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562 So. 2d 1171

State v. Gray

Louisiana Court of Appeal

Decided May 31, 1990

Louisiana Court of Appeal · decided 1990-05-31

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently February 1993

1 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“Art. 821. Motion for post verdict judgment of acquittal A. The defendant may move for a post verdict judgment of acquittal following the verdict. A motion for a post verdict judgment of acquittal must be made and disposed of before sentence. Art. 853. Time for filing motion for new trial A motion for a new trial must be filed and disposed of before sentence. The court, on motion of the defendant and for good cause shown, may postpone the imposition of sentence for a specified period in order to give the defendant additional time to prepare and file a motion for a new trial. [Emphasis added.]”

quoted by 1 later decision, including 614 So. 2d 783 - State v. Jackson

Relies on 409 So. 2d 554 - State v. Randolph · State v. Magee · State v. Smith

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1990-05-31

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

ARMSTRONG, Judge.

¶1Defendant, Floyd Gray, was indicted by bill of information for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, a violation of La.R.S. 40:967(A). Following a trial by jury he was found guilty of attempted possession of cocaine, a violation of La.R.S. 14:27 and R.S. 40:967(C). Defendant was subsequently sentenced to serve one year at hard labor. Defendant now appeals, raising two assignments of error.

¶2Prior to sentencing defendant filed a motion for post verdict judgment of acquittal or in the alternative, for a modification of the trial court verdict. See La.C.Cr.P. art. 821. La.C.Cr.P. art. 821(A) mandates that this motion “be made and disposed of before sentence.” The trial court record does not reflect that a ruling on this motion was ever made. Although defendant did not raise this error on appeal, we notice it as an error patent under La.C.Cr.P. art. 920.

¶3In State v. Randolph, 409 So.2d 554 (La.1982), the Louisiana Supreme Court vacated defendant’s sentence and remanded the case to the trial court for consideration of his motion for a new trial after finding the record devoid of any evidence that such motion had been disposed of before sentencing as mandated by La.C.Cr.P. art 853. Because the case was to be remanded for consideration of a motion which if ruled upon in favor of the defendant would render moot any consideration of his assignments of error, the court declined to address the assignments raised, instead specifically reserving to defendant his right to raise them again on appeal of his conviction and sentence should the trial court deny his motion for a new trial.

¶4Faced with an identical error patent, this court followed the same procedure in State v. Smith, 553 So.2d 934 (La.App. 4th Cir.1989). See also in accord State v. Stevenson, 525 So.2d 281 (La.App. 1st Cir.1988). In State v. Magee, 496 So.2d 562 (La.App. 1st Cir.1986), the court noted as error patents, the trial court’s failure to dispose of either defendant’s motion for a new trial or his motion for a post verdict judgment of acquittal. Noting that each motion, by law, must be disposed of before the defendant is sentenced, the court followed Randolph, supra, and remanded the case to the trial court, pretermitting discussion of defendant’s assignments of error.

¶5For the foregoing reasons, we vacate defendant’s sentence and remand this case for consideration of his motion. In the event of an unfavorable ruling on the motion, and resentencing, we reserve to defendant his right to appeal his conviction and sentence once more to this Court.

¶6SENTENCE VACATED, CASE REMANDED.

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