FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
ROBERT D. HEPBURN
STEVE CARTER
Terre Haute, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
GEORGE P. SHERMAN
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
EUGENE C. VANDERGRIFF, )
)
Appellant-Defendant, )
)
vs. ) No. 84A05-0312-CR-664
)
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee-Plaintiff. )
APPEAL FROM THE VIGO SUPERIOR COURT
The Honorable David R. Bolk, Judge
Cause No. 84D03-0307-FC-1990
August 6, 2004
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
NAJAM, Judge
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Eugene C. Vandergriff appeals his convictions for Neglect of a Dependent, as a
Class C felony, and Battery, as a Class D felony.
See footnote Vandergriffs sole
contention on appeal is that his convictions violate the Indiana Double Jeopardy Clause.
We affirm.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On July 25, 2003, Vandergriff was caring for his infant son, C.V.
Around 7:30 p.m., Vandergriff drove C.V. to the shopping center where C.V.s mother,
Danielle Spear worked. During one of her breaks, Spear visited with C.V.
As the end of her break neared, Spear, while still holding the
baby, walked with Vandergriff to the car. At that point, Vandergriff and
Spear began to argue. Vandergriff then grabbed C.V.s neck and thigh area
and yanked him from Spears arms, causing C.V. to cry. Vandergriff threw
the baby into the car seat, which had been placed on the trunk
of the car. Transcript at 62. After strapping the baby into
the car seat, Vandergriff placed the car seat in the back seat of
the vehicle and started to pull away.
After he left the parking lot, Vandergriff stopped the car. While the
engine was still running, he exited the car and ran toward Spear with
his fists clenched. Fearing what he might do to Spear, a store
patron, Robert Waterman, interceded. Although Vandergriff was still upset, he did not
hit Spear. Vandergriff then returned to his car and sped off.
Another store patron, Teresa May Guinn, saw what had occurred and called 911.
During her conversation with the 911 operator, Guinn described the incident and
Vandergriffs car. Guinn also provided the operator with the couples address, which
she had obtained from Spear.
Officer Mike Finney of the Terre Haute Police Department responded to the call
and arrived at the shopping center. After talking to Spear and the
witnesses, Officer Finney transported Spear to the couples apartment, where Vandergriff had returned
with C.V. There, Spear attempted to persuade Vandergriff to open the apartment
door so she could check on the child. Additional police officers, who
had been dispatched to the apartment and who had already arrived, also asked
Vandergriff to open the door. Because Vandergriff did not comply with their
requests, the officers threatened to kick in the door.
Vandergriff informed the officers that he was standing next to the door with
the baby. When Vandergriff refused to comply with the officers additional requests
to open the door, the officers decided to forcibly open the door.
With Spears permission, the officers then kicked in the door. As they
proceeded, Vandergriff attempted to hold the door while still holding the baby.
Eventually the officers gained entry to the apartment. Vandergriff tossed C.V. onto
the living room floor and ran. C.V. hit the [hardwood] floor and
rolled into a footstool. Transcript at 217.
One of the officers immediately rescued C.V., who had visible injuries on his
right forehead and shoulder. The other officers apprehended Vandergriff, who was eventually
taken into custody. C.V. was transported to the hospital. There, it
was discovered that he had bruises on his right temple, upper chest area,
shoulder, side, hip, and leg and a large bruise and scrape on his
left shoulder. C.V. was observed overnight at the hospital and released the
next day. For a week following his release, C.V. was given Tylenol
for his injuries. For about a month and a half, C.V. experienced
difficulty straightening his right leg and cried when anyone touched it.
On July 31, 2003, the State charged Vandergriff with neglect, as a Class
C felony, and battery, as a Class D felony. During a jury
trial, which began on November 5, 2003, the State presented evidence regarding the
altercations at the shopping center and at the couples home. During closing
argument, the prosecutor informed the jury that it could find him guilty of
neglect based on any one of the following incidents: (1) when Vandergriff
grabbed the baby at the shopping center; (2) when he attempted to hold
the door, while holding the baby, during the forced entry; or (3) when
he tossed the baby onto the hardwood floor after the officers entered the
apartment. With regard to the battery charge, the prosecutor told the jurors
that they could find Vandergriff guilty based on the grabbing or tossing incident.
