Snodgrass v. State

402 N.E.2d 1235
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Snodgrass v. State. Read the opinion of the Court — 273 Ind. 148
Indiana Supreme Court·Decided June 24, 1980·No. 479S101·Published

Opinions

PIVARNIK, Justice.

Defendant-appellant Paul Royal Snod-grass was charged by information in Wabash Circuit Court with murder during the commission of a felony (Count I), Ind.Code § 35-13-4-1 (Burns 1975), and robbery (Count II), Ind.Code § 35-13-4-6 (Burns 1975). He was tried to a jury and found guilty on both counts. The trial court sentenced appellant to life imprisonment on Count I. On appeal, Snodgrass raises four issues for our determination: (1) whether the trial court erred in denying appellant’s motion for a change of venue; (2) whether the trial court had jurisdiction to try appellant on Count II; (3) whether the trial court erred in admitting State’s Exhibit number two into evidence; and (4) whether the trial court erred in amending appellant’s tendered instruction number one.

The evidence most favorable to the State reveals that appellant Snodgrass and a man named Daniels went to the French and Patton Junkyard in Wabash for the purpose of robbing it. They requested help from Howard French, the owner, in locating a certain automobile part. While French was examining a junk pile, Daniels struck him on the back of the head three times with a heavy metal “T” bar. Daniels and appellant Snodgrass then took French’s wallet and escaped from the junkyard on foot. Daniels testified at trial that he and Snodgrass robbed French pursuant to' a prearranged plan, and that they agreed that Daniels would hit French in order to “get him out of the way.”

I.

The crime in question was committed on March 28, 1977. Appellant Snodgrass was arrested on the felony murder charge on March 3,1978. On April 25,1978, appellant moved for a change of venue. After a hearing on this question, the trial court denied the motion. Appellant now claims this was error. He argues that the statute in question, Ind.Code § 35-13-4-1 (Burns 1975), provided for the imposition of the death penalty upon conviction. Under Ind.R.Crim.P. 12, “a change of venue from the county shall be granted in all cases punishable by death.” Appellant asserts this rule guaranteed him a change of venue in this case. However, before appellant was charged with this crime, we held the death penalty portion of § 35-13-4-1 unconstitutional. French v. State, (1977) 266 Ind. 276, 362 N.E.2d 834. Appellant, then, could not have been subjected to the death penalty for this crime, in spite of the wording of the statute. Therefore, a change of venue was not mandatory under Ind.R. Crim.P. 12, but was subject to the trial court’s discretion. Appellant has failed to allege or prove an abuse of that discretion. This issue is without merit. Grooms v. State, (1978) Ind., 379 N.E.2d 458, 461.

[1237] II.

Appellant next argues the trial court had no jurisdiction to try him on Count II, the robbery charge. When appellant was arrested, the only charge pending against him was felony murder (Count I). After this charge was filed, the prosecutor filed a petition to have appellant waived into adult court. The trial court held a hearing and ordered Snodgrass waived from the juvenile court system. Thereafter, the State filed Count II, the robbery charge. This robbery was the felony underlying the murder charged in Count I. Appellant Snodgrass was arraigned on this charge and entered a plea of not guilty. Appellant now asserts that the trial court’s failure to hold a waiver hearing with respect to this charge deprived the court of jurisdiction to try him for this charge.

Ind.Code § 31-5-7-14 (Burns 1979 Supp.) provides in part:

Jurisdiction — Waiver.-—(a) Whenever a child fourteen [14] years of age or older is charged with committing an act which would amount to a crime if committed by an adult, the court, upon motion by the prosecuting attorney and after full investigation and hearing, may waive jurisdiction and order the child held for trial under the regular procedure of the court which would have jurisdiction of the act if committed by an adult, if the court finds that there is probable cause to believe that the case has specific prosecu-tive merit, that the child is beyond rehabilitation under the regular -statutory juvenile system, that it is in the best interest of public welfare and security he stand trial as an adult, and that the act charged is either:
(1) Heinous or of an aggravated character (greater weight being given to offenses against the person than to offenses against property; or
(2) Part of a repetitive pattern of acts, even though less serious in nature.

Thus, the trial court must hold a hearing prior to waiving the defendant out of the juvenile system. In this case, the court held a hearing with respect to Count I, the felony murder charge, but not with respect to Count II. After the hearing, the court found, inter alia, that the case had prosecu-tive merit and that the act charged was of an aggravated character.

In Blythe v. State, (1978) Ind., 373 N.E.2d 1098, a juvenile was charged by indictment with felony murder. After a hearing pursuant to the statute, the defendant was waived into the circuit court to face this charge. Without the formality of an amended indictment, the defendant entered a plea of guilty to the offense of second degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced on this charge.

On appeal following denial of post-conviction relief, this Court reversed. We held that, while the circuit court had jurisdiction to try the defendant for felony murder, it had no jurisdiction to try — or accept a guilty plea from — the defendant for second degree murder. Our holding was based on the principle that “second degree murder is not an offense necessarily included in a charge of felony murder. Dull v. State, (1962) 242 Ind. 633, 180 N.E.2d 523.” In Blythe v. State, we distinguished the situation with which we are presented here: whether the waiver hearing on one offense obviates the need for a hearing concerning a subsequently charged lesser-included offense. We noted in Blythe that “[i]t is altogether reasonable to conclude that once jurisdiction vests in the Circuit Court or Criminal Court ... by virtue of a waiver issued under Ind.Code § 31-5-7-14 . such jurisdiction would extend to the lesser included offenses and crimes of a lesser degree.” Id. 373 N.E.2d at 1100.

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

Snodgrass v. State, 402 N.E.2d 1235 (Ind. 1980).

402 N.E.2d 1235 (Snodgrass v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Harris v. Oklahoma
433 U.S. 682 (Supreme Court, 1977)
Williams v. State
373 N.E.2d 142 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1978)
Blythe v. State
373 N.E.2d 1098 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1978)
Massey v. State
371 N.E.2d 703 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1978)
Grooms v. State
379 N.E.2d 458 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1978)
Hill v. State
394 N.E.2d 132 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1979)
State Ex Rel. Indiana Youth Center v. Howard Juvenile Court
344 N.E.2d 842 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1976)
French v. State
362 N.E.2d 834 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1977)
Wilson v. State
374 N.E.2d 45 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1978)
Dull v. State
180 N.E.2d 523 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1962)