FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
MATTHEW JON McGOVERN STEVE CARTER
Evansville, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
MICHAEL GENE WORDEN
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
DONALD LAND, )
)
Appellant-Defendant, )
)
vs. ) No. 82A04-0304-CR-176
)
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee-Plaintiff. )
APPEAL FROM THE VANDERBURGH SUPERIOR COURT
The Honorable Robert J. Pigman, Judge
Cause No. 82D02-0111-CF-850
January 21, 2004
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
SHARPNACK, Judge
Donald Land appeals his convictions for arson as a class B felony
See footnote and
arson as a class D felony.See footnote Land raises three issues, which we
restate as:
Whether Lands due process rights were violated when the State failed to preserve
evidence of alleged accelerant on the arson victims shoes;
Whether the trial court violated the Indiana Constitutions prohibition against double jeopardy by
entering judgment of conviction upon arson as a class B felony and arson
as a class D felony; and
Whether the trial court erred when it allowed the State to add an
habitual offender enhancement seven months after the original omnibus date.
We affirm.
The relevant facts follow. In November 2001, Land and his wife, Mayme
Eaton, were in the process of divorcing. Eaton began having an affair
with Lands neighbor and friend, Chris Griffith. Eaton had moved some of
her possessions into Griffiths house, and Land learned of the affair. On
November 18, 2001, Land told Griffith that he was a piece of shit
and [he] was lucky that [Land] didnt beat [his] head in with a
baseball bat. Transcript at 215. Land also told his neighbors, Don
and Janeta McNeele, that Griffith was messing with [his] wife and that Land
would just do something to his house. [He would] burn his house
down.
Id. at 360.
The next day, Chad Owens, who was living with Land, heard Land and
Eaton arguing. When Eaton left the house, Land followed her outside.
Eaton and Land continued to argue outside, and Eaton went to Griffiths house.
A few minutes later, as Eaton and Griffith were walking to Griffiths
truck, Eaton and Land began arguing again. Eaton and Griffith then left
to visit a friend who lived a couple of blocks away.
When Land returned to his house, he asked Owens to talk with him
on the porch. As they talked on the porch, Owens noticed a
flickering in the window of Griffiths house. Id. at 168. Land
and Owens walked to Griffiths house, and Land looked in the window.
Land said that the couch was on fire and told Owens to call
9-1-1. Land and Owens went into the house to see if anyone
was in the house and attempted to extinguish the fire. They also
tried to pull the couch out of the house. When the fire
department arrived, Land went to tell Eaton and Griffith about the fire.
When Land arrived where Eaton and Griffith were visiting their friend, he kept
telling Griffith that he didnt do it. Id. at 205.
While the fire was being extinguished, Land asked Owens to leave out the
part about him going outside, but Owens refused. Id. at 177.
Fire Investigator Jesse Storey arrived on the scene with his accelerant-detecting canine.
The canine is trained to recognize petroleum-based accelerants. The canine alerted on
Griffiths shoes. Id. at 292. Storey requested that Griffith let him
perform additional testing on his shoes, and Griffith consented. Storey tested the
shoes with an electronic hydrocarbon detector, and the test results were negative.
Storey then collected Griffiths shoes in a sealed container. However, Storey determined
that the soles of Griffiths shoes were manufactured using a type of solvent
that was a flammable and detectable by the canine but not sufficient to
be detected by the electronic detector. Id. at 304. Storey then
returned the shoes to Griffith.
The canine also gave a slight alert on the exposed foam rubber of
the couch. Id. at 294. However, the couchs foam rubber is
a petroleum based product and when burnt, gives off some of the same
type of byproducts as found in some common accelerants. Id. at 295.
Storey determined that the origin of the fire was in the center
cushion of the sectional couch. He found no evidence that Griffith had
removed any possessions from the residence before the fire. Storey found no
evidence that the fire was accidental. Rather, Storey concluded that the fire
was intentionally set. However, he found no evidence that an accelerant was
used to start the fire.
The State charged Land with arson as a class B felony and later
added a charge of arson as a class D felony. The trial
court set the omnibus date for February 1, 2002.
See footnote Land filed a
motion to dismiss alleging that the State failed to preserve exculpatory evidence, specifically,
alleged accelerants on Griffiths shoes. However, the trial court denied the motion.
