FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE # 44

FROM: CLERK OF SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA

The Opinions handed down on the 15th day of May, 2001 , are as follows:

BY CALOGERO, C.J. :

2000-CC- 2487 C/W 2000-CC- 2496 C/W 2000-CC- 2498 BENTON JOHNSON v. FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SHREVEPORT, ET AL. (Parish of Sabine)

For the foregoing reasons, the decision of the court of appeal is vacated and the ruling of the district court is reinstated. The case is remanded to the district court for further proceedings.

COURT OF APPEAL RULING VACATED; DISTRICT COURT RULING REINSTATED; REMANDED

Philip C. Ciaccio, Justice Pro Tempore, sitting for Associate Justice Harry T. Lemmon.

KNOLL, J., concurs and assigns reasons.

BY LEMMON, J. :

1999-KA- 0991 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. CEDRIC JACOBS (Parish of E. Baton Rouge) (First Degree Murder)

For the reasons assigned herein, defendant's conviction and sentence are affirmed. In the event this judgment becomes final on direct review when either: (1) defendant fails to petition timely the United States Supreme Court for certiorari; or (2) that Court denies his petition for certiorari; and either, (a) the defendant, having filed for and been denied certiorari, fails to petition the United States Supreme Court timely, under its prevailing rules, for rehearing of denial of certiorari; or (b) that Court denies his petition for rehearing, the trial judge shall, upon receiving notice from this court under La. Code Crim. Proc. art. 923 of finality on direct appeal, and before signing the warrant of execution, as provided by La. Rev. Stat. 15:567B, immediately notify the Louisiana Indigent Defense Assistance Board and provide the board with reasonable time in which: (1) to enroll counsel to represent the defendant in any state post-conviction proceedings, if appropriate, pursuant to its authority under La. Rev. Stat. 15:149.1; and (2) to litigate expeditiously the claims raised in that original application, if filed, in the state courts.

JOHNSON, J., dissents and assigns reasons.

BY KIMBALL, J. :

2000-KA- 2864 C/W 2000-KA- 2865 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. ROBERT J. O'REILLY (Parish of St.Tammany) (DWI, Second Offense)

STATE OF LOUISIANA v. SCOTT BREWSTER (Parish of St. Tammany)

(DWI and Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a Headlight)

For the foregoing reasons, we affirm that portion of the judgment of the lower court declaring La. R.S. 13:719 unconstitutional tothe extent that it authorizes the commissioner for the Twenty-Second Judicial District Court to conduct trials, accept pleas, and impose sentences in misdemeanor cases. We reverse that portion of the judgment vacating and setting aside O'Reilly's guilty plea and sentence and Brewster's guilty verdict and sentence. The case is remanded to the court of appeal for further proceedings.

AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART; and REMANDED.

LEMMON, J., dissents in part and assigns reasons.

BY JOHNSON, J. :

2000-C- 2408 LULA CHARLENE RIDDLE AND PHILLIP RIDDLE v. LARRY BICKFORD , BRENDA BICKFORD, WHITNEY A. LANGLOIS, DONNA HICKS ENGLADE, MORRIS W. JAMES, BARBARA MCDANELL JAMES, THE BRISTOL DUPLEXES HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION, JAMES & LAVENTINO PARTNERSHIP, ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY AND STATE FARM FIRE AND CASUALTY COMPANY (Parish of E. Baton Rouge)

Accordingly, we hold that a party does not have a right to back-strike jurors in civil cases in accordance with La. C.C.P. art. 1766(C). Therefore, we find that the court of appeal was correct in affirming the trial court's refusal to allow such practice during the course of voir dire in the instant case. In light of our findings, we pretermit any discussion regarding plaintiffs argument that the trial court's refusal to allow back-striking constituted reversible error.

AFFIRMED.

CALOGERO, C.J., dissents for reasons assigned by Lemmon, J.

LEMMON, J., dissents and assigns reasons.

KIMBALL, J., dissents for reasons assigned by Lemmon, J.

BY TRAYLOR, J. :

2000-C- 2535 EXXON PIPELINE COMPANY v. GEORGE HILL , INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEE OF THE MRS. ELIZABETH J. HILL TRUST FOR THE CHILDREN OF JOHN HILL, JR., ET AL. (Parish of W. Baton Rouge)

C/W

2000-C- 2559 EXXON PIPELINE CO. v. V. PRICE LEBLANC, SHIRLEY WOLF LEBLANC AND SIMON CORPORATION OF LOUISIANA (Parish of Ascension)

For the reasons assigned, the judgment of the Court of Appeal, First Circuit, in Exxon v. George Hill, 00-C-2535 is hereby reversed and the ruling of the trial court awarding the Hills $17,172 is reinstated. In Exxon v. Price LeBlanc, 00-C-2559, the judgment of the court of appeal is reversed and the matter is remanded to the trial court for a determination of the proper value of compensation due to the LeBlanc family, consistent with this opinion.

