Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 1 of 21

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT

Stacy R. Uliana

Bargersville, Indiana

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE

Curtis T. Hill, Jr.

Attorney General of Indiana

Matthew B. MacKenzie

Deputy Attorney General

Indianapolis, Indiana

I N T H E

COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

Clinton Loehrlein,

Appellant-Defendant,

v.

State of Indiana,

Appellee-Plaintiff.

February 21, 2020

Court of Appeals Case No.

19A-CR-737

Appeal from the Vanderburgh 

Superior Court

The Honorable Robert J. Pigman, 

Judge

Trial Court Cause No.

82D03-1701-MR-425

Mathias, Judge.

[1] Following a jury trial in Vanderburgh Superior Court, Clinton Loehrlein 

(“Loehrlein”) was convicted of one count of murder, two counts of Level 1 

felony attempted murder, two counts of Level 3 felony aggravated battery, and 

one count of Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. Loehrlein 

appeals and presents two issues for our review, which we restate as: (1) whether 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 2 of 21

the trial court erred by denying Loehrlein’s motion to set aside the jury verdict 

based on juror misconduct, and (2) whether the trial court abused its discretion 

by refusing Loehrlein’s proffered instruction defining the term “wrongfulness” 

in the insanity defense statute. Concluding that the trial court did not err by 

refusing Loehrlein’s tendered instruction but that the trial court did err by 

denying Loehrlein’s motion for a new trial based on the gravity of the juror’s 

misconduct, we reverse and remand for a new trial. 

Facts and Procedural History

[2] In January of 2017, Loehrlein was under stress relating to his purchase of a 

second home and was suffering from insomnia and other stress-related 

problems. On January 22, 2017, Loehrlein decided that the solution to his 

problems was to kill his wife and their two daughters, who still lived at home. 

Loehrlein walked through his home and shot his wife Sherry in the back, shot 

his daughter Cynthia in the stomach, and shot his daughter Nicole, who was 

hiding in the shower, in the arm. When the injured Cynthia attempted to flee 

the house, her father chased her to the neighbor’s porch and stabbed her 

repeatedly. When a neighbor saw Loehrlein, he ran back home. And when the 

police arrived, Loehrlein locked himself in the house and stabbed himself in the 

stomach and cut his wrists. He physically struggled with the police when they 

entered the house and apprehended him, claiming that he wanted to die. Sherry 

died as a result of her injuries, but Cynthia and Nicole survived. 

[3] Loehrlein was treated at the hospital, where he initially claimed that he did not 

remember attacking his family, but his memory slowly seemed to recover. He 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 3 of 21

later claimed that he wanted to kill his family so that they would go to heaven, 

then kill himself so he could join them. 

[4] On January 24, 2017, the State charged Loehrlein with one count of murder, 

two counts of Level 3 felony aggravated battery, and one count of Class A 

misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. The State also filed a sentencing 

enhancement based on the use of a firearm. Loehrlein filed a notice of an 

insanity defense. A five-day jury trial commenced on August 27, 2018. At trial, 

Loehrlein testified that he did not plan the attack on his family, nor did he 

consider whether it was criminal. Instead, he testified that it seemed the right 

thing to do at the time, as he “wanted to take them all to Heaven and [he] 

would be there with them.” Tr. Vol. 4, p. 110. 

[5] Both court-appointed expert witnesses testified that, in their opinions, Loehrlein 

was not suffering from a mental disease or defect and could appreciate the 

wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the attacks. Loehrlein’s expert 

witness, Dr. Tracy Gunter (“Dr. Gunter”) testified that Loehrlein suffered from 

a mental disease or defect that left him unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of 

his behavior at the time of the attack on his family. However, when asked on 

cross-examination if “there’s no doubt that [Loehrlein] viewed what he did as 

criminally wrong,” Dr. Gunter testified, “I think that’s correct.” Tr. Vol. 4, p. 