On September 4, 2002, the State filed an habitual offender enhancement. Land
objected to the filing as being untimely, but the trial court granted the
State leave to file the habitual offender enhancement. Land later filed a
motion to dismiss the habitual offender enhancement, but the trial court denied the
motion.
While incarcerated pending trial, Land wrote several letters to friends asking them to
tell the prosecutor and Lands attorney that Griffith and Eaton had set Land
up.
Land offered the friends various pieces of equipment in exchange for
their help.
The jury found Land guilty of arson as a class B felony and
arson as a class D felony. Land admitted to his status as
an habitual offender. The trial court sentenced Land to the Indiana Department
of Correction for twelve years for the arson as a class B felony
conviction, enhanced by ten years for Lands status as an habitual offender, and
one year for the arson as a class D felony conviction. The
trial court ordered that the sentences be served consecutively.
I.
The first issue is whether Lands due process rights were violated when the
State failed to preserve evidence of alleged accelerant on Griffiths shoes. Land
argues that the evidence of accelerant on Griffiths shoes was materially exculpatory and
that the trial court erred by denying his motion to dismiss. In
the alternative, Land argues that the evidence of accelerant on Griffiths shoes was
potentially useful and was destroyed in bad faith.
To determine whether a defendants due process rights have been violated by the
States failure to preserve evidence, we must first decide whether the evidence in
question was potentially useful evidence or materially exculpatory evidence. Chissell v. State,
705 N.E.2d 501, 504 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999), trans. denied. Potentially useful
evidence is defined as evidentiary material of which no more can be said
than that it could have been subjected to tests, the results of which
might have exonerated the defendant. Id. (quoting Arizona v. Youngblood, 488 U.S.
51, 57, 109 S. Ct. 333, 337 (1988), rehg denied). The States
failure to preserve potentially useful evidence does not constitute a denial of due
process of law unless a criminal defendant can show bad faith on the
part of the police. Id. Bad faith is defined as being
not simply bad judgment or negligence, but rather implies the conscious doing of
wrong because of dishonest purpose or moral obliquity. Wade v. State, 718
N.E.2d 1162, 1166 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999), rehg denied, trans. denied.
On the other hand, materially exculpatory evidence is that evidence which possesses an
exculpatory value that was apparent before the evidence was destroyed and must be
of such a nature that the defendant would be unable to obtain comparable
evidence by other reasonably available means. Chissell, 705 N.E.2d at 504 (quoting
California v. Trombetta, 467 U.S. 479, 489, 104 S. Ct. 2528, 2534 (1984)).
Exculpatory is defined as [c]learing or tending to clear from alleged fault
or guilt; excusing. Wade, 718 N.E.2d at 1166. The scope
of the States duty to preserve exculpatory evidence is limited to evidence that
might be expected to play a significant role in the suspects defense.
Noojin v. State, 730 N.E.2d 672, 675 (Ind. 2000). Unlike potentially useful
evidence, the States good or bad faith in failing to preserve materially exculpatory
evidence is irrelevant. Chissell, 705 N.E.2d at 504.
Land argues that the alleged evidence of accelerant on Griffiths shoes was materially
exculpatory. Specifically, Land argues that his defense was predicated upon a theory
that Griffith set the fire for financial gain. Land relies upon Roberson
v. State, 766 N.E.2d 1185 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002), rehg denied, trans. denied.
In Roberson, the defendant was an inmate in a county jail.
Id. at 1186. He was found in possession of two wooden sticks
wrapped on the one end and sharpened to a point on the other
end, and the State charged him with possession of a dangerous device or
material by a prisoner. Id. Prior to trial, the State discarded
the device. Id. However, a poor quality picture of the device
existed. Id. The defendant filed a motion to dismiss, which the
trial court denied. Id. at 1186-1187.
On interlocutory appeal, this court reversed, holding that the evidence was materially exculpatory.
Id. at 1189. Specifically, we held that the evidence of the
character of the device is the sole basis of the defendants defense.
Id. at 1188. The defendant could not secure comparable evidence by other
reasonably available means. Id. at 1189. As for whether the device
had an exculpatory value that was apparent before its destruction, the State pointed
to the testimony of three government officials who each opined that the device
was fashioned to be a weapon and was capable of causing bodily injury.
