Berry v. State

321 N.E.2d 571, 163 Ind. App. 17, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 986
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 8, 1975
Docket1-973A162
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 321 N.E.2d 571 (Berry v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Berry v. State, 321 N.E.2d 571, 163 Ind. App. 17, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 986 (Ind. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Lowdermilk, J.

Petitioner-appellant, David A. Berry, was tried by a jury and convicted of the crime of first degree burglary, for which he was sentenced and which conviction he appealed.

Thereafter petitioner-appellant filed his petition for post conviction relief with the trial court on which petition a hearing was had after being placed at issue by the State’s answer. The trial court entered its findings of fact and conclusions of law, denying the relief sought by the petitioner, who then timely filed his motion to correct errors which was overruled.

*19 On August 5, 1971, just two days after petitioner had met Mrs. Gertrude Gaddis, a widow, he and a companion, George Ford, met her at midnight at a tavern to which she had been called by Ford. Immediately after her arrival Ford left the tavern and petitioner stayed with her until about 2:30 A.M. when she, in company with the petitioner, went to her home, where they discovered entrance had been made by cutting a rear door screen and the house had been burglarized.

Police were called and she determined the jewelry boxes had been rifled and contents removed. A television, a radio, and a lighter with her name engraved thereon had been taken from the home.

On Monday following petitioner left the Gaddis home and returned the same day, after which return he placed a package of cigarettes and a lighter on a table. Mrs. Gaddis recognized the lighter as one of the articles taken from her home and later she asked petitioner where he got the lighter and he answered that he had found it.

At the trial for the burglary a Mrs. Bolden testified she heard a conversation of the petitioner and others in which she heard petitioner talk about the girl friend he had robbed.

Cecil Bolden testified that the petitioner had sold him a portable television set, radio, and a watch, all of which were identified as items stolen from Mrs. Gaddis. 1

During trial petitioner denied any knowledge of the burglary and denied selling the television set, the watch and the police radio to Cecil Bolden.

The two issues presented for review herein are:

I. Whether the petitioner proved by a preponderance of the evidence introduced at the post conviction relief hearing that his legal representation at the trial was inadequate; and
II. Whether the petitioner presented material and deci *20 sive new evidence at the post conviction relief hearing so as to require a new trial.

In discussing issue one, appellant alleged his attorney failed to contact nine people who appellant named as potential defense witnesses; that on the second day of trial the judge allowed counsel to use the telephone and attempt to contact the potential witnesses. Appellant further claims that one witness who was successfully contacted informed the attorney that although she knew the appellant was innocent she would not decline to testify if called on his behalf. Some of said witnesses were known by petitioner’s attorney to have criminal records. Petitioner claims the failure of his attorney to file notice of an alibi defense was an act of incompetency and finally, that his attorney failed to conduct a proper investigation prior to the commencement of the trial.

Appellee urges that inasmuch as petitioner was appealing from a negative judgment that petitioner must show the judgment was contrary to law and was not merely supported by insufficient evidence. Appellee further urges that the presumption of competency of counsel may only be rebutted by strong and convincing evidence and, further, that the testimony of the petitioner and Mr. Renfro, his trial attorney, are in conflict and maintains that this court on appeal should consider only the evidence most favorable to the State.

Appellee further argues that the failure to file a notice of alibi defense by trial attorney Renfro resulted in no harm to the petitioner as the evidence of that defense was admitted at trial without objection.

Appellee’s last contention is that at no time before, during, or immediately after trial did petitioner express unhappiness with the legal representation afforded him by attorney Ren-fro.

We must first determine whether the trial court’s judgment denying the relief requested by petitioner constitutes a negative judgment.

*21 Petitioner had the burden of proving the allegations contained in his petition and therefore the trial court’s judgment in this matter constituted a negative judgment. In Hoskins v. State (1973), 261 Ind. 291, 302 N.E.2d 499, 501, Justice Prentice of our Supreme Court, in discussing post conviction relief under Rule 1, said:

“. . . A post-conviction proceeding is in the nature of a civil action. An unsuccessful petitioner, under the rule, stands in the position of one appealing from a negative verdict. He must show that the judgment was contrary to law, which may not be done by merely showing a lack of evidence to sustain it. If the evidence entitled him to relief which was denied, the decision is contrary to law, but in determining that question we may consider only the evidence most favorable to the successful party, in this case the State; and it is only when the evidence is without conflict and leads but to one reasonable conclusion, and the trier of fact has reached a contrary conclusion, that the decision will be disturbed as being contrary to law. Souerdike v. State (1952), 231 Ind. 204, 108 N.E.2d 136.”

An allegation of insufficient evidence does not present an appealable issue. Instead, a negative judgment may be attacked only as being contrary to law. Link v. Sun Oil Co. (1974), 160 Ind. App. 310, 312 N.E.2d 126; Engelbrecht v. Property Developers, Inc. (1973), 156 Ind. App. 354, 296 N.E.2d 798.

When a judgment is attacked as being contrary to law the reviewing court may consider only that evidence which is most favorable to the judgment of the trial court, together with all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom. Heminger v. Police Com’n of City of Fort Wayne (1974), 161 Ind. App. 72, 314 N.E.2d 827; Link v. Sun Oil Co., supra.

The record discloses that all evidence the petitioner desired pertaining to an alibi was admitted into evidence in the trial court without objection, although no notice of alibi had been filed by defendant’s trial counsel. The evidence having been admitted, petitioner is not now in a position to complain about *22

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Related

Greentree v. State
339 N.E.2d 98 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1975)
Harrison v. State
337 N.E.2d 533 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1975)
Ray v. State
333 N.E.2d 317 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1975)
Nuss v. State
328 N.E.2d 747 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1975)

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Bluebook (online)
321 N.E.2d 571, 163 Ind. App. 17, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 986, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berry-v-state-indctapp-1975.