67. The jury found Loehrlein guilty as charged. 

[6] After the trial, but before sentencing, defense counsel received information that 

the jury forewoman, L.W., who is a licensed attorney, had provided a false 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 4 of 21

answer, under oath, on the jury questionnaire. Specifically, Question 15 asked 

the potential jurors, “Have you, any of your immediate family members, or a 

close friend been charged with or convicted of a crime? If yes, who, when, what 

& where:” Appellant’s Confidential App. Vol. 3, p. 31. L.W. answered this 

questioned by writing: “N/A,” meaning “not applicable.” Id. In truth, however, 

L.W. had been charged on April 30, 2012, with domestic battery against her 

husband. See id. at 133 (information charging L.W. with domestic battery). 

Based on L.W.’s untruthful responses, Loehrlein filed, on September 19, 2018, 

a verified motion to set aside the jury’s verdict and for mistrial based on jury 

misconduct. 

[7] L.W. was deposed on November 9, 2018. At the deposition, L.W. testified that 

she was a licensed attorney with almost twenty years of experience. She mostly 

practiced civil law but had represented clients in misdemeanor cases, including 

cases of driving while intoxicated. She was also familiar with the jury selection 

process. When asked about Question 15 on the jury questionnaire, and her 

response of “N/A,” L.W. initially insisted that she had not been criminally 

charged and that the question was therefore not applicable. She claimed that 

she had “never been charged, never been read rights. I’ve never been 

convicted.” Id. at 100. When asked again if she had ever been charged with a 

crime, L.W. answered, “I mean, there was that little case that was false 

anyway, got dismissed, so it didn’t apply because it was dismissed.” Id. L.W. 

then claimed that to be charged with a crime “means you’re read your rights in 

open court, that you’re being charged with a crime.” Id. L.W. never appeared in 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 5 of 21

court in the criminal case filed against her and had a fellow attorney represent 

her pro bono; therefore, she claimed to never have been charged. She then 

claimed not to know whether she had been charged but admitted that she had 

been arrested and claimed that she was the victim of repeated acts of domestic 

violence by her ex-husband. 

[8] When confronted with a copy of the information charging her with domestic 

battery, L.W. claimed not to recognize it, but stated, “If something happened 

with it, yes. I didn’t ever -- I don’t even know if I even went to a court hearing.” 

Id. at 104. When asked if, based on the charging information, she had been 

charged with domestic battery L.W. finally stated, “I guess.” Id. at 105. She 

further admitted that a fellow attorney helped her in the criminal case, though 

she claimed not to know whether this attorney had entered an appearance on 

her behalf, claiming that he just “covered a hearing for me.” Id. at 106. When 

asked if the prosecutor eventually dismissed the charges, L.W. stated, “Yes. It 

took them forever to do it when I was the real victim[.]” Id. 

[9] After detailing her physically and emotionally abusive relationship with her exhusband, L.W. testified that she was embarrassed by the charges and was 

worried about her reputation in the local legal community. When asked yet 

again regarding the truthfulness of her answer to Question 15, L.W. continued 

to be evasive, as evidenced by the following exchange: 

Q. In 2012, and I’m not getting into the merits of whether you 

should have been charged or not, you were charged with a 

criminal offense? 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 6 of 21

[L.W.’s counsel]: Same --

A. I was never in the courtroom where they charged me. 

[L.W.’s counsel]: Same objection. 

A. I just know [L.W.’s attorney friend] said he’d take care of it.

Q. So you were arrested for an offense; correct? 

A. Yes. 

Q. And you had to go to the jail; correct? 

A. Yes. 

* * *

Q. And that case was given a cause number? 

A. Yes. 

Q. And it went in front of a judge? 

A. Yes. I guess. I mean, I was never there. 

* * *

Q. Now, back to number 15, is the reason you put “N/A”, as 

your attorney has been suggesting, is the technicality of 

whether a charge is a charge before the initial hearing? 

A. I just didn’t think it applied. 

Q. So --

A. I’ve answered ever jury questionnaire the same way. 

Q. So when you say it didn’t apply, is it because of the 

technicality of what a charge is? 

A. I just didn’t think I had. 

Q. Why do you think it didn’t apply, is kind of where I’m -- this 

is your --
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 7 of 21

A. Because nothing came of it. It was dismissed immediately. 

Even the judge wanted it dismissed immediately, along with 

the no contact order lifted. 

Q. It was dismissed on August 1st, 2012, so it was dismissed 

approximately three, four months. Does that sound about 

right? 