Before deliberations began, the trial court instructed the jury on the elements
required to prove each offense. However, the instructions did not indicate on
which incident the prosecutor was basing each charge.
The jury found Vandergriff guilty as charged. The trial court sentenced him
to eight years for neglect and three years for battery to be served
concurrently. He now appeals.
DISCUSSION AND DECISION
Vandergriff contends that his convictions for neglect and battery violate Indianas Double Jeopardy
Clause. [T]wo 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). In this case, Vandergriff challenges his dual convictions under the actual
evidence test, which prohibits multiple convictions if there is a reasonable possibility that
the evidentiary facts used by the fact-finder to establish the essential elements of
one offense may also have been used to establish the essential elements of
a second challenged offense. Davis v. State, 770 N.E.2d 319, 323 (Ind.
2002) (citing Richardson, 717 N.E.2d at 53). The defendant must show that
the evidentiary facts establishing the elements of one offense also establish all of
the elements of the second offense. Spivey v. State, 761 N.E.2d 831,
833 (Ind. 2002). Thus, even if each charge utilizes the same factual
event, no constitutional violation will be found if the second offense requires additional
evidentiary facts establishing the essential elements. Davis, 770 N.E.2d at 324.
See footnote
See also Pierce v. State, 761 N.E.2d 826, 830 (Ind. 2002) (holding that
convictions for burglary, as a Class A felony, and robbery, as a Class
B felony, did not violate state double jeopardy clause where each offense required
proof not required for the other).
Here, the State charged Vandergriff with neglect, as a Class C felony,
See footnote and
battery, as a Class D felony.See footnote The trial court instructed the jury
that to find Vandergriff guilty of neglect, it had to find that Vandergriff
(1) knowingly, (2) placed C.V. in a situation that endangered C.V.s life or
health, (3) when C.V. was a dependent,See footnote (4) when Vandergriff had the care,
custody and control of C.V., and (5) Vandergriffs actions resulted in bodily injury
to C.V. With regard to the battery charge, the court instructed the
jury that it had to find that Vandergriff (1) knowingly, (2) touched C.V.,
(3) in a rude, insolent or angry manner, (4) that the touching resulted
in bodily injury to C.V., and (5) C.V. was less than fourteen years
of age and Vandergriff was at least eighteen years of age when the
offense occurred.
A comparison of the elements reveals that, even assuming the jury relied upon
the same incident to establish the two offenses, additional evidentiary facts were required
to prove each offense. Vandergriffs act of touching C.V. establishes that Vandergriff
knowingly placed C.V. in a situation that endangered his life or health, resulting
in bodily injury, and that Vandergriff knowingly touched C.V. in a rude, insolent
or angry manner, resulting in bodily injury. Yet, to find Vandergriff
guilty of neglect, the jury also had to find that C.V. was a
dependent and that Vandergriff had the care, custody and control of C.V.
To find Vandergriff guilty of Class D felony battery, the jury was required
to find that C.V. was less than fourteen years of age and Vandergriff
was at least eighteen years of age. While the same evidence may
have established that C.V. was a dependant and under fourteen years of age,
clearly additional evidentiary facts were required to prove that Vandergriff had the care,
custody and control of C.V. and that Vandergriff was at least eighteen years
of age. Thus, there is no constitutional double jeopardy violation.
See
Minton v. State, 802 N.E.2d 929, 937 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004) (holding convictions
for child molesting and sexual misconduct with a minor did not violate state
double jeopardy clause where child molesting required proof that child was under fourteen
years of age and offense of sexual misconduct with a minor required proof
that child was at least fourteen but less than eighteen years of age),
trans. denied.
See footnote
Even where no constitutional violation has occurred, multiple convictions may nevertheless violate the
rules of statutory construction and common law that are often described as double
jeopardy, but are not governed by the constitutional test set forth in
Richardson.
Pierce, 761 N.E.2d at 830. These rules fall under broader categories
set forth by Justice Sullivan in his concurring opinion in Richardson and include
the following: (1) Conviction and punishment for a crime which is a
lesser-included offense of another crime for which the defendant has been convicted and
punished; (2) Conviction and punishment for a crime which consists of the very
same act as another crime for which the defendant has been convicted and
punished; (3) Conviction and punishment for a crime which consists of the very
same act as an element of another crime for which the defendant has
been convicted and punished; (4) Conviction and punishment for an enhancement of a
crime where the enhancement is imposed for the very same behavior or harm
as another crime for which the defendant has been convicted and punished; and
(5) Conviction and punishment for the crime of conspiracy where the overt act
that constitutes an element of the conspiracy charge is the very same act
as another crime for which the defendant has been convicted and punished.