Id. We held that:
Under the specific circumstances of this case, however, these are clearly subjective opinions.
It is a troubling prospect when the primary evidence is lost or
destroyed while in the care of the State, and the State is then
permitted to argue that the evidence had no exculpatory value because government officials
knew that the device was indeed a weapon.
As noted previously, the device was allegedly fabricated from items that Roberson was
allowed to possess in his cell--items that have legitimate uses and that are
generally not construed as weapons. It is certainly conceivable that had Roberson
and the trier of fact been able to examine the device, a different
conclusion regarding its intend (sic) use and ability to cause bodily injury might
have been reached. Therefore, we conclude that there is some indication that
the evidence possessed an exculpatory value that, however tenuous, was evident to the
State prior to its destruction. Without such evidence, Roberson is faced with
the monumental task of presenting a defense in which he is obliged to
accept the subjective opinions of three government officials. Under the specific circumstances
of this case, we hold that it would be fundamentally unfair and a
violation of due process to allow the State to proceed in this manner.
Id. at 1189-1190 (internal citations omitted, footnotes omitted).
Land argues that, as in Roberson, the shoes were materially exculpatory because the
evidence was crucial to his defense. Land argues that his entire defense
was premised on the theory that Griffith started the fire for financial gain.
Appellants Brief at 9. Further, Land argues that the fact that
additional tests were needed to confirm the presence of an accelerant does not
transform Griffiths shoes into potentially useful evidence instead of materially exculpatory evidence.
The State argues that Roberson is distinguishable because, unlike the device in Roberson,
Griffiths shoes were not critical to either the State or the defense.
According to the State, Griffiths shoes were neither material nor exculpatory. The
State contends that [w]hether the soles of Griffiths shoes had some kind of
accelerant on them would not have made a difference in the outcome of
the trial because the evidence showed that the fire was not ignited by
use of an accelerant. Appellees Brief at 9. Moreover, the State
argues that Lands defense was based primarily upon a claim that he was
not alone long enough to start the fire and that he attempted to
put the fire out when it was discovered.
We agree with the State and conclude that the shoes were not materially
exculpatory. Unlike Roberson, here, the evidence was not the sole basis of
Lands defense. Moreover, because Storey determined that the fire was not set
with the use of accelerants, even if accelerant was on Griffiths shoes, the
shoes were not exculpatory. The shoes more closely fit the definition of
potentially useful evidence, which is evidentiary material of which no more can be
said than that it could have been subjected to tests, the results of
which might have exonerated the defendant. Chissell, 705 N.E.2d at 504.
The shoes could have been subjected to additional tests, the results of which
might have assisted Land in his defense. Thus, the shoes are, at
most, potentially useful evidence not materially exculpatory evidence.
As noted above, the States failure to preserve potentially useful evidence does not
constitute a denial of due process of law unless a criminal defendant can
show bad faith on the part of police. Id. The State
argues that Land failed to demonstrate bad faith on the part of the
State. We agree. As noted above, bad faith is defined as
not simply bad judgment or negligence, but rather implies the conscious doing of
wrong because of dishonest purpose or moral obliquity. Wade, 718 N.E.2d at
1166. Land argues that Storey deliberately destroyed the evidence because of moral
obliquity. Appellants Reply Brief at 3. We find no evidence in
the record to support this assertion. Rather, the evidence demonstrates that Storey
returned the shoes to Griffith after concluding that the canines alert was caused
by accelerant used in the manufacturing process of the shoes. Lands due
process rights were not violated, and the trial court did not err by
denying Lands motion to dismiss. See, e.g., Chissell, 705 N.E.2d at 504
(holding that the defendant was not denied due process where the evidence was
not materially exculpatory and the defendant failed to demonstrate bad faith on the
part of the police).
II.
The next issue is whether the trial court violated the Indiana Constitutions prohibition
against double jeopardy by entering judgment of conviction upon arson as a class
B felony and arson as a class D felony. Land argues that
he was subjected to multiple punishments for the same offense by the judgments
of conviction and the sentences for arson as a class B felony and
arson as a class D felony. The arson as a class B
felony conviction related to the fire damage to Griffiths residence, while the arson
as a class D felony conviction related to the fire damage to Eatons
property.
