Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1977

State v. Monroe

State v. Monroe
Supreme Court of Louisiana · Decided March 9, 1977 · Calogero, Dixon, Tate
342 So. 2d 1108; 1977 La. LEXIS 6236 (Southern Reporter, Second Series)

State v. Monroe

Opinion of the Court

In re: Arthur J. Monroe, Jr., applying for writ of habeas corpus and/or supervisory writs.

Writ refused. The ruling of the trial judge denying the habeas corpus petition is correct.

Dissenting Opinion

TATE, J.,

dissents from the denial of the writ, for the reasons assigned by Calogero, J.

Concurring Opinion

DIXON, J.,

concurs in the denial, for the reason that the revelation of the omission from the victim’s statement could not reasonably be considered to affect the verdict.

Dissenting Opinion

CALOGERO, J.,

dissenting.

The state’s principal evidence was the discovery of a fingerprint on the truck’s door latch and the victim’s testimony that his attention was drawn to the robbery by a “noise on my left hand door. He had the latch down.” The same victim’s statement given police on the date of the armed robbery was contrary, in my view. On that occasion he said he had gotten out of the truck (“had one foot on the ground”) when he was first aware of the robber who at that point asked for his money.

Defendant upon cross-examination of the witness sought production of the statement earlier given police, but was denied same. The non-disclosed statement contained exculpatory material and due process required the court and prosecutor to produce the statement. In my view had defendant been furnished this statement, there was “a reasonable likelihood” that the discovered contrary statement and its use at trial “could have affected the judgment of the jury.” And this I believe is the standard to be applied in this specific request (for Brady material) effort. Brady v. Maryland, 373 *1109U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1983); United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976).

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.