Case Title: Gibson v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: 39S05-1509-CR-517

State: indiana

Court: Indiana Supreme Court

Date: 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE 
Jennifer A. Joas  
 
 
 
 
 
Gregory F. Zoeller  
Madison, Indiana  
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney General of Indiana 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Richard C. Webster 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deputy Attorney General 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indianapolis, Indiana 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
In the 
Indiana Supreme Court  
_________________________________ 
 
No. 39S05-1509-CR-517 
 
GARY ALLEN GIBSON,  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appellant (Defendant below), 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    v. 
 
STATE OF INDIANA,    
 
 
 
 
 
Appellee (Plaintiff below).  
 
 
_________________________________ 
 
Appeal from the Jefferson Circuit Court, No. 39C01-1308-FB-845  
The Honorable Darrell M. Auxier, Judge  
_________________________________ 
 
On Petition to Transfer from the Indiana Court of Appeals, No. 39A05-1404-CR-156 
_________________________________ 
 
September 1, 2015 
 
Per Curiam. 
Following a physical altercation with another man, Gary Allen Gibson was charged with 
one count of aggravated battery, two counts of criminal confinement by removal, and one count 
of battery resulting in serious bodily injury.  A jury acquitted Gibson on one of the confinement 
counts, but convicted him on the other three counts.  Due to double jeopardy concerns, the trial 
Sep 01 2015, 3:31 pm
 
 
court entered judgment for only two counts, class B felony aggravated battery and class D felony 
criminal confinement.  The trial court sentenced Gibson to sixteen years’ incarceration on the 
battery conviction and two and one-half years on the confinement conviction, with the sentences 
to be served concurrently.    
 
Gibson appealed on numerous grounds, and the Court of Appeals affirmed Gibson’s 
convictions and sentence in full.  Gibson v. State, No. 39A05-1404-CR-156 (Ind. Ct. App. Jan. 
30, 2015).  Gibson seeks transfer, contending, among other things, that there is insufficient 
evidence to support his confinement conviction.   
 
Gibson was charged with and convicted of confinement by removal under Indiana Code 
section 35-42-3-3(a)(2).1  Gibson’s charging information provided that he “did knowingly 
remove [the victim] by force or threat of force by pulling [the victim] to the ground and battering 
him.”  (Appellant’s App. at 83.)  The jury instruction for this count mirrored the language of 
section 3(a)(2) of the statute.  (Appellant’s App. at 173.) 
   
We agree with Gibson that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction for 
criminal confinement under section 3(a)(2).  Accordingly, we grant transfer and reverse Gibson’s 
criminal confinement conviction and concurrent two and one-half year sentence.  In all other 
respects we summarily affirm the Court of Appeals’ decision.  See Ind. Appellate Rule 58(A)(2).  
 
  
         
All Justices concur.  
                                                 
1 At the time of Gibson’s offense, the criminal confinement statute provided in pertinent part:  
A person who knowingly or intentionally:  
(1) confines another person without the other person’s consent; or  
(2) removes another person, by fraud, enticement, force, or threat of force, from one (1) 
place to another; 
commits criminal confinement.   
Ind. Code § 35-42-3-3(a) (2011).