Case Title: English v. State

Citation: 485 N.E.2d 93

Docket Number: 1185 S 474

State: indiana

Court: Indiana Supreme Court

Date: 1985-11-21T00:00:00Z

Document:
485 N.E.2d 93 (1985)
Charles ENGLISH, Jr., Appellant (Defendant below),
v.
STATE of Indiana, Appellee (Plaintiff below).
No. 1185 S 474.

Supreme Court of Indiana.
November 21, 1985.
Rehearing Denied January 14, 1986.
*94 Mark D. Maynard, Anderson, for appellant.
Linley E. Pearson, Atty. Gen. of Ind., Michael Gene Worden, Deputy Atty. Gen., Indianapolis, for appellee.
PIVARNIK, Justice.
This cause comes to us on a petition to transfer from the Fourth District Court of Appeals brought by Appellee-Petitioner, State of Indiana. Appellant-Respondent Charles English, Jr. was found guilty of Robbery, a Class B felony. The Court of Appeals reversed the trial court and held that error had been committed by failing to grant a mistrial after a State's witness made reference to a prior offense committed by English, in violation of the court's order not to do so. English v. State, (1985), Ind. App., 481 N.E.2d 413 (Judge Conover dissenting). We disagree with the holding of the Court of Appeals and therefore grant transfer, vacating the opinion of the Court of Appeals and affirming the trial court.
Officer Smith and Officer Delaney were riding together when dispatched to the robbery at the Citgo Gas Station. The officers worked the crime scene in tandem, with Smith handling the preliminary investigation. Smith obtained a description of the robber through eyewitness Reagan and a general description of what had transpired. Reagan stated he knew the robber although he could not immediately remember his name. While Smith was outside checking the area more extensively, Officer Delaney stayed with Reagan who called a friend who knew the name of the robber.
Before the State presented its case, the trial judge granted English's motion for an order in limine, prohibiting the State's witnesses from commenting upon any prior offenses committed by English. The State's evidence began with the testimony of investigating Officer Smith. Excluding objections and comments by the attorneys, as Officer Smith's testimony is not the basis for this appeal, Officer Smith testified as follows:
(Record at 196).
The State next called Officer Delaney, the other investigator of the crime. He testified as follows:
(Record at 229, 230).
Appellant raised the sole issue on appeal that the prosecutor intentionally elicited Officer Delaney's response regarding Appellant's past criminal behavior, and that such evidence was so highly prejudicial it warranted a mistrial. Essentially, he asserts that the prosecutor used the impermissible evidentiary tactic commonly referred to as an evidentiary harpoon. In considering allegations of the use of an evidentiary harpoon, we analyze whether the evidence was intentionally interjected despite its known inadmissibility, whether there was a serious conflict in the evidence, the degree to which the defendant was implicated by the evidence under scrutiny, and the trial court's admonishment to the jury. Davis v. State (1981), 275 Ind. 509, 418 N.E.2d 203, 205. However, in the case at bar the evidence did not clearly indicate the prosecutor intentionally elicited inadmissible information from witness Delaney. *96 Moreover, there was such overwhelming evidence of Appellant's guilt that the prejudicial impact of Delaney's statement was adequately cured by the trial court's admonishment to the jury.
The evidence supporting the claim that the prosecutor purposefully elicited the inadmissible statement of Delaney, is highly controverted. A trial court exercises its discretion in determining whether to grant a motion for a mistrial when improper evidence of past crimes is admitted. Coble v. State (1985), Ind., 476 N.E.2d 102, 105; Wagner v. State (1985), Ind., 474 N.E.2d 476, 489. This Court will reverse the trial court only for an abuse of discretion when defendant claims a mistrial was improperly denied. Johnson v. State (1982), Ind., 432 N.E.2d 1358. Witness Delaney obviously was called to testify for reasons other than to give inadmissible testimony. He was one of the investigators of the crime and testified Reagan stated he knew the man who had robbed him. Delaney, having arrived on the scene shortly after the crime, corroborated Officer Smith's testimony. He further testified as to the graphic physical description of the robber as given by Reagan. Moreover, the State claims that the prosecutor's question to Delaney as to whether anything was said in the telephone conversation about Appellant having been in the station before was intended to elicit information tying together why Delaney called a friend to obtain Appellant's name. More specifically, the State claims the question was intended to inform the jury that Reagan and his friend, who recalled Appellant's name, had been together in the gas station when Appellant had come in on previous occasions. Reagan's friend had told Reagan Appellant's name on those prior occasions. Thus, Officer Delaney's testimony was offered to assist the jury in understanding why Reagan called his friend to remember Appellant's name. Delaney even testified outside the presence of the jury how the prosecutor warned him not to mention any prior crimes committed by Appellant. The State's explanation of the prosecutor's questioning is just as plausible as the Appellant's claim of an evidentiary harpoon. Consequently, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in deciding not to grant a mistrial.
Moreover, we reverse a trial court's determination only if a defendant on appeal demonstrates he was placed in a position of grave peril to which he should not have been subjected as a result of the admission of the improper evidence. Counceller v. State, (1984), Ind., 466 N.E.2d 456, reh. denied; Elliott v. State (1984) Ind., 465 N.E.2d 707. Further, an admonition to the jury usually is presumed to cure any errors in the admission of evidence. Brendel v. State (1984), Ind., 460 N.E.2d 919, 921; Beal v. State (1983) Ind., 453 N.E.2d 190, 193, reh. denied. Appellant English was identified by two eyewitnesses to the crime. One of these eyewitnesses could even identify Appellant by name. Although the appellant presented an alibi defense, the State presented rebuttal evidence, conflicting with the evidence presented by Appellant and his alibi witnesses. A jury, however, may disbelieve an alibi if the State's evidence is credible. However, the State bears no burden to rebut a defendant's alibi and need not present credible conflicting evidence for a jury to decline believing the defendant's alibi. Thomas v. State, (1982), Ind., 436 N.E.2d 1109, 1111, reh. denied. The jury declined to believe Appellant's alibi defense. Further, the State presented two eyewitnesses who identified Appellant as the perpetrator. Independently, they each chose Appellant's photograph from a photographic array. This Court agrees with the dissenting opinion from the Court of Appeals and cannot find that the evidence was so close the jury could have been influenced by any error in the admission of Delaney's statement. The trial court, having admonished the jury, cured any error. Further, the trial court did not err by denying Appellant's motion for a mistrial. Accordingly, the opinion of the Court of Appeals is vacated and the trial court is in all things affirmed.
GIVAN, C.J., and DeBRULER, PRENTICE and SHEPARD, JJ., concur.