A. It took a while. 

* * *

Q. So to be clear, because I want to know what’s in your head, 

okay, the reason you think it’s not applicable is because 

nothing came of the charge and it was dismissed. Is that 

fair? 

A. Right. 

Id. at 117–19. 

[10] With regard to Question Number 16 on the jury questionnaire, which asked if 

she, any immediate family members, or a close friend had been a witness or 

victim in a criminal matter, L.W. also wrote “N/A,” despite stating that she 

had been the victim of repeated domestic abuse by her ex-husband. When 

confronted with this inconsistency, L.W. was again evasive, stating that she 

was not a victim in a criminal matter because she never reported the abuse to 

the police. She did admit that she was the victim of a crime, however. She also 

admitted that she had long wanted to be a juror but did not think she would get 

selected because she was a lawyer. 

[11] Loehrlein’s trial counsel was also deposed, and he testified that he and Kathryn 

Larimer (“Larimer”), a jury consultant, reviewed all the potential juror’s 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 8 of 21

questionnaires. Both understood L.W.’s response to Question 15 as meaning 

that she had never been charged or convicted of a crime. Loehrlein’s trial 

counsel testified that, had he known that L.W. had been criminally charged, he 

would have investigated the matter further. Larimer testified that she already 

had concerns about L.W. serving on the jury because L.W. was an attorney, 

and, in Larimer’s experience, attorneys who serve on juries tend to have a lot of 

influence over the other non-lawyer jurors. Both trial counsel and Larimer, 

however, agreed to keep L.W. on the jury panel because L.W. had experience 

with a mentally ill relative and therefore might be more amenable to the 

insanity defense. Larimer explained that, had she known the full extent of 

L.W.’s prior experience with domestic violence, she would have recommended 

striking her from the jury for two reasons: first, she was concerned that L.W. 

might be favorable to the prosecution because it had dismissed the charge 

against L.W.; second, she was concerned that L.W.’s history as a victim of 

domestic violence would cause her to sympathize with Loehrlein’s wife and 

daughters. 

[12] The trial court denied Loehrlein’s post-verdict motion for a new trial. On 

March 4, 2019, the trial court sentenced Loehrlein to an aggregate term of 150 

years of incarceration, and Loehrlein now appeals. 

I. Juror Misconduct

[13] Loehrlein first argues that the trial court erred by denying his motion for a new 

trial based on juror misconduct, referring to the false answers L.W. gave on the 

jury questionnaire. Loehrlein claims that, had he known of the charge against 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 9 of 21

L.W. and her prior experiences of being a victim of domestic violence, he 

would have moved to have her dismissed from the jury. 

[14] The United States Supreme Court has articulated a particularized test for 

determining whether a new trial is required due to juror deceit during voir dire 

or on jury questionnaires. State v. Dye, 784 N.E.2d 469, 472 (Ind. 2003) (citing 

McDonough Power Equip., Inc. v. Greenwood, 464 U.S. 548 (1984)).1 To obtain a 

new trial, the defendant must first demonstrate that a juror “failed to answer 

honestly a material question.” Dye, 784 N.E.2d at 472 (quoting McDonough, 464 

U.S. at 556). The defendant must then further show that a correct response 

“‘would have provided a valid basis for a challenge for cause.’” Id. This twopart test applies equally to both deliberate concealment and innocent nondisclosure or honest mistakes. Id. at 473.

[15] Proof that a juror was biased against the defendant2 or lied during voir dire 

generally entitles the defendant to a new trial. Id. (citing Warner v. State, 773 

N.E.2d 239, 246 (Ind. 2002)). “A defendant seeking a new trial because of juror 

misconduct must show gross misconduct that probably harmed the defendant.” 

1 Even though McDonough was a civil action, the two-part test pronounced in that case has been applied in 

criminal matters. Alvies v. State, 795 N.E.2d 493, 498 (Ind. Ct. App. 2003) (citing Dye, 784 N.E.2d at 472), 

trans. denied.

