Garrett v. State

680 N.E.2d 1, 1997 Ind. App. LEXIS 511, 1997 WL 249152
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 14, 1997
Docket65A01-9610-CR-321
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 680 N.E.2d 1 (Garrett 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
Garrett v. State, 680 N.E.2d 1, 1997 Ind. App. LEXIS 511, 1997 WL 249152 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION

BAKER, Judge.

Appellant-defendant Linda Garrett appeals the revocation of her probation. Garrett raises several arguments for review, which we combine and restate as whether the evidence was sufficient to show that she violated her probation by failing to make a good faith effort to pay restitution and to become employed.

*2 FACTS

On March 13, 1990, Garrett pled guilty to forty-six counts of Theft, 1 all Class D felonies. As a result, the trial court sentenced Garrett to two years imprisonment on the first count, one and one-half years on the next four counts, to be served consecutively, and one and one-half years on the remaining counts, to be served concurrently, for a total term of eight years imprisonment. Additionally, the trial court ordered Garrett to pay restitution of $90,000 to her victim.

Thereafter, on June 29, 1990, the trial court suspended Garrett’s sentence and placed her on house arrest and probation. Again, the trial court ordered Garrett to pay restitution of $90,000. Additionally, as a condition of her probation, Garrett was required to “make a good faith effort to be employed or faithfully pursue a course of study or vocational training that will equip [her] for suitable employment.” Record at 49. Then, on July 25, 1991, the trial court released Garrett from house arrest and suspended the remainder of her sentence.

On December 16, 1995, the State filed a petition to revoke Garrett’s suspended sentence on the grounds that she had failed to pay restitution or seek employment. Following a hearing, the trial court found that Garrett had violated the conditions of her probation. The trial court then ordered Garrett to serve the remainder of her executed sentence on weekends at the Posey County jail. Additionally, the trial court found that Garrett was still required to make restitution payments. Garrett now appeals.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Garrett claims that the evidence is insufficient to support the revocation of her probation. Initially, we note our standard of review. When reviewing a claim of insufficient evidence in a probation revocation proceeding, we apply the same standard used in any other sufficiency question. Bryce v. State, 545 N.E.2d 1094, 1099 (Ind.Ct.App.1989), trans. denied. We consider only the evidence most favorable to the State, together with all reasonable inferences flowing therefrom. Id. We will neither reweigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of witnesses. Menifee v. State, 600 N.E.2d 967, 970 (Ind.Ct.App.1992). Revocation is appropriate if the State proves any single violation by a preponderance of the evidence. IND. CODE § 35-38-2-3(e).

I. Failure to Pay Restitution

First, Garrett contends that the trial court erred in revoking her probation for failure to pay restitution. Specifically, Garrett argues that the trial court never determined that she had the ability to pay restitution, the court’s restitution order was unreasonably vague and the evidence was insufficient to show that her failure to pay restitution was reckless, knowing or intentional.

IND. CODE § 35-38-2-2.3(a)(5) provides that a trial court may require a defendant to “make restitution or reparation to the victim of the crime for damage or injury that was sustained by the victim.” When restitution is ordered as a condition of probation, the trial court must inquire into the defendant’s ability to pay restitution in order to prevent indigent defendants from being imprisoned because of their inability to pay. I.C. § 35-38-2-2.3; Shaffer v. State, 674 N.E.2d 1, 9 (Ind.Ct.App.1996). Further, before the trial court may revoke probation due to a defendant’s failure to comply with the restitution order, the State must prove that “the person recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally fail[ed] to pay.” I.C. § 35-38-2 — 3(f). To make this determination, the court must inquire into the reasons for the failure to pay restitution. Barnes v. State, 676 N.E.2d 764 (Ind.Ct.App.1997). If the court finds that a probationer has willfully refused to make restitution or has failed to make sufficient bona fide efforts to pay, her probation can be revoked. Id.

Our review of the record in the instant case reveals that at the time the trial court entered its restitution order, it did not inquire into Garrett’s ability to pay. Additionally, the record reveals that at the time the trial court revoked Garrett’s probation, it did not ascertain whether she could have *3 paid restitution. As a result, we fail to see how the trial court could have revoked Garrett’s probation on the basis that she recklessly, knowingly or intentionally failed to pay restitution. 2 Such a determination necessarily requires that the trial court consider whether a defendant could have paid restitution but did not. See Bahr v. State, 634 N.E.2d 543, 545 (Ind.Ct.App.1994) (revocation of defendant’s probation affirmed where defendant failed to pay restitution despite his acquisition of real estate worth $5,000); Preston v. State, 588 N.E.2d 1273, 1277 (Ind.Ct.App.1992) (court found that defendant had adequate income to make restitution payments based upon testimony that he had obtained employment and had net pay of at least $200 per week). Although the State contends that Garrett has waived her right to challenge the trial court’s restitution order because she did not object at the time it was entered and because she signed an agreement which provided that she would pay $63,463.81 in restitution, any such waiver is irrelevant given the State’s burden at the time it seeks to revoke probation to show that Garrett’s failure to pay restitution was reckless, knowing or intentional. Therefore, in the absence of evidence that Garrett could have paid restitution, the trial court’s revocation of her probation on the basis of her failure to pay restitution was erroneous.

Furthermore, we agree with Garrett’s contention that the trial court’s restitution order was so unreasonably vague that it was unenforceable. Although the trial court has broad discretion in establishing the conditions of probation, Johnson v. State, 659 N.E.2d 194, 198 (Ind.App.1995), I.C. § 35-38-2-2.3(a)(5) provides that “[w]hen restitution or reparation is a condition of probation, the court shall fix the amount, which may not exceed an amount the person can or will be able to pay, and shall fix the manner of performance.” Here, the court’s probation order required Garrett to make a “good faith effort” to pay restitution of $90,000 “as determined by the probation department.” R. at 48, 59.

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Bluebook (online)
680 N.E.2d 1, 1997 Ind. App. LEXIS 511, 1997 WL 249152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garrett-v-state-indctapp-1997.