Title: Walik L. Whiteside v. State of Indiana

State: indiana

Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court

Document:

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE 
Gregory L. Fumarolo 
 
 
 
 
 
Curtis T. Hill, Jr. 
Fort Wayne, Indiana 
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney General of Indiana 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Katherine Cooper 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deputy Attorney General 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indianapolis, Indiana 
 
 
 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
 
In the 
Indiana Supreme Court  
_________________________________ 
 
No. 02S05-1706-CR-441 
 
WALIK L. WHITESIDE,  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appellant (Defendant below), 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    v. 
 
STATE OF INDIANA,    
 
 
 
 
 
Appellee (Plaintiff below).  
_________________________________ 
 
Appeal from the Allen Superior Court, No. 02D04-1503-FB-3 
The Honorable Frances C. Gull, Judge 
_________________________________ 
 
On Petition to Transfer from the Indiana Court of Appeals, No. 02A05-1607-CR-1659 
_________________________________ 
 
June 29, 2017 
 
Per Curiam. 
 
During the morning hours of September 22, 2012, then-fifteen-year-old Walik Whiteside 
attacked A.B. as she went for a run along the River Greenway in Fort Wayne.  Whiteside grabbed 
A.B. from behind and placed his arm around her neck.  After they fell to the ground, Whiteside 
removed his pants, attempted to insert his penis into A.B.’s vagina, inserted his fingers into her 
vagina, touched her breasts underneath her bra, and forced his penis into her mouth.  When another 
runner approached, Whiteside fled.  He was not apprehended, but the State took DNA swabs from 
FILED
C L E R K
Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
Jun 29 2017, 2:26 pm
 
 
A.B.  At that time, no match for the DNA was found.  Whiteside subsequently committed another 
crime and was convicted of Class A felony robbery and sentenced to twenty-five years 
incarceration.  During his incarceration for that crime, the State collected a DNA sample from 
Whiteside, which matched the sample taken from A.B.’s body.   
 
In 2015, the State charged Whiteside with Class B felony attempted rape, two counts of 
Class B felony criminal deviate conduct, and Class D felony sexual battery.  Whiteside was waived 
into adult court where a jury convicted him on all counts.  The trial court vacated the sexual battery 
conviction based on double jeopardy concerns, and sentenced Whiteside to twenty years on each 
of the remaining counts, to be served consecutively to each other and to the sentence for his robbery 
conviction.  In the instant case, Whiteside received an aggregate sentence of sixty years 
imprisonment.  
 
Citing Indiana Appellate Rule 7(B), a majority of the Court of Appeals revised Whiteside’s 
sentence to three consecutive ten-year terms, for an aggregate sentence of thirty years, to be served 
consecutively to the robbery sentence.  Whiteside v. State, No. 02A05-1607-CR-1659 (Ind. Ct. 
App. March 30, 2017).  Judge Pyle dissented, believing Whiteside’s sentence not inappropriate.  
Id. at 14-16 (Pyle, J., dissenting).  The State seeks transfer. 
 
The authority granted by article 7, section 4 of the Indiana Constitution permitting appellate 
review and revision of criminal sentences is implemented through Indiana Appellate Rule 7(B).  
Under this rule and as interpreted by case law, appellate courts may revise sentences—after due 
consideration of the trial court’s decision—if the sentence is found to be inappropriate in light of 
the nature of the offense and the character of the offender.  See Cardwell v. State, 895 N.E.2d 
1219, 1222-25 (Ind. 2008); Serino v. State, 798 N.E.2d 852, 856-57 (Ind. 2003).  The principal 
role of such review is to attempt to leaven the outliers.  Cardwell, 895 N.E.2d at 1225. 
 
 
 
Our collective judgment is that the sentence imposed by the trial court in this case is not 
inappropriate under Appellate Rule 7(B) and does not warrant appellate revision.  Accordingly, 
we grant transfer, affirm the sentence imposed by the trial court, and summarily affirm the decision 
of the Court of Appeals in all other respects.  See Ind. Appellate Rule 58(A).  
 
All Justices concur.