Adams v. State

430 N.E.2d 771, 1982 Ind. LEXIS 731
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 26, 1982
Docket580S129
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 430 N.E.2d 771 (Adams v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adams v. State, 430 N.E.2d 771, 1982 Ind. LEXIS 731 (Ind. 1982).

Opinions

GIVAN, Chief Justice.

On October 10, 1972, appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment, having been convicted on a two-count indictment of the offense of murder. A co-defendant and alleged accomplice was also convicted of the same charge. See, Adams v. State, (1974) [773]*773262 Ind. 220, 314 N.E.2d 53. Subsequently appellant filed his petition for post-conviction relief in Allen Circuit Court. This is an appeal from an adverse decision on that petition.

Appellant first claims the trial court erred in granting the State’s motion to strike that part of appellant’s petition referring to certain errors that allegedly occurred during appellant’s trial. The post-conviction judge stated in his findings of fact, “[T]he allegations in these paragraphs were stricken for the reason that said issues so raised had been adjudicated by the Supreme Court of Indiana in Adams v. State, 262 Ind. 220, 314 N.E.2d 53.”

An examination of appellant’s petition shows, as the court observed, all stricken portions are among the errors alleged by the appellant in his Motion to Correct Errors filed after the original trial. All these allegations of error were treated by this Court in the direct appeal and were decided adversely to appellant. Issues raised and determined on direct appeal are not reviewable in a post-conviction proceeding. Kennedy v. State, (1979) Ind., 393 N.E.2d 139; Eliacin v. State, (1978) 269 Ind. 305, 380 N.E.2d 548; Frasier v. State, (1977) 267 Ind. 24, 366 N.E.2d 1166; Ind.R.P.C. 1, § 8. The trial court did not err in granting the State’s motion to strike those parts of the petition.

Appellant contends these issues form the underlying basis for his further allegations of inadequate representation by counsel, newly discovered evidence, and the State’s failure to disclose exculpatory evidence.

This Court has held the proper test of adequacy of representation by counsel, taking a totality of the circumstances approach, is the “mockery of justice” standard, as modified by the “adequate legal representation” standard. Hollon v. State, (1980) Ind., 398 N.E.2d 1273; Line v. State, (1979) Ind., 397 N.E.2d 975; Crisp v. State, (1979) Ind., 394 N.E.2d 115. The record in this case shows the conduct of a vigorous defense rather than a lack of knowledge or understanding of the law on the part of counsel. (See the original appeal of appellant’s conviction, Adams v. State, supra.)

Appellant claims he must use the errors committed at his trial as a basis for his post-conviction remedy arguments concerning newly discovered evidence and the State’s failure to disclose exculpatory evidence. We do not agree. Appellant is quite able to make his arguments regarding newly discovered evidence or the State’s failure to disclose exculpatory evidence without reference to the trial court’s alleged erroneous rulings.

Appellant claims the trial court erred in concluding appellant did not meet his burden of proof as to newly discovered evidence. The newly discovered evidence offered at the post-conviction proceeding was testimony from Viola Richards, appellant’s landlady who lived next door to appellant at the time of the crime, and Paula Vails, appellant’s girlfriend at the time of the robbery. Mrs. Richards testified she saw the co-defendant and another man, Jim Taylor, who was also a witness at the trial, exchange guns on the front porch of appellant’s home a few days before the crime. She also testified on the day of the robbery she saw Taylor and the co-defendant leave appellant’s home (the co-defendant roomed with appellant at the time) at about 10:30 A.M. on the day of the crime. The crime occurred about 11:00 A.M. Mrs. Richards testified she gave appellant’s counsel this information before the trial and though he said he would call her as a witness he never did.

Paula Vails testified appellant spent the night before the robbery with her at her home and did not leave the residence until about 11:00 A.M. that day in order to meet the co-defendant at a bar. She testified she gave appellant’s attorney this information and though he told her he would call her as a witness at the trial he did not do so.

P.C.R. 1(a)(4) provides a claim for post-conviction relief may be premised on “evidence of material facts, not previously presented and heard, that requires vacation of the conviction or sentence in the interest of justice . ... ” In interpreting this part [774]*774of the rule, this Court has established several criteria that must be met before we will reverse the lower court’s denial of the petition. Among these is the petitioner must establish the evidence has been discovered since the trial. Clark v. State, (1978) 269 Ind. 90, 378 N.E.2d 850; Baker v. State, (1976) 265 Ind. 411, 355 N.E.2d 251; Torrence v. State, (1975) 263 Ind. 202, 328 N.E.2d 214. In the case at bar in presenting his argument of incompetency of counsel, appellant asserts the attorney was aware of the existence of this evidence. He, therefore, cannot for purposes of this allegation deny that assertion.

In order to be successful in a post-conviction relief petition, it must be shown the newly discovered evidence will probably produce a different result on retrial. Clark, supra; Baker, supra; Torrence, supra. In making this determination the post-conviction court “should consider the weight which a reasonable trier of fact would give the proffered evidence and the probable impact of it in light of all the facts and circumstances shown at the original trial of the case.” Torrence, supra, at 206, 328 N.E.2d at 217.

Given these guidelines, it is unlikely this evidence would produce a new result at retrial. The essence of the State’s evidence against appellant was his confession of a role in the crime to several of his acquaintances who were called as witnesses at the trial. In fact, there was evidence at the post-conviction proceeding appellant made such an admission to Mrs. Richards, though she denied that. Mrs. Richards was subpoenaed to appear as a witness by the State but did not appear. Her testimony does nothing to contradict the evidence that appellant confessed to the crime to several others and does nothing to establish appellant’s whereabouts at the time of the crime.

Thus, the post-conviction court had two bases for holding appellant failed to meet his burden of proof with respect to the newly discovered evidence argument: (1) the evidence was not newly discovered; and (2) on retrial it would not be likely to produce a different result. The trial court did not err concerning the “newly discovered evidence.”

Appellant next claims the trial court erred in denying relief on his allegation that his representation by counsel was inadequate. Appellant claims there was insufficient contact between he and his attorney prior to trial; that his attorney failed to call Viola Richards and Paula Vails as witnesses; that he failed to interview witness Jim Taylor prior to trial; that he refused to allow appellant to testify; failed to disclose witness Royce Richey’s “mental condition”; and failed to talk to the co-defendant.

The rule applied in determining adequacy of representation has been set forth earlier in this opinion. See, Hollon, supra; Line, supra; Crisp, supra. There is a strong presumption of the effectiveness of counsel that is overcome only by the presentation of convincing evidence to the contrary. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
430 N.E.2d 771, 1982 Ind. LEXIS 731, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adams-v-state-ind-1982.