Johnson v. State

692 N.E.2d 485, 1998 Ind. App. LEXIS 123, 1998 WL 102935
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 2, 1998
Docket18A05-9703-CR-92
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 692 N.E.2d 485 (Johnson 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
Johnson v. State, 692 N.E.2d 485, 1998 Ind. App. LEXIS 123, 1998 WL 102935 (Ind. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

OPINION

SHARPNACK, Chief Judge.

Dewayne Johnson appeals the revocation of his probation. He raises two issues for our review which we restate as follows:

1) whether the evidence is sufficient to support the revocation of his probation; and
2) whether the trial court erroneously ordered him to serve the full sentences previously imposed for his convictions.

We reverse in part, affirm in part, and remand with instructions.

The facts most favorable to the judgment follow. On January 17, 1995, Johnson was convicted of battery resulting in bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced him to one year, which was suspended, and placed him on supervised probation for one year. On February 28, 1995, he was convicted of disorderly conduct, a class B misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced him to six months, which was suspended, and placed him on supervised probation for six months.

On December 6, 1995, the probation department filed petitions to revoke Johnson’s probation for both misdemeanors. After Johnson admitted the alleged probation violations, the trial court chose to extend Johnson’s probationary period.

On February 21, 1995, and again on July 20, 1995, Johnson was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a class D felony. He pleaded guilty to both counts and was sentenced to three years on each count to run concurrently. The trial court also suspended these sentences and placed Johnson on probation. In September of 1996, the probation department filed petitions to revoke Johnson’s probation for both the misdemeanors and the felonies. On November 12, 1996, the trial conducted a combined hearing for all four revocation petitions. The trial court found that Johnson had violated the conditions of his probation in all four cases and ordered the suspended sentences for each case to be executed, which totaled four and one half years.

I.

The first issue raised for our review is whether the evidence is sufficient to support the revocation of Johnson’s probation with respect to the two misdemeanor causes. 1 Because a probation hearing is civil in nature, the State must prove the alleged probation violation by a preponderance of the evidence. Braxton v. State, 651 N.E.2d 268, 270 (Ind.1995), reh’g denied; see Ind.Code § 35-38-2-3(e). In reviewing a claim of insufficient evidence, we neither reweigh the evidence nor judge the credibility of the witnesses. Braxton, 651 N.E.2d at 270. Instead, we consider only the evidence most favorable to the trial court’s decision to revoke probation. Id. We will affirm when there is substantial evidence of probative value to support the court’s conclusion that a probationer has violated any condition of probation. Id.

Johnson first argues that the State failed to offer the conditions of his probation into evidence. 2 However, when the State offered proof of the violations at the hearing, Johnson made no objection on the grounds that the conditions under discussion were not *487 actual conditions of his probation for the misdemeanors. Thus, he has waived our review of this contention. See Bryce v. State, 545 N.E.2d 1094, 1098 (Ind.Ct.App.1989) (holding that the defendant waived the issue of whether urine drug testing was a formal condition of his probation where he failed to object on this ground at the revocation hearing), tra ns. denied.

Johnson next argues that the evidence was insufficient to support the allegation that he tested positive for cocaine use. We agree. In her sworn petition for revocation, Johnson’s probation officer for the misdemeanors, Heather Bowman, stated that “[t]he defendant’s urine screen tested positive for cocaine on August 21, 1996 according to the records of Delaware County Court’s Substance Abuse Program, and therefore has violated rule # 5 of the condition of supervised probation.” Record, p. 150. At the hearing, in response to a question about how Johnson had performed on the terms of his probation, she made the general statement that “he did have some difficulty in regard to a drug screen that he received_” Record, p. 272. Later during the hearing, the following dialogue occurred between Johnson’s Counsel and Bowman:

“Q. Has there, and part of the allegation, at least the allegation in your petition is that he had a positive screen, is that correct?
A. That’s correct.”

Record, pp. 304-305. Upon further examination by the State, Bowman responded as follows:

“Q. Is it true that testing positive would be a violation of probation at any time?
A. That is correct, rule # 5.”

Record, p. 305. No further evidence of a positive screen for cocaine, including the test results of the drug screen, was offered at the hearing. In fact, “cocaine” was never specifically mentioned during the hearing. We conclude that such limited testimony does not constitute substantial evidence of probative value. See Braxton, 651 N.E.2d at 270. As such, the evidence is insufficient to support the trial court’s conclusion that Johnson had tested positive for cocaine use in violation of the conditions of his probation for the misdemeanors.

Johnson also asserts that there is insufficient evidence to support the trial court’s determination that he had violated the condition that he not commit a criminal offense. When a probationer is accused of committing a criminal offense, an arrest alone does not warrant the revocation of probation. Gee v. State, 454 N.E.2d 1265, 1267 (Ind.Ct.App.1983). “However, if the trial judge, after a hearing, finds the arrest was reasonable and there is probable cause to believe the defendant had violated a criminal law, revocation will be sustained.” Id.

The only evidence presented with respect to the allegation that Johnson had committed the crime of public intoxication while on probation was testimony by Bowman that “he did have a new arrest.” Record, p. 272. The cause number of the arrest was also presented by the prosecutor through her questioning of Bowman. This testimony only constitutes evidence of an arrest. Furthermore, no evidence was presented from which the trial court could have probable cause to believe that Johnson committed the offense of public intoxication. Therefore, the evidence with respect to this alleged probation violation is insufficient to support the trial court’s finding. See Gee, 454 N.E.2d at 1267.

Finally, Johnson argues that the evidence was insufficient to support the allegation that he had failed to pay fines and costs as a condition of his probation. We agree. The only evidence offered as proof of this violation was the following testimony by Bowman:

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Bluebook (online)
692 N.E.2d 485, 1998 Ind. App. LEXIS 123, 1998 WL 102935, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-state-indctapp-1998.