FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
HILLARY BOWE RICKS STEVE CARTER
Indianapolis, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
STEPHEN TESMER Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
HENRY BREWER, )
)
Appellant-Petitioner, )
)
vs. ) No. 49A02-0406-CR-505
)
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee-Respondent. )
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Judge, this is a hearing on a [violation of probation].
The original violation was that he picked up a new case.
That case was dismissed but the State wants to proceed and go forward.
[THE COURT]: Oh, okay. Very good. Do we have the
certified copies of the probable cause?
[STATE]: Yes, your Honor. The motion to dismiss, information, probable cause,
all certified. It was a domestic violence --- the State dismissed it
because the victim didnt show up. Surprise, surprise.
(Transcript p. 27).
After reviewing the record, we find that Brewer did not make any objection
to the State handing the certified documents to the trial court during the
probation revocation hearing. A failure to object at trial waives the issue
for our review. James, 613 N.E.2d at 25. Further, since Brewer
neither alleges nor establishes fundamental error, we need not address this argument further.
Wood v. State, 804 N.E.2d 1182, 1189-90 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004).
Next, Brewer argues that he was denied procedural due process. Specifically, Brewer
contends that the trial court denied him his right to present any witnesses.
Our supreme court held that, it is well settled that probationers are
not entitled to the full array of constitutional rights afforded defendants at trial.
Cox v. State, 706 N.E.2d 547, 549 (Ind. 1999). However, the
Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does impose procedural and substantive limits
on the revocation of the conditional liberty created by probation. Cox, 706
N.E.2d at 549 (quoting Braxton v. State, 651 N.E.2d 268, 269 (Ind. 1995)).
In probation revocation proceedings, our supreme court has described a defendants due
process rights as follows:
There are certain due process rights, of course, which inure to a probationer
at a revocation hearing. These include written notice of the claimed violations,
disclosure of the evidence against him, an opportunity to be heard and present
evidence, the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses, and a neutral and detached
hearing body. Indiana Code § 35-38-2-3(e) also ensures the probationer the right
to confrontation, cross-examination, and representation by counsel.
Id.
In the instant case, after Brewer told the trial court that he had
a witness present at the probation revocation hearing to testify on his behalf
concerning the alleged probation violation, the trial court responded as follows:
[THE COURT]:
if I read these certified documents and I believe
that a crime was committed, just believe it then hes going to get
revoked and he is going to go to prison for twelve years.
Im just going to tell you that right now.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Right. And Judge, I understand that and the
alleged victim is here in court to testify.
[THE COURT]: I dont care. Okay. She can say anything
she wants to. If she wants to get up and say ---
but if I read this, and I believe that a crime was committed
from reading this hes going to go to jail for twelve years.
Thats just going to happen. Alright. If you want to proceed,
thats fine. I just want to make sure that everybodys got their
eyes open. Okay. Whatever you want to do.
(Tr. pp. 28-29).
Later in the probation revocation hearing, the record reveals that Brewer again stated
to the trial court that the alleged victim was present in court to
testify on his behalf.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: And shes here to remake those statements.
[THE COURT]: I dont care. I believe this because this is
what happened at the time. When she gets --- see this is
what happens in these domestic cases all the time.
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I understand Judge. Sometimes those things happen.
[THE COURT]: They get coerced into not saying what was right because
they dont --- because they are scared or whatever. Im not going
to have it, alright. So I believe it occurred. And Im
going to show that I find that the probable cause is sufficient that
a crime has occurred. Probation is going to be revoked.
(Tr. p. 33).
Upon review of the record, it is clear that the trial court did
not allow Brewer to present his witness. Therefore, we find that the
trial court abused its discretion by denying Brewer his due process right to
present witnesses. Cox, 706 N.E.2d at 549.