2

“A juror’s bias may be actual or implied.” Alvies, 795 N.E.2d at 499 (citing Joyner v. State, 736 N.E.2d 232, 

238 (Ind. 2000)). Implied bias is attributed to a juror upon a finding of a certain relationship between the 

juror and a person connected to the case, regardless of actual partiality. Id. Where an inference of implied 

bias arises, a trial court should analyze such potential bias by considering the nature of the connection and 

any indications of partiality. Id. The court must weigh the nature and extent of the relationship versus the 

ability of the juror to remain impartial. Id.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 10 of 21

Id. We review the trial court’s determination of these issues for an abuse of 

discretion. 

[16] In the present case, the parties first dispute whether Juror L.W. committed 

gross misconduct. Loehrlein claims that the evidence clearly shows that L.W. 

was dishonest in her response to the jury questionnaire. The State contends that 

L.W.’s response to Question 15 on the questionnaire was not dishonest. We 

agree with Loehrlein. 

[17] Question 15 was clear in asking whether potential jurors, or members of their 

immediate family or close friends had ever “been charged with or convicted of a 

crime.” Appellant’s Confidential App. Vol. 3, p. 31. This is not a question that 

calls for an elusive, cryptic answer. It calls for a simple, yes-or-no response. By 

writing “N/A,” L.W. clearly indicated that she had never been charged with a 

crime. But this was plainly and patently false. L.W. later admitted that an 

information had been filed charging her with domestic battery. No matter how 

much word-smithing L.W. attempted at her deposition, she was, rightly or 

wrongly, charged with a crime. We find L.W.’s response that she did not 

believe she had been charged with a crime because she was never “read her 

rights” in open court to be incredulous. As a licensed attorney who had 

practiced some criminal law, L.W. knew, or at the very least should have 

known, that she had been charged with a misdemeanor. Indeed, she admitted 

that the charge had been dismissed. Had she not been charged, there would 

have been nothing to dismiss. L.W.’s lack of candor on the jury questionnaire is 

particularly troubling in light of the fact that she is a licensed attorney. She 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 11 of 21

should therefore have been well aware not only of the fact that she was charged 

with a crime, but also of her ethical responsibility to be as forthcoming as 

possible in response to the jury questionnaire. 

[18] The State attempts to fault Loehrlein’s counsel for not further inquiring into 

L.W.’s response to this question during voir dire. But L.W.’s answer that the 

question was “not applicable” implied that she had not been charged with a 

crime. And had she been asked this question during voir dire, we doubt her 

answer would have been any more forthcoming that her responses during her 

deposition, in which, despite being confronted with clear evidence that she had 

been criminally charged, L.W. was obdurate and continued to paradoxically 

argue that she had not been charged because the charge was dismissed.

[19] L.W.’s deceptive response to Question 15 is exacerbated by her response to 

Question 16, which asked if she had ever been the victim in a “criminal 

matter.” Id. L.W. again answered this question with “N/A,” despite her own 

deposition testimony that she had been the victim of dozens of incidents of 

domestic violence. L.W. justified this response by stating that she never 

reported the domestic violence to the police. While L.W.’s response to 

Question 16 may be more accurate than her answer to Question 15, as a lawyer, 

she should have been aware that the gist of the question was to let counsel for 

both sides know whether a juror had been the victim of a crime. A jury 

questionnaire is not the appropriate place to give elusive, half-true answers. 

And in light of L.W.’s admission that she had always wanted to be a juror but 

was concerned that she would not be selected because she is a lawyer, her 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 12 of 21

responses to the jury questionnaire are even more troubling. To put it shortly, 

we have no hesitation in concluding that L.W.’s incorrect, untruthful response 

to Question 15 amounted to gross misconduct. 

[20] We find support for our conclusion in Dye, supra. In that case, the jury 

questionnaire asked if the potential jurors or their family ever been a witness to, 

a victim of, or charged with a crime. Juror Jackie Gunn (“Gunn”) answered 

each of these questions negatively. However, in her testimony before the postconviction court, Gunn admitted that her brother had been convicted of two 

homicides in California and sentenced to death. 784 N.E.2d at 472. Gunn failed 

to mention this in her questionnaire because she “didn’t think it was anybody’s 

business.” Id. Two of Gunn’s other siblings had been arrested, and she had been 

convicted for driving while intoxicated, but she also failed to mention this in the 

jury questionnaire. Further, she had been raped by an uncle when a small child, 

but again failed to disclose this. The post-conviction court found this to be gross 

misconduct, a decision upheld by our supreme court on appeal. See id. at 474

(noting that, even though Gunn admitted during voir dire that her brother was 

in prison “this does not excuse the fact that her brother’s prior convictions and 

death sentence were intentionally obscured by her deliberate dishonesty in 

responding to the questionnaire regarding family criminal charges.”). 

