Warfield v. State

417 N.E.2d 304, 275 Ind. 396, 1981 Ind. LEXIS 699
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 9, 1981
Docket580S157
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 417 N.E.2d 304 (Warfield 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
Warfield v. State, 417 N.E.2d 304, 275 Ind. 396, 1981 Ind. LEXIS 699 (Ind. 1981).

Opinion

PIVARNIK, Justice.

Appellant Gerald Warfield was tried by jury in Clark Circuit Court and found guilty of three counts of Robbery and four counts of Criminal Confinement. He was sentenced to a determinate period of ten (10) years on each count of Robbery with ten years added to each for aggravating circumstances. These sentences for Robbery are to be served concurrently. He was sentenced to a determinate sentence of ten (10) years on each of the counts of Criminal Confinement with ten (10) years added to each for aggravating circumstances. Each of the sentences for criminal confinement is to be served concurrently; however, the sentences for criminal confinement are to be served consecutively to the sentences for robbery. Warfield appeals.

The evidence reveals that Donna Mitchell, her husband and five-year-old daughter were at their home at 2413 Bishop Road in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on May 26, 1979. Donna Mitchell’s mother, Mrs. Pruitt, was also at the residence. The Mitchells were leaving on vacation, and Mr. Mitchell had started to pack the car around 4:30 a. m. The garage was open, the car trunk was open and the car engine was running. A man standing in the hallway with a gun ordered Mitchell to raise his hands. Mrs. Mitchell was getting ready to leave when *306 she saw the man with the gun in the middle of the hallway. He told her to “hold it” and not to move. This man directed the Mitchells to go into the living room. Mr. Mitchell was told to lie down on the floor. Mrs. Mitchell was ordered to remove his wallet and watch and to tie his hands behind his back with a rope the man gave her. She was then ordered to tie his feet. The gunman checked the bindings and ordered her to come through the house and asked if she had any jewelry. He opened her makeup case, found and took approximately four hundred dollars ($400). He took the rings from her fingers and her earrings. During this entire time he held a gun on her.

In the meantime, Mrs. Pruitt, who had been sleeping in the guest room, heard a man say “hold it”. The bedroom door was slightly ajar. She looked out and saw a big man wearing a stocking mask and holding a gun. She crawled into the master bedroom where there was a telephone and made a call. She reached the Clarksville Police who said they would relay her call to the Clark County Police.

Mrs. Mitchell heard the sound of the phone being replaced on a receiver. The robber heard the noise also and asked where it was coming from. She said her mother was in the bedroom. He entered the bedroom and told Mrs. Mitchell to tie her mother to the bedpost. Mrs. Mitchell was then ordered to remove Mrs. Pruitt’s wallet from her purse and to give him the money. She was next ordered to go into her daughter’s room. The robber removed his gloves, laid down the gun and tied Mrs. Mitchell to the bedpost of the daughter’s bed. He asked for a telephone number of someone who could come and untie them. Mrs. Mitchell gave him her father’s telephone number. The robber took some keys and then returned to the room to say goodbye. She heard him remove telephones from the wall jacks. The telephones were found later at the garage door. Mr. Mitchell crawled to the daughter’s room and Mrs. Pruitt walked into the bedroom after having untied herself.

Sergeant Ronald Ross of the Clark County Police Department responded to a dispatch of an armed robbery at approximately 5:04 a. m. He arrived at 2413 Bishop Lane at 5:13 a. m. He parked his car in front of the house. Officer Haas also responded to this dispatch. Both officers approached the house. Officer Ross went through the garage door to the rear door. As he approached the rear door, the appellant, Warfield, was backing out of the kitchen and backed directly into Officer Ross. They struggled and Ross was disarmed and pushed against the wall. War-field pointed his gun at Ross’ head and said he was going to shoot him. Officer Haas yelled at Warfield to drop his gun and distracted him. The appellant was then disarmed and handcuffed. A vehicle parked approximately 25 feet from the intersection of Scott Road and Bishop Road was found. A license check identified it as being registered to Mr. Warfield. This car was impounded and an inventory search was conducted some time later.

Appellant claims that the jury’s verdict in this cause was not supported by sufficient evidence and was contrary to law; that the court committed error in allowing certain items into evidence, and that the trial court erred in sentencing.

I.

Appellant claims that the jury’s verdict was contrary to law in that it was not supported by sufficient evidence that he knowingly and intentionally committed robbery or confinement.

Robbery is defined by Ind.Code § 35-42-5-1 (Burns 1979 Repl.) as follows:

“A person who knowingly or intentionally takes property from another person or from the presence of another person:
(1) By using or threatening the use of force on any person; or
(2) By putting any person in fear; commits robbery, a class C felony. However, the offense is a class B felony if it is committed while armed with a deadly weapon, and a class A felony if it results in either bodily injury or serious bodily injury to any other person.”

*307 The record is replete with evidence that the appellant intentionally took items and cash from Donna Mitchell, Charles Mitchell and Dorothy Pruitt. All of these witnesses testified that they were in fear and that the appellant was armed with a deadly weapon.

Criminal Confinement is defined by Ind. Code § 35-42-3-3 (Burns 1979 Repl.) as follows:

“A person who knowingly or intentionally:
(1) Confines another person without his consent;
commits criminal confinement. ...”

Confine is defined by Ind.Code, § 35-42-3-1 (Burns 1979 Repl.) as follows:

“As used in this chapter, ‘confine’ means to substantially interfere with the liberty of a person.”

The evidence revealed that Charles Mitchell’s hands and feet were bound on War-field’s orders, Dorothy Pruitt was tied to a bedpost and Warfield tied Donna Mitchell to a bedpost. Tammy Mitchell, age five, was confined by Warfield’s actions in tying and holding her family in confinement at gunpoint. It is obvious that the liberty of these four persons was substantially interfered with, without their consent.

Appellant argues that there was no evidence presented to the jury concerning his ability to form the intent to commit robbery or confinement. He bases his claim on the fact that he presented an insanity defense. Appellant is basically arguing that his defense should have been believed.

Lay witnesses testified as to their observations concerning the appellant’s condition. It was observed by Officer Ross that the appellant went into a “coma” at the jail and received three or four kinds of medication. Appellant testified that he had severe headaches, comatose states, loss of memory and narcolepsy.

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

Related

Creek v. State
588 N.E.2d 1319 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1992)
Hunter v. State
578 N.E.2d 353 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1991)
Moore v. State
551 N.E.2d 459 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1990)
Bartruff v. State
528 N.E.2d 110 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1988)
Pearson v. State
523 N.E.2d 747 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1988)
Whitehead v. State
500 N.E.2d 149 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1986)
White v. State
495 N.E.2d 725 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1986)
Rust v. State
477 N.E.2d 262 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1985)
Grimes v. State
450 N.E.2d 512 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1983)
Chamness v. State
447 N.E.2d 1086 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1983)
Crenshaw v. State
439 N.E.2d 620 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1982)
Hedrick v. State
430 N.E.2d 1150 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1982)
Armstrong v. State
429 N.E.2d 647 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1982)
Owens v. State
427 N.E.2d 880 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1981)
Bish v. State
421 N.E.2d 608 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
417 N.E.2d 304, 275 Ind. 396, 1981 Ind. LEXIS 699, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/warfield-v-state-ind-1981.