Title: Joshua Kendall v. State of Indiana

State: indiana

Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court

Document:

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE 
Lesa Lux Johnson 
 
 
 
 
 
Steve Carter 
Indianapolis, Indiana 
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney General of Indiana 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Matthew D. Fisher 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deputy Attorney General 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indianapolis, Indiana 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
 
In the 
Indiana Supreme Court  
_________________________________ 
 
No. 49S02-0606-CR-234 
 
JOSHUA KENDALL,  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appellant (Defendant below), 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF INDIANA, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appellee (Plaintiff below). 
_________________________________ 
 
Appeal from the Marion Superior Court, No. 49G20-0012-CF-221196  
The Honorable Michael Jensen, Magistrate 
_________________________________ 
 
On Petition To Transfer from the Indiana Court of Appeals, No. 49A02-0312-CR-1032  
_________________________________ 
 
June 28, 2006 
Boehm, Justice. 
 
Joshua Kendall was arrested after a police search of a duplex revealed over 300 grams of 
cocaine, weapons, cash, and other items associated with the manufacture of narcotics.  Kendall 
was tried jointly with his brother, Thomas Kendall, who was acquitted, and Albert Hardister, 
whose convictions are affirmed in Hardister v. State, __N.E.2d__ (Ind. 2006), handed down to-
day.  A jury found Kendall guilty of four counts:  dealing cocaine, Class A felony possession of 
cocaine, Class C felony possession of cocaine and a firearm, and resisting law enforcement.  The 
court sentenced Kendall to forty years for dealing and imposed eight years for possession of co-
 
caine and a firearm and one year for resisting law enforcement, both to be served concurrently 
with the dealing count.  The trial court entered no judgment or conviction on the count for Class 
A felony possession of cocaine, citing double jeopardy concerns.  At a second sentencing hear-
ing, the trial court sua sponte vacated the judgment and sentence on the possession of cocaine 
and a firearm count, again citing double jeopardy concerns.   
Kendall appealed his conviction and sentence on several grounds.  The State cross-
appealed, challenging the trial court’s vacating of the judgment and sentence on the possession 
of cocaine and a firearm count.  The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court in all respects.  
Kendall v. State, 825 N.E.2d 439, 455-56 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005).  We granted transfer in the re-
lated case Hardister v. State, 821 N.E.2d 912 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005), reh’g denied, 2005 Ind. App. 
LEXIS 535 (Ind. Ct. App. Mar. 29, 2005), involving Kendall’s codefendant, Albert Hardister.  
481 N.E.2d 175 (Ind. 2005).   
 
Two of the five challenges Kendall raises and the issue presented by the State’s cross-
appeal are addressed in Hardister.  For the reasons cited in Hardister, we hold that (1) the trial 
court did not err in denying Kendall’s Batson challenge; (2) police violated neither the federal 
nor state constitutional prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures; and (3) Class C felony 
possession of cocaine and a firearm is a lesser included offense of Class A dealing cocaine.  
Kendall’s conviction for Class C felony possession of cocaine therefore cannot stand, and the 
trial court’s ruling was correct.  We summarily affirm the Court of Appeals as to Kendall’s re-
maining three challenges.  Ind. Appellate Rule 58(A)(2).  Transfer is granted.  The judgment of 
the trial court is affirmed. 
 
 
Shepard, C.J., and Dickson, Sullivan, and Rucker, JJ. concur.  
 
 
2