Title: Munn v. State
Citation: 505 N.E.2d 782
Docket Number: 384S98
State: Indiana
Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court
Date: March 25, 1987

505 N.E.2d 782 (1987)
Donald Holloway MUNN, Appellant (Defendant below),
v.
STATE of Indiana, Appellee (Plaintiff below).
No. 384S98.

Supreme Court of Indiana.
March 25, 1987.
*783 Richard D. Gilroy, Indianapolis, for appellant.
Linley E. Pearson, Atty. Gen., Michael Gene Worden, Deputy Atty. Gen., Indianapolis, for appellee.
DICKSON, Justice.
The defendant, Donald Holloway Munn, was convicted, following jury trial, of rape, a class B felony[1] and received a sentence of fifteen (15) years imprisonment. On this direct appeal, defendant raises the following four issues for review:
The defendant and the victim had become acquainted in December, 1981. At approximately 1:00 a.m. on December 22, 1982, the victim was awakened by the defendant knocking on her door. When the victim partially opened the door, the defendant requested a glass of water, pushed the door wide open and entered the apartment. The victim provided the defendant with the water and then opened the door and requested that the defendant leave. The defendant refused, slammed the door, grabbed the victim and stated that he wanted sex with her. When the victim resisted, the defendant attacked her and raped her repeatedly while threatening to kill her.
Prior to trial, the State filed a Motion in Limine requesting the court to prohibit defendant from questioning, making any reference, or offering evidence concerning the victim's past sexual conduct pursuant to Indiana's rape shield statute, Ind. Code § 35-37-4-4. In response, the defendant filed a motion and written offer of proof requesting the court to allow defendant to present evidence at trial concerning sexual relations between the defendant and the victim prior to the night of the alleged rape. In the resulting pretrial hearing, defendant testified that he had consensual sexual intercourse with the victim on two occasions: in the spring of 1982 and in September, 1982. He denied having intercourse with the victim on the night of the alleged rape. The trial court granted the State's motion, thereby barring the defendant's testimony concerning these prior instances of sexual conduct and prohibiting the defendant from inquiring into these matters when cross-examining the victim.
Indiana Code § 35-37-4-4, also known as the Rape Shield Statute, provides in relevant part as follows:
At trial, the defendant testified that he was introduced to the victim on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1981, and that they became friends and had a close relationship. Defendant denied having sexual intercourse with the victim at the time of the rape. He presented alibi evidence through his own testimony and through that of other witnesses. Defendant now contends that he should have been permitted to present evidence of his past sexual relations with the victim for impeachment purposes. He further contends that such evidence would be relevant because of other testimony suggesting the possibility that the victim's accusations may have been motivated by her jealousy regarding the defendant's relationship with another woman. He argues that he should have been permitted to present such evidence because the victim testified, during cross-examination, that, although she was acquainted with the defendant and had talked to him on occasion, she had "never dated him."
The rape shield statute expressly permits evidence of the victim's past sexual conduct with the defendant upon an adequate showing of the following two prerequisites:
In reviewing use of a rape shield statute, we have recognized the importance of caution in order to protect the right of confrontation assured by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Woodford v. State (1986), Ind., 488 N.E.2d 1121; Lagenour v. State (1978), 268 Ind. 441, 376 N.E.2d 475. The standard enunciated in Lagenour was whether the limitation prevented a defendant from conducting a "full, adequate and effective cross-examination[.]" Id. at 445, 376 N.E.2d  at 478. The United States Supreme Court recently examined this issue in Delaware v. Van Arsdall (1986), 475 U.S. ___, ___, 106 S. Ct. 1431, 1435, 89 L. Ed. 2d 674, 682-683:
Because of the defendant's alibi defense, the excluded evidence is not relevant to any issue related to the victim's consent. However, the credibility of the victim as a prosecuting witness is a fact at issue to which the excluded evidence is relevant and material. Evidence tending to show jealousy as a possible motive for the victim's accusations against the defendant was certainly material to facts at issue. We note that the trial court expressly permitted the defendant to cross-examine the victim, and to present other evidence showing various details regarding the nature and duration of their relationship. The only limitation imposed was upon evidence of prior sexual intercourse between the defendant and the victim. As recognized in the passage quoted from Van Arsdall, above, prohibition of all inquiry into the possibility of motive and bias may violate the Confrontation Clause, but trial courts are permitted to impose reasonable limits. Balancing the probative value against the inflammatory or prejudicial nature is within such limits. This determination is properly within the discretion of the trial court. Thomas v. State (1984), Ind., 471 N.E.2d 677. While there may be a difference of opinion regarding whether the inflammatory or prejudicial nature outweighed the probative value, we cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion in excluding the evidence.