The Indiana Constitution provides that [n]o person shall be put in jeopardy twice
for the same offense. Ind. Const. art. 1, § 14.
Our supreme court has held that two or more offenses are the same
offense in violation of Article I, Section 14 of the Indiana Constitution, if,
with respect to either the statutory elements of the challenged crimes or the
actual evidence used to convict, the essential elements of one challenged offense also
establish the essential elements of another challenged offense. Richardson v. State, 717
N.E.2d 32, 49 (Ind. 1999). Land argues that his convictions violate
the actual evidence test, not the statutory elements test.
An offense is the same as another under the actual evidence test when
there is a reasonable possibility that the evidence used by the fact-finder to
establish the essential elements of one offense may have been used to establish
the essential elements of a second challenged offense. Id. at 53.
However, our supreme court clarified this test in Spivey v. State, where it
held that [t]he test is not whether the evidentiary facts used to establish
one of the essential elements of one offense may also have been used
to establish one of the essential elements of a second challenged offense;
rather, the test is whether the evidentiary facts establishing the essential elements of
one offense also establish all of the elements of a second offense.
761 N.E.2d 831, 833 (Ind. 2002). If the evidentiary facts establishing one
offense establish only one or several, but not all, of the essential elements
of the second offense, there is no double jeopardy violation.
See footnote
Id.
Land was convicted of arson as a class B felony for knowingly or
intentionally damaging Griffiths residence by fire. See I.C. § 35-43-1-1(a). Land
was convicted of arson as a class D felony for knowingly or intentionally,
by means of fire, damaging Eatons property which resulted in a pecuniary loss
of at least $250.00 but less than $5,000.00. See I.C. § 35-43-1-1(d).
The evidentiary facts of Lands class B felony conviction do not establish
all of the elements of his class D felony conviction. Specifically, the
class B felony conviction required evidence that Griffiths residence was damaged by the
fire, while the class D felony conviction required evidence that at least $250.00
but less than $5,000.00 of Eatons property was damaged by the fire.
Lands convictions arise from a situation where separate victims, Griffith and Eaton, are
involved. Our supreme court has held that such a scenario . .
. does not constitute double jeopardy. Bald v. State, 766 N.E.2d 1170,
1172 n.4 (Ind. 2002) (citing Richardson, 717 N.E.2d at 56 (Sullivan, J., concurring)).
Consequently, Lands convictions for arson as a class B felony and arson
as a class D felony do not violate Indianas prohibition against double jeopardy.
See, e.g., Bald, 766 N.E.2d at 1172 (holding that the defendants convictions
for three felony murders and one count of arson did not violate the
prohibition against double jeopardy).
III.
The next issue is whether the trial court erred when it allowed the
State to add an habitual offender enhancement seven months after the original omnibus
date. Ind. Code § 35-34-1-5(e) (1998) provides that: An amendment of an
indictment or information to include a habitual offender charge under IC 35-50-2-8 must
be made not later than ten (10) days after the omnibus date.
However, upon a showing of good cause, the court may permit the filing
of a habitual offender charge at any time before the commencement of the
trial. Land requests that we reverse his habitual offender enhancement because the
filing was untimely and there was no showing of good cause.
The omnibus date in this case was February 1, 2002. The State
filed an habitual offender count on September 4, 2002. Land objected to
the late filing, but the trial court permitted the filing of the habitual
offender count. Land then filed a motion to dismiss the habitual offender
count on December 11, 2002. At a hearing on Lands motion, the
State presented evidence that it extended a plea agreement offer to Land in
November 2001. In that offer, the State agreed not to file an
habitual offender count if Land accepted the offer. Land rejected the offer,
but other plea negotiations [were] going on through March 2002 and April of
2002. Transcript at 127. Lands counsel argued that there were never
any plea negotiations in terms of offer, counter offer, counter counter offer .
. . . Id. at 129. However, Lands counsel acknowledged that
he would, from time to time, attempt to solicit an offer that [he]
could take back to [his] client for his consideration . . . .
Id. The trial court denied Lands motion to dismiss.