Richardson, 717 N.E.2d at 55-56 (Sullivan, J., concurring).
These categories were applied by a majority of our supreme court in Guyton
v. State, 771 N.E.2d 1141, 1143 (Ind. 2002) to determine if a defendants
convictions for murder and carrying a handgun without a license violated double jeopardy
principles. In reciting the five categories, the majority noted that only one,
lesser-included offenses, presumably covered . . . constitutional Double Jeopardy, thereby implying that
the remaining categories addressed common law violations. Id. Ultimately the majority
concluded that Guytons claim did not succeed under any of Justice Sullivans categories
because carrying a gun and using a gun were two different crimes.
Id.
In the double jeopardy cases which followed Guyton, our supreme court relied upon
Guyton in analyzing possible common law violations. See Carrico v. State, 775
N.E.2d 312, 314 (Ind. 2002); Robinson v. State, 775 N.E.2d 316, 320 (Ind.
2002); Miller v. State, 790 N.E.2d 437, 439 (Ind. 2003) (Sullivan, J., concurring)
(all analyzing whether multiple convictions were improperly enhanced by the same bodily harm).
However, as Justice Boehm observed in his concurring opinion in Guyton, the
majority in Guyton did not provide any guidance for determining when two convictions
are based upon the same act. Guyton, 771 N.E.2d at 1151 (Boehm,
J., concurring). Consequently, Justice Boehm proposed that courts look to see if,
under the statutes, charging instruments, evidence and arguments of counsel, . . .
the facts establishing one crime are the same as the facts establishing another
. . . . Id. at 1154. Justice Boehm further proposed
that the determination be made as a matter of law without any effort
to analyze what the jury might have considered. Id.
Applying his proposed analysis, Justice Boehm concluded, as a matter of law, that
separate facts supported Guytons convictions for murder and possession of a handgun without
a license. Id. Justice Boehm explained that the court simply could
not say that there is no reasonable possibility the jury based both of
Guytons convictions on the same set of facts since Guyton was in possession
of the gun as he fired it. Id. However, in his
opinion, the court could and did conclude that the offense of possessing a
handgun had been committed before Guyton ever fired the gun. Id.
Therefore, according to Justice Boehm, the facts supporting the murder [did] not embrace
all the facts supporting the handgun offense. Id.
In this case, Vandergriffs claim arguably falls under Justice Sullivans second category described
as [c]onviction and punishment for a crime which consists of the very same
act as another crime for which the defendant has been convicted and punished.
Richardson, 717 N.E.2d at 55 (Sullivan, J., concurring).
See footnote Thus, we
apply Justice Boehms analysis by looking to the statutes, charging instruments, evidence and
arguments of counsel to determine, as a matter of law, whether the facts
establishing the neglect are the same as the facts establishing the battery.
Initially, we note that the facts surrounding either the grabbing incident at the
shopping center or the tossing incident at the couples home could have supported
the convictions.See footnote Yet, as Vandergriff rightly notes, the prosecutor failed to inform
the jury on which incident he was relying to prove each charge.
Rather, the State allowed the jury to make that determination. However, the
State contends that there was overwhelming evidence of separate and distinct incidences and
multiple injuries to the victim. Brief of Appellee at 10. The
State further notes that during closing argument, the prosecutor referred to the grabbing
incident as the primary act establishing the neglect charge, while defense counsel referred
to Vandergriffs act of tossing the child as the battery. Transcript at
303, 334.
Although we do not condone the prosecutors method of bringing the charges in
this case, the two convictions do not violate the common law rule prohibiting
dual convictions for the same act. As Justice Boehm noted in
Guyton,
we cannot say that there is no reasonable possibility that the jury used
the same evidence to support the neglect and battery charges. However, we
can say that the facts supporting these two crimes are separate and distinct
and, thus, no common law double jeopardy violation occurred. Overwhelming evidence of
two distinct crimes was presented to the jury. In addition, the jury
was not directed, through closing argument or in final instructions, to base the
charges on the same act. Further, at one point during closing argument
the prosecutor referred to the grabbing incident as the one establishing the battery,
and defense counsel referred to the tossing incident as the one establishing the
battery. Therefore, we conclude, as a matter of law, that the facts
supporting the neglect do not embrace all of the facts supporting the battery.