Exxon v. Hill , 00-C-2535-- Reversed ;

Exxon v. Price LeBlanc , 00-C-2559- -Reversed and Remanded .

LEMMON, J., concurs.

KNOLL, J., concurs with reasons.

2000-KA- 2694 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. RONNIE HAIR, ALBERT DUCOTE & ALLIE H. BREWER (Parish of Rapides)

(Discharge, emission, or disposal of asbestos)

For the reasons assigned, the judgment of the trial court is accordingly reversed. The judgment sustaining the motion to quash is reversed and set aside and the motion is overruled. The case is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings.

Philip C. Ciaccio, Associate Justice Pro Tempore, sitting for Associate Justice Harry T. Lemmon.

2000-C- 2882 PHILLISA JACKSON, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS NATURAL TUTRIX OF DEANDRED JACKSON AND JARION JACKSON, AND SHAWANNA HUGHES v. STATE OF LOUISIANA THROUGH THE DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; RICHARD STALDER, SECRETARY, LOUISIANA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS, ET AL (Parish of E. Baton Rouge)

Accordingly, we reverse the First Circuit Court of Appeal and the trial court judgments granting DPSC's exception of no cause of action. The judgments below granting Richard Stalder's exception of no cause of action are affirmed. The case is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

REVERSED IN PART, AFFIRMED IN PART, AND REMANDED.

Philip C. Ciaccio, Associate Justice Pro Tempore, sitting for Associate Justice Harry T. Lemmon; James L. Cannella, Associate Justice Ad Hoc, sitting for Associate Justice Jeanette Theriot Knoll, recused.

BY KNOLL, J. :

2000-C- 0414 GEORGE CHITTENDEN AND ROBERTA KAY CHITTENDEN v. STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY , ET AL. (Parish of Orleans)

For the foregoing reasons, the judgments of the lower courts are affirmed in part and reversed in part. This case is remanded to the trial court for the computation of Chittenden's interest obligations in accordance with the views expressed in this opinion.

REMANDED.

VICTORY, J., concurs with reasons.

TRAYLOR, J., concurs for reasons assigned by Victory, J.

2000-KK- 0536 STATE OF LOUISIANA v. CARL E. ALCAZAR, III (Parish of Jefferson) (DWI)

For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the court of appeal is reversed and set aside. The judgment of the trial court is reinstated. This matter is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

REVERSED AND REMANDED.

Philip Ciaccio, Justice Pro Tempore, sitting for Associate Justice Harry T. Lemmon.

VICTORY, J., dissents and assigns reasons.

TRAYLOR, J., dissents for reasons assigned by Victory, J.

2000-CC- 2349 C/W 2000-CC- 2403 RODNEY HENDRICK v. ABC INSURANCE COMPANY , DEF INSURANCE COMPANY, XYZ INSURANCE COMPANY, ET AL. (Parish of E. Baton Rouge)

For the foregoing reasons, the judgments of the court of appeal and trial court are reversed and set aside. Judgment is hereby rendered in favor of defendants and against plaintiff. Accordingly, the malpractice action against Stone Pigman is dismissed with prejudice.

REVERSED

LEMMON, J., concurs.

JOHNSON, J., dissents.

VICTORY, J., concurs in the result.

BY CIACCIO, J. :

2000-CC- 3010 JAMES L. CLARK v. STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY (Parish of Caddo)

For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the court of appeal is reversed and the matter is remanded to the district court for further proceedings.

Philip Ciaccio, Justice pro Tempore, sitting for Associate Justice Harry T. Lemmon.

VICTORY, J., dissents and assigns reasons.

TRAYLOR, J., dissents for reasons assigned by Victory, J.

2000-C- 3263 NATHANIEL HATCHERSON, EST. OF BALLADETTE HATCHERSON, WIFE v. DIEBOLD, INC . (Parish of Lafayette)

For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the court of appeal affirming the workers' compensation hearing officer and granting plaintiff claim for workers' compensation death benefits is reversed.

Philip Ciaccio, Justice pro Tempore,sitting for Associate Justice Harry T. Lemmon; Associate Justice Harry T. Lemmon sitting for Associate Justice Bernette J. Johnson, recused.