Third Circuit rejects conviction, sentence appeals in two Eunice cases

The Third Circuit Court has rejected appeals by defendants in two Eunice cases.
Justices affirmed the convictions and sentences of Warren Gautreaux and Stephan Bergeron.
Gautreaux was convicted of killing an elderly Eunice couple and sentenced to life in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Bergeron was convicted of two counts of simple rape and one count of forcible rape and sentenced to 25 years on the simple rape counts without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence and 40 years on the forcible rape charge, the first two years without benefit of probation, parole or suspension. The sentences are concurrent, meaning they are being served at the same time.
Gautreaux claimed in his appeal that Judge James Doherty erred by allowing hearsay testimony not excepted under Louisiana law, in not allowing Gautreaux’s attorney to ask the state’s witnesses whether they had pending criminal charges and in not granting motions for a new trial.
The appeal judges on Nov. 5 found no merit to the arguments and upheld the convictions and sentences.
Bergeron claimed Judge Doherty erred by allowing testimonies of women, other than the victim in the case, who claimed he had forced himself upon them sexually, unduly prejudicing the jury against him, and in imposing the maximum sentence for a first-time felony offender.
The appeal court ruled Nov. 5 that the testimony was acceptable and the sentences not excessive, upholding the convictions and sentences.