Strowmatt v. State

686 N.E.2d 154, 1997 Ind. App. LEXIS 1367, 1997 WL 610101
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 29, 1997
Docket71A03-9606-CR-224
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 686 N.E.2d 154 (Strowmatt 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
Strowmatt v. State, 686 N.E.2d 154, 1997 Ind. App. LEXIS 1367, 1997 WL 610101 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION

HOFFMAN, Judge.

Appellant-defendant Timothy Strowmatt appeals from his conviction for child molesting, a Class B felony. The facts most favorable to the judgment are presented below.

On May 20, 1994, Strowmatt parked his small white car in an alley and approached six-year-old M.G. who was playing in her backyard with her brother. Strowmatt asked M.G. if she had seen a black dog and asked her to come with him. M.G. followed Strowmatt behind a privacy fence, where he told M.G. to “turn around and don’t tell.” Strowmatt then inserted his finger into M.G.’s rectum.

Thereafter, M.G. was relating the incident to her friends when the father of one of her friends, Ronald Duckworth, overheard the children talking about a “penis.” When a boy started to explain, M.G. ran back home. Duckworth then went to M.G.’s home where he told M.G.’s mother about the incident. M.G.’s mother questioned M.G. about the incident. She then took M.G. to the hospital.

At the hospital, M.G. gave a description of Strowmatt to Sergeant James B. Campbell of the South Bend Police Department. The sergeant showed M.G. an array of five photographs. M.G. hesitated and showed concern when she viewed a photograph of Strowmatt. On June 1,1994, Sergeant Campbell conducted a lineup in which M.G. identified Strow-matt as the person in the alley who had molested her.

On June 2,1994, the State charged Strow-matt with child molesting. A jury convicted Strowmatt as charged. He now appeals.

Strowmatt raises seven issues for this Court’s review:

(1) whether the trial court properly exercised its discretion in denying Strow-matt’s motions to strike the jury panel and for a mistrial;
(2) whether Strowmatt was deprived of the right to counsel when he was not advised of his right to an attorney pri- or to participating in a lineup;
*157 (3) whether Strowmatt was illegally rearrested after he had bonded out from jail;
(4) whether the trial court properly denied Strowmatt a continuance to prepare for trial;
(5) whether the trial court erred when it flashed a notepad to the prosecutor during defense counsel’s closing argument which indicated how much time she had remaining for rebuttal;
(6) whether the prosecutor improperly commented on Strowmatt’s appearance during closing argument; and
(7) whether the trial court improperly conducted the hearing on the petition to revoke Strowmatt’s probation.

First, Strowmatt argues that the trial court erred in denying his motions to strike the jury panel and for a mistrial based upon the trial judge’s reading of an improper charging information. During voir dire, the judge mistakenly picked up Strowmatt’s probation revocation file and began reading the wrong charge to the potential jury panel. After explaining that the charge was not evidence of anything, the judge read: “On or about the 27th day of January, 1992, in St. Joseph County, State of Indiana, Timothy Strowmatt who was then older than 16 years old did perform deviate sexual conduct on [M.M.], a child who was then — .” The prosecutor then interrupted the judge. The judge immediately apologized for misreading the charge and a sidebar conference was held. Subsequently, the judge read the correct charge and again told the potential jurors that he had previously misread the charge. The judge then asked the potential jurors if his misreading of the charge was a problem. None of the jurors responded. At a second sidebar conference, Strowmatt moved for a mistrial based on the trial judge’s reading of the incorrect charge. The motion was denied.

The following day, after a twelve-member jury was selected, Strowmatt renewed his motion but stated that rather than a motion for mistrial, a motion to strike the jury panel was more appropriate. The trial court denied Strowmatt’s motion; however, the court at Strowmatt’s urgence questioned each of the remaining potential jurors individually.

As Strowmatt notes, the general rule is that a defendant’s prior criminal history is highly prejudicial and should not be admitted into evidence. Ind. Evidence Rule 404(b); James v. State, 613 N.E.2d 15, 22 (Ind.1993). However, a mistrial is an extreme remedy warranted when no other curative measure will rectify the situation and is a matter committed to the sound discretion of the trial court. Id. When determining whether a mistrial is warranted, this Court considers whether the defendant was placed in a position of grave peril to which he should not have been subjected. Id. The gravity of the peril is determined by the probable persuasive effect on the jury’s decision. Id. The trial judge is in the best position to gauge the surrounding circumstances and potential impact on the jury when deciding if a mistrial is appropriate. Id. Additionally, a trial court has broad discretionary power to regulate the form and substance of voir dire. Altmeyer v. State, 519 N.E.2d 138, 142 (Ind. 1988). The purpose of voir dire is to ascertain whether jurors can render a fair and impartial verdict in accordance with the law and the evidence. Id.

Here, the trial judge’s misreading of the charge occurred during voir dire and was not admitted into evidence against Strowmatt. In denying Strowmatt’s motions, the trial judge determined that the potential jurors did not understand the significance of his mistake. The judge further questioned each juror individually to determine any possibility of prejudice and ascertained the willingness of each to base his decision solely upon the evidence presented at trial. Under the circumstances of this case, the corrective action of the trial court eliminated any possible prejudice that may have occurred. See Kindred v. State, 524 N.E.2d 279, 287-288 (Ind. 1988) (court’s questioning of potential jurors about the defendant’s prior criminal record did not constitute reversible error when prospective jurors were individually questioned regarding the possibility of prejudice and admonished to put aside preconceived notions). The trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying Strowmatt’s motions.

*158 Strowmatt also argues that he was deprived of the right to counsel when he was not advised of his right to an attorney before participating in a lineup prior to the filing of the information. The Sixth Amendment right to counsel attaches when the State initiates adversarial proceedings against a person by filing an indictment or information. Bray v. State, 443 N.E.2d 310, 313 (Ind. 1982). Once a charge is filed, a defendant has the right to the presence of counsel at any critical stage of the proceedings. Id.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
686 N.E.2d 154, 1997 Ind. App. LEXIS 1367, 1997 WL 610101, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/strowmatt-v-state-indctapp-1997.