Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2019

State Of Louisiana v. Jaabar Celestine

State Of Louisiana v. Jaabar Celestine
Louisiana Court of Appeal · Decided August 19, 2019

State Of Louisiana v. Jaabar Celestine

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 2019 KW 0594 VERSUS

JAA3AR CELESTINE AUG 19 2019

In Re: Jaabar Celestine, applying for supervisory writs, 32nd Judicial District Court, Parish of Terrebonne, No. 665859.

BEFORE: McCLENDON, WELCH, AND HOLDRIDGE, JJ.

WRIT DENIED. As an indigent inmate, relator is entitled to receive certain court documents, such as his guilty plea transcript, the bill of information or indictment, commitment papers, court minutes for various portions of the trial, and minutes of his sentencing, free of charge without the necessity of establishing a particularized need. See State ex rel.

Simmons v. State, 93- 0275 ( La. 12/ 16/ 94), 647 So. 2d 1094, 1095 per curiam). As to all other documents, an indigent inmate has the constitutional right to free copies only in those instances in which he shows that denial of the request will deprive him of an adequate to opportunity present his claims fairly. Meeting that constitutional threshold requires a showing of a particularized need. An inmate therefore cannot make a showing of particularized need absent a properly tiled application for postconviction relief, which sets out specific claims of constitutional errors requiring the requested documentation for support. See State ex rel. Bernard v. Criminal District Court Section " J", 94- 2247 ( La. 4/ 28/ 95), 653 So. 2d 1174, 1175 ( per curiam) .

PMc JEW GH

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT r

DEPUTY C ER OF COURT FOR THE COURT

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