Case Title: Weaver v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: 32S04-1608-CR-415

State: indiana

Court: Indiana Supreme Court

Date: 2016-08-04T00:00:00Z

Document:
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE 
Lisa Diane Manning 
 
 
 
 
 
Gregory F. Zoeller 
Manning Law Office 
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney General of Indiana 
Danville, Indiana  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Paula J. Beller  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stephen R. Creason 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deputy Attorneys General 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indianapolis, Indiana 
 
 
 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
 
In the 
Indiana Supreme Court  
_________________________________ 
 
No. 32S04-1608-CR-415 
 
COREY T. WEAVER,   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appellant (Defendant below), 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    v. 
 
STATE OF INDIANA,    
 
 
 
 
 
Appellee (Plaintiff below).  
_________________________________ 
 
Appeal from the Hendricks Superior Court, No. 32D02-1410-CM-001002  
The Honorable Rhett M. Stuard, Judge 
_________________________________ 
 
On Petition to Transfer from the Indiana Court of Appeals, No. 32A04-1508-CR-1110 
_________________________________ 
 
August 4, 2016 
 
Per Curiam. 
 
A majority of the Court of Appeals reversed Defendant Corey T. Weaver’s conviction for 
refusing to identify himself to a law enforcement official, finding insufficient evidence to support 
the conviction. We agree with the dissenting opinion that the evidence was sufficient, and therefore 
grant transfer and affirm the trial court. 
 
On the night of October 1, 2014, Hendricks County Sheriff’s Deputy Samuel Chandler 
observed a vehicle with an inoperable license plate light, and he initiated a traffic stop.  The vehicle 
FILED
C L E R K
Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
Aug 4 2016, 4:00 pm
 
 
stopped, and Deputy Chandler approached it and asked the driver for his license and registration.  
After the driver was unable to produce his license, Deputy Chandler asked the driver for his address 
and then for his name.  The driver avoided answering the request for his address, and evaded the 
questions about his name—eventually disclosing his last name as “Mr. Weaver” but otherwise 
representing, “I don’t have a particular name.”  Tr. at 11, 57.   After finally admitting his mother 
calls him “Corey,” Weaver then repeatedly refused to provide his date of birth, even after being 
handcuffed and detained for refusing to identify himself.  After a total of approximately sixteen 
minutes of questioning, Weaver finally provided his date of birth.  Deputy Chandler then was able 
to determine that Weaver’s license was suspended. 
 
The State charged Weaver with, among other things, refusing to identify himself in 
violation of Indiana Code section 34-28-5-3.5, which provides as follows: 
A person who knowingly or intentionally refuses to provide either 
the person’s:  
(1) name, address, and date of birth; or  
(2) driver’s license, if in the person’s possession; 
to a law enforcement officer who has stopped the person for an 
infraction or ordinance violation commits a Class C misdemeanor.   
After a bench trial he was convicted as charged, and the trial court imposed a $100 fine for the 
refusal-to-identify conviction.  A majority of the Court of Appeals reversed, finding insufficient 
evidence that Weaver violated the statute.  Weaver v. State, 53 N.E.3d 1225 (Ind. Ct. App. 2016).  
Judge Altice dissented, and would have affirmed the trial court.  Id. at 1229. 
 
We agree with Judge Altice that the evidence was sufficient to support Weaver’s conviction 
under Indiana Code section 34-28-5-3.5.  Accordingly, we grant transfer, see Ind. Appellate Rule 
58(A), and affirm the judgment of the trial court.  
 
All Justices concur.