Title: JOHNSON v. State

State: indiana

Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court

Document:

251 Ind. 369 (1968)
241 N.E.2d 270
JOHNSON, ET AL.
v.
STATE OF INDIANA.
No. 31139.

Supreme Court of Indiana.
Filed November 1, 1968.
*370 Frank E. Spencer, Indianapolis, for appellants.
John J. Dillon, Attorney General, and Robert F. Hassett, Deputy Attorney General, for appellee.
PER CURIAM.
This is an appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Johnson County, after a trial by jury, which found the defendant guilty as charged in the affidavit with the offense of theft.
Appellant did not contest the matter of the sufficiency of the evidence in respect to that most favorable to the State of Indiana to establish each of the acts alleged in the evidence, but the appellant raised the question of error in the *371 ruling of the trial court admitting testimony of state's witness and others by way of hearsay. Also, on appeal, appellant contends there is no such crime as theft defined by statute and, therefore, the verdict is contrary to law.
As to the argument of appellant urging that there is no crime of theft since the statute does not define "theft" as a criminal offense, at no stage in the proceedings of the trial did the appellant press this question. Inasmuch as the appellant did not raise his question during the trial, he has not preserved the question on appeal and, in fact, has waived this question. It is pointed out in Ewbanks Indiana Criminal Law, Vol. 1, § 1, which defines a crime as "an act or omission forbidden by law for which a penalty is prescribed to be pursued by the state upon the presentation to the proper court of an indictment ... or an affidavit..." .
Burns' Ind. Stat. § 10-3030 (1968 Cum. Supp.) and § 10-3029 are the relevant sections of the offenses against property act. Burns' § 10-3030 reads as follows:
It is clear from § 10-3029 that a generic definition of theft has been substituted for the multiplicity of statutes covering various offenses against person and property. It is also clear what the proscribed conduct is and the mental state required. Section 10-3039 sets forth the penalties.
As to appellant's contention that there was grievous error by the trial court in admitting statements by way of hearsay, and objections as such, we believe that the testimony referred to by the appellant was, in fact, hearsay. The testimony is set forth as follows:
Objections were properly made to the foregoing questions by the appellant on the ground of hearsay and overruled by the court. The court, in fact, did commit error in admitting the above testimony into evidence which is hearsay. This, however, is harmless error and not reversible error in retrospect to the entire record and evidence.
*374 The case of Caveney v. State (1936), 210 Ind. 455, 4 N.E.2d 137, trial by jury, sets forth numerous cases on the question of hearsay and to what extent it is prejudicial or harmless error, where other evidence showed the appellant committed the crime charged.
In Wolfe v. State (1928), 200 Ind. 557, 159 N.E. 545, trial by jury, the court held the admission into evidence of hearsay statements of the victim of a homicide as to the identity of the defendant, is harmless error where the fact sought to be proved was established by uncontested and uncontradicted evidence.
The appellant has not contested the fact that there was evidence sufficient to establish each of the acts alleged in the affidavit. The admission of the hearsay statement as set forth in the case on appeal was harmless error where the fact sought to be proved was established by other uncontradicted and competent evidence.
The judgment of the trial court is, therefore, affirmed.
Hunter, J., dissents; Lewis, C.J., concurs in result; Jackson, J., concurs in result.
NOTE.  Reported in 241 N.E.2d 270.