State v. Meadows
Decision Date | 04 March 2020 |
Docket Number | No. 53,329-KA,53,329-KA |
Citation | 293 So.3d 681 |
Parties | STATE of Louisiana, Appellee v. Billy R. MEADOWS, Jr., Appellant |
Court | Court of Appeal of Louisiana — District of US |
LOUISIANA APPELLATE PROJECT, By: Carey J. Ellis, III, Counsel for Appellant
JOHN MCINTOSH LANCASTER, District Attorney, CAROLINE HEMPHILL, AMANDA MICHELE WILKINS, Assistant District Attorneys, Counsel for Appellee
Before STONE, COX, and McCALLUM, JJ.
This criminal appeal arises from the Fifth Judicial District Court, Richland Parish, Louisiana. The defendant, Billy R. Meadows, Jr., was initially charged with second degree murder. After a plea agreement, Meadows pled guilty to second degree cruelty to juveniles, in violation of La. R.S. 14:93.2.3. The district court sentenced Meadows to 40 years at hard labor. After an appeal, this Court affirmed both his conviction and sentence. The district court then adjudicated Meadows a fourth-felony habitual offender and sentenced him to the statutorily mandated sentence of life imprisonment without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentenced. Meadows then appealed his sentence. This Court determined that the evidence was insufficient to prove that Meadows' offense of attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon fell within the 10-year cleansing period for Meadows' prior felonies. The adjudication was reversed, the sentence was vacated, and the matter was remanded to the trial court. Meadows was again adjudicated a fourth-felony habitual offender and sentenced to life imprisonment without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Meadows now appeals the excessiveness of his sentence. For the following reasons, we affirm Meadows' sentence.
The facts and procedural history have been adopted from State v. Meadows , 51,843 (La. App. 2 Cir. 1/10/18), 246 So. 3d 639, writ denied , 2018-0259 (La. 10/29/18), 254 So. 3d 1208.
On March 15, 2017, the State filed a habitual offender bill of information against Meadows alleging the following seven felony convictions:
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...need for the trial court to justify a mandatory sentence since the trial court has no sentencing discretion. See State v. Meadows , 53,329 (La.App. 2 Cir. 3/4/20), 293 So.3d 681. However, we will address the trial court's compliance with La.Code Crim.P. art. 894.1 as it relates to his convi......
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