Boyking v. State

385 N.E.2d 1127, 270 Ind. 339, 1979 Ind. LEXIS 559
Indiana Supreme Court·Decided February 20, 1979·No. 178S9·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

DeBRULER, Justice.

Appellant, Michelle L. Boyking, was tried by jury and found guilty of second degree murder. Ind.Code § 35-13-4-1 (Burns 1975). She received a life sentence. On appeal she presents two issues:

(1) whether the evidence of the elements of purpose and malice was sufficient; and
(2) whether the evidence negating her claim of self-defense was sufficient.

Appellant, a woman, twenty-four years of age, admitted in a statement to police that she shot and killed Jimmy Glaspie in the early morning hours of January 27, 1977, while the two were seated in his car in a park in South Bend. After the jury returned its verdict of guilty of second degree murder, and on the day set for sentencing, appellant filed a motion for judgment on the evidence. The trial court set the motion for hearing nine days hence. Following the hearing on the motion, the court immediately took it under advisement and overruled it four days thereafter. Appellant includes within her claim that the evidence was insufficient to convict the question whether the trial court dealt with the motion as required by Ind.R.Tr.P. 50. The rule does not require the trial judge to specify reasons for denying a motion for judgment on the evidence made between verdict and sentencing, or to relate the supporting and opposing evidence in the case in disposing of the motion. We find that the trial court’s treatment was in accordance with the rule and that he determined that the evidence presented at trial was not insufficient to support the jury’s verdict of guilty of second degree murder.

Appellant now on appeal challenges the sufficiency of the evidence of purpose and malice, both necessary elements of the offense of second degree murder, and *1129 whether the evidence was sufficient to negate the claim of self-defense. This Court has described the element of purpose in the following manner:

“An act is done purposely, if it is willed, is the product of a conscious design, intent or plan that it be done, and is done with an awareness of probable consequences.” McKinstry v. State (1975), 264 Ind. 29, 35, 338 N.E.2d 636, 640.

Malice has been defined thus:

“An act is done with malice when it is done with ‘any evil design in general.’ In homicide, a purposeful killing is done with malice if it is done neither in self-defense nor in the heat of passion induced by sufficient provocation. McKinstry v. State, supra, 264 Ind. 29, 338 N.E.2d 636 at 640, and cases therein.” Shackleford v. State (1976), 264 Ind. 698, 703, 349 N.E.2d 150, 154.

The test to be applied in deciding whether the State has sustained its burden of negating self-defense was stated in White v. State (1976), 265 Ind. 32, 349 N.E.2d 156:

“When we review a self-defense claim, we determine if there is any substantial evidence of probative value from which the jury could have determined beyond a reasonable doubt, that appellant did not act in self-defense. Appellant must have acted without fault, been in a place where he had a right to be, and been in real danger of death or great bodily harm, or in such apparent danger as caused him in good faith to fear death or great bodily harm. The State has the burden of showing that appellant did not meet one of these requirements.” 265 Ind. at 34-35, 349 N.E.2d at 158.

In determining such sufficiency issues, we do not weigh the evidence nor resolve questions of credibility but look to the evidence and reasonable inferences therefrom which support the verdict. In so doing we may consider evidence supporting the verdict without regard to which side produced it. Mitchell v. State (1977), Ind., 366 N.E.2d 183. The conviction will be affirmed if from that viewpoint there is evidence of probative value from which a reasonable trier of fact could infer that appellant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

It was developed at trial that appellant was seated next to Glaspie in the front seat of the car. She took the weapon from under the seat where she had placed it. She knew that the gun was loaded. She fired the weapon at least two times at him and on each occasion a slug from the gun entered his head on the right side and exited on the left side. From these facts the jury could reasonably have concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that appellant formed the plan and intent to take the life of Glaspie and deliberately did so. There was sufficient evidence of the element of purpose.

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Boyking v. State, 385 N.E.2d 1127, 270 Ind. 339, 1979 Ind. LEXIS 559 (Ind. 1979).

385 N.E.2d 1127 (Boyking v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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