Yeagley v. State

467 N.E.2d 730, 1984 Ind. LEXIS 963
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 6, 1984
Docket683S196
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 467 N.E.2d 730 (Yeagley 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
Yeagley v. State, 467 N.E.2d 730, 1984 Ind. LEXIS 963 (Ind. 1984).

Opinion

HUNTER, Justice.

Defendant, James A. Yeagley, was con-viected by a jury of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter, a Class B felony, Ind.Code § 85-41-5-1 (Burns 1979 Repl.); Ind.Code § 85-42-1-3 (Burns 1979 Repl.) and of one count of burglary, Ind.Code § 35-48-2-1 (Burns 1984 Supp.). Defendant was also found to be a habitual offender, Ind.Code § 85-50-2-8 (Burns 1984 Supp.), and he received a total sentence of eighty years. Defendant raises the following ten issues in this direct appeal:

1. Whether the trial court erred in denying defendant's motion for a change of venue;

2. Whether the trial court erred in denying defendant's motion for a continuance;

3. Whether the trial court erred in admitting various diagrams and photographs into evidence;

*733 4. Whether the trial court erred in admitting a cardboard shooting test background into evidence;

5. Whether the trial court erred in giving a state's instruction dealing with burglary;

6. Whether the trial court erred by giving instructions that included the class of felony involved;

7. Whether the trial court erred in refusing defendant's tendered instruction on attempted reckless homicide;

8. Whether there was sufficient evidence to support the burglary conviction;

9. Whether the trial court erred in not merging the sentences for attempted voluntary manslaughter and burglary; and

10. Whether the trial court erred in refusing two of defendant's tendered instructions on the habitual offender charge.

A review of the facts most favorable to the state shows that on June 26, 1982, Charles May visited the home of his fiance, Becky Yeagley, in Ladoga. Becky Yeagley was defendant's ex-wife. Charles May was standing on the front porch when he noticed defendant approaching the house with a shotgun. May ran into the house to warn Becky. Defendant then fired the shotgun through the front door, striking Becky in the shoulder. Becky ran from the house. Defendant entered the house and fired again, this time wounding May in the hip. Defendant fled but surrendered to the police the next day.

L.

Defendant first argues that the trial court erred when it denied defendant's motion for a change of venue. Defendant asserts that this case generated a great deal of attention in Montgomery County and that he did not receive a fair trial because of community prejudice.

A decision on a motion for change of venue is a matter within the trial court's discretion. Ind.R.Crim.P. 12. The burden rests with the moving party to establish adverse publicity and that the jurors were unable to set aside their preconceived notions of guilt and render a verdict based upon evidence introduced at trial. McReynolds v. State, (1984) Ind., 460 N.E.2d 960; Sage v. State, (1981) Ind., 419 N.E.2d 1286.

Defendant here has not shown that the trial judge exceeded his discretion. A review of the newspaper articles on this case shows little more than a reporting of the facts of the incident. The voir dire transcript shows that the jurors indicated they could put aside what they already knew about the case and render a decision based on the facts introduced at trial. We also note that defendant failed to exhaust his peremptory challenges in an attempt to secure juror impartiality. Pine v. State, (1980) Ind., 408 N.E.2d 1271; Grooms v. State, (1978) 269 Ind. 212, 379 N.E.2d 458. The trial court did not err in denying defendant's motion for a change of venue.

II.

Defendant's second argument is that the trial court erred in denying defendant's motions for a continuance. Defendant twice requested a continuance on the grounds that records he needed from the Army had not been produced, that there had been inadequate time to test for glandular problems, and that he needed to develop ballistics evidence to rebut the testimony of a state's witness. Defendant also orally requested a continuance during trial.

A motion for a continuance based on non-statutory grounds is addressed to the discretion of the trial court. To demonstrate an abuse of discretion, the record must reveal that defendant was prejudiced by the failure to grant the continuance. Fielden v. State, (1982) Ind., 437 N.E.2d 986; Caccavallo v. State, (1982) Ind., 436 N.E.2d 775. There has been no showing of abuse of discretion here. Neither in his brief nor at trial has defendant shown how the Army records or the glandular tests would have benefited his case; defendant simply stated that they were "central to the presentation of an insanity defense." The denial of a motion based upon sheer *734 speculation that some benefit might flow from it cannot be considered arbitrary or abusive. Brewer v. State, (1983) Ind., 449 N.E.2d 1091. The trial judge was also not required to continue the case in order to allow defendant to develop evidence to rebut some facet of the state's case. The continuances here were not requested until less than a week before trial. Defendant had ample time and opportunity to prepare prior to this time. There was no error in denying the requests for continuances.

TII.

Defendant next contends that the trial court erred in admitting certain diagrams and photographs. The first of these, state's exhibits 2, 3, and 4, were diagrams of the house where the shooting occurred. Defendant objected to their admission on the ground that they were not drawn to scale and were therefore confusing to the jury.

Diagrams are admissible to represent objects and places that cannot otherwise be clearly shown or described. When offered in connection with the testimony of a witness, such documents are admissible as legitimate aids to the court or jury. Brown v. State, (1981) Ind., 417 N.E.2d 333; Sexton v. State, (1974) 262 Ind. 554, 319 N.E.2d 829. The diagrams that comprised state's exhibits 2, 3, and 4 showed the interior layout of the victim's house. Since the house itself obviously could not be brought before the jury, these diagrams were a legitimate aid for the jury. The diagrams were introduced during the testimony of Deputy Larry Lough, who investigated the incident. Lough testified that the diagrams were not drawn to seale but that they accurately depicted the layout of the house and the position of the furniture at the time of the investigation. We see no error in the introduction of these exhibits.

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Bluebook (online)
467 N.E.2d 730, 1984 Ind. LEXIS 963, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yeagley-v-state-ind-1984.