Jackson v. State

402 N.E.2d 947, 273 Ind. 49, 1980 Ind. LEXIS 637
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 31, 1980
Docket379S66
StatusPublished
Cited by66 cases

This text of 402 N.E.2d 947 (Jackson 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
Jackson v. State, 402 N.E.2d 947, 273 Ind. 49, 1980 Ind. LEXIS 637 (Ind. 1980).

Opinion

PRENTICE, Justice.

Defendant (Appellant) was charged with murder in the second degree, Ind.Code § 35-1-54-1 (Burns 1975). Upon a jury verdict of guilty as charged, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. In this direct appeal, he raises the following issues:

(1) Whether the evidence was sufficient to sustain the verdict.

(2) Whether the trial court erred in giving its instruction on intoxication and refusing the one tendered by the defendant.

(3) Whether the trial court erred in admitting, over defendant’s objection, hearsay evidence.

(4) Whether the trial court erred in refusing to grant a mistrial for alleged prose-cutorial misconduct during final arguments.

******

ISSUE I

As a court of review, we will neither re weigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of the witnesses. Robinson v. State, (1977) 266 Ind. 604, 365 N.E.2d 1218. Rather, we will look only to that evidence most favorable to the State and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, to determine whether a reasonable juror could have found the existence of each of the elements of the crime charged beyond a reasonable doubt. Baum v. State, (1976) 264 Ind. 421, 345 N.E.2d 831.

In September of 1977, defendant was living in an apartment in Gary, Indiana. Other members of the household were his five younger siblings, his mother and the decedent, who was his mother’s consort. His mother and the decedent had never married, but they had lived together for ten years. The relationship between the defendant and the decedent was one of stepson and step-father, and the two had a good relationship.

On the morning of September 18, 1977, defendant came into his mother’s room and told her that the basement was flooded with oil, when, in fact, it was not. Because the defendant had been acting strangely for the preceding seven days, Mrs. Jackson went next door to Mrs. Gates’ apartment to *949 telephone a doctor. Meanwhile, Debra, one of the defendant’s sisters, observed him standing by himself muttering, “Die.” When she tried to leave the apartment, he grabbed her, purportedly to protect her from someone who he said was trying to kill her. Debra broke loose and ran next door to join her mother. Several minutes later, as Mrs. Jackson and Debra were leaving the Gates’ apartment, they heard the sounds of a scuffle coming from their apartment. Debra ran up to her porch and found the defendant holding a hammer in his hand as he stood over Mr. Johnson, who was lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. The defendant then told Debra that Mr. Johnson would not be bothering her anymore and ran to Mrs. Gates’ apartment. When the police arrived, defendant locked himself inside a bathroom but surrendered shortly thereafter.

Defendant contends that there was insufficient evidence that it was he who killed Mr. Johnson. He notes that there were no eyewitnesses to the slaying and that the evidence was wholly circumstantial or opinion testimony. However, as we stated in McAfee v. State, (1973) 259 Ind. 687, 689, 291 N.E.2d 554, a conviction may be sustained by circumstantial evidence alone, and in the case at bar, there was sufficient evidence from which the jury could have concluded, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant did kill Mr. Johnson.

Defendant next contends that the State failed to meet its burden of proving him sane beyond a reasonable doubt.

It was the conclusion of all three psychiatrists that defendant was not responsible for his conduct by virtue of his mental state; nevertheless, a jury could have concluded from the testimony of Dr. Batacan that defendant’s bizarre conduct was a direct result of recent or concomitant intoxication caused by the voluntary ingestion of “street drugs.” As we emphasized in Hill v. State, (1969) 252 Ind. 601, 615-616, 251 N.E.2d 429, a jury is not bound by the definitions or conclusions of the experts on such matters. “They need not be influenced by the use of specific labels, but rather must determine for themselves, whether the defendant’s disability was such as to excuse him from criminal responsibility.” Id. at 616, 251 N.E.2d at 438. Temporary mental incapacity, when induced by voluntary intoxication, normally furnishes no legal excuse for, or defense to, a crime. Fisher v. State, (1878) 64 Ind. 435; Hooker v. State, (1979) Ind.App., 387 N.E.2d 1354. See also, 22 C.J.S. Criminal Laws §§ 70, 72, (1961). However, there are exceptions to the above-stated rule. Where the ingestion of intoxicants, though voluntary, has been abused to the point that it has produced mental disease such that the accused is unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or is unable to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law, the law does not hold him responsible for his acts. Fisher v. State, supra. * It is for the jury to determine whether the accused’s conduct was the result of a diseased mind — regardless of the source of the disease — or was the result of voluntary intoxication.

Here, there was sufficient evidence for a reasonable juror to have concluded, beyond a reasonable doubt, that defendant’s actions were the direct result of voluntary intoxication rather than mental disease or defect.

Defendant also asserts that the State failed to prove malice. However, the intentional use of a deadly weapon in circumstances where it is likely to cause death is sufficient to raise an inference of malice which will sustain a charge of second degree murder. Hill v. State, supra, 252 Ind. at 618, 251 N.E.2d 429.

ISSUE II

Defendant next contends that the trial court erred in giving Final Instruction No. 9 over his objection. Said instruction reads:

“The jury is not bound by the definitions or conclusions of experts who have testified as to what is a mental disease or *950 mental defect. Mental disease or mental defect includes any abnormal condition of the mind which substantially affects mental or emotional processes and substantially impairs behavior controls. Thus the jury is instructed to consider expert testimony in light of all other testimony presented concerning the development, adaptation and functioning of his mental and emotional processes and behavior controls and not necessarily accept the ultimate conclusions of the experts as to the defendant’s legal sanity or insanity. This is your decision and only your decision. You must decide the extent of the defendant’s mental disability, if any.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Jason L. Bloomfield v. State of Indiana
61 N.E.3d 1234 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2016)
John W. Thomas v. State of Indiana
61 N.E.3d 1198 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2016)
Tommy Orlando Townsend, Sr. v. State of Indiana
45 N.E.3d 821 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2015)
Corey Hamersley v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2014
Michael Mangan v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2012
Berry v. State
969 N.E.2d 35 (Indiana Supreme Court, 2012)
Berry v. State
950 N.E.2d 821 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2011)
Hollowell v. State
707 N.E.2d 1014 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1999)
Humphrey v. State
680 N.E.2d 836 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1997)
Kelsey v. Dollarsaver Food Warehouse of Durant
1994 OK 123 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1994)
Commonwealth v. Herd
604 N.E.2d 1294 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1992)
Phares v. State
506 N.E.2d 65 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1987)
Allen v. State
496 N.E.2d 53 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1986)
Gerald v. State
490 N.E.2d 336 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1986)
Doyle v. State
468 N.E.2d 528 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1984)
King v. State
460 N.E.2d 947 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1984)
Taylor v. State
457 N.E.2d 594 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1983)
Warner v. State
455 N.E.2d 355 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
402 N.E.2d 947, 273 Ind. 49, 1980 Ind. LEXIS 637, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jackson-v-state-ind-1980.