[21] Here, although L.W.’s conduct does not reach the depths of Gunn’s dishonesty, 

she would have been aware that she had been charged with a crime, even 

though that charge was later dismissed, and that her answer of “N/A” was at 

best incomplete and misleading, and at worst intentionally dishonest. L.W.’s 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 13 of 21

answers to the juror questionnaire and her dissembling during her post-trial 

deposition are especially egregious because she was and is an attorney licensed 

to practice in this state, with almost twenty years of experience at the time of 

trial. To the extent that the trial court concluded that L.W.’s behavior did not 

amount to gross juror misconduct,

3

its decision was clearly against the logic and 

effect of the facts and circumstances before the court. 

[22] The question then becomes whether L.W.’s gross misconduct “probably 

harmed the defendant.” Id. at 473 (citing Warner, 773 N.E.2d at 246). Loehrlein 

argues that L.W.’s failure to answer the jury questionnaire accurately deprived 

him of the opportunity to further delve into L.W.’s status as someone who was 

both charged with a crime and claimed to be the victim of a crime. Indeed, 

Loehrlein’s jury consultant testified that, if she had known about L.W.’s prior 

history with domestic violence, she would have recommended striking L.W. 

from the jury because she might be inclined to favor the prosecutor for 

dismissing the charges against her and because her status as a victim of 

domestic violence might cause her to sympathize with the victims in this case, 

i.e., Loehrlein’s wife and daughters. 

[23] Again, this is similar to Dye, in which the defendant’s trial counsel testified that, 

had he known about juror Gunn’s family history, he would have questioned her 

3 The trial court did not issue findings of fact or conclusions of law but merely denied Loehrlein’s motion for 

a new trial. We are therefore unable to determine the reasoning behind the trial court’s decision. The record 

clearly shows, however, that L.W. was admitted to the practice of law in this state in 1999 and therefore had 

been practicing law for nineteen years at the time of her deposition. Her lack of candor on the juror 

questionnaire and during the deposition is therefore particularly troubling. 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 14 of 21

further regarding her ability to be a fair and impartial juror and “almost 

certainly stricken her peremptorily if not for cause.” Id. at 474–75. The postconviction court in Dye found that Gunn’s misconduct deprived both parties of 

the opportunity to determine in voir dire whether Gunn’s experiences would 

have impacted upon her verdict or recommendation. Id. at 475. The postconviction court further concluded that Gunn’s strong views in favor of the 

death penalty, combined with her own status as a victim of sexual abuse 

probably harmed the defendant by denying him a fair trial. Id. at 476. Our 

supreme court affirmed both of these determinations. Id.

[24] Here, the trial court denied Loehrlein’s motion for a new trial, thereby 

implicitly determining that L.W.’s conduct did not probably harm Loehrlein. 

Given the facts and circumstances before the court, we are of the opinion that 

this constituted an abuse of discretion. As in Dye, L.W.’s untruthful answers on 

the jury questionnaire deprived Loehrlein of the ability to delve into her prior 

experience with domestic violence. This is particularly concerning here, where 

Loehrlein savagely attacked members of his own family. 

[25] Nor is this a case like Warner, supra, where a juror indicated in a jury 

questionnaire that none of her close family members had been a victim of a 

serious crime, when, in fact, her half-sister had been murdered. 773 N.E.2d at 

246. The trial court concluded that the juror did not deliberately withhold this 

information. Id. Here, however, the facts and circumstances before the trial 

court clearly show that L.W. deliberately withheld the information regarding 

her prior history in an attempt to be seated as a juror. Moreover, in Warner, the 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 15 of 21

evidence against the defendant was overwhelming. Here, although it was 

undisputed that Loehrlein committed the acts, there was conflicting evidence 

regarding whether he could appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct at the 

time. 