We hold that Vandergriffs convictions for Class C felony neglect and Class
D felony battery may stand.
Affirmed.
KIRSCH, C.J., and RILEY, J., concur.
Footnote:
Vandergriff was also charged and convicted of Resisting Law Enforcement, as
a Class A misdemeanor. However, he does not challenge that conviction on
appeal.
Footnote: In
Davis, for example, no double jeopardy violation was found where
the same factual event, a stabbing, was used to establish burglary, as a
Class A felony, and attempted murder. Id. The Davis court specifically
noted that additional evidentiary facts were required to prove three elements of the
burglary (1) breaking and entering, (2) the building or structure of another
(3) with intent to commit a felony in it. Id.
Footnote:
Neglect, as a Class D felony, is committed when [a] person
having the care of a dependent, whether assumed voluntarily or because of a
legal obligation, . . . knowingly or intentionally . . . places
the dependent in a situation that endangers the dependents life or health.
Ind. Code § 35-46-1-4(a)(1). That offense is elevated to a Class C
felony if it results in bodily injury. I.C. § 35-46-1-4(b)(1).
Footnote: Battery, as a Class B misdemeanor, is committed when a person
knowingly or intentionally touches another person in a rude, insolent, or angry manner.
I.C. § 35-42-2-1(a). The offense is elevated to a Class A
misdemeanor if the touching results in bodily injury to another and to a
Class D felony if the touching results in bodily injury to a person
less than fourteen (14) years of age and is committed by a person
at least eighteen (18) years of age. I.C. §§ 35-42-2-1(a)(1), (2)(B).
Footnote: The jury was instructed that a dependent is an unemancipated person
who is under eighteen years of age; or a person of any age
who is mentally or physically disabled. Transcript at 348-49.
Footnote:
Vandergriff relies upon Roby v. State, 742 N.E.2d 505 (Ind. 2001),
where our supreme court concluded that dual convictions for knowingly killing a child
and neglect, resulting in serious bodily injury, violated the actual evidence test.
In particular, the court found that there was a reasonable possibility that the
jury used the same evidence to establish the knowing killing of a child
and the serious bodily injury of the neglect charge. Id. at 509.
But Roby was decided before Spivey, 761 N.E.2d at 833, which clarified
that under the actual evidence test, the defendant must show that the evidentiary
facts establishing the elements of one offense must also establish all of the
elements of the second offense. Thus, Vandergriffs reliance on Roby
is not well taken. Arguably, with regard to the neglect charge, additional
evidentiary facts would have been required to prove that the child was a
dependent and that the defendant had the care, custody and control of the
dependent. Therefore, even though the same factual event, the killing of a
child, was used to establish both charges, additional evidentiary facts would have been
required to establish other elements of neglect.
Footnote:
Justice Boehm described this category in his concurring opinion in Richardson
as a prohibition against multiple convictions based on the same act and consequences.
Richardson, 717 N.E.2d at 64 (Boehm, J., concurring). Justice Boehm explained
that [m]ultiple convictions . . . are barred by the rule . .
. that before the court may enter judgment and impose sentence upon multiple
counts, the facts giving rise to the various offenses must be independently supportable,
separate and distinct. Richardson, 717 N.E.2d at 64 (Boehm, J., concurring)
(quoting Thompson v. State, 259 Ind. 587, 290 N.E.2d 724, 727 (1972), cert.
denied, 412 U.S. 943 (1973) and disapproved by Elmore v. State, 269 Ind.
532, 382 N.E.2d 893 (1978)). This common law rule was recently relied
upon to prohibit dual convictions stemming from one single act of arson.
See Montgomery v. State, 804 N.E.2d 1217, 1225 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004), trans.
denied.
Footnote:
Contrary to Vandergriffs assertions, the neglect charge could not have been
based on his act of attempting to hold the door during the forced
entry. As charged, the crime of neglect required the jury to find
that the criminal act resulted in bodily injury.
See I.C. § 35-36-1-4(b)(1).
Here, there was no evidence that the child was hit by the
door or otherwise suffered bodily injury as a result of this act.