court Rule XXIII, §22.

BY KIMBALL, J. :

2000-C- 0492 BERT J. WAINWRIGHT, ET AL v. ROMONA FONTENOT, ET AL. (Parish of Calcasieu)

For the reasons cited herein, the opinion of the court of appeal in this matter is reversed, and the judgment of the trial court is reinstated.

REVERSED. JUDGMENT OF TRIAL COURT REINSTATED.

LEMMON, J., subscribes to the opinion and assigns additional reasons.

JOHNSON, J., dissents and assigns reasons.

 

2000-KA- 0903 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. KRISTOPHER SCHOENING (Parish of Calcasieu) (Aggravated Rape)

For all of these reasons, the trial court's declaration that La. Code Evid. art. 615(B)(4) is unconstitutional is vacated.

2000-CA- 1316 RUSSELL PAULETTE LEBOUEF ISTRE, ET AL. v. DANIEL MECHE, ET AL. (Parish of Acadia)

For the reasons assigned, the district court's judgment is vacated and the case is remanded to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

VACATED AND REMANDED.

LEMMON, J., concurs and will assign reasons.

 

BY JOHNSON, J. :

2000-C- 0157 RAYFORD J. LEBLANC, II v. WILLIAM STEVENSON, III AND AUDUBON INDEMNITY COMPANY - (Parish of Lafayette)

For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the court of appeal judgment finding that Stevenson's negligence caused the accident and that LeBlanc was comparatively liable. Therefore Stevenson was correctly apportioned 60% of the fault, and LeBlanc was correctly allocated 40% of the fault. We also find that the court of appeal was correct in holding that LeBlanc was entitled to general damages in the amount of $100,000; $7,459 in past medical expenses; $5,698 in future medical expenses; and $54,861 in past lost income, subject to a reduction of forty percent for his comparative negligence. However, we reverse and set aside the court of appeal judgment awarding LeBlanc damages for loss of future earning capacity.

AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART.

CALOGERO, C.J., concurs in part, dissents in part and assigns reasons.

LEMMON, J., concurs in part and dissents in part from the deletion of damages for impairment of earning capacity, for the reasons assigned by the Chief Justice.

VICTORY, J., dissents believing that the record supports the jury's verdict.

TRAYLOR, J., dissents and assigns reasons.

 

BY VICTORY, J. :

1999-K- 3256 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. ROY LINDSEY (Parish of Orleans) (Simple Robbery, Habitual Offender)

C/W

1999-K- 3302 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. DARRYL K. WEBSTER (Parish of Orleans) (Purse Snatching, Habitual Offender)

For the reasons stated above, the judgment of the court of appeal in State v. Lindsey is affirmed. State v. Webster is remanded to the court of appeal for reconsideration in light of this opinion. STATE v. LINDSEY , NO. 99-K-3256 AFFIRMED

STATE v. WEBSTER , NO. 99-K-3302 REMANDED

JOHNSON, J., dissents and assigns reasons.

KNOLL, J., concurs in part and dissents in part and assigns reasons.

 

BY TRAYLOR, J .:

1999-K- 2935 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. ALTON A. TAYLOR

C/W (Parish of Orleans)

1999-KP-2937 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. JESSE CLARK

C/W ( Parish of Orleans)

1999-K- 2938 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. JOSEPH DUPLESSIS, III

(Parish of Orleans)

For the foregoing reasons, we reverse the contradictory findings of the trial court and court of appeal.

REVERSED.

CALOGERO, C.J., dissents and assigns reasons.

LEMMON, J., concurs and assigns reasons.

JOHNSON, J., dissents and assigns reasons.

 

1999-C- 3577 MARY B. TOUCHARD v. SLEMCO ELECTRIC FOUNDATION, ET AL. (Parish of Lafayette)

For the reasons assigned, the judgment of the court of appeal is reversed. The judgment of the trial court finding plaintiff suffered no injuries as a result of defendant's acts, and dismissing plaintiff's suit is reinstated. All costs of this appeal are assessed to plaintiff.

LEMMON, J., subscribes to the opinion and assigns additional reasons.

JOHNSON, J., concurs.

BY KNOLL, J. :

1999-K- 3342 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. CHARLES JAMES MITCHELL, III (Parish of St. Mary) (Attempted First Degree Murder)

The evidence of the events and the statements of the parties at trial were legally sufficient to convict defendant of the crime charged because the State did provide the jury with sufficient evidence of defendant's specific intent to kill that negated every possible hypothesis of innocence of the defendant. Therefore, for the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the court of appeal is reversed and the conviction and sentence of the defendant is reinstated. This case is remanded to the First Circuit Court of Appeal for its review of defendant's remaining assignments of error.

JUDGMENT REVERSED; CONVICTION AND SENTENCE REINSTATED; CASE REMANDED.

LEMMON, J., concurs and assigns reasons.

JOHNSON, J., dissents and will assign reasons.