[26] Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court abused its discretion by denying 

Loehrlein’s motion for a new trial. L.W.’s misleading answers to the jury 

questionnaire constituted gross misconduct, and this misconduct probably 

harmed Loehrlein by denying him the opportunity to strike L.W. from the jury. 

We therefore reverse Loehrlein’s convictions and remand for a new trial. 

II. Jury Instruction

[27] Loehrlein also claims that the trial court abused its discretion by rejecting his 

jury instruction regarding the insanity defense. Although we have already 

concluded that we must reverse Loehrlein’s convictions and remand for retrial, 

this issue is likely to recur. We therefore address it on the merits as guidance for 

the parties and the trial court. 

[28] Our standard of review upon claims of instructional error is well settled:

The purpose of jury instructions is to inform the jury of the law 

applicable to the facts without misleading the jury and to enable 

it to comprehend the case clearly and arrive at a just, fair, and 

correct verdict. In reviewing a trial court’s decision to give a 

tendered jury instruction, we consider (1) whether the instruction 

correctly states the law, (2) is supported by the evidence in the 

record, and (3) is not covered in substance by other instructions. 

The trial court has discretion in instructing the jury, and we will 

reverse only when the instructions amount to an abuse of 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 16 of 21

discretion. To constitute an abuse of discretion, the instructions 

given must be erroneous, and the instructions taken as a whole 

must misstate the law or otherwise mislead the jury. We will 

consider jury instructions as a whole and in reference to each 

other, not in isolation.

O’Connell v. State, 970 N.E.2d 168, 172 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012) (quoting Munford v. 

State, 923 N.E.2d 11, 14 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010)). 

[29] The trial court instructed the jury with regard to the insanity defense as follows: 

The defense of insanity is defined by law as follows: 

A person is not responsible for having engaged in prohibited 

conduct if, as a result of mental disease or defect, he was unable 

to appreciate the wrongfulness of the conduct at the time of the 

offense. 

“Mental disease or defect” means a severely abnormal mental 

condition that grossly and demonstrably impairs a person’s 

perception, but the term does not include an abnormality 

manifested only by repeated unlawful conduct or anti-social 

conduct. 

Appellant’s App. Vol. 2, pp. 217. This tracks the language of the insanity 

defense statute. See Ind. Code § 35-41-3-6.

4

4 This section provides: 

(a) A person is not responsible for having engaged in prohibited conduct if, as a result of 

mental disease or defect, he was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of the conduct at the 

time of the offense.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 17 of 21

[30] Loehrlein tendered an instruction that provided: “‘Wrongfulness’ means 

contrary to public morality, as well as contrary to law.” Appellant’s App. Vol. 

2, p. 202. He also submitted an alternative instruction that provided: 

“Wrongfulness means legally or morally wrong.” Id. at 203. The trial court 

rejected this instruction but did permit defense counsel to argue to the jury that 

wrongfulness also included moral wrongfulness. Loehrlein now argues that the 

trial court erred by not giving these instructions to the jury. 

[31] Our supreme court considered and rejected a similar argument in Van Orden v. 

State, 469 N.E.2d 1153 (Ind. 1984). In that case, the defendant tendered an 

instruction stating that “within the legal definition of insanity is included the 

factual situation where the defendant appreciated the fact that her conduct was 

criminal but because of a delusion believed it to be morally justified.” Id. at 

1161. The trial court in that case instead instructed the jury using language from 

the then-current version of insanity defense statute.5 The Van Orden court 

concluded that the trial court’s instructions “fully explained the concept and 

(b) As used in this section, “mental disease or defect” means a severely abnormal mental 

condition that grossly and demonstrably impairs a person's perception, but the term does 

not include an abnormality manifested only by repeated unlawful or antisocial conduct.

I.C. § 35-41-3-6. 

5 At that time, the insanity defense statute provided: 

(a) A person is not responsible for having engaged in prohibited conduct if, as a result of 

mental disease or defect, he lacked substantial capacity either to appreciate the 

wrongfulness of the conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law. 

(b) “Mental disease or defect” does not include an abnormality manifested only by 

repeated unlawful or antisocial conduct.

I.C. § 35-41-3-6 (1977) (emphasis added). The italicized language was removed in 1984. See Barcroft v. State, 

111 N.E.3d 997, 1004 n.7 (Ind. 2018). 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 18 of 21

legal defense of insanity,” and held that the trial court therefore did not err in 

refusing the defendant’s tendered instruction. Id.

