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NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION
STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 02-KA-1028
VERSUS cous; ei a LAL, FIFTH CIRCUIT
CHRISTY L. CREPPEL . -COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF LOUISIANA
ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA
NO. 02-2160, DIVISION "L"
HONORABLE CHARLES V. CUSIMANO, II, JUDGE PRESIDING

FEBRUARY 25, 2003

WALTER J. ROTHSCHILD
JUDGE

Panel composed of Judges Marion F. Edwards, Clarence E. McManus
And Walter J. Rothschild

PAUL D. CONNICK District Attorney TERRY M. BOUDREAUX THOMAS J. BUTLER JOSEPH J. OUBRE Assistant District Attorneys
Courthouse Annex Gretna, Louisiana 70053 COUNSEL FOR STATE OF LOUISIANA, PLAINTIFF/APPELLEE
MARGARET S. SOLLARS
Louisiana Appellant Project 513 Country Club Boulevard Thibodaux, Louisiana 70301 COUNSEL FOR CHRISTY L. CREPPEL, DEFENDANT/APPELLANT
CONVICTION AND SENTENCE CONDITIONALLY AFFIRMED; HEARING ORDERED
On April 16, 2002, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a bill of
riformation charging the defendant, Christy L. Creppel, with forgery of checks, in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:72. The defendant was arraigned on April 23, 2002 and pled not guilty. On June 20, 2002, a bench trial was held, and the defendant was found guilty as charged. After the defendant waived sentencing delays, the trial court sentenced her to two years of imprisonment in the parish prison, with one year and eleven months of the sentence suspended, and placed her on active probation for two years. The trial court ordered the defendant to complete a drug treatment program upon her release from prison and to pay restitution. The defendant filed a motion for appeal, which was granted by the trial court on June 27, 2002. FACTS
Prior to trial, the state and the defense entered into a stipulation whereby it was agreed that the defendant filled out, signed, and negotiated seven checks drawn on the account of Stephen Ehret. Later in the trial, the state and the defense
stipulated that if the police officer testified, he would state that the report of the

forgery was taken on December 1, 2001.
The following testimony was elicited at trial:
Frances Rosa Joubert, who was called as a witness by the state, testified that she had worked at Casey Jones Supermarket for the past 22 years, and that she knew Stephen Ehret because he used to be a bag boy there when she first started. Ms. Joubert testified that in October of 2001, Mr. Ehret and his girlfriend, later identified as the defendant, were customers at the supermarket. She stated that the defendant came into the store and cashed two checks on the day before Thanksgiving of 2001. Ms. Joubert identified copies of the two checks that she cashed for the defendant. The checks were written for $90.00 and $100.00, and they were dated November 21, 2001.
Ms. Joubert testified that Mr. Ehret came into the store on that same evening, and he stopped by the office to get a check approved. Ms. Joubert told Mr. Ehret that she thought he and the defendant were going out of town for the holidays. He said that they were and walked away. Mr. Ehret later walked back and asked Ms. Joubert if the defendant had been there to cash a check. When she told him that the defendant had been in the store earlier and had cashed a check, Mr. Ehret asked to see the check and she showed him the two checks that she had cashed. Mr. Ehret then walked away. A couple of days later, Mr. Ehret came back to the store and wanted to see the checks again. Ms. Joubert and the store manager took two checks out of the safe and showed them to him. Ms. Joubert stated that, prior to November 21, 2001, Mr. Ehret had told her that he worked late sometimes, and that it would be "alright" for the defendant "to do the shopping."
Stephen Ehret testified that he had been employed with the United Parcel Service for the past 17 years. He stated that he knew the defendant and had met her in September of 2001 at a strip club where she worked. Mr. Ehret explained
that a relationship developed between him and the defendant, and that the
defendant stayed at his home on the weekends. He testified that during the three

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