On Tuesday, April 17, 2018, the State of Louisiana’s case against Steveniski Frank took center stage in 13th Judicial District Judge Gary Ortego’s courtroom.
The state’s case was presented to a jury of 12 and two alternate jurors by Evangeline Parish First Assistant District Attorney Marcus Fontenot, while the defendant, who chose to relieve his Indigent Defender Board attorney, Alicia Kelly, represented himself.
The defendant in this matter has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with obliterated serial numbers.
During opening arguments on Tuesday, Fontenot shared that in this matter the state alleges that the defendant “was previously convicted of a felony.”
The ADA explained that it is necessary to discuss the defendant’s previous felony conviction of simple burglary during the current trial to prove that the defendant was in violation of Title 14 Revised Statute 14:95.1 when he was found to be in possession of a firearm.
Fontenot went on to inform the jury that as it relates to possession of the firearm, the next question that the state’s evidence will answer is whether the defendant was in fact in possession of a firearm and whether that firearm had an obliterated serial number. The ADA describes the gun Frank is accused of possessing as a sawed off shotgun.
The evidence being used by the state to prove Frank did possess a firearm at the time of his October 2017 arrest consists of testimony from officers involved in the arrest as well as video surveillance from the arresting officers’ body cameras and the duffle bag, shotgun shells and shotgun that were allegedly confiscated from the defendant.
To close his opening argument, Fontenot urged the jury to not be fooled by the idea that the gun was not the defendant’s because the ADA said who the gun belongs to “is not relevant.” Fontenot then continued, “the issue is that he possessed the gun.”
Next, it was the defendant’s turn to present his opening argument in court. During Frank’s opening, he said his defense would center around bringing “attention to the policy and procedures of the Ville Platte Police Department.”
He closed with saying to the jury, “My fate is now in your hands.”
Court proceedings ended after opening arguments on Tuesday, and then reconvened Wednesday morning with the state’s witnesses being first to take the stand to testify.
Witnesses set to take the stand in this trial consist of the individual who dispatched the incident, the arresting officers, and the defendant’s mother and sister.
Look for a story in Sunday’s edition of the Ville Platte Gazette to read the jury’s verdict in this matter.
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ELIZABETH WEST