[32] The same is true here. The trial court properly instructed the jury regarding the 

insanity defense in Indiana, using language drawn from the applicable statute. 

It also permitted Loehrlein to argue to the jury that “wrongfulness” included 

moral as well as legal wrongfulness. Following Van Orden, we conclude that the 

trial court did not err by refusing Loehrlein’s tendered instruction. 

Conclusion

[33] Juror L.W.’s untruthful and misleading responses on the jury questionnaire 

constituted gross misconduct that harmed Loehrlein by depriving him of the 

opportunity to further investigate L.W.’s history and remove her from the jury 

due to her prior history as a victim of domestic violence and as someone who 

had criminal charges against her dismissed. We therefore reverse Loehrlein’s 

convictions and remand for retrial. 

[34] Reversed and remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion. 

Kirsch, J., concurs. 

Bailey, J., dissents with opinion. 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 19 of 21

I N T H E

COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

Clinton Loehrlein,

Appellant-Defendant,

v.

State of Indiana,

Appellee-Plaintiff.

Court of Appeals Case No.

19A-CR-737

Bailey, Judge, dissenting.

[35] An issue of juror misconduct is a matter that is within the trial court’s 

discretion. Lopez v. State, 527 N.E.2d 1119, 1130 (Ind. 1988). Because I am not 

persuaded that Loehrlein has shown the trial court abused its discretion by 

denying Loehrlein’s motion to set aside the verdict, I respectfully dissent.

[36] As the majority aptly observes, “[a] defendant seeking a new trial because of 

juror misconduct must show gross misconduct that probably harmed the 

defendant.” Warner v. State, 773 N.E.2d 239, 246 (Ind. 2002). In Warner, our 

Indiana Supreme Court affirmed a murder conviction although a juror had 

responded on a questionnaire that none of her close family members had been 

victimized by a serious crime, while in fact her half-sister had been murdered a 

year or two earlier. See id. The Court discerned no harm to the defendant:
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 20 of 21

After considering the defense’s argument and reviewing the 

juror’s responses, the [trial] court concluded that the juror did not 

deliberately withhold this information, that she was not biased 

against Warner, and that Warner received a fair trial.

We are not persuaded that the trial court abused its discretion. 

Although it was wrong for the juror to omit this information 

from her questionnaire, we cannot conclude that the omission 

rose to the level of gross misconduct. She testified under oath 

that this prior incident did not affect her impartiality. Moreover, 

given the amount of evidence presented by the State, Warner was 

not harmed. Rokop’s daughter described a lone assailant 

substantially similar to Warner’s appearance; Warner’s knife was 

embedded in Rokop’s neck; he admitted being at the scene of the 

crime; and police found Warner’s clothes covered with Rokop’s 

blood hidden in his trash. We see very little likelihood that the 

juror’s omitted response in any way affected the verdict.

Id. at 246-47.

[37] I believe that the instant circumstances are akin to those in Warner; that is, clear 

evidence that the defendant committed the charged conduct, and the juror’s 

testimony of impartiality. Indeed, Loehrlein admitted that he had killed his 

wife and attempted to kill his daughters. When J.W. was deposed, she 

adamantly insisted that: (1) she had not been formally arraigned on a charge 

against her, but if a charge had been filed, it was baseless and dismissed without 

her ever having appeared in court; (2) she did not consider herself a crime 

victim despite a history of domestic violence because she had chosen not to 

report any incident; and (3) her participation as a juror was not affected. 
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-CR-737 | February 21, 2020 Page 21 of 21

[38] J.W., a practicing attorney, stated at her deposition that the contested issue for 

the jury was whether Loehrlein had established his insanity defense. J.W. 

denied that her domestic violence history affected the insanity determination. 

Indeed, two appointed mental health experts testified that Loehrlein was sane 

and his own expert witness described Loehrlein’s thought processes but stopped 

short of opining that he was insane. Because Loehrlein admitted to the attacks 

and the jury heard from unified experts, there is no discernible harm from his 

loss of the opportunity to strike J.W. as a juror. Therefore, I vote to affirm his 

convictions.