Von Almen v. State

496 N.E.2d 55, 1986 Ind. LEXIS 1228
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 7, 1986
Docket1084S403
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 496 N.E.2d 55 (Von Almen 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
Von Almen v. State, 496 N.E.2d 55, 1986 Ind. LEXIS 1228 (Ind. 1986).

Opinion

SHEPARD, Justice.

Appellant Frederick Von Almen was accused of fatally shooting a Valparaiso woman after breaking into her home on September 4, 1988. Von Almen raised the defense of insanity at his subsequent jury trial. He was convicted of murder, Ind. Code 85-42-1-1 (Burns 1985 Repl.), and sentenced to a term of sixty years imprisonment.

In this direct appeal, Von Almen raises four issues:

1) Whether the trial court abused its discretion and violated Von Almen's constitutional right to a fair trial by failing to question the jury about prejudicial publicity;
2) Whether the trial court erred by refusing to allow Von Almen to make a record of all objections;
8) Whether Von Almen's Sixth Amendment right to cross examination was violated when the trial judge asked defense counsel to focus on the content of a psychiatric report and not on the manner in which it was obtained; and
4) Whether the trial court allowed the prosecuting attorney to make inaceu-rate and prejudicial statements during voir dire.

I. Publicity During Trial

On the evening of the third day of the trial, ABC's "Nightline" news program featured a murderer who was being released from prison in California. The inmate said he could not promise that he would not kill again. The late-night broadcast dealt with the drawbacks to determinate sentencing but also included a discussion of the psychiatrist's role in the courtroom.

*57 On each of the five days of the trial, the jurors were admonished to refrain from reading newspaper accounts of the case. However, the judge did not mention radio or television reports until after the "Night line" broadcast. The jurors also received no preliminary or final instructions to disregard any evidence gained outside the courtroom.

Before the afternoon session on the fourth day of trial, counsel and the trial judge met in chambers. The court reporter was not present. Defense counsel told the court that during lunch he had learned from several jurors that they had viewed the "Nightline" program. Furthermore, he said two local newspapers had published stories concerning the Von Almen trial and that the headlines were visible at a newsstand in the courtroom lobby. Defense counsel requested that the jury be questioned concerning prejudicial news coverage, pursuant to Lindsey v. State (1978) 260 Ind. 351, 295 N.E.2d 819. The trial judge declined to conduct the voir dire but made no ruling on the record.

"Upon a suggestion of improper and prejudicial publicity, the trial court should make a determination as to the likelihood of resulting prejudice, both upon the basis of the content of the publication and the likelihood of its having come to the attention of any juror. If the risk of prejudice appears substantial, as opposed to imaginary or remote only, the court should interrogate the jury collectively...." Lindsey v. State, 260 Ind. at 359, 295 N.E.2d at 824. The trial court's ruling on a request to poll the jury will be affirmed unless it appears to have been an abuse of discretion. Id.

In this case, the newspaper headlines merely summarized the events at trial and were harmless. The "Nightline" broadcast concentrated on a prisoner in a distant state who had not raised the defense of insanity. The program did not refer to Von Almen nor to Indiana law. The "Nightline" program was not so similar to the case at trial as to raise a substantial risk of prejudice. Therefore, we conclude that the judge's failure to poll the jury was not an abuse of discretion.

II. Opportunity To Make A Record

Von Almen claims the trial court erred at three different times by refusing to allow him to make a record, thereby prejudicing the presentation of his defense and limiting the areas of his appeal. The importance of establishing a record as a prerequisite to appellate review cannot be understated. An appellant has the obligation to make the proper specific objection and to preserve the record for appeal. Underwood v. State (1981), Ind., 414 N.E.2d 588, A question cannot be raised on appeal unless a proper and timely objection is made in the trial court. Sams v. State (1969), 251 Ind. 571, 243 N.E.2d 879. Grounds for objection not raised in the trial court are not available on appeal. Strickland v. State (1977), 265 Ind. 664, 359 N.E.2d 244.

Review of the record reveals that Von Almen was able to make a record on each allegation of error. Von Almen's efforts may have been limited, but the trial court has broad discretion in the control of proceedings. Drake v. State (1984), Ind., 467 N.E.2d 686.

In the first instance of alleged error, defense counsel objected to the prosecutor's use of the term "murder" to describe the victim's death. The trial court overruled the objection. Later, at an in camera discussion of a different matter, defense counsel asked to state further grounds for that objection. The judge refused, noting that the objection and ruling were on the record. Defense counsel was not precluded from making a record; he simply was barred from citing new grounds for an objection long after it was overruled.

In the second episode, defense counsel claimed the victim's family made prejudicial comments while defense witnesses were testifying. At one point, after Von Almen's father testified and was returning to his seat, the victim's father called him a liar. Defense counsel requested that the court order the victim's family to refrain *58 from making further comments and to sit away from the jury. He further requested that the jury be admonished to disregard any comments made by the victim's father to Von Almen's father.

After allowing both the defense and prosecution to state their positions, the trial judge ruled that the exchange between the two parents did not seem unusual. The judge agreed to give a final instruction on the matter, although Von Almen never tendered one. Defense counsel disagreed with the court's characterization of the utterances as whispering: "That wasn't whispering. We can bring in witnesses who heard it." The judge responded, "I'm not asking for further comments," and proceeded to go off the record temporarily. When the record recommenced, defense counsel requested that the jury immediately be admonished to disregard the parental confrontation. The judge refused. Again, it does not appear that defense counsel was denied the opportunity to make a record. He stated his objection and his proposed cure. He outlined the testimony of the two witnesses whose testimony, he believed, would support his position. Once again, inasmuch as Von Almen was able to make an adequate record, his claim that he was "seriously hampered" by the trial court is unpersuasive.

In the final instance of alleged error, defense counsel objected to the introduction of evidence which he alleged was illegally obtained.

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Bluebook (online)
496 N.E.2d 55, 1986 Ind. LEXIS 1228, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/von-almen-v-state-ind-1986.