Rhim v. State

337 N.E.2d 560, 167 Ind. App. 47, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1406
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 26, 1975
DocketNo. 2-474A95
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 337 N.E.2d 560 (Rhim 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
Rhim v. State, 337 N.E.2d 560, 167 Ind. App. 47, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1406 (Ind. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinions

Case Summary

Buchanan, J.

— Defendant-Appellant Vivian Rhim (Rhim) belatedly appeals from a trial court judgment convicting her of attempting to procure a miscarriage1 (abortion), claiming the Abortion Statute is unconstitutional, and insufficient evidence to support her conviction.

We affirm.

FACTS

The facts and evidence most favorable to the State and in support of the judgment of conviction are:

On September 80, 1967, Judith Nunn (Nunn), in good health and between two and three months pregnant, went to a room in a Howard Johnson Motel in Indianapolis, Indiana. There Nunn met Rhim and Anna Meadows (Meadows) for the purpose of obtaining an abortion for $200.00. After several minutes of conversation, Nunn laid down on a bed and Meadows “inserted a clamp in my [Nunn’s] body, and scraped out my [Nunn’s] uterus”, so as to “cause the fetus to dislodge”. While the abortion was being performed, Rhim held a light for Meadows.

[49]*49Jacqueline Tomulonis (Tomulonis), who accompanied Nunn, corroborated these facts and further that several weeks prior to September 30, 1967, she had a phone conversation with Rhim indicating that Rhim made all the arrangements for the abortion to be performed on Nunn.

The trial court convicted Rhim of abortion on April 10, 1970. Thereafter Rhim, on September 20, 1973, pursuant to an order by the Indiana Supreme Court, filed a Belated Appeal under Post Conviction Rule 2, § 1 (b).

ISSUES

ISSUE ONE Is IC 1971, 35-1-58-1, Ind. Ann. Stat. § 10-105 (Burns 1956) (the Abortion Statute) unconstitutional?

ISSUE TWO Was Rhim’s conviction of abortion based on sufficient evidence?

As to ISSUE ONE, Rhim contends that Indiana’s Abortion Statute is unconstitutional because the U.S. Supreme Court, in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 93 S.Ct. 705 (1973), held a similar statute unconstitutional.

The State replies that Rhim has no standing to challenge the constitutionality of the Indiana Abortion Statute and moreover, Roe v. Wade, supra, has no retroactive application to Rhim since she was convicted prior to Roe v. Wade.

As to ISSUE TWO, Rhim asserts that there is insufficient evidence to support the trial court’s judgment.

The State is to the contrary.

DECISION

ISSUE ONE

CONCLUSION — It is our opinion that this Court cannot determine the constitutionality of the Abortion Statute because this issue is not properly raised in Rhim’s Motion To Correct Errors.

[50]*50' TR. 59(B) requires a Motion To Correct Errors to .be “specific rather than general, and shall be accompanied by a statement of facts and grounds upon which the errors are based.” Further emphasis to the requirement of specificity as to each error relied upon is provided by TR. 59(G) which states:

“. ,. . such motion shall separately specify as ground's therefor each error relied upon, however, and whenever arising up to the time of filing such motion.” (Emphasis, supplied).

The requirement of specificity of the facts and grounds upon which errors are based has been often stated in recent case law. Errors not specifically stated are waived on appeal.

See, Spivey v. State (1971), 257 Ind. 257, 274 N.E.2d 227; Wynn v. State (1974), 162 Ind. App. 521, 319 N.E.2d 883; Southerland v. Calvert (1974), 162 Ind. App. 606, 320 N.E.2d 803; Saloom v. Holder (1973), 158 Ind. App. 177, 304 N.E.2d 217; Ind. St. Bd. of Tax Com’rs v. Paapas (1973), 158 Ind. App. 327, 302 N.E.2d 858; State v. Hladik (1973), 158 Ind. App. 223, 302 N.E.2d 544; Weingart v. State (1973), 157 Ind. App. 597, 301 N.E.2d 222; Dabin Realty Co. v. Stewart (1972), 155 Ind. App. 39, 290 N.E.2d 809; Matthew v. State (1972), 154 Ind. App. 182, 289 N.E.2d 336; Ostric v. St. Mary’s College (1972), 153 Ind. App. 616, 288 N.E.2d 565.

The requirement of specificity relates not only to the alleged “error" but also to the “grounds” in support of the claimed error. TR. 59(B). Such grounds must be stated in the motion to correct errors with enough particularity that the trial court may be made awa,re of the exact legal issue involved. Bennett v. State (1973), 159 Ind. App. 59, 304 N.E.2d 827.

The need for an explicit statement of both the error itself and the grounds therefore has been particularly emphasized if constitutional issues are involved.-

[51]*51[50]*50• • Indiana courts have consistently held that a- constitutional question is not properly raised on appeal if the trial court [51]*51■ was not' apprised of specific constitutional provisions upon which a party relies in asserting the legislation is unconstitutional.

See, Saloom v. Holder, supra; Pronk v. Indianapolis Redevelopment Commission (1950), 228 Ind. 579, 93 N.E.2d 171; Luttrell v. State (1932), 204 Ind. 116, 183 N.E. 318; Simmons v. Simmons (1917), 186 Ind. 575, 116 N.E. 49; Levy v. State (1903), 161 Ind. 251, 68 N.E. 172.

. The only reference in the Belated Motion to Correct Errors in any manner asserting a constitutional question, is in sub-paragraph 4:

4. That the alleged offense is unconstitutional and repugnant to the rights of citizens imposing state structures in areas of non-government responsibility.

A vague reference to the unconstitutionality of the statute, presumably the.Abortion Statute, is contained in the Memorandum attached to the Belated Motion, which states:

Also, for the sake of saving any related arguments the defendant would state that the right of the government to make and impose criminal sanctions in the entire area of seeking or performing any act to terminate pregnancy is unconstitutional. A proper exercise of the legislature to insure the health, safety, and welfare of citizens might well be to regulate this medical procedure (which existing laws cover) or to place certain prerequisites on both the person seeking and the person performing the act.

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Related

MacKen v. City of Evansville
362 N.E.2d 202 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1977)
Rhim v. State
348 N.E.2d 620 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1976)
Rhim v. State
337 N.E.2d 560 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1975)

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Bluebook (online)
337 N.E.2d 560, 167 Ind. App. 47, 1975 Ind. App. LEXIS 1406, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rhim-v-state-indctapp-1975.