Lewis v. State

280 N.E.2d 828, 151 Ind. App. 544, 1972 Ind. App. LEXIS 854
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 6, 1972
DocketNo. 172A31
StatusPublished

This text of 280 N.E.2d 828 (Lewis 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
Lewis v. State, 280 N.E.2d 828, 151 Ind. App. 544, 1972 Ind. App. LEXIS 854 (Ind. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

Lowdermilk, J.

This is an appeal by Henry Mack Lewis, defendant-appellant, who had been convicted by a jury in the Vanderburgh Circuit Court of the offense of possession of burglary tools by a convict.

The motion to correct errors was filed, overruled by the court and the defendant-appellant was then sentenced to not less than two years nor more than fourteen years in the Indiana State Prison and disfranchised for a period of two years.

He is now serving his sentence.

Defendant-appellant was charged by affidavit with having Possession of Burglary Tools by a Convict, in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, on the 19th day of May, 1971; said affidavit was filed in the Vanderburgh Circuit Court on May 24, 1971 and on which affidavit a bench warrant was ordered issued for the arrest of the defendant-appellant, who was arrested under the authority of said warrant and remained in the Vanderburgh County Jail until the date of his trial.

Lorin H. Kiely appeared as legal counsel for the defendant-appellant and thereafter, on June 7, 1971, filed his motion to quash and dismiss the State’s affidavit, which motion was sustained by the court.

The State of Indiana filed its amended affidavit for possession of burglary tools by a convict, against the defendant-appellant, on June 8, 1971, which was followed, on June 11, [546]*5461971, by appellant’s motion to quash and dismiss the State’s amended affidavit.

On June 14, 1971, the trial court overruled appellant’s motion to quash and dismiss the amended affidavit and on June 15, 1971, the appellant was brought into open court, waived arraignment, entered a plea of “Not Guilty” to the charge, and requested a trial by jury.

Thereafter, on August 16, 1971, the cause was tried to a jury. The State of Indiana introduced its evidence in chief and rested.

The appellant, Henry Mack Lewis, was the only witness for the defense and he took the witness stand and testified, after which the defense rested.

On the same day the cause was submitted to the jury, which retired to the jury room and later returned with a verdict into open court, finding the defendant guilty as charged in the amended affidavit, to-wit: “Possession of Burglary Tools by A Convict, and that he was thirty-seven (37) years of age.”

Thereafter on August 31, 1971, the trial judge rendered judgment on the jury’s verdict, and sentenced the defendant-appellant to not less than two years nor more than fourteen years in the Indiana State Prison, and disfranchised him for two years.

The defendant was further advised of his rights of appeal and informed the court he would like to file a motion to correct errors. Mr. Kiely was then appointed pauper attorney to perfect this appeal and accepted appointment, on September 1, 1971.

The argument section of appellant’s brief is somewhat confusing and this court has determined that the appellant has properly preserved and presented two questions on which this court is to pass, one being that the motion to quash the amended affidavit should have been sustained, which is more particularly argued as being:

[547]*547(a) The Amended Affidavit fails to allege that the Appellant intended to commit the specific crime of burglary to-wit: the degree of burglary.
(b) The Amended Affidavit fails to allege that the Appellant had previously been convicted, sentenced by the Court and imprisoned in some penal institute for felonies, describing the felony.
(c) The Amended Affidavit fails to state the judgment and details of previous conviction of the Appellant.

The other specifications, of which there are two, are grouped as one and are misconduct on the part of the Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and that the trial judge abused his discretion in denying and overruling appellant’s request to admonish and reprimand the Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for his misconduct in asking the appellant the question on cross examination in the presence of the jury, “In fact, you are a professional burglar?”

Firstly, defendant-appellant contends he is entitled to know from the affidavit whether he intended to commit the offense of burglary in the first, second or third degree, and it must be definitely stated in the amended affidavit.

As to specification (a) we find that defendant-appellant’s brief is without citation of authority of this proposition and he has, therefore, failed to save any question and failed to present his question on that point to this court. Rule AP. 8.3(A) (7)

However, in our studying of this case and writing our opinion, we must necessarily determine that there is no merit in this contention, as the defendant-appellant was not charged with burglary, but was charged with the offense of having been previously convicted of a felony and having in his possession burglary tools or implements, with the intent to commit the crime of burglary. The degree of burglary which he may have intended to commit is immaterial and of no consequence.

Defendant-appellant further contends that to authorize a [548]*548sentence of imprisonment under the offense of Possession of Burglary Tools By A Convict with intent to commit a burglary, the affidavit must allege that the appellant has been previously convicted, sentenced and imprisoned in a penal institution for felonies, describing each element of conviction in detail.

To sustain this argument appellant cites the case of Shutt v. State (1954), 233 Ind. 120, 117 N. E. 2d 268, 271, wherein he contends that in charging the previous conviction it was necessary to allege in the affidavit the judgment or the alleged previous conviction, in detail.

He further contends that this is necessary in order to properly advise the appellant of the offense charged and failure to allege a previous conviction with certainty renders the affidavit subject to a motion to quash the affidavit, and also says that the previous conviction and judgment must be alleged.

In Shutt v. State, supra, the defendant-appellant was charged with being an habitual criminal. Our Supreme Court reversed a conviction, holding that,

“ ‘To authorize a life sentence, the previous convictions, sentences and imprisonments must be described specifically, and the jury must find that the defendant was convicted, sentenced and imprisoned in the instances described and not otherwise.’ Kelley v. State (1933), 204 Ind. 612, 616, 185 N. E. 453, 455; Barr v. State (1933), 205 Ind. 481, 485, 187 N. E. 259; Midland v. State (1943), 220 Ind. 668, 670, 46 N. E. 2d 200.”

Defendant-appellant further contends that the amended affidavit does not state the previous convictions with certainty and that the affidavit charging prior convictions, sentences and imprisonment which fails to designate place of imprisonment was uncertain.

As authority for this proposition he cites Midland v. State (1943), 220 Ind. 668, 46 N. E. 2d 200; Metzger v. State (1938), 214 Ind. 113, 13 N. E. 2d 519 and Kelley v. State (1933), 204 Ind. 612 at 616, 185 N. E. 453 at 455.

[549]

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Related

White v. State
272 N.E.2d 312 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1971)
Adler v. State
175 N.E.2d 358 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1961)
Shutt v. State
117 N.E.2d 268 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1954)
Wasy v. State
138 N.E.2d 1 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1956)
Rowe v. State
237 N.E.2d 576 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1968)
Goldstine v. State
103 N.E.2d 438 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1952)
Sylvester v. State
187 N.E. 669 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1933)
Metzger v. State
13 N.E.2d 519 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1938)
Kelley v. State
185 N.E. 453 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1933)
Kelley v. State
3 N.E.2d 65 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1936)
Midland v. State
46 N.E.2d 200 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1943)
Barr v. State
187 N.E. 259 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1933)
Adams v. State
99 N.E. 483 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1912)
Welty v. State
100 N.E. 73 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1912)
Martin v. Lilly
121 N.E. 443 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1919)
State ex rel. Williams v. St. Joseph County Circuit Court
139 N.E.2d 438 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1957)

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Bluebook (online)
280 N.E.2d 828, 151 Ind. App. 544, 1972 Ind. App. LEXIS 854, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lewis-v-state-indctapp-1972.