Title: Duane E. Baber v. State of Indiana
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 29S04-0601-CR-5
State: Indiana
Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court
Date: February 14, 2006

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE 
James D. Crum  
 
 
 
 
 
Steve Carter 
Ryan H. Cassman 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney General of Indiana 
Carmel, Indiana  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
J.T. Whitehead 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deputy Attorney General 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indianapolis, Indiana 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
 
In the 
Indiana Supreme Court  
_________________________________ 
 
No. 29S04-0601-CR-0005 
                            
 
 
DUANE E. BABER, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appellant (Defendant below), 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF INDIANA,  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appellee (Plaintiff  below). 
_________________________________ 
 
Appeal from the Hamilton Superior Court, No. 29D02-0407-FC-0082 
The Honorable Bernard L. Pylitt, Judge 
_________________________________ 
 
On Petition To Transfer from the Indiana Court of Appeals, No. 29A04-0501-CR-00039 
_________________________________ 
 
February 14, 2006 
 
Per Curiam. 
 
 
Following a jury trial, Appellant Duane E. Baber was found guilty of Attempted Battery 
as a Class C felony, Ind. Code § 35-42-2-1(a)(3); Attempted Domestic Battery as a Class A 
misdemeanor, Ind. Code § 35-42-2-1.3(a); Pointing a Firearm as a Class D felony, Ind. Code § 
35-47-4-3(b); and Criminal Recklessness as a Class D felony, Ind. Code § 35-42-2-2(b)(1), 
(c)(2).  The maximum possible sentence for a Class C felony is eight years – a standard term of 
 
four years with not more than four additional years for aggravating circumstances.  Ind. Code § 
35-50-2-6(a).  The maximum possible sentence for a Class D felony is three years – a standard 
term of one and one-half years with not more than one and one-half years added for aggravating 
circumstances.  Ind. Code § 35-50-2-7(a).  The trial court sentenced Baber to the maximum 
terms available for his felony convictions and ordered them served concurrently.1
 
Baber filed a timely appeal raising challenges to both his conviction and sentence, and 
the Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court.  Baber v. State, 834 N.E.2d 146 (Ind. Ct. App. 
2005), vacated.  One of the issues raised by Baber in his Appellant’s Brief was his claim that his 
sentence violated the Sixth Amendment as interpreted in Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296 
(2004).  The Court of Appeals refused to entertain this claim, however, finding Baber had 
forfeited it by failing to make a Blakely objection at his sentencing hearing.  See Baber, 834 
N.E.2d at 152.  In Kincaid v. State, 837 N.E.2d 1008 (Ind. 2005), we expressly rejected the 
notion that a defendant must make such an objection at sentencing to preserve a Blakely claim on 
appeal.2  Because Baber did not forfeit his Blakely claim, we take up this claim here. 
 
Our review of the Record on Appeal indicates the trial court enhanced Baber’s sentence 
by using both aggravating factors that under Blakely must be found by a jury and aggravating 
factors that do not.  “Where we find an irregularity in a trial court's sentencing decision, we have 
the option to remand to the trial court for a clarification or new sentencing determination, to 
affirm the sentence if the error is harmless, or to reweigh the proper aggravating and mitigating 
circumstances independently at the appellate level.”  Cotto v. State, 829 N.E.2d 520, 525 (Ind. 
2005).  We elect the first option here. 
 
Accordingly, we reverse those parts of Baber’s sentences enhanced beyond their standard 
terms and remand for a new sentencing hearing in which the State may elect to prove adequate 
aggravating circumstances before a jury or accept the standard terms.  Patrick v. State, 827 
N.E.2d 30, 31 (Ind. 2005).  “As a third option, the State may elect to forgo the empanelling of a 
                                                 
1 Baber was also sentenced to one year for Attempted Domestic Battery, but the trial court correctly found 
this sentence merged with his sentence for Attempted Battery as a Class C felony. 
 
2 The Court of Appeals’ decision in this case was issued before our decision in Kincaid was handed down. 
 
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jury and stipulate to [Baber’s] being resentenced by the trial court only in light of the aggravating 
factors for which a jury determination is unnecessary . . . .”  Id.  The Court of Appeals’ opinion, 
except as noted herein, is otherwise summarily affirmed.  Ind. Appellate Rule 58(A)(2). 
  
All Justices concur. 
 
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