Lopez v. State

527 N.E.2d 1119, 1988 Ind. LEXIS 248, 1988 WL 92675
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 6, 1988
Docket64S00-8705-CR-483
StatusPublished
Cited by145 cases

This text of 527 N.E.2d 1119 (Lopez 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
Lopez v. State, 527 N.E.2d 1119, 1988 Ind. LEXIS 248, 1988 WL 92675 (Ind. 1988).

Opinion

PIVARNIK, Justice.

On March 27, 1986, following a jury trial, Jesse Lopez was found guilty of Aiding in the Delivery of Cocaine, a class A felony, and of Dealing in a Sawed-Off Shotgun, a class D felony. On the charge of Aiding in the Delivery of Cocaine, Lopez was sentenced to the thirty (80) years determinate sentence to which the court added ten (10) years for aggravating circumstances. Lopez was further sentenced to a four (4) year term for the charge of possession of a sawed-off shotgun, the sentences to run concurrently. Lopez directly appeals raising several issues for our review, which we restate and renumber as follows:

1. whether the trial court erred by excluding the prior inconsistent statement of Pedro Rodriguez;

2. whether testimony about recorded telephone conversations violated the best evidence rule;

3. whether statements made by the deputy prosecutor constituted prosecutorial misconduct;

4. whether the State's failure to disclose an alleged agreement to reduce Rodriguez's sentence if he testified against Lopez constituted prosecutorial misconduct;

5. whether Lopez was denied effective assistance of trial counsel;

6. whether the trial court abused its discretion by failing to question a juror who had been accused of misconduct;

7. whether the trial court erred by modifying Lopez's tendered final instruction No. 1;

8. whether the trial court erred by giving the State's tendered final instruction No. 8;

9. whether the trial court erred in permitting opinion testimony from a D.E.A. Special Agent;

10. whether the trial court erroneously allowed Pedro Rodriguez to testify about statements made by Manuel Mendez, who did not appear at trial;

11. whether Lopez was denied due process of law by the court's consideration of material contained in the presentence report;

12. whether the trial court abused its discretion in sentencing; and

13. whether the trial court erred when it denied Lopez's motion to declare LC. 35-48-4-1 and 1.C. unconstitu tional.

The facts supporting the verdict below show that in early 1985, Michael Krawezyk, an undercover officer with the Porter County Narcotics Unit, was negotiating with Kathy Tuft to purchase two kilograms of cocaine. Tuft's friend, Pedro Rodriguez, called Krawczyk on March 5, 1985, and offered to help out with the drug purchase. Over the next week, Rodriguez and Krawezyk had several telephone conversations regarding the drug deal, all of which were tape-recorded. An agreement was reached wherein Rodriguez would sell Krawczyk a small sample of cocaine. That sale was concluded on March 6, 1985. The parties further agreed to transact the two-kilo drug deal on March 11th at 9:00 a.m. at the Indiana Toll Road Plaza.

On the morning of March 11th Rodriguez and Mendez had several discussions with Krawezyk, amended the quantity and price which had been agreed upon, and verified that Krawczyk had the money. At this same time, Defendant Lopez contends he was travelling from Knox to Gary with his family, in anticipation of leaving on vacation. Lopez claims they arrived at the home of Lopez's sister-in-law at approximately 11:00 a.m. Lopez intended to have his wife's car inspected prior to leaving on vacation and asked his sister-in-law if he could have that done at her house. Lopez planned to have Mendez look at the car since Mendez had worked on Lopez's cars in the past. This evidence conflicts with the testimony of Rodriguez, who claimed he and Mendez saw Lopez that morning prior to the drug deal in Lake Station at *1124 the home of a woman named Debbie. Rodriguez, however, also gave a taped statement to police exonerating Lopez which was not allowed into evidence at trial.

Around noon on March 11th, Krawezyk and Rodriguez were waiting in Krawezyk's car at the plaza. Mendez and Lopez drove up behind them with Lopez driving. Rodri-gues told Krawezyk, "Micky (Mendez) brought the main man with him," referring to Lopez. Mendez got out of his car and delivered one kilo of cocaine to Rodriguez and Krawezyk. Lopez never left the car. Krawczyk tested the drugs and signaled his fellow officers to effect the drug bust. Rodriguez surrendered, Mendez fled and Lopez was dragged from the car, forced to the ground and arrested. Lopez's handgun, a semi-automatic pistol, was found on the car seat under Lopez's leg, and a sawed-off shotgun was found under Lopez's seat. Two shotgun shells which fit the shotgun were found. The cocaine was analyzed and found to be 840.18 g. of 70% pure cocaine. At trial, Rodriguez named Lopez as the "main man", the source of the cocaine.

I

Pedro Rodriguez pled guilty to the charges against him and testified for the State against Lopez. On direct examination Rodriguez testified that Lopez threatened him in jail if he would not inform Lopez's attorney that Lopez was innocent. Rodriguez admitted making the statement, but repudiated the contents of the statement, claiming he was coerced by Lopez's threats. During cross-examination, Lopez offered the tape into evidence to impeach Rodriguez's assertion he was in fear when he talked to defense counsel. The State opposed admission on the ground that extrinsic proof,was improper since Rodriguez admitted making the inconsistent statement. The tape was not admitted. During crossg-examination, Rodriguez was confront ed with his prior statement and repeated his repudiation. After the State rested and before the defense began its case-in-chief, Lopez again moved for admission of the tape as impeachment evidence, but also as substantive evidence under Patterson v. State (1975), 263 Ind. 55, 324 N.E.2d 482. Admission was denied again.

Lopez argues the trial court erred by excluding Rodriguez's prior inconsistent statement which was offered to impeach Rodriguez and as substantive evidence. However, to properly preserve an exclusion issue, the refused evidence must be placed in the record as an excluded exhibit. Doerner v. State (1986), Ind., 500 N.E.2d 1178, 1182; Reames v. State (1986), Ind., 497 N.E.2d 559, 563. Lopez has failed to include the tape in the record.

Lopez asserts the statements should have been admitted so the jury could determine whether Rodriguez's explanation of coercion was valid. He further claims that pursuant to Patterson, this court would permit the use of the statements for impeachment purposes and as substantive evidence. The State concedes the statement may have been admissible. See Music v. State (1983), Ind., 448 N.E.2d 1082, 1085-86; Fletcher v. State (1982), Ind., 442 N.E.2d 990, 992-93; Cook v. State (1978), 269 Ind. 227, 379 N.E.2d 965, 966. However, a new trial will be ordered only on a demonstration that the error resulted in such prejudice that the appellant was denied a fair trial. See Henderson v. State (1983), Ind., 455 N.E.2d 1117, 1119; Martin v. State (1983), Ind., 453 N.E.2d 1001, 1006. The erroneous exclusion of evidence will be deemed harmless if the same facts are admitted through other means because the excluded evidence would then be only cumulative with the admitted evidence. Reames, 497 N.E.2d at 564; Smith v. State (1968), 250 Ind.

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Bluebook (online)
527 N.E.2d 1119, 1988 Ind. LEXIS 248, 1988 WL 92675, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lopez-v-state-ind-1988.