By permitting the State to file the habitual offender count, the trial court
impliedly found good cause. We review a trial courts finding of good
cause for an abuse of discretion. Watson v. State, 776 N.E.2d 914,
918 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002). An abuse of discretion occurs only where
the decision is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and
circumstances. Palmer v. State, 704 N.E.2d 124, 127 (Ind. 1999). Here,
the State argued that it had demonstrated good cause for the delay in
filing the habitual offender count because of ongoing plea offers that were made.
Although Land argues that no real plea negotiations were conducted, based upon
the plea agreement offers that were made and defense counsels acknowledgement that he
attempted to solicit a plea agreement, we cannot say that the trial court
abused its discretion by finding good cause in this case.
See footnote
See, e.g.,
Watson, 776 N.E.2d at 918 (holding that the trial court did not abuse
its discretion by finding good cause to allow the State to amend its
charging information to include an habitual offender charge).
Moreover, Land did not demonstrate that he was prejudiced by the late filing
of the habitual offender count. A defendant who challenges the States filing
of an habitual offender allegation on the ground that it is filed outside
of the time limit must demonstrate that he was prejudiced. Daniel v.
State, 526 N.E.2d 1157, 1162 (Ind. 1988) (discussing Ind. Code § 35-34-1-5(b)(1)).
The purpose of Ind. Code § 35-34-1-5(e) is to allow a defendant sufficient
time to prepare a defense for the habitual offender charge. Watson, 776
N.E.2d at 917. Land does not argue that he had insufficient time
to prepare his defense to the habitual offender charge. In fact, the
habitual offender charge was filed in September 2002, and Land was not tried
until February 2003. Because Land has not presented any explanation of how
he was prejudiced by the timing of the additional charge, his request that
we reverse his habitual offender enhancement on these grounds is denied. See,
e.g., Daniels, 526 N.E.2d at 1162 (holding that the defendant failed to demonstrate
that he was prejudiced by the States late filing of its habitual offender
allegation).
See footnote
For the foregoing reasons, we affirm Lands convictions for arson as a class
B felony, arson as a class D felony, and his status as an
habitual offender.
Affirmed.
BAKER, J. and BROOK, C. J. concur
Footnote:
Ind. Code § 35-43-1-1(a) (Supp. 2001) (subsequently amended by Pub. L. No.
123-2002, § 36 (eff. July 1, 2002)).
Footnote:
I.C. § 35-43-1-1(d).
Footnote:
According to Ind. Code § 35-36-8-1(a) (1998), the omnibus date: (1) must
be set by the judicial officer at the initial hearing; and (2) must
be no earlier than forty-five (45) days and no later than seventy-five (75)
days after the completion of the initial hearing, unless the prosecuting attorney and
the defendant agree to a different date. The purpose of the omnibus
date is to establish a point in time from which various deadlines under
this article are established. I.C. § 35-36-8-1(b).
Footnote:
Land relies upon Belser v. State, 727 N.E.2d 457 (Ind. Ct. App.
2000), trans. denied. In Belser, another panel of this court held that
the prohibition against double jeopardy was violated by a defendants conviction for five
counts of arson as class B felonies. Id. at 462. The
defendant was charged with five separate counts because he had set a fire
that damaged a residence and endangered four people. Id. 460-61. The
panel held the convictions violated the prohibition against double jeopardy under both the
statutory elements test and the actual evidence test. However, as noted above,
our supreme court has clarified the actual evidence test since the panels holding
in Belser. See Spivey, 761 N.E.2d at 833. Given our supreme
courts clarification of the actual evidence test, we decline to rely upon Belser.
Footnote:
Land relies upon Hooper v. State, 779 N.E.2d 596 (Ind. Ct. App.
2002). There, another panel of this court reversed a defendants habitual offender
enhancement where the filing was untimely and the State did not offer any
showing of good cause for the late filing. Id. at 601-02.
We find this case distinguishable because the trial court here did not abuse
its discretion by finding good cause.
Footnote:
The State argues that Land waived this argument by failing to request
a continuance in the trial court. See, e.g., Kidd v. State, 738
N.E.2d 1039, 1042 (Ind. 2000) (holding that once a trial court permits a
tardy habitual filing, an appellant must move for a continuance in order to
preserve the propriety of the trial courts order for appeal). Because we
have concluded that the State demonstrated good cause and that Land failed to
demonstrate that he was prejudiced by the filing, we need not address the
waiver issue.