Case Name: Robert McGowan v. State of Indiana
Court: Court of Appeals of Indiana
Jurisdiction: Indiana
Decision Date: 1976-10-13
Citations: 171 Ind. App. 153
Docket Number: No. 2-975A223
Parties: Robert McGowan v. State of Indiana.
Judges: 
Reporter: Indiana Court of Appeals Reports
Volume: 171
Pages: 153–156

Head Matter:
Robert McGowan v. State of Indiana.
[No. 2-975A223.
Filed October 13, 1976.
Rehearing denied November 15, 1976.
Transfer granted September 6, 1977.]
Kenneth T. Roberts, Wilson, Coleman & Roberts, of Indianapolis, for appellant.
Theodore L. Sendalc, Attorney General, Arthur Thaddeus Perry, Deputy Attorney General, for appellee.

Opinion:
White, J.
Appellant McGowan appeals from his conviction of armed robbery, contending that the evidence is insufficient to prove an essential element of the crime, i.e., that he was over sixteen (16) years of age when the crime was committed. A thorough search of the trial transcript reveals no evidence of McGowan's age. Thus an essential element of armed robbery was not proved. Watson v. State (1957), 236 Ind. 329, 333, 140 N.E.2d 109, 110.
Impliedly conceding the failure of proof, the State argues, first, that the issue was waived since it was not specifically presented in the motion to correct errors and, second, that the pre-sentence investigation report indicates that McGowan is over sixteen. The first argument overlooks Trial Rule 50(A)(5) which provides that in a criminal case insufficiency of the evidence can be raised initially on appeal. Johnson v. State (1975), 167 Ind. App. 292, 338 N.E.2d 680, 682. The second argument ignores the basic principle of law that a defendant can be convicted only on the evidence presented at trial. Hardin v. State (1973), 260 Ind. 501, 502, 296 N.E.2d 784,
The judgment is reversed and the cause is remanded for a new trial.
Reversed and remanded.
Robertson, C.J., participating by designation, concurs; Sullivan, J., concurs with opinion.