Partlow v. State

453 N.E.2d 259, 1983 Ind. LEXIS 956
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 22, 1983
Docket182S28
StatusPublished
Cited by56 cases

This text of 453 N.E.2d 259 (Partlow 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
Partlow v. State, 453 N.E.2d 259, 1983 Ind. LEXIS 956 (Ind. 1983).

Opinions

PIVARNIK, Justice.

Defendant-appellant Darrin W. Partlow was convicted of Murder, Ind.Code § 85-42-1-1 (Burns Repl.1979), and Robbery, Ind.Code § 85-42-5-1 (Burns Repl.1979), at the conclusion of a jury trial in Montgomery Circuit Court on July 8, 1981. Partlow was given forty (40) years imprisonment for the murder and thirty (80) years imprisonment for the robbery; both sentences were ordered to be served consecutively. Part-low now appeals.

Defendant Partlow raises eleven issues on appeal, concerning:

1) whether the juvenile court properly acquired jurisdiction and properly waived the defendant to criminal court;

2) whether the trial court erred in its discovery orders;

8) whether the trial court erred in denying the defendant's motion to suppress certain evidence;

4) whether the trial court erred in denying the motion for sequestration of the jury and individual examination of the jurors during the voir dire;

[264]*2645) whether the trial court erred in denying the motion to dismiss the death penalty count;

6) whether the trial court erred in ruling on the admission of certain evidence;

7) whether the trial court erred in denying the motion for mistrial;

8) whether the trial court erred in denying the motion for judgment on the evidence and whether there was sufficient evidence for the convictions;

9) whether the trial court erred by giving the State's tendered instructions 1 and 2;

10) whether the trial court erred by refusing the defendant's tendered instruction 1, and in modifying the defendant's tendered instruction 3; and,

11) whether the trial court erred in denying the defendant's petition to be let to bail.

Elizabeth Moore was found dead in her home in Sheridan, Indiana, on November 21, 1980. Her throat had been cut by a sharp weapon and a pencil had been jabbed in her throat. A police investigation ensued and local civic groups also assisted in searching for evidence. Two of the defendant's brothers found the victim's purse wrapped up in a sweater jacket. The brothers informed the police that the sweater jacket was similar to the one their brother, Darrin Partlow, had been wearing on the night of the murder. The brothers also related some other information that clearly made the defendant a suspect in the case. Armed with this information, the police went to the defendant's home in order to ask some additional questions. After the defendant made a taped statement, the police placed him under arrest.

I

The defendant claims that the juvenile court did not gain jurisdiction of him because an initial hearing, pursuant to Ind. Code § 31-6-4-18(b) (Burns Repl.1980), was not held. The record shows that this is true. However, at the detention hearing held on November 26, 1980, the juvenile court advised the defendant of his right to remain silent and to not testify, of his right to an attorney and, in fact, appointed an attorney at public expense to represent him. The defendant was also told that probable cause had been found to permit the filing of charges of murder and robbery. The juvenile court also found that it was in the defendant's best interest to keep him in juvenile detention. The State contends that an initial hearing was not required under the facts of this case since it was proper to hold a waiver hearing before an initial hearing became necessary. We agree with the State on this issue.

Ind.Code § 81-6-4-18 sets out the procedures to be followed onee a petition alleging delinquency has been filed. Section (b) provides that an initial hearing shall be held on each petition. Section (c) provides for a determination by the juvenile court of whether or not counsel has been obtained by the juvenile and also provides for the appointment of counsel, which was done here. Section (d) provides that the court shall determine whether the prosecutor seeks to obtain a waiver of jurisdiction under Ind.Code § 81-6-2-4. Section (d) further provides that if waiver is sought, the juvenile court may not accept an admission or denial of the allegations from the juvenile under subsection (i) and shall schedule a waiver hearing and advise the juvenile according to section (e) Succeeding see-tions set out the procedures to be followed if the juvenile is to remain in the juvenile court and generally provide for all procedures to be taken by the juvenile court other than the handling of a waiver petition. A logical interpretation of the statute and all other statutes in the juvenile code would indicate that where a waiver of jurisdiction is sought, all other proceedings directed toward a determination of delinquency would cease until that issue has been resolved. That was the procedure the juvenile court followed here. It would logically follow that if the juvenile court decides not to waive the juvenile to criminal court, then the sections providing for the procedures to be followed in the juvenile court would come into play and at that time an initial hearing could be held and all [265]*265other procedures set out in 31-6-4-18 would be followed.

Ind.Code § 81-6-2-4 is concerned with the waiver of jurisdiction by the juvenile court,. Section (c) reads as follows:

Upon motion of the prosecutor and after full investigation and hearing, the juvenile court shall waive jurisdiction if it finds that:
(1) The child is charged with an act that would be murder if committed by an adult;
(2) There is probable cause to believe that the child has committed the act; and
(8) The child was ten [10] years of age or older when the act charged was allegedly committed; .
unless it would be in the best interests of the child and of the safety and welfare of the community for him to remain within the juvenile justice system.

Ind.Code §§ 81-6-7-6(a), (b) and (c) also set specific time limitations in which the juvenile court must take certain actions. Included among these actions is the waiver hearing but the initial hearing is not involved in these provisions. These time limitations will be considered later in this issue. When the juvenile court set the waiver hearing here, it informed the parties that it appeared there was probable cause that the defendant had committed the crime of murder and that therefore it would probably have no alternative except to waive jurisdiction. That matter was accordingly pursued. It appears that the initial hearing is to take the place of what is commonly called an arraignment in eriminal court.

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

Related

Dustin B. Crabtree v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2020
Bruce Ryan v. State of Indiana
42 N.E.3d 1019 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2015)
Loren Hamilton Fry v. State of Indiana
990 N.E.2d 429 (Indiana Supreme Court, 2013)
Ernest P. Glass v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013
Damon Gee v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2012
A.S. v. State
929 N.E.2d 881 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2010)
Gault v. State
861 N.E.2d 728 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2007)
Glenn v. State
796 N.E.2d 322 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2003)
People v. Purcell
778 N.E.2d 695 (Illinois Supreme Court, 2002)
People v. Purcell
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2001
Partlow v. Superintendent, Miami Correctional Facility
756 N.E.2d 978 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2001)
Donnelley & Sons Co. v. North Texas Steel Co., Inc.
752 N.E.2d 112 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2001)
Washington v. State
685 N.E.2d 724 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1997)
Bivins v. State
642 N.E.2d 928 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1995)
Thomas v. State
580 N.E.2d 224 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1991)
Valentin v. State
567 N.E.2d 792 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1991)
Sipress v. State
562 N.E.2d 758 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Smedley v. State
561 N.E.2d 776 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1990)
Hendricks v. State
554 N.E.2d 1140 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
453 N.E.2d 259, 1983 Ind. LEXIS 956, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/partlow-v-state-ind-1983.