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State v. Gaddis3/14/2003
By grand jury indictment, Lonzette K. Gaddis ("Gaddis") was originally charged with second degree murder and convicted of the responsive verdict of manslaughter. Gaddis received a life sentence after his adjudication as a fourth-felony offender and now appeals his conviction and sentence. We affirm.
Facts
In the early morning hours of June 11, 2000, Erica Walker ("Walker") drove to a vacant lot in Shreveport known as "the slab." The slab is a neighborhood haunt known for drinking, gambling, and drug activity. A witness saw Walker exit her vehicle and approach Gaddis. An argument between the two ensued, as well as the exchange of unknown items. When Walker sat down on a bucket, Gaddis pointed a gun to her face and fired, inflicting fatal injuries to her neck and throat. Cash and cocaine were found on the victim. Gaddis fled the scene and threw his gun into a lake. Thereafter, he and a cousin drove to Gaddis's father's home where they obtained $30. Gaddis then traveled to Joaquin, Texas, where he was apprehended by police after an attempted flight into nearby woods. Upon his arrest, Gaddis waived extradition and was transferred to Louisiana for trial. During transport, he stated that Walker had a gun and had brought this upon herself.
Sufficiency of Evidence
On appeal, Gaddis first contends that the evidence was insufficient to convict him because the state failed to prove that he possessed the specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm and failed to exclude the reasonable hypothesis that he acted in self-defense.
The standard of appellate review for a sufficiency of evidence claim is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Bosley, 29,253 (La. App. 2d Cir. 4/2/97), 691 So.2d 347, writ denied, 97-1203 (La. 10/17/97), 701 So.2d 1333.
The Jackson standard is applicable in cases involving both direct and circumstantial evidence. An appellate court reviewing the sufficiency of evidence in such cases must resolve any conflict in the direct evidence by viewing that evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution. When the direct evidence is thus viewed, the facts established by the direct evidence and inferred from the circumstances established by that evidence must be sufficient for a rational trier of fact to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was guilty of every essential element of the crime. State v. Sutton, 436 So.2d 471 (La. 1983); State v. Owens, 30,903 (La. App. 2d Cir. 9/25/98), 719 So.2d 610, writ denied, 98-2723 (La. 2/5/99), 737 So.2d 747.
A justifiable homicide is a homicide committed in self-defense by one who reasonably believes he is in imminent danger of losing his life or receiving great bodily harm and the killing is necessary to save himself from that danger. La. R.S. 14:20. A person who is the aggressor or who brings on a difficulty cannot claim the right of self- defense unless he withdraws from the conflict in good faith and in such a manner that his adversary knows or should know that he desires to withdraw. La. R.S. 14:21.
In pertinent part, second degree murder is the killing of a human being when the offender has the specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm. La. R.S. 14:30.1. The offense of manslaughter is defined as a homicide that would be second degree murder but the offense is committed in sudden passion or heat of blood immediately caused by provocation sufficient to deprive an average person of his self
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