With regard to defendant's argument that by testifying that she never dated the defendant, the victim "opened the door" to the issue, we observe that the statement by the victim was made in response to the defendant's cross-examination. If the defendant was harmed by the jury's hearing the victim's denial of a dating relationship, it is the defendant who bears the responsibility, as it was he who asked the question, not the State. Lewis v. State (1982), Ind., 440 N.E.2d 1125, 1128.
Moreover, even if the trial court had unconstitutionally prevented the defendant from cross-examination of the victim, such error would not necessarily require automatic reversal. In Van Arsdall, supra, the United States Supreme Court instructed:
475 U.S. at ___, 106 S. Ct.  at 1438, 89 L. Ed. 2d  at 686-687. Recognizing that the defendant was given wide latitude to present evidence and cross-examine the victim regarding the nature and duration of their alleged relationship before the rape, excluding only evidence about prior sexual intercourse, we find that the exclusion of evidence regarding the prior sexual intercourse, standing alone, would have been harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
Defendant next claims that the trial court erred in not recessing the trial on its second day, alleging that it was evident that the members of the jury were tired and inattentive to the testimony being elicited by defense witnesses.
These contentions are unsupported in the record. The only reference concerning the condition of the jury is as follows:
Defendant does not direct us to any other portion of the record which provides adequate support for his contention. To the contrary, the trial judge expressly found the jury alert. Furthermore, defendant has waived the issue for failing to object at trial, McBrady v. State (1984), Ind., 459 N.E.2d 719, and for failing to present a complete record to the Court which would bear out his claim. Brown v. State (1983), Ind., 445 N.E.2d 82.
Following defendant's arrest, Indiana Police Detective Frank Evans handcuffed the defendant, advised him of his Miranda rights, and placed him in the back seat of the squad car. While filling out an arrest slip, Detective Evans requested standard background information concerning the defendant's name, address, date of birth and social security number. Evans testified that in the course of eliciting this information, the following occurred:
Defendant concedes in his brief that the police advised him of his Miranda rights, and that he acknowledged his understanding of those rights. Nevertheless, defendant argues that the trial court erred by permitting Evans to testify as to the defendant's inculpatory statements because there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that defendant knowingly and intentionally waived his privilege against self-incrimination.
The State contends that the trial court properly admitted the testimony because the defendant volunteered his statements without inducement. In Johnson v. State (1978), 269 Ind. 370, 375-377, 380 N.E.2d 1236, 1240, we stated:
In the case at bar, defendant was advised of his rights prior to making the statements. The defendant's statements were not elicited in the course of interrogation. There was no questioning by Detective Evans designed to bring forth a self-incriminating response by defendant. The inculpatory statements were voluntary and unsolicited. They were therefore admissible into evidence.
Defendant contends that the jury ignored the testimony of the seven defense witnesses who supported his alibi defense, that the victim's testimony was incredible and unsubstantiated, and that the evidence at trial was insufficient to support his conviction.
In addressing the issue of sufficiency of evidence, we will affirm the conviction if, considering only the probative evidence and reasonable inferences supporting the verdict, without weighing evidence or assessing witness credibility, a reasonable trier of fact could conclude that the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Case v. State (1984), Ind., 458 N.E.2d 223; Loyd v. State (1980), 272 Ind. 404, 407, 398 N.E.2d 1260, 1264, cert. denied, 449 U.S. 881, 101 S. Ct. 231, 66 L. Ed. 2d 105.
Defendant's argument is merely a request for this Court to reweigh the evidence and judge the credibility of the witnesses. It is well-settled that the uncorroborated testimony of a rape victim is sufficient to support a conviction. Lamb v. State (1984), Ind., 462 N.E.2d 1025, 1028; Lewis v. State (1983), Ind., 451 N.E.2d 50, 52-53; Brown v. State (1982), Ind., 442 N.E.2d 1109, 1113. The victim in this case unequivocally identified the defendant as the man who forced her to submit to sexual intercourse. From her testimony the jury could reasonably conclude that the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Judgment affirmed.
SHEPARD, C.J., and DeBRULER, GIVAN and PIVARNIK, JJ., concur.
[1]  Ind. Code § 35-42-4-1(a)(1).